Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

E28 technical advice asked and given! Troubleshooting, modifications and more.
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Joey28
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Location: Effort, PA USA
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Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

Post by Joey28 »

My experience with head unit replacement:
For an early 80's car, I feel like the standard sound in the E28 isn't too bad. It's not great at all either, but it does the job. Unfortunately though when I bought my 1983 533i it came with a crappy aftermarket head unit. I REALLY like a good radio in any car I DD, so I swapped in one of the Continental Bluetooth head units. I really like it: it looks factory, orange illumination, works well, adds blueooth and hands-free capability, and seems to play nice with my factory speakers. I did have to put the main power on a relay, as it causes the dreaded brake light warning and radio blips out when you hit the brakes if you have power tapped straight off the original wire(wtf with this wiring setup?).
I like this car stock, and am keeping the stock speakers, but this head unit is a nice compromise with modernity.
muleskinner
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Location: John Graham ATL

Re: Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

Post by muleskinner »

Several people have installed this HU in the last couple of years. It looks really good, and is very reasonably priced.

You should definitely upgrade the factory speakers. They're 38 year old crapped out paper cones. There are many options available for very reasonable prices, easy and invisible install. Modern speakers are typically made of some type of propylene or other long lasting material.You'll be amazed at the upgrade in sound quality.
anchored
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Joined: Aug 05, 2018 1:49 PM
Location: ATL

Re: Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

Post by anchored »

I went with a unique approach in my e24.
Image
Image


- Flipped the LCD polarity.
- Changed the LED color to orange.
- Removed the unnecessary writing
- 3d modeled and printed a flush mount. (this would have been a million times easier on an e28)
- The screen below is an engine temp gauge.
Last edited by anchored on May 31, 2021 12:59 AM, edited 4 times in total.
Mike W.
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Location: California Whine Country

Re: Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

Post by Mike W. »

anchored wrote: May 29, 2021 10:55 PM I went with a unique approach in my e24.
Nice classy looking clock, but personally I really like the OBC. However it's your car, so what you like is what counts.
anchored
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Joined: Aug 05, 2018 1:49 PM
Location: ATL

Re: Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

Post by anchored »

I Like the OBC, but I use a battery shut off and never bothered to reset it after each shut off. I have this clock wired up always stay on.
liveoak
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Joined: Feb 15, 2022 10:18 AM
Location: San Diego

Re: Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

Post by liveoak »

[
anchored wrote: May 29, 2021 10:55 PM I went with a unique approach in my e24.



- Flipped the LCD polarity.
- Changed the LED color to orange.
- Removed the unnecessary writing
- 3d modeled and printed a flush mount. (this would have been a million times easier on an e28)
- The screen below is an engine temp gauge.
what do you mean by "flipped the polarity"?

I also took a unique approach. The model number on the thread title is for the white display unit, however I think it was supposed to be for the orange display unit (TR7412UB-OR). I bought the white display TR312UB-WH https://www.continental-aftermarket.com ... eet_v2.pdf. There are advantages to the white unit vs the orange unit sold in the US. The white unit is more advanced accepting a larger USB drive holding 60000 songs as well as song titles for bluetooth and a google/siri button. It is also faster and sounds better. It does not have dimming capabilities or steering wheel controls. This is what I did to mine, for my Corolla.
*dimmed all led's using led light blocking stickers from Amazon. the lcd led's are behind the black tape and can be bent back to allow stickers and then pushed back. all other led's are face mounted and easy to cover.
*traced and cut the USB cover so I could have a low profile USB stick in there all of the time without the cover flopping around.

This head unit is quirky. The RDS radio station titles will only work if it's set to Europe so I keep it there. I can't get the "visible clock" feature to work. random for files is so random it plays the same files too soon.
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db9
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Joined: Jun 30, 2019 8:27 AM
Location: Mississauga, Ontario

Re: Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

Post by db9 »

Installed a Continental TRD7412UB-OR in my son's 95 e34 530iT - back light is orange and dimmable, USB/BT does come with hands free and steering wheel remote control.

anchored..

Would like to know how to flip the polarization and change the LED's as the orange is close but not quite to the e34 instruments ( a bit OCD)

Thank you,
Vl4d
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Joined: Jun 19, 2022 7:40 AM
Location: CZ

Re: Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

Post by Vl4d »

anchored wrote: May 29, 2021 10:55 PM I went with a unique approach in my e24.
Image


- Flipped the LCD polarity.
- Changed the LED color to orange.
- Removed the unnecessary writing
- 3d modeled and printed a flush mount. (this would have been a million times easier on an e28)
- The screen below is an engine temp gauge.
Did you take any pictures of radio disassembled?
Or do you know part no. of the leds and you needed to change?

I would like to use these radios in my older cars, but they only make blue, orange and now kinda white version, while the car backlight for everyhting is red in one case and green in other.

Now I just resigned on finding any out of box solution and will modify this radio, but would be easier to have some information before I start so i'm prepared for it. Well I mean the blaupunkt bremen checks pretty much all the boxes, but as I want multiple it would get quite expensive.

BTW your install looks great.


EDIT found on the net:
Image
db9
Posts: 100
Joined: Jun 30, 2019 8:27 AM
Location: Mississauga, Ontario

Re: Continental TR312UB-WH Head Unit Install Experience

Post by db9 »

I believe the details are within this thread
..
https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/forum/ ... ons-needed
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