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While installing a new audio system in my car, I decided it would be a nice touch to use the original head unit to give it that stock look. Before I started installing my system, I gave my Clarion changer to my father, so I had to find another way to get audio into the system. I decided I might as well crack the unit open and see what could be done. To might delight, I found that there is a clearly labeled right and left audio bus in the circuitry. After taking off the face plate, top cover and heat sink, the underside of a circuit board is exposed in the top. On the rear of that circuit board there are two connectors that lead down to the amp board that sits below it. On the larger of the two connectors are two pins labeled "r" and "l." In addition, there are signal ground pins. What I did was to follow the r and l traces on the amp board and soldered wires onto a couple empty solder pads I found. This should work if you connect anywhere on the r and l bus (use a multimeter to check).
I was very happy when this worked. Basically what it is doing is injecting the aux signal into the main right and left bus in the head unit, which also means that it will play over anything else on that bus (radio, tape). One thing that would work would be to use a blank tape, but I found a much better method. If you open the tape door and look in with a flashlight, you will see a white piece of plastic that hangs down in the center. This gets pushed back when a tape is inserted and starts the player. If you use a screwdriver to push this tab back, the player will pretend to load the tape and start playing. It will stay in this position even if the power is cut etc... until you hit the eject button.
The only problem I have had so far is some noise when my iPod isn't connected to the cable. I think I may add a switch that is close to the head unit to try to eliminate this. I would put some pictures up, but being an already worked high school student I feel I have taken enough time away from other work. If anyone else has success with this hack, I would love to hear about it!
posted by 66.220.24...
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