DIY - steering wheel MIC for Carplay mod on e93

[CamasM3e93]

The stock mic position in the e93 M3 is in the steering wheel column. Most of these aftermarket carplay adapters that run parallel with your CIC use their own microphone. Placement while maintaining an OEM look is critical. This instruction provides description on how to use an unused position right next to the stock microphone.

(my apologies about the formatting; first DIY post and I'm not clear why the pictures are so huge)











Using plastic trim tools, apply simultaneous upward force on the upper shroud from the very top while pushing in and up from the side. This will pop the clamshell apart. repeat on the other side and pull the upper clamshell up to view the microphone positions.

In a left side driven car, the stock mic is on the left vent position, the right vent is open but there is a small plastic piece clipped in that blocks the vent. Use a screwdriver or preferably a long nose plier to pull this piece out.





After removing three t20 torx screws on the bottom panel in the driver foot well, pull the plastic piece in the roof of the footwell (and above the pedals) down. Shining a flashlight down the steering wheel column you'll now be able to see that there is adequate tunneling to run a wire snake. I used an 18" zip tie and fished my mic wire from the footwell into the steering column.

OK, this is where it gets fancy. Though I am an engineer by training my specialty was paper engineering and I made toilet paper early in my career. This is the type of background that develops novel and effective solutions like the one to follow: using a 3-4" piece of duct tape (I used black gorilla tape), attach the microphone to the underside of the MIC vent and press down on the edges. You have to be really careful that the mic is directly under the vent where sound is transmitted when you do this.







Close the steering wheel column clamshell back up. It just snaps back together in two places on both sides. Voila! Test use showed this worked really well. It's a tight spot where that mic is so I don't think that MIC has much room to raddle / peel free over time.

[CTMike]

Following... I think Santa is bringing a CarPlay unit for my E93!

[CamasM3e93]

Lemme know if you have any questions.