Question about my 525i with siris antenna

[MacBB55]

ok so I have a 2004 525i, it was manufactured in Jan 2004, one thing that I have a question about is home come I have the siris antenna thing that sits in the center of the roof right above the windshield. the question I has is if I don't have the service or option to even listen to it if I did have the service how come I have the antenna? I know it wasn't added after you can tell it clearly came on the car so im thinking maybe it was used for gps of some kind even tho there is no navi in the car or it was put on all of them but only some had it coded in. if anyone knows or has an idea lmk

 

[Rob09msport]

Your not talking about shark fin right and maybe garage remote?

 

[doublespaces]

ok so I have a 2004 525i, it was manufactured in Jan 2004, one thing that I have a question about is home come I have the siris antenna thing that sits in the center of the roof right above the windshield. the question I has is if I don't have the service or option to even listen to it if I did have the service how come I have the antenna? I know it wasn't added after you can tell it clearly came on the car so im thinking maybe it was used for gps of some kind even tho there is no navi in the car or it was put on all of them but only some had it coded in. if anyone knows or has an idea lmk

Well, I'm trying to understand what you mean. The E60 has the shark fin right above the rear window doesn't it?

Either way, BMW Assist is the only service option I can think of besides sat radio and it seems like they give you an SOS button as well and this uses the Shark fin as well as GPS. So even if you have none of these options somehow, I'm pretty sure they include the shark fin on top because its an aesthetic thing perhaps, much like how all cars get the rear view alarm clown nose. Except cars without an alarm have no wiring guts inside, or they just aren't setup to blink because the alarm module isn't installed.

I know on the E93, there is not shark fin antenna, and it is moved to the rear trunk and this is where the sat radio comes from. I'm pretty sure BMW's have the normal radio antennas built into the panels of the vehicle or at least they did at one time.

 

[MacBB55]

yea we do have the fin in the center on the rear what im talking about is a lot smaller than the shark fin, an its located in the front above the rear view mirrior on the roof of the car

 

[NoQuarter]

Gonna need a picture. I have never seen anything on the roof above the rear view mirror.

 

[MacBB55]

kk will hav one in a few mins

 

[JuniorB]

The shark fin is a gps antenna, there is an antenna in your third brake light, and one in the left side rear glass pillar

 

[MacBB55]

see mine is in the center right above the rear view mirror on the roof, an it is a magnet type thing because it slides back and forth and you can see where the cord has loosed the plastic around the window right there over the years, I forgot last time but I will try to get a pic of it close up in the am when the sun comes back out lol. its really small but it can b seen in both these pics, easier in the pic from the front end, ill try to get closer one tomorrow but for now that's all I got showing it. I was thinkinh maybe its for the garage opener thing but the other day I met two different people with almost the same identical car, one was even the same year if im not mistaken an neither of those cars had it/

 

[NoQuarter]

Nothing factory or OEM with that.

Previous owner installed something. How does the cable get into the car?

If it is only magnetically attached I would hate to think there is a hole into the car under it.

 

[MacBB55]

there is a wire that runs from the bottom of the lil box into the seal going around the front windshield, from there im unsure of where it goes. now im thinking maybe at one time the old owner maybe added one of those xm radio things that used to be separate from your actual stereo but then again why wouldn't they have taken antenna when they took it out since it would be needed if u ever planned to use the thing again..