One of the projects I've embarked on recently is to upgrade my in-car entertainment. I have an '04 C4S, which comes with the Bose Fibre Optic MOST system. The car is not optioned with PCM2, so it has a single din CRD-23 radio/cd unit. It does not have a CD changer. The amplifier is on the passenger side of the boot compartment (visible in the compartment next to the spare tire under the boot floor.
I do not plan to change the amplifier or re-wire any speakers. Instead I will use the existing fibre optic system and use a MOST HUR converter (already purchased). I'm aware of the limitations of this with respect to fade etc. The converter will convert an analogue RCA-plug stereo signal from the back of my new head unit to the digital signal for the existing amplifier.
I have purchased:
So far I have moved the HVAC unit down from the top slot in the console to the bottom slot. I have removed the CDR-23 unit, the CD-holder unit and the cubby. This leaves room in the top two slots for a double din unit. However, because I have the single din setup on my car I have had to remove the Centre Bezel (996-552-233-06), unplug all the switches, and remove the support frame (996-552-231-110-1C) that has a plastic horizontal brace that will need to be cut away. I'm not too concerned about doing this (they're about £45 if I want to put it right in the future). I could buy one for PCM2, but I'm not sure if a double din unit would fit in that without modification anyway...
What I do need help with is figuring out all of the wiring. I have found lots of threads and information on the internet, but not a single guide that explains the best approach for my car/configuration.
Here's what I have in my car coming out of the back of the CDR-23 unit...
A fibre optic plug. Easy... This goes into the output of the MOST HUR converter.
A black plug. This plug has eight pins, three of which are vacant. Here is what I *think* they mean. Please correct if wrong:
I was surprised that the reverse wire doesn't send any signal when the car is in reverse. Maybe none of the cars needed that.
There is also a small yellow plug. This plug has six pins, two of which are vacant. Here is what I *think* they mean:
I don't really understand anything about the yellow plug. What does the CDR-23 use the canbus for? I'm assuming my new stereo doesn't need any of these wires but I'm not sure.... I could do with some guidance here...
OK, so my MOST HUR converter box will need the following:
I think this makes sense. It wasn't both a constant signal and an accessory one (one that is 12v when the ignition is on). I guess this is so that it only powers on when the stereo is actually in use? Given that... am I right in thinking that the acc red signal should actually come as an *output* of the stereo?? That way, the box activates when the stereo is on?
My Sony head-unit has the following output connections:
The black plug from existing CDR-23 unit has a ground wire and a constant power wire. Great.
Question: I don't really understand what pin 13 is for, but my assumption is that that pin goes 12v when the stereo is switched on? That way you would power you electronic aerial (if your car has one, or your amplifier) only when you turned the stereo on. Is that thinking correct? If so I think that the blue/white cable would need to go to the red acc wire of the MOST HUR converter.
Next question: what about the amplifier? I don't know where I need to send power to the amplifier. Anybody got any idea about that? At a guess I would wonder if it's the white cable on the black plug of the CDR-23? Pin5 on the black plug...
That leaves two remaining wires on the Sony to hook up:
- red (SWITCHED POWER). Where can I get an accessory power source from? It needs to be something that's only live when the ignition is on. What do people use for this? I would need to connect the Sony to that source right?
- orange/white (SWITCHED ILLUMINATION). I think that this needs to be something that only has a signal when the headlights are switched on. The nearest place I think I can take that from is the grey/blue wire on the cigarette light to the left of the stereo. This powers the ring light around the lighter. Is this where most people take switched illumination from??
Final question! Why does the head-unit need a switched power (red acc) input if it has a constant power (yellow) input? If it has constant power, why can't it just use that to power itself on and off? I guess I don't understand the point of the head-unit needing both a constant power and an accessory power?
Thanks for any input. I have various pictures if that helps at all...
I do not plan to change the amplifier or re-wire any speakers. Instead I will use the existing fibre optic system and use a MOST HUR converter (already purchased). I'm aware of the limitations of this with respect to fade etc. The converter will convert an analogue RCA-plug stereo signal from the back of my new head unit to the digital signal for the existing amplifier.
I have purchased:
- Sony XAV-3005DB double din CarPlay/android auto head unit with DAB
- MOST HUR converter
- New bottom shelf faceplate for HVAC unit
- New cubby shelf unit to go above HVAC unit.
- Double din cage / fitting kit.
- An ISO harness which I think will basically be useless, but may provide some connectors I can re-purpose.
So far I have moved the HVAC unit down from the top slot in the console to the bottom slot. I have removed the CDR-23 unit, the CD-holder unit and the cubby. This leaves room in the top two slots for a double din unit. However, because I have the single din setup on my car I have had to remove the Centre Bezel (996-552-233-06), unplug all the switches, and remove the support frame (996-552-231-110-1C) that has a plastic horizontal brace that will need to be cut away. I'm not too concerned about doing this (they're about £45 if I want to put it right in the future). I could buy one for PCM2, but I'm not sure if a double din unit would fit in that without modification anyway...
What I do need help with is figuring out all of the wiring. I have found lots of threads and information on the internet, but not a single guide that explains the best approach for my car/configuration.
Here's what I have in my car coming out of the back of the CDR-23 unit...
A fibre optic plug. Easy... This goes into the output of the MOST HUR converter.
A black plug. This plug has eight pins, three of which are vacant. Here is what I *think* they mean. Please correct if wrong:
pin 1 - pink/grey (SPEED VOLUME?) I see 12v when key ignition on
pin 2 - Black/blue (REVERSE?) I get not voltage even when car running in reverse
pin 3 -
pin 4 - red/black (CONST POWER?) I get constant 12v from this
pin 5 - white (AMPLIFIED ANTENNA?) I get nothing ever. Is it an output?
pin 6 -
pin 7 -
pin 8 - brown (GROUND?)
I was surprised that the reverse wire doesn't send any signal when the car is in reverse. Maybe none of the cars needed that.
There is also a small yellow plug. This plug has six pins, two of which are vacant. Here is what I *think* they mean:
pin 1 - yellow (CAN COMFORT HIGH??) no voltage ever
pin 2 - black (CAN COMFORT LOW??) constant 4.8-5v volts
pin 3
pin 4 - red/white (WAKE UP DIAGNOSE??). constant 12v signal
pin 5 -
pin 6 - green (KEY CODE IN??) constant 12v signal.
I don't really understand anything about the yellow plug. What does the CDR-23 use the canbus for? I'm assuming my new stereo doesn't need any of these wires but I'm not sure.... I could do with some guidance here...
OK, so my MOST HUR converter box will need the following:
wire 1 - black (ground)
wire 2 - yellow (const 12v)
wire 3 - red (acc 12v)
I think this makes sense. It wasn't both a constant signal and an accessory one (one that is 12v when the ignition is on). I guess this is so that it only powers on when the stereo is actually in use? Given that... am I right in thinking that the acc red signal should actually come as an *output* of the stereo?? That way, the box activates when the stereo is on?
My Sony head-unit has the following output connections:
pin 12 - yellow (CONT POWER)
pin 13 - blue/white (POWER AMP / AERIAL REM)
pin 14 - orange/white (SWITCHED ILLUMINATION)
pin 15 - red (SWITCHED POWER)
pin 16 - black (GROUND)
The black plug from existing CDR-23 unit has a ground wire and a constant power wire. Great.
Question: I don't really understand what pin 13 is for, but my assumption is that that pin goes 12v when the stereo is switched on? That way you would power you electronic aerial (if your car has one, or your amplifier) only when you turned the stereo on. Is that thinking correct? If so I think that the blue/white cable would need to go to the red acc wire of the MOST HUR converter.
Next question: what about the amplifier? I don't know where I need to send power to the amplifier. Anybody got any idea about that? At a guess I would wonder if it's the white cable on the black plug of the CDR-23? Pin5 on the black plug...
That leaves two remaining wires on the Sony to hook up:
- red (SWITCHED POWER). Where can I get an accessory power source from? It needs to be something that's only live when the ignition is on. What do people use for this? I would need to connect the Sony to that source right?
- orange/white (SWITCHED ILLUMINATION). I think that this needs to be something that only has a signal when the headlights are switched on. The nearest place I think I can take that from is the grey/blue wire on the cigarette light to the left of the stereo. This powers the ring light around the lighter. Is this where most people take switched illumination from??
Final question! Why does the head-unit need a switched power (red acc) input if it has a constant power (yellow) input? If it has constant power, why can't it just use that to power itself on and off? I guess I don't understand the point of the head-unit needing both a constant power and an accessory power?
Thanks for any input. I have various pictures if that helps at all...