McIntosh setup wiring questions

[Scooby-Doo]

Hey all,

Finally installing a new sound system in my GT Spec B.

I've just had the car apart looking at the different wiring and stuff in preparation and also to ask some questions.

I'm not going to lie, it is kind of bewildering at first glance.

So my main questions are:

1.Has anyone installed the PAC Steering wheel control module into a liberty? and if so what wires need to be wired up, as this is comming out of the steering wheel controls in the wheel, but no colours match up on the Head unit loom


2. Does anyone have a pin out diagram, explanation for the looms for the mac unit that are pictured below:


3. I realise the Mc unit pushes sound to the amp via the round black cable, but the wires comming 'out' of the amp don't seem to match up with the doors so does any one know what colours represent what door?


4. What sort of aerial converter/plug do I need for this bad boy to going to the 'normal' aerial plug?


Also if anyone has any suggestions of good tips for the install please by all means let me know .

A massive thanks in advance...
-Nick

[SVXdc]

First off, you don't need to mess with anything inside your steering wheel. You can button that back up (and use your factory HU to verify that all of that is still working properly). Yes, the wire colors change by the time they reach the HU.

See this post for information about your HU's 14-pin power/illumination harness. Yours is like the 2nd picture I posted there.

You can use a standard 14-pin harness (such as a Metra 70-8901) for those connections. Extract the pins/wires for the speaker outputs (since your factory harness does not have those there). Leave in the wires corresponding to pins 3 and 9 -- those are your 2 SWC leads.

Oh, if you haven't already purchased the PAC module, Metra's Axxess ASWC is much better.

The black connector with 20 positions (and not quite that many wires) is typically for the OEM navigation system. Do you have that? Whatever is at the other end (if anything), you won't be able to use it with an aftermarket HU.

If your car has it, the white 8-pin plug is from the factory 3.5mm aux jack. I make an adapter to connect that to an aftermarket HU.

I'd be grateful if you could post clear pictures of the front, back, and bottom or top (with model number label) of your OEM Mc HU and amp.

I would need to see a better picture of your OEM aerial plug, but I think that is the same type used in some Nissan models. You would need a Metra 40-NI11 adapter (or equivalent) to convert to a standard Motorola plug. (or a Metra 40-NI10, if you can manage to find a new aftermarket HU with the "Diversity" feature -- dual antenna inputs).

I don't have your factory wire colors, but see this post for a pin-out of the Mc amp's 18-pin power/speaker harness. The Metra 70-8405 (normally for some Daewoo models) will fit that (although you might want to repin the wires so they have the correct aftermarket colors to match the Mc amp's pin-out).

Will you be keeping your Mc amp, driving your speakers directly from your new HU, or installing new amp(s)?

What else would you like to know?

[Scooby-Doo]

Bloody hell mate, thanks for the fatastic reply .

Hmm that is a bit of a large concern then, as my unit does indeed have the factory satnav :S, may need to look into that further, if anyone has popped an after market head unit with satnav installed please let me know..

The amp will be a pain to get pictures of, but I'll try to get some pictures of the head unit's back/front etc tomorrow night for you.

Alas I've already purchased the PAC unit, so I'll see how it goes, if crap I'll get the axxess.

I'll be running my speakers of the new head unit, and my subs off an amp (that may go under drivers seat or where the mc unit was).

Thanks for all the answers mate, thats cleared alot of things up...very worries about the Satnav though...

Cheers,
Nick

[SVXdc]

Sounds like you have the OEM satnav with the DVD unit hiding behind the glovebox and the separate screen above the HU (where a cubby would be in non-nav models). All of that can still work without the OEM HU, just without the turn-by-turn audio prompts.

No hurry on the Mc amp pics. Just remember when you finally remove it.

If your new sub amp isn't too large, you might get away with powering it from the 4 power and ground leads on the factory 18-pin Mc amp harness. Let me know if you can't find that 18-pin Daewoo harness, and I can build one for you.

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing pictures of your second Mc HU fascia disassembled. I'm curious to see if the HVAC panel is completely independent or if it connects to the HU portion via a small ribbon cable, as is the case on some other models. See this thread for an example of the OEM GX-204xx HU (be sure to jump down to post #23, and my reply in post #42).

[Scooby-Doo]

Aha, thats aok mate, turn by turn drives me up the wall anyway, so I can live with out that .

I shall get plenty of pics for you mate .

Hmm if memory servers (need to check) think its ~500-600w so I imagine that would be a no haha...

Thanks heaps for the offer mate, but I had a look on the aeropro site and called up an autobarn near my work and they have one of these :
http://www.aerpro.com/list.php?pcode=APP030&cat_name=New+Products&cat_no=&product_name=ISO+CONNECTOR+TO+DAEWOO&cat_sno=
In stock, will that be the correct connection for the mcintosh amp -> speakers?

Well the units been disassembled for months, just down at a plastic fabricators near work whos doing a new clear plastic fascia that I'll putt a matte black backin onto with the HVAC holes cut out .

I can confirm that there is no rippon cable that I've seen, the HVAC controls are held onto the fascia by 2 screws then it just pops out, which really strengthened my resolve not to buy the subaru double din unit..

Thanks again for the help mate..

Cheers,
Nick

[SVXdc]

That Aerpro Daewoo harness will work (though you'll be paying extra for the ISO portion that you'll just be cutting off and tossing). How much does Autobarn want for one?

When other Liberty/Outback owners see your pictures, that plastic fabricator is going to get some calls. In fact, if they can make a mirror image, some people with LHD cars will be interested too.

[mihai]

Aerpro have a subaru specific plug too. From memory i think it was the APP090. With that one all the pins match up perfectly with our cars power ground etc.

[Scooby-Doo]

Yeah I've got the Aerpro subaru harness for Headunit->Subaru power, illum, swc etc
Then I'll get the Daewoo (as the white bit should marry up to the 'speaker out' on the amp correct?) to marry to the amp, I'll then run separate wires from the centre console down to the amp location and proceed to use the aerpros speaker (brown?) and rewire that ..so from the amp speaker out->daewoo connecter soldered to correct wires on brown ap plug->brown ap plug to brown ap plug on headunit end of the harness..

Does that make any sense? thusly if I want I can roll the car back to stock with nary any soldering needed to be done .

Does that sound correct?

[mihai]

Yep. That makes perfect sense.

[Scooby-Doo]

Okie dokie.

So got all the wiring in (massive thanks for the diagrams SVXdc), so got the amp wired up (as per alot of guides floating around), aswell as installed my new head unit with the modified radio body, with a custom cut fascia that I think has come out ok, I shall put some pics below.

Heres just a quick picture of the harness I made for the Aeropro harness to the Speaker out Plug from the factory amp:


Here is a picture of the Head unit with the fascia partially attached, then followed by it properly attached to the unit:


Actually attached:


The fascia comes out as a clear plastic basic cut out, that needs the tabs thinned (to fit under the brackets) and also a slight cut to the din hole to to allow my unit to fit. I then had to mask off the HVAC display and the "TEMP" holes...

Heres the picture of it in my car:


Thats the Mk.1 of the unit, I have a spare fascia I'm going to take a bit longer on, but the proof of concept is there, and I'm actually really happy with how 'stock' it looked.

Also the pac steering wheel controls went in an absolute treat (thanks again for the wiring diagrams), works really well with almost no lag what so ever...

So a massive thanks to the guys I hassled whether via forum or PM, I'm absolutely chuffed with how it turned out

[mihai]

That fascia actually looks really nice. Its a shame that subaru didn't choose to make a piano black finish on the fascia kit like this.

Only thing that doesn't quite do it for me is the massive knob in the middle of the headunit. And those red buttons appear VERY bright. Can you control the brigtness?

[Scooby-Doo]

Thanks mate, yeah it is a shame subaru didn't offer any options like that.

I'm going to attempt at swapping the middle know for one of the ones of the dead mcinotsh unit and see how that looks, the actual buttons arnt that bright, theyre the same brightness as the hvac at night so its not too bad...

Cheers,
Nick

[SVXdc]

Looks nice! Great job.

Would your plastic fabricator be able to make another now without needing an OEM fascia as a guide?

Is there anything you would do differently if you were starting over?

Now that you've removed your OEM HU and amp, have you had a chance to take pictures of all of that?

And whenever you open things up again, I'm sure others would also be very interested to see pictures of all of the other sides of the new unit (to see how the pieces are bolted together).

[SVXdc]

*bump*

Now that you've removed the stock HU and amp, could you post a few more pictures? -- clear shots of the side of the top and back of the HU, and all of the "interesting" sides of the McIntosh amp.

I'd be grateful if you could post clear pictures of the front, back, and bottom or top (with model number label) of your OEM Mc HU and amp.

[Anil_Trinidad]

Sorry for bumping this old thread. However, I am in a similar predicament - except that my HU is a Kenwood GX206JE. I am strongly considering doing the same swap as done by ScoobyDoo here. It would be great if you have pictures of the back of the re-fabbed facia of how the aftermarket HU bolted up as well as the wiring. I would likely start a separate thread for that though.

Thanks.