Litlle by little, the E39 electronics upgrades are going in

[TD]

Thanks to ZBB for the XM Direct kit and the Dension iPod kit. They are both fully installed and operational. The XM has been installed for weeks and it's been nice to have satellite radio for my commute again.

I just finished the iPod kit, running it from the rear to the center console. At ZBB's suggestion, the empty adapter port can be tucked into the little compartment with the sliding door that is just forward of the armrest.

Operation is quirky with the iPhone, though. I originally tested the kit entirely in the trunk with a neighbor friend's iPod Nano (I actually do not own an iPod). With it, you could control the music from wither the dash or the iPod itself. With the iPhone, you cannot control the iPod app from the unit, just the dash. But that's not the cool part.

I tried the Pandora app next and it works through the car. Very cool. This time it leaves whatever the last iPod audio info was up on the dash but shows all info and allows control at the iPhone. It's an unlimited data plan, right?

Since I'm stuck driving the E39, seeing the iPhone hooked up like this in the car makes me eager to get my iPhone.

I'm about to turn my attention to the Bluetooth amp - which has been frustrating as my car's wiring does not match the instruction and since no one at EAS has a brain or works weekends.

That will leave the aux adapter - which looks trickier than it should be.