Alpine most unhelpful [Archive] - The 75 and ZT Owners Club Forums

Raistlin

15th January 2007, 19:27

Please can anybody help me with this little conundrum?

I now have my Alpine CDE-9850ri Head Unit.

I was considering using an Alpine interface for the steering wheel audio controls.

I am getting very poor help from Alpine :(

Can anybody tell me please, what is the correct Alpine interface to connect to a car with ISO connectors (ie Ex Symphony)

Thanks

biggles

15th January 2007, 22:39

All information I can find indicates that the adapter loom that Alpine specifies for the R75, KWE-895E, is indeed for the BMW connector type. See: http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/488.html and I havent found any evidence that there exists a loom for the ISO connector.

But all is maybe not lost quite yet. Is there reason to believe that the remote actually behaves differently depending on which connector is used? If not you just need to make your own connector - which of course requires knowledge of the actual pinouts of the Alpine/Rover sides. Just don't take my word for it. :)

By the way I think I read somwhere on the forums on mg-rover.org that the remote was wired as a simple resistor network which is a very common way to build steering wheel remotes. Therefore I would have a look at the PAC SWI-ALP http://www.pac-audio.com/products/productsCatagory.asp?mmSearch=Steering%20Wheel%20I nterface

/Erik

Raistlin

15th January 2007, 23:01

Yes - it's odd Erik.

I have seen other Alpine interfaces which are supposed to be for ISO based systems in Rover 25, 45, 75.

Alpine themselves don't seem to have a clue.

I was just hoping that somebody on the forum might have successfully fitted an Alpine with the steering wheel controls working correctly.

Simon

15th January 2007, 23:08

Well, the Symphony unit is made by Alpine and therefore the pin-outs on the back (you would asume) is a standard Alpine interface. (maybe).

What we need is a pin-out of the Alpine (aftermarket) ISO plugs and a pin-out of the BMW ISO plugs...

Simon

15th January 2007, 23:16

The user manual for the Alpine gives a pin-out for the plugs...
http://www.restricted.alpine-electronics.co.uk/support/ownersdatabase/CDE-9850Ri/OM_CDE-9850Ri_EN.pdf

Now we need the BMW ISO pin-outs to match it up with....

Grey Ghost

15th January 2007, 23:21

Sorry I can't help as I had my kit fitted by an ICE installer.
Alpine CDA-9831R-MP3-WMA , CHA-S634-MP3-WMA, Steering controls work with this kit, it did cost £75.00 to wire it up.

Simon

15th January 2007, 23:26

http://caraudiosecurity.com/shop/product/products_id/458.html

This does Alpine to BMW own-brand loom

Any help?

Simon

15th January 2007, 23:27

Then you'd need a BMW to ISO to put that adapter into your car (as you say you have an ISO loom not the BMW type)

Raistlin

15th January 2007, 23:34

Oddly enough, Alpine do the KWE-887 which is supposed to be for R 75 with ISO - but their tech support people tell me it doesn't exist :(

I would have preferred an Alpine interface - but I just hope the autoleads one works

{Edit}

Thanks GG - at least we know it works one way or another now

raykay

15th January 2007, 23:35

Autoleads - autoleads.co.uk. and incartec - incartec.co.uk, both make adapter leads for aftermarket steering controls for 75's & ZT's with ISO plugs, there may be others.

The ISO plugs are an industry standard layout for car audio connections, one plug has the eight connector for the four speaker circuits, the other has eight connections but the ISO standard only specifies five of them, (with the ignition live and battery live sometimes transposed). The Symphony uses all eight

The three 'spare' connectors are used by the Symphony for the steering controls (Blue/Purple and Blue/Orange cables) and telephone mute (Red/Green cable). Later 75's and ZT's use separate connectors for them. (as do some other manufactures.

So if you are replacing a Symphony, make sure you get a lead that has the steering controls through the ISO plug. You will also need a Kenwood adapter.

Raistlin

15th January 2007, 23:41

biggles

15th January 2007, 23:45

Here's a thread at mg-rover.org where you have the ISO pinouts of the Symphony. Could be used as a starting point to build your own adapter cable:

Edit by GG (You can search for the thread on .org "Symphony HU on ebay.") If you really must

/Erik

Raistlin

15th January 2007, 23:54

Thank you Erik

raykay

16th January 2007, 00:04

I follow that all, thanks

Can you say why a Kenwood adaptor is needed though please?

The car lead is model specific and the radio lead that connects to it is model specific, so it saves making leads for all the possible permutations of car / head unit.

The 75/ZT Symphony type adapter lead has ISO plug on one end and an ISO socket on the other, it goes in line between the loom and the head unit. (All adapter leads are like that, they have different plugs and sockets for different makes etc.) It has a connector in it that the head unit adapter plugs into which is specific to the make of head unit - you will need a Kenwood one.

Simon

16th January 2007, 00:09

The car lead is model specific and the radio lead that connects to it is model specific, so it saves making leads for all the possible permutations of car / head unit.

The 75/ZT Symphony type adapter lead has ISO plug on one end and an ISO socket on the other, it goes in line between the loom and the head unit. (All adapter leads are like that, they have different plugs and sockets for different makes etc.) It has a connector in it that the head unit adapter plugs into which is specific to the make of head unit - you will need a Kenwood one.

I thought raistlin has got an Alpine headunit :poke:

Raistlin

16th January 2007, 06:31

To be frank, RayKay

That was my concern as well.

Is the Kenwood one to be used in lieu of the Alpine one please?

raykay

16th January 2007, 09:13

Sorry, thinking of another post, of course an Alpine one...............a

Raistlin

16th January 2007, 09:56

Sorry, thinking of another post, of course an Alpine one...............a

Thanks Ray

I was a bit confused ;)

Raistlin

20th January 2007, 16:23

OK - update

Alpine do NOT, in fact, make a lead for the Rover 75 with ISO connections :(

Autoleads lead connects OK but doesn't function properly (ie, try to adjust volume up asnd the radio station changes, etc.)

In Car Tek - say they haven't an appropriate lead

So it seems I am now well and truly up a creek.

The only though I have had is to get an ISO to BMW converter (ie as if you were changing FROM a Symphony TO a Harmony), if, indeed there is such a beast, and then buy the Alpine BMW lead and see if it works.

Can any of the ICE guru types give me a clue as ot if this idea will work please?

OR, any other ideas?

Thanks

JohnDotCom

20th January 2007, 16:34

Not sure if this is what you are after.:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-ISO-Connector-Autoleads-PC2-05-04_W0QQitemZ220071052113QQihZ012QQcategoryZ10374QQ rdZ1QQssPageNameZWD10VQQcmdZViewItem

Raistlin

20th January 2007, 16:40

Unfortunately not John, that converts a BMW loom to suit an ISO HU. I need the opposite, but thanks anyway :)

raykay

20th January 2007, 19:43

I'm surprised that Incartec can't help, I have one of their adapters in my 75 which has ISO connectors, which works fine. I had similar problems to you with an Autoleads one. Unless it's your particular head unit they cannot match.

Raistlin

20th January 2007, 19:48

Ray

Is yours an Alpine HU?

Also, how did you get in contact with incartec please?

I cannot get through on the phone and get no answers to e-mails

That's what I meant by "Incartec can't help"

All the modern Alpine HUs apparently have the same 3.5mm jack plug remote connector

raykay

20th January 2007, 19:55

Mine is a Kenwood (you may guess from my earlier error)
The original instructions that came with the adapter were wrong,(or at least I couldn't make it work) I spoke to them on the phone, gave me the mobile number of their technical chap who told me how to do it, very helpful considering it was his day off.

I think you are right, all Alpine adapters will be the same.

JohnDotCom

20th January 2007, 20:15

Ray

All the modern Alpine HUs apparently have the same 3.5mm jack plug remote connector
If thats the case this designed by Alpine for the Rover 75 should do it, but when I enquired about this earlier the Guy said that model HU does not have a Steering wheel adaptor lead made for Rover 75. Can't see why this wouldn't work though. See:
http://www.caraudiodiscount.com/acatalog/alpine_rover.html

Raistlin

20th January 2007, 20:19

Thanks Ray

I just cannot seem to get any contact with them.

Also their website does not seem to list an adaptor for a 75 with ISO - please can you by any chance tell me which part number it is? The car part of the adaptor will have the same part number I'd guess, the HU part bwing a different part number per HU manufacturer of course

As an aside, can you tell me how much they charge for an adaptor please?

raykay

20th January 2007, 20:53

I'm sorry it was last May, I can't remember too much about it, but from what I remember the lead was for several Rovers, the important thing is that it is for the steering control wiring that goes through the ISO plug, as I understand it, all Rover models (and possibly Range Rovers) that have that system are the same. I Think it was about £40.00

Raistlin

20th January 2007, 22:13

Thanks for your help Ray

Maybe I can find a retailer.

Raistlin

23rd January 2007, 12:26

To update:-

I got the appropriate leads made by Incartec today and it all works perfectly :)

The reason why Incartec had hitherto been unable to assist is that the lead for the Rover 75 with ISO connectors, in thier latest database, comes up as 'Landrover Discovery'.

29-620 is the correct part number for the Incartec lead, regardless of what it might say on the database. I understand they are correcting their information now.

For info, when I eventually got through to Autoleads tech support again, their solution was "The Alpine H/U needs replacing ;)

Thanks to all who offered advice