| kordax |
First off, I would like to thank everyone in the original “poorman mp3 audio input via xm connector” thread found here. Without this thread I wouldn’t have been able to do this write-up.
The following is a step by step on how I installed an AUX jack for my ipod in my 2008 Honda Pilot EX-L with XM but no Navi or DVD.
Note: This only works if you have XM installed on your car. It does not have to be operational (no subscription needed) but it does have to physically be there because what I did was tap into the XM signal lines. So to get the iPod to work you have to be on XM and then hit the button that you install to switch to the iPod.
I began by ordering all the necessary parts to make a clean and simple install. I ordered the following items from the following companies/sites.
1. NKK 4PDT ON-ON pushbutton switch (mouser part# 633-MB218501) www.mouser.com
2. NKK black pushbutton cap (mouser part# 633-AT413A). www.mouser.com
3. An open circuit 3 conductor 1/8" jack from radioshack.
4. Y-splitter (http://enfigcarstereo.com/shopsite_...HON03_F_MM.html)
The Y-splitter is not necessary but I chose to go with it so I didn’t have to hack into my factory wiring and I also had the benefit of putting everything together outside the car and then just plug it in and go. So I will quit wasting your time and get to the good stuff.
We begin the process by hacking up the Y-splitter. Here is a pic of the splitter. I cut one end off (which I later found was unnecessary) and then I cut away the center portion of the other side to reveal the wires that I needed to tap into. Here is a pic of the splitter.
 |
|
|
| kordax |
When you cut into the cover to show all the wires you will find wires but you will also find another group of wires that are bound within the original binding. These wires happen to be the ones that you need. The colors of the wires that are within the second binding are Red, Black, Green, and White. Shown below is a picture of the wires cut and exposed. Below that picture is the pin diagram and a listing of what the wires go to. You are looking for connector C and wires located in position 5, 6, 13, & 14. These should be right next to each other
Next I cut the wires that I would need to make all the connections. I figured I would need 4 wires running from the incoming signal to the switch and then from the switch to the head unit. I would also need 4 wires running from the input jack to the switch. This is a total of 12 wires. I cut all 12 wires to equal lengths (approx. 2 ft.)
 |
|
|
| kordax |
I chose to go with red and black wires. I grouped two red and two black wires (totaling 4 wires) together and used some heat shrink tubing to hold them all together. I did this three times to make three groups of four wires, each with two red and two black wires. Since the diagram above shows SAT R+, SAT L+, SAT R-, and SAT L- I thought I would somehow mark one black and one red wire from each group. I did this by putting an electrical tape tab on one red and one black wire from each group. I then said that the black and red wires with the tabs go to the SAT R+ and SAT L+ wires and the other two without tabs go to SAT R- and SAT L-. This is shown below.
I then connected the wires from the Y-splitter that I stripped to the wires that I just made. So at this point I have a Y-splitter, which had 4 wires cut and sliced in 8 wires (4 to the incoming and 4 going to the head unit). The only thing I am missing is the connection between the two…. which will be the switch. You might have asked the purpose of the On-On switch. The reason why you need this is because you always need a connection. You are always either going to have an XM connection or a connection from your iPod. If you used and On-Off-On switch you would have an XM connection when it was On one side, an iPod connection when it was On the other side but no connection when it was in the middle. If you don’t understand that then just trust me that the On-On switch is the way to go. The switch I used might cost a little more but it is worth it. Below is a picture of the switch I bought from Mouser Electronics. It has three sets of 4 prongs. You will need all of these since you have 4 wires coming in, 4 wires going to the head unit, and 4 wires coming in from the input jack.
Since I am not great with electronics I needed to figure out how to hook this thing up by the process of elimination. To do this though I needed to pull the head unit and connect up the wiring harness I made and then connect the wires until I got an XM signal running through the switch. Once I had that I knew my other prongs were dedicated to the input jack wires.
I started by removing the trim around the head unit. Going against everyone’s recommendations, I used a screwdriver. WARNING: you do run a risk of scratching the crap out of the plastic so I was REALLY careful when I did this but I recommend you use some kind of plastic tool that you can pop the trim off with. I did have to remove the two screws over the gauges. The trim piece that goes around the gauges and above the steering wheel seemed to catch the left side of the trim that ran around the head unit. After I got that loose it was no problem to get the trim off. Next I removed the four screws that held the head unit in, two seen below.
 |
|
|
| kordax |
Here is a pic of the back side of the radio. You will be removing the marked plug and inserting your Y-splitter.
Y-splitter inserted
Now that I have my Y-splitter in all I have to do is start the process of elimination. So that you don’t have to do the same I have labeled my push button to show you which wires go on which terminal. Below you will see a pic from the side of the switch. You will see an I, O, and J. The I stands for “In from XM”, O stands for “Out to head unit”, and J stand for “in from input Jack”.
The thing that sucks about the switch is that I had to solder the wires on. I had never soldered until this project so it took me a minute or two and some demo videos on YouTube to get halfway good at it. I had the wife hold the wires and I soldered all of them onto the posts and it ended up looking like this.
I then turned my attention to the input jack. I had NO idea how to wire this so I also used the process of elimination and taped the wires on the posts, plugged in the iPod until I found out what worked. What did work is either the two – wires on the top or the two + wires on the top. This would make a red and black on top and a red and black on bottom. Below is a pic of the input jack and a demonstration of my horrible ability to solder.
Now that I have a working wire set I took it all out and soldered all connections and taped the entire thing. This is how it ended up looking.
Now I had to decide where to put the switch and jack. I decided to do what Medic721 did and put it under the cig lighter. This is a pic of what his looks like since I don’t have a pic of mine. Mine looks exactly like this.
I had two problems at this point though. For the life of me I could not figure out how to get the trim that contains the heated seats and cig. lighter out so that I could drill my holes. SOOOOO I decided to do something a little stupid and drill the holes by hand. I got the two drill bits that were the right size for both the switch and the input jack and I twisted them by hand until they went through the plastic. It took about 15 minutes each and a lot of cuts on my fingers. The second problem I found was that the collar for the input jack was about the same thickness as the plastic so when I pushed it though the hole I didn’t have any thread for the nut on the bottom side to attach to in order to hold it in place. I fixed this by getting a large drill bit and taking a little off from around the hold. I basically “counter sinked” the jack into position.
I tested everything to make sure it worked ok and then I buttoned everything back up and called it a night.
This is how I went about installing an auxiliary jack in my 2008 Honda Pilot EX-L with XM but no DVD or Navi. If you have any questions about the process PM me or email me at kordax25 “@” gmail.com (typed like that to avoid spam). |
|
|
| Medic721 |
Good job putting it all together. If I remember correctly there were just 2 screws and then the panel for the heated seats just pulls out.
-Mike. |
|
|
| donnieo |
quote:
Note: This only works if you have XM installed on your car. It does not have to be operational (no subscription needed) but it does have to physically be there because what I did was tap into the XM signal lines. So to get the iPod to work you have to be on XM and then hit the button that you install to switch to the iPod.
I also have a 2008. If you can clarify....why do you have to tap into the XM signal lines? There's a AUX button on the radio. Can't you tap into that?
Is your XM still working? |
|
|
| kordax |
quote:
Originally posted by donnieo
I also have a 2008. If you can clarify....why do you have to tap into the XM signal lines? There's a AUX button on the radio. Can't you tap into that?
Is your XM still working?
The aux has been discussed and I think it has been decided it is not as easy as just tapping to a wire to get it to work. Like the XM button, there is something else that is required to be present in order to make the AUX button realize that something is connected to it. If I recall correctly the AUX button works if you have the DVD option in your car. Therefore the easiest way to tap into your head unit is through the XM wires. Basically what you are doing is finding the + and - wires that lead to the speakers from the XM output and putting a switch in the line. By adding the switch you have the ability to either listen to XM or flipping the switch and listening to your input jack (iPod, aftermarket Navi, aftermarket DVD, etc.). Your head unit will still show that you are listening to XM because it is still getting the signal but the signal is now no longer making it to the speakers. When you get tired of the input jack you hit the button again and you are back listening to XM.
You tap into the lines by finding wires C5, C6, C13, & C14 shown in the wiring diagram above. It is really an easy process for anyone to do if they want to. |
|
|
| ottopilot |
| Any links here on to how to make 03 stock radio control an MP3 player from the steering controls? |
|
|
|
