Freelander 2 (LR2) Changing 1CD Head Unit To 6CD Unit

Hi All, I have a pre facelift Freelander 2 with the Alpine Sound System, I decided to remove the existing head unit which only has the 1 CD function and replace it with the 6 CD unit which is identical in every way except the amount of CDs you can feed in, all connections on back match, fibre optic links etc, the radio part works fine but it’s not seeing the 6 CD function, now I subsequently heard this unit will need programming in via a laptop and software that only the main Land Rover dealers hold, I contacted my local independent Land Rover specialist and they said they’d have a go but it’ll cost me £90 and they don’t have much hope of being able to program it correctly so I emailed both local main dealers near me and have had no response from either, has anybody else tried to do this and have success, does anyone other than the main dealer have the ability to program in and update the software on LR factory fitted stereo systems, thanks guys

The multi CD player has to be compatible with the head unit which will be able to control the multi CD functions, and is the same brand, so example is Alpine multi play unit with the comparable Alpine head unit, its the same with Pioneer, Philips, Sony etc etc as they all have there own communication protocol, then it plug n play.

You need someone with access to SDD, or an IID BT to configure the CCFs

Great reply thanks for that, Somehow I knew you’d know nodge, so firstly what you’re saying is it can be done which is a relief because I spent £70 on a refurbished unit which I was afraid would end up becoming more garage clutter, what’s my best way would you say of finding someone with access, should I try phoning the main dealer instead of emailing, I just get the feeling because it’s over 10 years old they won’t want to know

You'll probably find that an main LR dealer won't be interested, normally giving the excuse that it can't be done.

This leaves you with having to find someone local that has a copy of SDD (LR's diagnostic software), and the experience to use it. This would also apply to the Gap Diagnostics IID BT Pro version, as those are designed for independent LR repairers, with a price tag to match.

When I checked my CCFs I did notice that mine shows I have the multi-disc HU installed, which is correct for my SE.

If you're planning on keeping it for a while, then you could do worse than buy yourself a proper tool? It sounds expensive, but it won't take too many diagnostic reads to cover the initial outlay.

That’s all quite positive, this current FL2 is definitely a keeper, after I saw your first post I googled SDD and a YouTube video came up which I watched and I could see from one of the drop down menus it did say Audio System, it turns out the YouTube video was produced by a small company who makes the software available to the public so I’ve emailed them, I know most people just wouldn’t bother, they’d stick the refurbed unit back on eBay and stick with the 1 CD model but I’ve got a bit of a bee in my bonnet now, just to if it’s possible if nothing else

The issue isn't just the 6 disc player having 6 discs instead of 1 disc, but that all modules on the MOST ring (fibre data link) have a digital address, so when you change something in the ring, the other components don't know it's there. So basically with a suitable diagnostic tool/programmer, you need to activate the new 6 disc HU in the CCFs, which then programs all other modules fitted, so they will communicate with the new HU. Once the necessary changes are made to the CCFs, the replacement HU should work, just as the original did.

When programming modern vehicles, its advisable (essential really) to have a supplementary power supply feeding power to the battery, as programming takes a long time, and will often discharge the vehicle battery before programming has finished. If the battery voltage drops below 12.5 Volts, most programmers won't start programming, or can terminate the programming half way through, which wouldn't be helpful, and can potentially corrupt modules being programmed at the time.

So it's definitely worth getting such a thing.

I use a Chinese bench power supply, set at 13.6 V and set the current at maximum output of 10A.

So much knowledge and much needed, thanks for all that, I did actually find a local specialist who advertise SDD programming so I emailed them immediately and they came back with yes we have all the equipment but none of our technicians are yet trained and we now have no future plans to send them away for training due to Covid and customer shortfall, I’m going to keep researching, from the positive info I’m getting from you it’s definitely achievable so thanks for that