Could I get some headunit wiring assistance?

[danieljw]

Hi all,

I initially sat down to type this out as a sort of brain dump to check my work but I figured I might as well post it.

All the headunit installation threads lately inspired me to give it a shot. I'm not a completely inept DIYer but I'm trying to sort out a headunit installation in my 2014 GT and the wiring is confounding me. Unfortunately, there's not an installer within 80 miles of me and I am in need of some guidance. I think I'm close, but things aren't quite working perfectly. Sorry to ask for such hand-holding, but please accept my very humble thanks in advance.

Headunit: Parrot Asteroid Smart
Steering wheel control interface: Axxess ASWC-1 with 4-pin AX-SWC-PARROT adapter
Other parts: Metra 70-7903 harness, Axxess AX-MAZUSB USB adapter, Metra 40-HD10 antenna adapter

Symptoms I'm experiencing: The headunit powers up but the sound is extremely quiet. At max volume, I can only just hear a source playing. The ASWC-1, however, seems to neither power up nor (duh) allow any steering wheel controls.

A quick rundown of the connection diagrams, first the Asteroid Smart harness:

and the ASWC-1 instructions for this vehicle. I remember that RedBaron mentioned the missing pins in this harness. Also, I moved pin 1P, which was to be grounded in step (4), over to pin 1H, which was missing, and then connected that to the ASWC's grey/red wire as instructed in step (5). Can I get away with this?

Here's all of my current connections:

[M]azda harness
[AX]xess ASWC-1
[AS]teroid Smart

[M] yellow -- [AS] yellow (12V+)
[M] orange -- [AS] pink (illumination?)
[M] blue -- [AX] grey/red (steering wheel controls)
[M] red -- [AS] red -- [AX] red (ignition ACC)
[M] black -- [AS] black -- [AX] black (ground)
[M] blue/white -- [AS] dark blue -- [AX] white/green -- [ANTENNA] blue (power antenna / amp turn-on)
[AS] black (pin 2) -- [AS] light green (parking brake bypass)
[AS] orange (reverse 12V+, haven't bothered with camera yet)

and now, a large shot of the harness as currently assembled. I'm aware that electrical tape isn't at all ideal but I was doing it this way to test the connections before I solder them. As I learned from mentalcase's thread, I connected RCA cables from an extra amp interface harness to the speaker wires from the Mazda harness, with the shielding to speaker negative and inner wire to the positive.

and a close-up of the antenna/amp connection. The Asteroid came with an ISO harness, which I just cut off to use the wires, but there were still some of the quick-connections in between. I checked them and they seem snug but should I just cut them out?

and finally, the ground wires from each harness:

Thanks for looking. Tell me why I'm an idiot.

 

[mentalcase]

Does your car have BOSE? If not those RCAs are your problem. Cut em off and splice them to the like colored wires coming out of the HU.

If it does have BOSE, I'm wondering if you HU is not providing a proper turn on for the AMP. Your picture for the antenna wire is confusing. Cut off the blue wire coming from the antenna adapter. That is needed for some HUs. If yours accepts the large metal plug then you're good to go.

This is what I would try: Connect the remote turn on from the metra harness (supplies 12v to the BOSE amp for turn on purposes) to the power antenna lead from the parrot unit. My hunch is this may not work though, so if it doesn't connect the blue turn on to to a switched 12v source.

Edit: Cancel that I've see you've tried the antenna. .

BTW the PAC interface would make this much easier.

 

[danieljw]

Does your car have BOSE? If not those RCAs are your problem. Cut em off and splice them to the like colored wires coming out of the HU.

If it does have BOSE, I'm wondering if you HU is not providing a proper turn on for the AMP. Your picture for the antenna wire is confusing. Cut off the blue wire coming from the antenna adapter. That is needed for some HUs. If yours accepts the large metal plug then you're good to go.

This is what I would try: Connect the remote turn on from the metra harness (supplies 12v to the BOSE amp for turn on purposes) to the power antenna lead from the parrot unit. My hunch is this may not work though, so if it doesn't connect the blue turn on to to a switched 12v source.

Edit: Cancel that I've see you've tried the antenna. .

BTW the PAC interface would make this much easier.

Thanks so much. Yes, all CX-5 GTs have the Bose system, which indicated I should use the RCAs.

I can't use the PAC interface because of the Parrot's proprietary SWC interface plug. Axxess just happens to make an adapter for it.

Some googling indicates that the lack of dedicated amp turn-on wire is the problem. I am going to test the Parrot's antenna wire for 12V, and if it doesn't work, would the red ACC wire be the second best to use?

I also bought an additional Metra harness adapter to add any wires that may have been missing.

 

[jjw6455]

If you are going through the Bose amp, why are you using the speaker outputs and not the preamp outputs ? Don't you run the risk of overdriving the amp ?

 

[danieljw]

If you are going through the Bose amp, why are you using the speaker outputs and not the preamp outputs ? Don't you run the risk of overdriving the amp ?

Indeed, I am using the preamp/low-level outputs.

 

[mentalcase]

Thanks so much. Yes, all CX-5 GTs have the Bose system, which indicated I should use the RCAs.

I can't use the PAC interface because of the Parrot's proprietary SWC interface plug. Axxess just happens to make an adapter for it.

Some googling indicates that the lack of dedicated amp turn-on wire is the problem. I am going to test the Parrot's antenna wire for 12V, and if it doesn't work, would the red ACC wire be the second best to use?

I also bought an additional Metra harness adapter to add any wires that may have been missing.

The parrot is likely only providing power to the antenna lead when in AM/FM mode that's at least what I'm thinking. Go ahead and connect it to your switched 12v (RED) and see what happens.

I would check if your steering wheel interface is getting power as well. There are two wires coming out of the mazda for the controls. I'm not entirely sure of the colors, but try accessing the PAC instructions as they have a full breakdown of the wires and colors.

 

[911jason]

Ooooppppps. Ignore please.

 

[danieljw]

The parrot is likely only providing power to the antenna lead when in AM/FM mode that's at least what I'm thinking. Go ahead and connect it to your switched 12v (RED) and see what happens.

I would check if your steering wheel interface is getting power as well. There are two wires coming out of the mazda for the controls. I'm not entirely sure of the colors, but try accessing the PAC instructions as they have a full breakdown of the wires and colors.

A little update: reconnected a few wires. Now have the white/blue amp turn-on from the Metra harness going only to the Asteroid's blue power antenna wire. With this, everything works perfectly without the ASWC connected. Connect the ASWC and I'm back to no/low volume. I'll have to give Axxess a call I guess.

 

[mentalcase]

The axxess should not be connected to the blue and white turn on. The blue wire coming from the mazda harness is one of two wires required for the steering wheel controls. It handles the bluetooth functions. So the only thing the axxess should be connected to it ground, switched 12v, and your two SWC wires. Maybe constant 12v (yellow). Then the output would go to your headunit.

Take the green and white wire out of the mix with your antenna lead. Then figure out which wires the gray/red and green/white go to on the mazda harness. They should not be connected to your headunit unless one is the output.

 

[danieljw]

The axxess should not be connected to the blue and white turn on. The blue wire coming from the mazda harness is one of two wires required for the steering wheel controls. It handles the bluetooth functions. So the only thing the axxess should be connected to it ground, switched 12v, and your two SWC wires. Maybe constant 12v (yellow). Then the output would go to your headunit.

Take the green and white wire out of the mix with your antenna lead. Then figure out which wires the gray/red and green/white go to on the mazda harness. They should not be connected to your headunit unless one is the output.

Thanks again for the help. I still cannot seem to get the ASWC-1 connected properly. Unfortunately, I'm out of time for a few days so will have to revisit this later on. Believe me, I would much rather use the PAC harness. What are the chances that this Axxess adapter would also work with the PAC harness? It basically just converts the mini plug into a 4-pin adapter that the Parrot accepts. I want to believe that it would be connecting all the same and/or necessary wires, but maybe not.

 

[mentalcase]

The adapter you have would work. i'm unsure if PAC supports Parrot in terms of their controls, though. What I would do is buy the PAC unit from Amazon and just splice the wires together temporarily and see if it works. If it does then boom solder them up and enjoy your weekend, but if it doesn't amazon should accept the return. The PAC unit provides every wire including speed, reverse, both SWC wires, and you don't have to move pins around.