Below is, in my opinion, the most effective and stealth place for an aux input and usb charger, all while still being in reach to the driver and passenger, and without sacrificing storage space. Well, only if you find the coin carousel useless like I do.
Disclaimer: the obligatory statement that if you fuck up its your fault and you can't sue me. This worked for me and I am happy leave me alone.
Tools/supplies needed:
-Phillips screw driver
-plastic trim pry tools
-bmw aux cord
-cigarette lighter outlet thing
-flat piece of plastic (ideally black)
-drill
-rotary/dremel tool
-voltmeter
Optional: black spray paint or plastidip, general purpose grease, those red dash trim clips (p/n 51458266814)
I took a lot of pictures, but honestly forgot to take pictures in some places where I should have, so forgive me in advance.
First thing you need to do is remove the cup holders and coin tray. Very easy, just sort of squeeze the sides and gently pry away. They typically come off with minimal effort.
Next remove the coin carousel. You have to remove the spring on the back that keeps it pushed up. Once that is off, it is very easy to just disconnect. It is held on at a single pivot point and just needs to be pried out.
Now, with the carousel gone, you have a rectangular hole that needs to be covered. It is about 3" long and 1" wide, so cut a thin-ish piece of plastic to 1.5"x3.5". Black is better so it matches, but I will explain later why black paint or plastidip may be useful...
I used a plastic lid. It is white, but I planned on painting it.
next, cut a flat 1.5'x3.5' section. I used a box cutter, but this took a long time. A rotary tool is much more effective and quick.
$10 rotary tool from harbor freight. You can get it for like $7 with a coupon.
Next you need to make your measurements on the piece you cut. Mine had little dimple on it, so I had to bring the aux plate and hole for the charger closer to the middle.
Use the rotary tool to cut out the circular opening for the charging port, and use a drill to make holes for the aux plate screws, and a bigger hole for the aux input itself. I do not recall what size drill bits I used, but just find something that looks like the right size and try it out. Make it bigger if the aux does not fit. You may also need to smoothen the edges of the plastic piece with sandpaper or that rotary tool.
With the plate ready, I then proceeded to remove all the center console. I used these video to help me with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yBADJ1EKGE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTBAFNq-mM8 I also planned to strip all the old peeling rubber and respray wit plastidip. I basically just soaked the pieces in hot soapy water and used my fingers and nails to scrape all the old rubber off. Then, once all the pieces were dry, I sprayed a few coats of plastidip. This is an optional step, but I felt it was necessary for me. I made sure to spray the plastic piece I cut as well.
while the last coat was drying, I began to reroute my aux. I had it temporarily hanging out of my dash trim in front of the passenger for about 6 months. Ugly.
First thing first, you want to remove the dash trim using some plastic trim pry tools. Be very careful, and don't jerk on anything. Last time someone touched this trim, they broke the clips mentioned in the supplies above, so I had to replace them after reinstallation. This video is helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDjj2WnjWDM
Next, unscrew the 2 phillips screws holding the radio in place. Pull the radio out slightly. I recommend putting some sort of towel on your console to prevent the radio from scratching the console. If you already have the aux installed, you may need to reroute, depending on where it currently is. If you do not have the aux installed yet, this is a helpful video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgLiHz1GiNE
Once the aux is in the radio wire harness, you need the snake it down behind the HVAC module, through the shifter area, and under the plastic divider. In the picture below, I have it coming out the driver side of the divider, but I later decided to have it come out eh passenger side, since there is less space for it below the center console on the driver side because of the indentation for the e-brake.
Going to sleep now, will resume tomorrow...
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