Symphony Steering wheel controls

[gerrygoacher]

Hi all, Have just removed panasonic single CD player from my 04 Club SE and installed symphony HU. The steering wheel controls do not work and I assumed they would when I plugged in the BMW connector. Could someone have removed wires or something else changed when the original Harmony HU was removed.

[biggles]

If you have a Symphony and have managed to connect it you will not be using BMW connectors but ISO connectors. On these, the steering wheel connectors are at pin 2 and 3 (I think) at the power ISO connector (pin 1, 2 and 3) can be used for vendor-specific applications).

If you have an aftermarket ISO HU that has replaced a harmony unit (which does have a BMW connector), chances are more than fair that these pins are not connected. If this is the case you either need to go creative and find those leads somewhere, or maybe better, get the MGR symphony adapter loom.

I KNOW I have searched and found posts on pinouts here. Why can you never find the right search phrases when you need them...

[gerrygoacher]

Hi Biggles you lost me on the first line It seems it maybe to complicated for me to mess with (I am nearly 70 lol) it works ok and i have never had the contols working so perhaps best to leave it. Thanks Gerry

[raykay]

There are two 8 pin ISO plugs that plug in to the back of the Symphony and the Panasonic unit. The Symphony uses all 8 pins in both plugs, the Panasonic only used 5 in the power plug.
If your car originally had a Harmony radio the car loom will have a 17 pin BMW plug and there will be an adapter lead converting it to 2 ISO 8 pin plugs, but it may only have cables to 5 pins in the power ISO plug, two of the missing cables are for the steering wheel controls, the other one is for the phone mute function.

Pin 3 of the BMW plug needs connecting to Pin 2 of the ISO plug, Pin 17 of the BMW plug to Pin 3 of the ISO plug.

[Duotone]

Have a look at this "How to" it covers the connections for the steering wheel controls..
http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=18044

Dave T

[gerrygoacher]

Ray, the Panasonic I took out model CQ-C1115N as one grey socket with 12 wires connected to a double 8 socket that connects to the original double socket on the car wiring harness. this double socket is now connected to the Symphony HU and the unit works fine except for the steering wheel controls. I am told by the previous owner that the car had a harmony unit in it before he had the panasonic unit fitted and the controls worked fine. I think I will probably just leave it as it is and use the Knobs-----Gerry

[biggles]

You could always ask a ICE install shop for help and it shouldn't be that expensive either. Quick and dirty variant is to find a way to connect pins 2 and 3 at the Symphony ISO end to pin 10 and 17 at the old harmony plug. If there are no pins at those positions in the ISO connector an installer will have loose pins that can be crimped and plugged in.

[raykay]

Originally Posted by gerrygoacher

Ray, the Panasonic I took out model CQ-C1115N as one grey socket with 12 wires connected to a double 8 socket that connects to the original double socket on the car wiring harness. this double socket is now connected to the Symphony HU and the unit works fine except for the steering wheel controls. I am told by the previous owner that the car had a harmony unit in it before he had the panasonic unit fitted and the controls worked fine. I think I will probably just leave it as it is and use the Knobs-----Gerry

As your car originally had a Harmony unit, if you trace the lead with the two 8 pin plugs back, you will find the 17 pin as that is what connects to the Harmony unit. Most aftermarket BMW 17 pin to ISO adapters have four cables missing, the two steering control cables, phone mute and K-Bus.
As Biggles has said, an ICE shop may be able to help.

[gerrygoacher]

Hi all,thanks for all your help problem will be solved shortly ---Gerry