DIY 16:9 Navigation Screen Repair

[Miss BimmerLV]

Hi there !

Page I

Does YOUR 16:9 Navi screen have missing pixels....or REALLY deep scratches that ya just cant seem to get rid of ???


Well today I will teach ya how to fix those pesky screen problems

So lets get started.....


First lemme just say....The 16:9 Navi screen uses a 6.5 TFT LCD screen for presentation. Once this screen has accumulated pixel loss...or become scratched..There is NO alternatives when it comes to repairs...As LCD screens CANNOT be repaired. ( at least not this one ) ( You must purchase a REPLACEMENT screen ..same for LCD TV's and what not) So the only option is to purchase a NEW $500 Head unit from SOMEPLACE.....OR.....OR.....You can cheat....And just buy the 6.5 TFT LCD screen itself and replace just that. So that is what we are going to do today.

The process is SUPER duper easy ....

* You will only need.....

A NEW 6.5 TFT LCD Monitor ( $160 ) ( Varies Sources on the Net )



A Set of Eyeglass Screw drivers



Rubber Gloves.. ( A MUST !!! YOU NEED RUBBER GLOVES )



Compressed Air ( For making a "make-shift" clean room..lol )



And MOST importantly to PROTECT your new screen..an Ipad screen protector. ( MAKE SURE IT IS OF A MATTE FINISH )(The MORE expensive the screen protector...the BETTER...ask me how I know ! )( I love that phrase..hehehe )





* OK.....Now....Once you got all your tools and what nots together.....Go and find a spot in which you can make a TEMPORARY clean room. As you will need a DUSTLESS & Lint free enviroment for working with your screen. Once ya do that...Go remove your 16:9 Nav screen.....( BEFORE BEFORE BEFORE You Disconnect the battery....MAKE SURE TO CLICK THE OPEN BUTTON TO EXPOSE THE CASSETTE DECK...AS YOU NEED THE FACE PLATE TO BE SITUATED DOWN. )

( Sorry..forgot to take a pic of that...try this...You get the idea..lol )



* Once You have removed the Nav Unit WITH the faceplate situated down...Take it to your Makeshift Temp Clean room. Dawn Your rubber gloves and breakout the eyeglass screw drivers.

*Lets Start by removing the top cover to the unit. There are FOUR Phillip Head Screws That need removing. This is to access the Monitor Ribbon Cable inside the unit.





* Now..There are FOUR Phillip screws that attach the nav flip screen part to the main unit. There are two screws per side...REMOVE THEM!



* Once you have removed the FOUR screws.....VERY VERY VERY gently use some thing to prop the monitor up WHILST you remove THESE three screws.



* You can see the Monitor ribbon cables here...Once you have removed the the three screws....GENTLY disassemble cassette deck faceplate and un secure...remove...and snake the ribbon cable through the slot. GENTLY pry up on the tabs located to the left/right of the ribbon cable ends to release. There are TWO cables to be released.







* Once you have snaked the ribbon cable through...You are noe free to remove and work on the face place of the head unit....Also at this point...REMOVE the knobs by simply gripping and pulling straight up!






* Ok....Almost Done....Not too much more to go...Now will focus on getting and the "meat" of the nav unit. The actual monitor itself. So there are a few things we need to do FIRST, BEFORE we can actually get the monitor itself. So lets start by REMOVING the BACK and FRONT button cover.

There are FOUR Phillip Screws on the back cover....REMOVE them...And snake the cable thru the groove







* Once you get the back off, go ahead and disconnect ALL the plugs:

They are:

Volume Kontrol Knob
Menu Select Knob
Photo-Eye Sensor ( Anti-Glare )
Info Feed ( Wire )
Info Feed ( Ribbon Cable )
Monitor Power Supply

Once you get everything disconnected....Go ahead and REMOVE the front cover face plate..







* Flip the entire piece BACK over...and REMOVE the SIX screws that secure the motherboard to the frame.

[Miss BimmerLV]

Page II ( Continued )

* Alright....once you have REMOVED the motherboard assembly...we can NOW access the FOUR Phillip screws that secure the 6.5 TFT LCD Screen to the frame. REMOVE them. and ultimately remove the screen...lol





Yea Yea Yea......Ok So.....Now that we got the screen off....a little comparison ..Can you tell the difference ???











* Alright....We done come this far....So no turning back now...Think of this next process as sorta like a "Tint Job" for your navi window. ALL the same principles involved with tinting your window apply here! ( wish I would figured that out in the beginning ) ( Anyway! )

Take your New ipad screen protector and your OLD navigation monitor...And cut Screen protector to size. Once finished...take your NEW Monitor...clean it REALLY good with a microfiber towel....Take your Compressed air ad blow off anything gross and what not..and apply your new film.









* Once you got your new screen all gussied up...Its now time to Re- position back on the frame. The frame has holes fer certain cables to pass through....Just remember the data cable must be aligned with the TOP hole in order for the monitor to be positioned correctly. Just follow the below steps...













Re-Assemble everything...and guess what...You are done!!!!!



And if ya want EXTRA credit.....BEFORE ya put those unsightly " Gummi Bear " Knobs back on...Replace them with some CHROME Lined knobs from an ( E92 ) M3 !!!!

BMW Part # 65-12-9-119-423 ( Chrome Rotary Knob )

( Pics for Reference Only! )














Anyhoo....

I hope this simple DIY Fix helped SOMEone out there in bimmer land

Come back next week for the ever popular DIY series as I teach you how to code 5 MPH Locks!!!!

Be well & Drive Safe.

Your VERY Sassy & Savvy E38 Tech Gal,

Miss BimmerLV

XOXO!

[///M3Vader4dr]

don't have OE nav but great write up!

[TheJayP]

I dont have nav but this is a seriously awesome writeup, Good job.

[Miss BimmerLV]

Thank You babies !!!!


XOXO!

[bimerbenzbently]

this will one day come in handy!!!

[TAM 11M]

im the same as the others, dont need the DIY but really is a great thread, great detail in the way you have written it up, hats off to you

[SirReal63]

You have got a knack for this stuff!

A little tip or two, to make a clean room...use the bathroom, run hot water in the shower with the doors closed until it gets very steamy inside, this takes all dust and particles out of the air. Shut water off, close door and wait a few minutes, then take your screen into the bathroom and install the protector, a few squirts of soapy water in a mister and an old credit card will make it easy to get the bubbles out and the screen protector will be installed perfectly.

Very nice write up, you have gone where most people would be afraid of going, and you did it with style and grace.

[wastedincome]

ANOTHER great DIY Maddi' Keep up the great work

[Miss BimmerLV]

You have got a knack for this stuff!

A little tip or two, to make a clean room...use the bathroom, run hot water in the shower with the doors closed until it gets very steamy inside, this takes all dust and particles out of the air. Shut water off, close door and wait a few minutes, then take your screen into the bathroom and install the protector, a few squirts of soapy water in a mister and an old credit card will make it easy to get the bubbles out and the screen protector will be installed perfectly.

Very nice write up, you have gone where most people would be afraid of going, and you did it with style and grace.

Thank You VERY much for the clean room tip...I will remember that for sure!!!!

XOXO!

[shanecarmaster1]

Beautiful write up. Tell me - how does the display compare to OEM quality?

[renee38]

Nice job.

[Miss BimmerLV]

Beautiful write up. Tell me - how does the display compare to OEM quality?

Its the SAME OEM Screen....So no diff..Well accept for the fact that its as perfect as the day it came from the factory!

[sealbeach740]

Very nice work (plus some mad skillz), and an excellent job of creating the write up so everyone can use it.

One question - on the last pic of the old & new screen, the new screen looks like it has some air bubbles on it. Is that from the matte screen protector? How did you get rid of them?

[Miss BimmerLV]

Very nice work (plus some mad skillz), and an excellent job of creating the write up so everyone can use it.

One question - on the last pic of the old & new screen, the new screen looks like it has some air bubbles on it. Is that from the matte screen protector? How did you get rid of them?

Thank You!!!!


& Yea....

Air bubbles are from CHEAPO screen protector....PLUS I'm such a big tit'ed Bimbo!! I kept puttin the darn screen protector on WRONG side....so in the process..it picked up a LOT of dust and debris...( hence air bubbles )

So I guess I gotta go spend the money on a MORE expensive screen protector...and not be such a smart a$$ and actually READ the installation instructions....hahaha

LOL...And I didnt get rid of them...they are STILL there...just been to lazy to yank the unit out and start over.

And with the Vegas heat...It just turned all the smaller air bubbles into one giant bubble...hahahaha...but hey....at least my screen is still being protected

[SEVEN40iL]

Nice!

[Edwin NL]

Nice write up again Maddy!

[audiavant]

Wow.... Hope I NEVER neeeeeeed this.....if I do....roadtrip )

[shled]

Well done. It'll be like new when you're done.

[bimerbenzbently]

Thank You!!!!


& Yea....

Air bubbles are from CHEAPO screen protector....PLUS I'm such a big tit'ed Bimbo!! I kept puttin the darn screen protector on WRONG side....so in the process..it picked up a LOT of dust and debris...( hence air bubbles )

So I guess I gotta go spend the money on a MORE expensive screen protector...and not be such a smart a$$ and actually READ the installation instructions....hahaha

LOL...And I didnt get rid of them...they are STILL there...just been to lazy to yank the unit out and start over.

And with the Vegas heat...It just turned all the smaller air bubbles into one giant bubble...hahahaha...but hey....at least my screen is still being protected

is that panel a lil loose next to where you insert the key? maybe it needs a lil tightening or my eyes could be playing tricks on me

[das borgen]

Air bubbles are from CHEAPO screen protector....PLUS I'm such a big tit'ed Bimbo!! I kept puttin the darn screen protector on WRONG side....so in the process..it picked up a LOT of dust and debris...( hence air bubbles )

hooray for boobies

[Miss BimmerLV]

is that panel a lil loose next to where you insert the key? maybe it needs a lil tightening or my eyes could be playing tricks on me

Good Eye!!!! Yea..That whole under panel is showin its age. I have a SERIOUS case of " Dash Puckering " on the other side.

Gunna fix sooner or later.

[bimerbenzbently]

same thing was happening to mine.. thanks to a good friend he called me up after finding the same car i have at the junkyard.. so i went and pick up the under panel and other wood grain pieces plus sun visors .. i only paid 40$ for everything!!!! and they were in perfect condition... maybe you should check some local yards you never know what you might find...

[Miss BimmerLV]

same thing was happening to mine.. thanks to a good friend he called me up after finding the same car i have at the junkyard.. so i went and pick up the under panel and other wood grain pieces plus sun visors .. i only paid 40$ for everything!!!! and they were in perfect condition... maybe you should check some local yards you never know what you might find...

See thats the thing.....I dont know where any local yards are!!!!! I could call around.....but I wouldnt have the faintest idea on where to call!

Every timeI make an ATTEMPT to call ( for what I think is a salavage yard )...they either say..."Nope..Sorry..We dont have that typa car here." or some other whatever...I just think they dont like dealin with cuz i'm a girl

[shled]

Start here to find some yards near you that may have what you seek: