I'm looking at a simikar install in my 06 HSE. This thread has been amazingly helpful but I hope you can help me with a question.

My car has the Becker single din Sat nav unit wired to the HK Amp, sub and CD changer.

The head unit has nice and easy ISO sockets. I was surprised that the speaker connections are used to connect to the amp, rather than the preouts.

Am I going to have problems if I connect the speaker outputs of the new unit ( 4x 50w 4 or 8 ohm required) direct to the amp using the same wiring. The Becker seems to have its own amp?. I was always under the impression that an amp ( of the new head unit) needs resistance ( to work against the speakers) ? Or is there some trickery in the HK amp that allows this to work without wrecking the amp of the head unit?

I know some here have suggested it works, but I do not know if theirs is the same as my system or if there have been long term problems.

Thanks
 
Hehe, thanks. I can't find one "radio specialist" that thinks it will work, but then none of them seem to know about the FL HK set up, so I think I trust you lot more :)

Any way, just in case, I've ordered a HiLo loom that inserts between the head and the amp speaker cables and reduced the power down to that of a preout. I can send it back if not needed.

Looks like a fun time is on the cards this weekend :)
 
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like this.
Was a HK, now this with amps and JL 6" replacing the sub.
 
Interesting, but is that with different amps using preouts from HU to the amp, or still using the speaker cables to the original HK amp?

Looks great whatever. Thanks for the photo. Can't wait to fit mine; Pioneer AVH-8400BH, mainly for the iPhone interaction
 
v nice ade...have you got a surround? once the becker and the pockets is out the space is bigger than double din...
 
Yep, another instance where this thread has been invaluable. Even the guys at incartec ( who seemed the most helpful of all) didn't think I needed one, but I ordered one anyway according to posts here :)

Been comparing wiring looms between the old and new preparing for the real work. Handily I've found that the Becker has a reverse signal wire in the plug, so I just have to fit the new HU reverse sensor wire into the same hole in its ISO plug. That's one less loose lead :)

Off now to find a nice Landy logo for the screen
 
Very nice. And very jealous of the heated screen. Had them on my old Rangies, best option they ever did :)
 
:D they are a godsend in the winter when you do silly shifts like i do!

good luck with the install and post up some pics when its all in
 
I fitted a new Alpine amp in place of the HK. The wiring plug that went to the HK amp just needed pinging out with a multimeter to find what wires went where. Simply eliminate the head unit ones by taking one lead off the meter to the head unit side and waiting for the beep when trying wires at the amp side. Cut off that wire and move on. The ones that are left go to speakers. An AA battery on those wires makes the speaker click when you touch it, that's which speaker you have.
Get the polarity from the colour of the wires. Brown & brown with white stripe = one speaker, stripe to positive.
The sub has 4 wires for dual voice coil. I spliced them together to make heavier gauge and replaced the 6" in the boot floor with a JL unit. RCA cables from the head unit to the amp and ISO cables for power.
Job done.
That and a box of plasters for the missing finger skin, I forgot how much I hate working on cars!
 
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I fitted a new Alpine amp in place of the HK. The wiring plug that went to the HK amp just needed pinging out with a multimeter to find what wires went where. Simply eliminate the head unit ones by taking one lead off the meter to the head unit side and waiting for the beep when trying wires at the amp side. Cut off that wire and move on. The ones that are left go to speakers. An AA battery on those wires makes the speaker click when you touch it, that's which speaker you have.
Get the polarity from the colour of the wires. Brown & brown with white stripe = one speaker, stripe to positive.
The sub has 4 wires for dual voice coil. I spliced them together to make heavier gauge and replaced the 6" in the boot floor with a JL unit. RCA cables from the head unit to the amp and ISO cables for power.
Job done.
That and a box of plasters for the missing finger skin, I forgot how much I hate working on cars!

bet it sounds the bollocks now, worth the hard graft ! :D
 
I may look at that in the future, as for now it has been a long weekend in every sense

This is swapping in a Pioneer AVH-8400bt to a 2006 HSE Harmon Kardon Becker single din sat nav head unit connected to the Alpine CD changer and HK Amp.
Saturday:
Installation of the head unit should have been straight forward and would have been if I'd done a straight swap.

Problems were all down to the steering control adapter and the gizmo for reducing the power if the speaker outs.

After trying numerous " rebuilds" and rechecks the remote control was still not working. Checked the RAVE wiring diagram and found that the incartec adapter was wrongly wired. It was picking up the cruise control buttons, not those for the audio controls. Switched the wiring but it was still very erratic! Maybe, as the cruise controls are powered, it has fried the incartec processor?

The HiLow adapter seemed to work great but checking carefully I noticed that there was no output to Front Left. Checked all wiring, removed it etc and concluded that it was a faulty unit.

The double din console adapter plate was not a good fit, but it worked with some careful trimming

Saturday night, head unit working fine and fitted with one USB lead fitted in passenger glove box. CD Changer removed

Tips:
1. if you had the Becker setup, there is reverse sensor already installed at pin 2 on the power socket which works for my Pioneer unit to activate the rear camera
2. Whatever you may read, simply earthing the park brake sensor for this Pioneer unit does work ;)

Sunday:
Fitting the rear view camera. Reasonably straight forward but long winded removing interior panels to run the cables etc. including stopping to Hoover 6 years of crud revealed when seat trims removed. A bit of faffing with the head unit settings and it worked. Replaced all trim with view to run the car, but just too late; Dead battery. Put on charge over night.

Monday:
My camera has two power connections and as the head unit allows you to switch on the rear camera even if you are not reversing, I thought I'd try to set it up. Unfortunately, when wired it caused the rear camera to be on permanently and the Parking Sensor to sound in any gear. Perhaps connecting the second camera live to the battery switched live was a mistake? Cut the connection and the parking sensors were back to normal. Fitted a power socket in the drivers glove box. All good.

To do:
Fit the dedicated iPhone lead when it arrives from the US
Have a look at the rear camera operation , but no biggie
Look at changing the amp. Maybe it is just the head not being as good as the Becker, but sound is not quite as good, and maybe down to the HU amp having nnothing to work against.. I can't take the volume over 15 ... Out of 40! As dive said above, it should be reasonably easy to do.
Return the duff looms to incartec, and get a steering wheel remote adapter that works!
Decide whether to sell the old HU and changer or keep them?
 
My camera has two power connections and as the head unit allows you to switch on the rear camera even if you are not reversing, I thought I'd try to set it up. Unfortunately, when wired it caused the rear camera to be on permanently and the Parking Sensor to sound in any gear. Perhaps connecting the second camera live to the battery switched live was a mistake? Cut the connection and the parking sensors were back to normal. Fitted a power socket in the drivers glove box. All good.

Thinking about this, perhaps my mistake was attaching both Positive leads from the camera at the same time. One is in the usual place at the rear with the earth lead to connect them across the reverse light and the other emerges from the RCA plug at the head unit. I'd assumed they were independant, but perhaps I should just attach the one at the head unit and keep the earth at the reverse light.

Have spoken to Incartec and they are sending a new amplifier interface. Regarding the steering control, they were aware of the wiring issue and put it down to variations with the car wiring. They are also sending a slightly different patch lead which they hope will work with the new head unit.

Will update after I've had another go at the weekend but I am loving the system...thanks to everyone here for the idea and information. I'd never have had the gutts to try it myself without this thread :)
 
My PC2-80-4 lead arrived today but which pin on the ISO block do I plug the Pink 'loose' wire too ?? as atm there is no audio

(HK system)
 
Did you have the becker sat nav system head unit? What is the new head unit? If you had the becker unit and the new unit takes ISOs, you do not actually need an ISO harness other than for steering wheel controls.
I don't know about that lead you have bought, but mine connected into a socket under the steering column (the plug for the steering wheel switch wires) to pick up those signals and incorporates a harness that goes between the head unit and the car loom. My unit effectively completely bypasses the "pink" wire and the small ecu type box that it connects to and as it is no longer required.

By the way, incartec sent me a slightly different patch lead and my streering controls now work perfectly.
They also sent a new amp interface, but it ruined the sound quality, so I am just sticking with having to keep the volume low :)

The pioneer unit is great. I have 30 odd films on a 32GB SD card, an Ipod in the glove box for the music and, when I receive a certain lead, I can use the ipod or my iphone apps (sat nav etc) controlled and displayed on the head unit.
 
Mine is the indash 6CD, and i do need the ISO lead ... but the lead marky said about has a loose pink wire and i have no idea which one to plug it into as atm i have no audio (but i have power)
 

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