BMW 3 and 5 series "Fin"

obi604

BMW 3 and 5 series Fin

Hello, this is just in relation to the bmw 3 and 5 series and the 2008 model. I notice from them driving around that some of them have the little "fin" near the back of the roof and others dont.

Anyone know why some have the fin and the others dont...... is the fin something to do with the model spec., ES or SE and the one with the higher spec gets this fin ?

Owen

Most cars with the Fin are just empty fins with no electronics, bought by people pretending to have SatNav.

Generally, if you buy a car with SatNav you get the fin.

SpannerMonkey

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Most cars with the Fin are just empty fins with no electronics, bought by people pretending to have SatNav.

Generally, if you buy a car with SatNav you get the fin.

as paintdoctor said if you got the sat nav OR bluetooth phone kit you got the fin, but a lot of them you see are fake

Cookie_Monster

are they not also the radio aerial?
I have one on the car (it came with it) but no other aerial...

edit: the car actually has bluetooth so I presume its related to that then as above

robbie99

The fin houses the external aerial for the phone. All BMWs with Bluetooth from the factory have the fin.

Voodoomelon

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

are they not also the radio aerial?
I have one on the car (it came with it) but no other aerial...

edit: the car actually has bluetooth so I presume its related to that then as above

FM aerials are in the C pillars if modern BMWs are anything like mine.

robbie99

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

are they not also the radio aerial?
I have one on the car (it came with it) but no other aerial...

edit: the car actually has bluetooth so I presume its related to that then as above

The top two lines in the back window that look like they're part of the heater elements are actually the FM aerial.

Owen

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

are they not also the radio aerial?
I have one on the car (it came with it) but no other aerial...

BMWs have the radio antennae built into the rear windscreen on most models, however they did shift it around on a few.

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

the car actually has bluetooth so I presume its related to that then as above

My bad, it's for factory fitted bluetooth and satnav. But as someone who worked in a BMW Dealership - there were a hell of a lot of cars went out with the fin and nothing inside in it.

kdevitt

PaintDoctor wrote: »

My bad, it's for factory fitted bluetooth and satnav. But as someone who worked in a BMW Dealership - there were a hell of a lot of cars went out with the fin and nothing inside in it.

Then they had bluetooth prep - the fin has absolutely nothing to do with satnav or television (GPS antenna is under rear parcel shelf and televisions diversity antenna is in the rear bumper)

The rear screen element is indeed the antenna, the antenna amplifier / booster is in the c pillar.

obi604

Thanks for all the replies.

I think the fin makes the car look nicer anyways

kdevitt

obi604 wrote: »

I think the fin makes the car look nicer anyways

Can never understand this - think it looks daft, its a fin ffs! Thats coming from someone who has one on his car.

Owen

kdevitt wrote: »

Then they had bluetooth prep - the fin has absolutely nothing to do with satnav or television (GPS antenna is under rear parcel shelf and televisions diversity antenna is in the rear bumper)

Sorry, you're wrong there. MINIs had BMW SatNav as an option before Bluetooth, and if you ordered it, the roof antennae was replaced by a fin. My Rover 75 which has the X5 navigaton system, also has the fin, and it doesn't have bluetooth. Any any 5 Series/3 Series I've seen with Nav on its own has the fin.

Owen

Here's the RealOEM page for the fin, which clearly lists its various purposes, and the different versions for each purpose.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=NC32&mospid=48801&btnr=65_1331&hg=65&fg=30

Navigation, Telematics (Phone in other words) and DAB radio is what it's used for.

Anan1

kdevitt wrote: »

Can never understand this - think it looks daft, its a fin ffs! Thats coming from someone who has one on his car.

I think so too. My mother asked whether her car could be built without the fin, but was told she was stuck with it if she wanted bluetooth & DAB.

kdevitt

PaintDoctor wrote: »

Here's the RealOEM page for the fin, which clearly lists its various purposes, and the different versions for each purpose.

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=NC32&mospid=48801&btnr=65_1331&hg=65&fg=30

Navigation, Telematics (Phone in other words) and DAB radio is what it's used for.

Must have changed at some stage - because its quite clearly telephone only here, and I've done full sav fitouts on an E46 so I know its nothing to do with nav on them!

http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=BN51&mospid=47620&btnr=84_0092&hg=84&fg=50

-Corkie-

obi604 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

I think the fin makes the car look nicer anyways

Except for fellows putting them on toyota glanzas and felt spec audis....:)