BMW-to-ISO connectors (and vice versa)

[SD1too]

Thanks for the larger, clearer pictures Dougie. Although the third picture is out of focus I have deduced that the missing socket appears to be no. 4 which is the left rear loudspeaker signal.

Originally Posted by goltho

Rave shows those two wires on the green connector coming from the SWCs on the VDO CCD413X ...

I don't have any information to hand on the VDO unit I'm afraid. I'll have a look round later this evening.

Originally Posted by goltho

What's further confused me is that standard connector diagrams (see last pic below) number the adapter pins from 1-13 and not 1-17!

Yes, the pin numbering on the Carav diagram is completely different from RAVE! However their positions are correct.
As I see it, if you use that 13 pin connector you will need to install conductors in the empty sockets for the following:

Pin 4 NSR speaker signal
Pin 7 K-bus
Pin 10 Steering wheel switches +ve
Pin 17 Steering wheel switches -ve

Any help?

Simon

[goltho]

Originally Posted by SD1too

Thanks for the larger, clearer pictures Dougie. Although the third picture is out of focus I have deduced that the missing socket appears to be no. 4 which is the left rear loudspeaker signal.

I don't have any information to hand on the VDO unit I'm afraid. I'll have a look round later this evening.

Yes, the pin numbering on the Carav diagram is completely different from RAVE! However their positions are correct.
As I see it, if you use that 13 pin connector you will need to install conductors in the empty sockets for the following:

Pin 4 NSR speaker signal
Pin 7 K-bus
Pin 10 Steering wheel switches +ve
Pin 17 Steering wheel switches -ve

Any help?

Simon

Well just a bit! I’m pretty sure the VDO SWC wires on the green ISO plug should go to pins 10 & 17. I’ll try it when the kit arrives. I can’t see the Harmony needing the K-bus on pin 7 though as I now don’t think it’s had any K-bus input in the old car. As to your deduction re. Pin 4 (speaker), I don’t follow it. 🤨

Dougie

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by goltho

I can’t see the Harmony needing the K-bus on pin 7 though as I now don’t think it’s had any K-bus input in the old car.

The RAVE wiring diagram shows it, that's all I'm saying.

Originally Posted by goltho

As to your deduction re. Pin 4 (speaker), I don’t follow it. 🤨

Well, I cross-referenced the pin numbers and their physical arrangement in your photos with the diagram of that connector in RAVE. That reveals that the empty slot is no. 4. You can clearly see "4" next to it in your first photograph.

Simon

[goltho]

Originally Posted by SD1too

The RAVE wiring diagram shows it, that's all I'm saying.

Well, I cross-referenced the pin numbers and their physical arrangement in your photos with the diagram of that connector in RAVE. That reveals that the empty slot is no. 4. You can clearly see "4" next to it in your first photograph.

Simon

Gotcha. The adapters should be here by Thursday so I'll set about them when they arrive and see what transpires. As ever, I really appreciate your time on this.

Dougie.

[SD1too]

OK Dougie. There are four missing connections and we will need to work out which wire goes where! Here's the answer:

On your Carav diagram there are four empty cavities: next to 8, next to 9, next to 11 and between 10 & 12.

The steering wheel controls -ve connection (RAVE pin 17) belongs next to 8.
The NSR speaker signal (RAVE pin 4) belongs next to 9.
The K-bus (RAVE pin 7) belongs next to 11 (I've discovered that the K-bus controls the CD changer).
The steering wheel controls +ve (RAVE pin 10) belongs between 10 & 12.

I'd like to know why your apparently original factory 17 pin connector has one of the NSR speaker connections missing.

Originally Posted by goltho

I’m pretty sure the VDO SWC wires on the green ISO plug should go to pins 10 & 17.

Is your deduction based upon the wiring colours? The base colour should be blue for that. Perhaps it's not reproduced accurately in the photo but it looks like green.

I'm further confused by the first thumbnail photo in your post no. 1. Are these in the car with the VDO radio unit? These three connectors also correspond with a Symphony installation (according to RAVE) except that the yellow/green/blue assembly you've later shown with only two wires attached.

Simon

[goltho]

Originally Posted by SD1too

OK Dougie. There are four missing connections and we will need to work out which wire goes where! Here's the answer:

On your Carav diagram there are four empty cavities: next to 8, next to 9, next to 11 and between 10 & 12.

The steering wheel controls -ve connection (RAVE pin 17) belongs next to 8.
The NSR speaker signal (RAVE pin 4) belongs next to 9.
The K-bus (RAVE pin 7) belongs next to 11 (I've discovered that the K-bus controls the CD changer).
The steering wheel controls +ve (RAVE pin 10) belongs between 10 & 12.

I'd like to know why your apparently original factory 17 pin connector has one of the NSR speaker connections missing.

Is your deduction based upon the wiring colours? The base colour should be blue for that. Perhaps it's not reproduced accurately in the photo but it looks like green.

I'm further confused by the first thumbnail photo in your post no. 1. Are these in the car with the VDO radio unit? These three connectors also correspond with a Symphony installation (according to RAVE) except that the yellow/green/blue assembly you've later shown with only two wires attached.

Simon

Hi Simon,

The adapter arrived today. I connected it to the ISO harness and everything worked including all four speakers but not the SWC obviously.

The new recipient car (had the VDO, now has the ISO wiring with the new adapter) has the C-type blue/green/yellow connectors as shown. Only the green is wired, and I understood Rave to show they came from the SWC. These wires appear to me to be green/orange and green/purple although I have unreliable colour vision when it comes to nuances. Here’s another pic of the connector which I’ve removed.

I’ve no spare ferrules yet for the new plug but I did connect both ex-green-connector wires next to pin 8 and between pins 10 & 12 which is what we both agree are what the Harmony needs for the SWCs. It did not work.

Dougie.

[SD1too]

Hi Dougie,

I've sent you a PM asking if you can educate me with some basic facts about what you're doing because it's getting very complicated, well to my mind it is anyway!

Originally Posted by goltho

The new recipient car (had the VDO ...) has the C-type blue/green/yellow connectors as shown. Only the green is wired, and I understood Rave to show they came from the SWC. These wires appear to me to be green/orange and green/purple ...

OK thanks. It appears then that the VDO unit needed the green connector for something involving 2 wires. they look like GO and GP to me too. Those aren't the colours shown in my RAVE for the steering wheel controls on any audio system. It's always blue not green. Which version of RAVE do you have that shows VDO wiring please?
Thanks for the photo but it's no use because it's a thumbnail. They're low resolution and can't be enlarged as I said earlier.

Simon

[goltho]

Well guess what. It works! ��

Thanks to Simon (SD1too) and Ray (raykay), we narrowed it down to the two Green/Orange and Green/Purple SWC wires looking like they should be connected to the missing pins 10 & 17 in the new BMW adapter connector. I did try that a couple of days ago but didn't work. Having reflected though, I considered I may either have connected them just one way round and not tried the second permutation, or perhaps the wires hadn't been pushed in firmly enough through the back of the connector into the blank hole where the male pins on the radio lurked.

I set about it more scientifically this afternoon trying both permutations and making sure the connections were firm, and - all SWCs now work. I'm all made up.

So for anyone wanting to install a Harmony with the BMW connector into a car with a VDO CD413X and ISO connectors, the SWC wires (as discussed above) are G/O and G/P connected to the small green ISO connector which must be cut off - or perhaps use a male mini-ISO adapter to plug into the green connector to preserve it - and the two wires extended. The G/O wire goes to pin 10 on the BMW connector and the G/P wire goes to pin 17. They must be that way round. Those positions are blank holes and have no female pins installed, so you need to address that. I used a small round 3mm plastic rod, cut two pieces so each pushed down inside each hole but still protruding about 4mm so they can be removed, which tightly held the wires in contact with the male pins 10 and 17 on the radio. I'm sure I could have sourced the correct female pins in time but I'm happy on this occasion to bodge it as it's secure and safe.

If you have other permutations of radios to fit or swap, have a look at https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/for...d.php?t=214040 which is a similar thread with raykay's input for the other radios. 8-year old thread, still relevant.

Thanks again to everyone who contributed. The forum rocks.

[The Rovering Member]

I have a Symphony to go in the place of my Harmony & l must get round to it.

[SD1too]

To summarise and confirm:

Originally Posted by goltho

The G/O wire goes to pin 10 on the BMW connector and the G/P wire goes to pin 17. They must be that way round.

This was advised in my post no. 9!

Originally Posted by SD1too

The steering wheel remote switch +ve is on pin 10 (blue/orange) of the 17 pin black connector. The -ve is on pin 17 (blue/purple).

Whereas RAVE shows the primary wiring colour to be blue (Harmony, Symphony & High Line), for the VDO CD413X it is green.

Simon