Digital instrument cluster & diagnostics for the BMW E46
User Guide — install, wiring & activation
Android head unit & phone · BMW K+DCAN (FTDI) cable
Guide v1.0 · for NaviDash app 2.6.x · 2026
1 What NaviDash does
NaviDash turns an Android screen into a live instrument cluster and diagnostic dashboard for your
BMW E46. It reads real data straight from the car's computers over a K+DCAN cable —
engine RPM, speed, coolant / oil / gearbox temperatures, MAF, throttle, ignition timing, battery,
fault codes (DTC) and more — and shows them on a retro gauge cluster.
It runs on two kinds of device:
An Android head unit (aftermarket stereo, e.g. an MTK 8227L unit) permanently installed
in the dash — the normal setup.
An Android phone or tablet — handy for testing or a portable gauge, connected through a
USB OTG adapter.
The live dashboard on the car — speed, RPM, coolant / oil / gearbox, load, fan,
service interval, fault codes, outside temp and battery.
2 What you need
Item
Notes
NaviDash APK
The app install file, supplied by DELFA.
Android device
Head unit or phone, Android 8.0 or newer.
BMW K+DCAN cable
The FTDI type (chip VID 0403 / PID 6001). One end is the
16-pin OBD-II plug, the other is a USB-A plug.
USB OTG adapter (phone only)
USB-C or Micro-USB → USB-A female. Not needed on a head unit that already has a USB-A port.
A phone with a hotspot (activation only)
Used once, to give the device internet for first-time activation. See section 5.
3 Install the app
NaviDash is installed from its .apk file. Android blocks unknown installers by
default, so you allow it once:
1
Copy the NaviDash APK onto the device
(USB stick, download link, or a file transfer).
2
Open the file with the device's
File Manager and tap it. When Android asks, choose Settings → allow this source
(a.k.a. "Install unknown apps"), then go back and tap Install.
3
Open NaviDash. On a head unit you may want
to set it as the default / auto-start app so it launches with the car.
Updates later: once installed and activated, open the menu (the DELFA logo,
top-right) → Check for Update to upgrade over the internet. You don't need to reinstall the APK
by hand each time.
4 Connect the K+DCAN cable
The cable carries the car's data to the Android device. One end plugs into the car's diagnostic
socket, the other into the device's USB.
Figure 1 — The cable goes from the car's OBD-II socket to either the head unit's USB
port, or a phone through an OTG adapter.
4.1 Find the OBD-II socket (E46)
On the E46 it's under the dashboard on the driver's side, above the pedals / near the hood
release — a black 16-pin trapezoid connector.
Figure 2 — OBD-II socket location on the E46 (driver-side lower dash).
4.2 Plug it in
Push the 16-pin end firmly into the OBD-II socket.
Head unit: plug the USB-A end into a spare USB port on the unit. Phone: plug the USB-A end into your OTG adapter, then the adapter into the phone.
Turn the ignition key to ON (or start the engine) so the car's data bus is powered.
The first time, Android asks for permission to use the USB device — tap OK / Allow.
Selecting the source in the app: open the menu → Data Source →
K+DCAN. Then open Vehicle → pick your car (E46) → your engine·gearbox combo
(e.g. M54 · ZF 5HP19).
5 Activate the app (one-time)
Each car needs to be activated once. Until then, the dashboard runs for about a minute and
then stops and shows the activation screen. Activation is a quick, one-time step — after it's done the
device never needs the internet again.
Figure 3 — The one-time activation flow.Figure 4 — The activation screen. Note your Device, VIN suffix and
Activation code (here P4Z3-KDN8) — send that code to activate.
Check the Clock line reads the correct date & time.
1
Get your activation code. Open NaviDash
with the cable connected. After about a minute the activation screen appears and shows a code
in the form XXXX-XXXX. (The car's VIN suffix is read automatically,
or you can type the last 7 characters if asked.)
2
Put the device online — just for now.
On your phone turn on the Personal Hotspot, and connect the head unit's Wi-Fi to that hotspot.
(If the head unit already has internet, skip this.) A phone running NaviDash is already online on its
own data.
3
Send the code to DELFA to activate.
Send your XXXX-XXXX activation code to the contact below. Your
device will be activated for you.
4
Done. The app checks automatically, the
activation screen closes, and the live gauges start. Tap Re-check on the activation screen if
you want it to poll immediately.
It's one-time and then fully offline. Activation is tied to this car. Once
activated you can turn the hotspot off and never connect to the internet again — NaviDash works
completely offline in the car from then on.
Keep the clock correct. Activation is verified using the device's date &
time. Make sure the head unit's (and phone's) clock is set correctly — the right date, time and
time-zone. A badly wrong clock is the most common reason activation fails. If the head unit loses time
when the car sits, set it once it's powered and try again.
Menu (DELFA logo, top-right): Data Source, Vehicle (car → engine·gearbox),
Body (doors / windows / sunroof / locks / mirrors), Panel, Help,
About, Check for Update, Language (English / Chinese).
Every screen has a ◀ Back button; the main menu's ◀ Main returns to the dashboard.
7 Troubleshooting
Symptom
What to check
No data / gauges stay blank
Ignition ON? Cable fully seated in OBD-II and USB/OTG?
USB permission allowed? Data Source set to K+DCAN? Correct Vehicle chosen?
Phone doesn't see the cable
The phone must support USB OTG and you need an OTG
adapter. Try re-seating it and re-allowing the USB permission prompt.
Activation screen keeps coming back
Device must be online for the one-time activation,
the code must be sent to DELFA, and the clock must be correct. Fix the clock, ensure
internet, tap Re-check.
Gauges read wrong for my engine
Open Vehicle and pick the exact
engine·gearbox. Non-M54 engines are still being verified — pick "Custom combo" if needed.
8 Activation & support contact
To activate your device, send your XXXX-XXXX activation code —
and, if you have it handy, your car's full VIN — to:
Email
asciiviking@gmail.com
WeChat
47920951
WhatsApp
+1-781-343-1168
Website
www.delfaauto.com
DELFA NaviDash — connected retrofit for the
classic BMW. This guide covers app 2.6.x. Features and screens may differ slightly as the app is
updated; the in-app Help is always current.
