club.liberty.asn.au

Just picked up the EA1251 from Ryda....will take pics and inform whether it will work on the MY08 and installation guide...if I remember...

I've got by first service tomorrow and i'm hoping the service center can pull the parts out for me to save me the time otherwise i'll dissect it myself after the service.....

cheers

ok here's the low down....unfortunately camera batteries were flat...so no pics...

But the EA1251 works with my 8gb Ipod touch unfortunately could not read the tags...

anyway I installed the cable in the centre console so took a lot longer than people have said it took.

so for the MY08 this is what i did....

Step 1: took out the silver side trims next to the HU
Step 2: loosened the hand brake cover
Step 3: popped the ring (yes automatic)
Step 4: unscrewed the gear knob
Step 5: pulled the ashtray out and disconnected the cable for the power
Step 6: unscrewed the centre console (2 x screws in the rear)
Step 7: Popped the cover that's covering the hole in the centre box where the arm rest is
Step 8: Unplug power from battery and unscrewed 6 x screws from the headunit, pulled headunit out and connect the EA1251 for testing
Step 9: connect the -ve plug back to battery and powered the car to see the Ipod read successfully!
Step 10: disconnect the -ve again and wired the unit properly, Ipod connect cable through the centre from the rear to the head unit
Step 11: cable tied the other lead from the EA1251 and connected to head unit...given that the cable is really long where you put the modulator is important "location" "location" "location"!!!!
Step 12: I had in fact already disconnected all the cables when i began the wiring so which means I had to connect the hazard light cable and the climate control last due to the lack of room in the back of the HU
Step 13: after spending probably 25 minutes trying to connect the cables back and mounting the HU back on ... connected the -ve once again to the car battery and powered everything for another test...
Step 14: all working so fixed the centre console back where it supposed to be, put the screws back on the rear of the centre console, connected the handbrake cover, put all screws back on HU, connected the ashtray and then the silver trim for the gear and near the headunit, then finally the gear knob.

post mortem: can be an easy mod depending on whether you have assistance and some guidance from reliable sources, also location of your Ipod. I have sat nav so no way it was going to fit in the glove box cable management is also key to having an easier time remounting things. At the moment the Ipod touch remembers where I stopped listening at every song (this is only because I had skipped to next track and then rewind back to the previous track and it resumed where i left off. One final mod is to put the face plate from the centre cubby? back but need to do a slight mod with a hack saw to allow the cable to come through without a big hole!

have not tried my wife's 2g Iphone but will let you know (I know Clarence said it doesn't work but I'll give it a go anyway) also have not tried whether the Ipod will display the song i'm playing yet , the reason I say this is because it was displaying it when i connected it and also on disconnection as to the song i ended up with before I switched the car off.

sorry for not having any pictures....i was all gee'd up to have pictures with the mod but i can't wait for the batteries to charge (was thinking of doing the IPod mod after my first service which is today (friday) but couldn't wait ....

while i'm at it and this is off topic....will add my HKS filter after the service to see any fuel efficiencies can be gained....... the air guide has been on but have only noticed very minor improvements....

peace out.... for you MY08 guys/gals with the mcintosh if you need some assistance I'm more than happy to pop by and advise (only with enough warning .... due to family)

Thanks for the write-up D-Liberty.

Just a few questions:

Did Ryda have in stock or did you need to order? Ryda Petersham yeah?
Does the 1251 come with the clarion Y-cable (double adapter) to allow the stock McIntosh stacker to continue to work?
Where is the easiest point to take the 2 silver verticle trims off the dash panel? (the left and right side of the HVAC).

Cheers,

Steve

Ryda in petersham had only a couple in stock...so I suggest calling first (something I did not do) I basically drove from artarmon (Metrosound?) which disappeared to petersham and asked if they had any in stock.

Clarion should update their dealer list.....

The 1251 doesn't come with the y cable...but the Mcintosh stacker still works. it flips from internal 6 disc stacker to "external changer" aka Ipod by pressing the CD button which alternates between the two.

Coz I had an alarm put in the trims off the sides of the HU were not quite as tight....

but I would say on the left closest to the glove box start there "slowly" and same location on the right closest to the steering column. they're only held by clips .... don't yank it out but pull a little at a time it will eventually get to a point where you can wedge both hands for you to pull out the trim..

hopefully the write up is clear if not let me know where I can assist....damn camera and batteries!!!


** disclaimer ** this is for the MY08 as the side trims are different in the older models (I'm not sure of year)

I must be missing something because I can't understand how the Mac internal stacker AND Ipod can both work through the head unit by pressing the 'disc' button unless they are connected via the CCA519 branch cable.

Either way - I was told the Y cable was $150 so went for the FM200 instead. Will install over the weekend hopefully.

Zoo Tv wrote:I must be missing something because I can't understand how the Mac internal stacker AND Ipod can both work through the head unit by pressing the 'disc' button unless they are connected via the CCA519 branch cable.

Disc button once - CD changer
Disc button again - iPod

Sorry Tangcla, I understand the buttons - just not how the iPod, Mac stacker and head unit are all connected without the use of the Y cable.

there's a pic somewhere on this forum....

but to some it all up the Head Unit is a single integrated six disc stacker...

at the back of that is a Ce-Net? connector... the EA1251 connects to that so...

Ipod -> Ipod cable (clarion supplied) -> EA1251 module -> CENET cable -> Cenet connector to HU.

pressing the CD (starting in CD Stacker or IPOD) wil change it to the other...so ie if I was listening to CD and decide to go IPOD I connect the IPOD to the Ipod cable and then press CD it will change over to Ipod with CHGR displayed on the HU.

hope that helps....besides Clarence (tangcla) has this on his liberty as well.....

Ahhhhh. There in lies my mistake. I thought the head unit and stacker were seperate. Apparently not?

So this means the head unit and internal stacker are one unit with a 'spare' CeNet input at the rear?? This is what the 1251 plugs into yeah?

Cheers,

Steve

Zoo Tv wrote:So this means the head unit and internal stacker are one unit with a 'spare' CeNet input at the rear?? This is what the 1251 plugs into yeah?

Correct

now go and get the EA1251 tomorrow and install it way better than any FM modulator....good luck

Cheers guys. Appreciate it. Will return the FM200 and get the 1251. But unfortately D_Liberty grabbed the last 1251 from Ryda @ Petersham! Will have to wait till next week...

Out of curiosity - where is the best place to mount the 1251 and how have you 2 secured it?

i'm sure they had more than one....check their online store and see where they hold their stock??

I mounted mine just behind the climate control unit there's room there....(be careful of the direction of the connections ie the direction they face) there's not much room for the CENET cable.....i would suggest planning carefully for the cabling as I had a little bit of trouble remounting the head unit due to the cramped space behind ......

All i can say is I don't wish to take my head unit out again as it was a pain taking it out and reconnecting all the cables afterwards..... i reckon when it was going through manufacturing those guys had easier access as most likely none of the interior trim bits were installed when they mounted the head unit....one particular cable was taped down and there was no way I can tape it down myself afterwards with all the trim blocking access.....

Actually D_Liberty, was in there today and they sold the last 2 they had in stock on Thursday....

How is the sound quality? Same as a CD stacker as expected?

So you took the silver vertical side trims off first? Then the centre console panel before getting access to the head unit?

sound quality is pretty good...the only thing I would say is that the volume differs from when you burn to disc...need to adjust it through itunes to get the volume you like...

ie...a particular track i had on mp3 burned on CD volume was around 10 same track on ipod i had to pump up the volume to about 13

in terms of removal

1. take the park brake lever boot off (not totally removed just off the centre console and away from you getting good access to the gear ring)
2. take the silver side trims off
3. pop the ring off the gear (if it is the round one, if not you'll have to ask tangcla) popping the ring off is easier at the end near the park brake boot

store all silver trims in a safe place to avoid scratching it... pull the ashtry out but not too much force the direction would be to pull away from the headunit once loose slide it up perpendicular then disconnect the cigarette lighter wiring

if you're going to mount the cable in the console box unscrew the screws at the back (easier access if you move both front seats right to the front)

I didn't take the whole centre console off as it was too much hassle I only lifted it off enough for me to gain access to stuff...popped the cover that was for the AUX in and lead my IPOD cable through (only after testing though)

once you've popped the centre console loose (and if you're driving AT) then unscrew the gear know and pop the shiny easily scratchable cover off (there are four clips, one at each corner)

press down on the shift lock so you can move the gear stick out of the way, put a towel on top of the gear to prevent scratching the headunit

unscrew 6 screws that hold the head unit....slowly yank out and disconnect the hazard light and climate control wiring then the rest of the wiring ( I hadn't pulled the antenna nor the power when I was doing it....)

then study how you want to position the EA1251 remember to consider how the wiring will sit when remounted

I used the supplied velcro to mount it

Zoo Tv are you in Sydney?