General Stereo Question: MP3 CD Changer?

Ok this question isnt SVX specific I suppose, but since its for the stereo in my SVX, this is the appropriate place ....

I bought a JVC El Kameleon head unit last year for my SVX, as I was mesmerized by the cool graphics, and the nice fade-to-black face is pretty cool to show off. I'm not the adventurous type, so I had Best Buy install it, (which is a LONG story of its own), but they told me it was VERY hard to install a head unit in the SVX, blah blah, we need to take off the dash, blah blah, hardwire... OK so $100 in install fees and 3 months later I have a nice new head unit (same long story).

This was a few months before MP3 compatible head units became cheaper. I REALLY want MP3 capability, and I dont have the money/hassle to replace my unit, and its really nice anyway...and my unit is JVC changer compatible...so getting to the final question...

Is there such a product as a MP3 Capable cd CHANGER???? That can decode mp3s and play them through my non mp3 compatible head unit. Maybe I need JVC because of "J-Link"? Can anyone help me out? Thanks guys!

AJ aka RoweDawgg

the best place i've found for car mp3 players is: http://www.mp3car.com/
personally, i'm waiting for the second generation to come out before i replace mine.
other companies are supposed to come out with decks this year.
currently there is really only aiwa and kenwood--the aiwa being the better of the two.
toby

[svxter]

Best Buy was exposing their ignorance. If you know how to do it, you can have the mounting frame and stereo out in less than five minutes. It does seem to be virtually impossible to buy a ready-made harness adapter, so unless you cut off the factory connector and install your own on the car's harness, you do have to hardwire the new unit's harness onto the car's. I installed two 12-pin Molex connectors on the factory harness, and the mating halves on the stereo's, just so I wouldn't have to hardwire the unit in. If you hardwire it, then you have to cut wiring if you want to take the unit out for any reason. I saved the factory connector and put connectors on it, so I could reinstall the factory unit if I ever wanted to. BTW, did they give you the stock connector back? If they did, and you don't want it, I'll be glad to buy it from you. If they didn't, you have just given them a very rare connector. I spent the better part of a day trying to chase down an adapter, before giving up and going to the electronics supply and buying the Molex connectors. But once I had the parts, the whole job only took about two hours, and I was proceeding very cautiously. Now, I think I could do it in under an hour, if all the parts were at hand. Yeah, I'll work for $100/hr.

For future reference, here's how to remove the radio from an SVX.
1. Put on the parking brake.
2. Turn the key on, and pull the shift lever back to 1.
3. Turn the key to ACC, to shut off the binging.
4. Make sure the radio/stereo is off.
5. The door that covers the stereo has a black plastic insert. Using something like a small putty knife or other thin blade, carefully pry this piece out of the door, from the front edge. It just snaps in. You may want to pull out the ashtray, too, although this is not absolutely necessary.
6. Look in the center of the bottom part of the black plastic trim around the radio/CD stack. Remove the screw there, being careful not to drop it into the cavity. (I always manage to do this, have lost about three there now )
7. Lift the bottom edge up, and gently pull down. There are two little arms that catch near the top. By pulling the bottom out and down, they should release with no trouble, but be gentle.
8. There are two small phillips head screws that hold the cage in place. Remove them, and slide the whole cage out. You may have to use your putty knife to allow it slip past the edges of the vinyl that covers the console. Sometimes, the cage will catch on the edge, if it's not glued down well. This is where you need the shift lever in 1. Otherwise, there's not room to slide the unit out.

That's all there is to removing the factory radio. Ten minutes to remove the radio, 40 minutes to build the new connectors, 10 minutes back in (barring some unforseen problem). An hour total, unless you're pulling a bunch of new wiring, or something.

I put an Alpine radio/CD in mine - nothing fancy, but it surely sounds better than the stock unit. I filled the hole where the factory CD player had been with an accessory trays from an older Legacy; the ones that they use to fill the hole when they didn't put the CD player in one. Now I have a nice little tray to put keys, etc. in.

So, if they told you they had to remove the whole dash, they either didn't know what they were doing, or were just putting it to you.

Thanks to Thumper_SVX for providing removal information, and to Aredubjay for providing the wiring diagrams.

Excellent tutorial on the radio...

do you care if i plagerise in the future for the VFAQ section....

PAUL!

[Aredubjay]

<<Thanks to Thumper_SVX for providing removal information>>

One thing to remember: You don't HAVE to cut the Antenna leads from the radio. They're located under the carpet on the Driver's side of the tranny tunnel, just about where your right calf rests. Unplug 'em so's whoever you sell the unit to (if you do) won't have to splice new leads on (did I say I bought a stock CD and Radio unit from someone who followed Thumper's instructions to the letter )

[svxter]

Hey Paul, I got the basic procedure from reading Thumper_SVX's info sheet on stereo replacement. So, since I got it from his in the first place......

And Randy is absolutely right. You don't need to cut the antenna cables. MUCH more trouble than it's worth - just buy yourself a 12" extension cable, and plug directly into the car's cable. No, no, no, don't cut any antenna cables. Thanks for the reminder, Randy.

I just wish I could find a source for the connectors that Subaru used. They must be a common brand, since Hondas use an 18 pin version of the same connector. The local electronics supply house couldn't identify it, though. I'll keep trying. Another SVX product to develop - stereo cable adapters. Imprezza adapters are common, but they won't fit. Of course not. The SVX is probably the only car in the world that uses that connector. Well, I like my idea of twin Molex connectors better, anyway. One male and one female on each side, that way they're keyed so that you can't plug the thing together wrong. I didn't need their old connector anyway. So there!

I'll check with him then.....

PAUL!

[svxter]

I doubt if he'll mind. I just tried to put it in my own words.

[thumper_svx]

Hey, I'm cool with people taking my instructions verbatim if they like! I wrote it to help others, not for fame and fortune (so far I got the former among SVX'ers... not much of the latter <sigh>)

ANYHOO... Randy's absolutely right about the antenna cables... I was writing a new version of the document to go up on my site, but still haven't finished due to my new job having a hectic schedule and me currently being some distance from my computer (well, my regular computer with the updated files on them).

Heh... on a related note, I'm glad I don't have my SVX up here in New York... I'd be going nuts in Manhattan with the way those bloody cab drivers drive!!! One tagged me lightly in the rental minivan I have this morning on 5th Ave... no damage to either vehicle, and of course the cabbie didn't stop... just flipped me off and drove away. I didn't do a thing myself though... I just don't care that much about the rental car

[svxter]

Well, Thumper, if I were given the choice between fame and fortune, I think I'd go for the fortune. Alas, so far, no one has come around offering either. Sigh.

.. is the group buy center.. www.groupbuycenter.com
they usually dont have any stuff we could use but occaisionally someone runs a deal on Radio stuff. I recently saw the Aiwa MP3 head on there for like 250$..

just an FYI

PAUL!