[Mitch]

Awesome forum - I've been looking for this place for some time now .

Like many people here, I'd like to hook my portable MP3 player up to my factory head unit (I've got an '00 EX-Navi).

While it would have been fun to attempt to reverse-engineer the M-Bus and build a direct plugin, I decided to go low-tech (but higher cost) and I had the underseat CD changer installed. I intend to simply play a CD and inject the mp3 player's audio in place of the CD changer.

Does anyone have the pinout of the Molex connector that goes to the changer? It will be easy to find the audio signals of course, but I was wondering if maybe I also had to deal with a separate audio ground, so I figured I'd ask here before I spent too much effort on it.

I don't really mind hacking up the cable, but I'd certainly build my own harness if I could find a male and female Molex connector like the one used by the CD changer.

Does anyone know where I'd go to find such things? There's nothing obvious at the major interconnect manufacturers (Molex, Amp, etc.), and the standard attachment cable has two males on it.

/Mitch.
'00 EX-Navi, no special mods yet!

 

[MashedPotato]

I tried to make my own interface when we bought our first Odyssey in '99. I bought Peripheral Electronics HONIL adapter and thought I would be able to figure things out from it. The bus between the devices was beyond me, and without that communication, the audio signal couldn't be activated.

I didn't pursue it further because I discovered the input to the head unit from the soon to be released NAV system, which actually worked better for my particular need (the audio of the VCR for the rear passengers). By using this input and reversing the F/R speakers, we could listen to a CD in front while the kids watched a video in the back.

I don't think you'll find the 14 pin Molex connector, but Metra has the standard connector's adapter harness (and a "reverse" version), so maybe they would have what you're looking for.

Here's the pinout from my analysis of the HONIL adapter, which didn't connect to terminals 3, 6, 7, 11, and 14. The identification of #14 came from taking apart the head unit.

The view is numbered as if you're looking at the back of the factory radio:
<font face="Courier">

______+--------+______
+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
| 1| 2| 3| 4| 5| 6| 7|
+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+
| 8| 9|10|11|12|13|14|
+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+

1 Ground (R+L) Audio Signal
2 Right Audio Signal
3
4 Data Bus (+)
5 Data Bus (-)
6
7
8 Ground
9 Left Audio Signal
10 ? (connected to ground through a resistor)
11
12 Ground
13 Power continuous (+)
14 Illumination (-)


[This message has been edited by MashedPotato (edited 03-04-2002).]

[This message has been edited by MashedPotato (edited 03-04-2002).]

[This message has been edited by MashedPotato (edited 03-04-2002).]

[This message has been edited by MashedPotato (edited 03-04-2002).]

 

[Mitch]

Awseome! This info will get me started, thanks for your reply!

Another alternative to cutting cables is for me to tear into the CD changer itself and add a stereo jack and a switch. Then I could just plug a patch cable into the box under the driver's seat. That will probably look the cleanest, and be easiest to work on since I can work in the hardware lab at the office.

But: building a harness is my favorite option-- I had not heard of Metra until now (shows how in the dark I am about this stuff) - I'm off to browse their catalog now to see what I can find. (you wouldn't happen to have a part number handy, would you?)

/Mitch.

 

[shindog]

Metra supplies OEM integration harnesses, I don't think they have them for the accessory connector, but maybe worth a look.

Hey MashedPotato,
Thanks for the info on what you've look at. Will file that away in the head... Great job, and thanks for the contribution!

------------------
-Shin John
'01 DEP EX, and I'm workin' on it! (slowly)

 

[SuperDad]

http://www.alpine1.com/html/press/2002_1f.htm

describes an MP3 decoding 6-disc underseat m-bus compatible changer.

 

[Mitch]

I ripped the CD changer out yesterday for surgery and I can confirm that MashedPotato's pinout is correct on the CD changer end. All the grounds are tied together inside the CD changer somewhere.

As a matter of fact, the audio connection of the pinout is pretty obvious - inside the cable leading from the changer to the connector is a shielded audio cable with the typical red, white, and ground connections for the audio signal.

It was a simple matter to splice a 1/8" mini jack and plug into that cable, and now I'm happily listening to my PJB in the car. Of course, I need to keep a junk CD in the changer, but that's fine.

One of these days, when I get lots of "round tuits", perhaps I'll hook a logic analyzer up to the M-Bus. In the meantime, anyone looking for a low-tech solution to getting audio into the factory head unit, this'll work just fine!

/Mitch.

 

[shindog]

Interesting link...

http://www.carstereohelp.com/wireharnessHonda3.htm

------------------
-Shin John
'01 DEP EX, and I'm workin' on it! (slowly)