Solved: How to use stock Amplifier with after market HU

[virgo79]

Hi,

 

I replaced my stock Audience MP3 player with Chinese Android player and as posted by others even i didn't had sound from speaker.

 

Stock AMP does not work with after market HU because its control module is built inside stock Radio. Now the only option to get sound is connect stock radio parallel to after market HU (got this idea from a YouTube video)

 

Now the question arises how to connect and where to keep stock radio..

 

You don't need to to connect all wires to stock radio.. just 4 wires (2 supply wires and 2 CAN bus)

 

Requirements

Wires 

Push to On switch

Mounting bracket for option 1 or Box for option 2

Basic soldering skill

 

I found 2 ways to connect Radio

 

Option 1:

Directly mount stock radio in boot. Pull 3 wires (1 +ve and 2  CAN Bus, use GND from boot) from Audio harness and 2 wires for ON switch from Radio to driver seat.

 

You will have to solder wires for push to on switch as shown in option 2. This switch is to ON radio (or else you will have to open boot every time to power on radio)

 

Pros

1. You can use and set stock radio equalizer (But you will have to run to the boot)

 

Cons

1. Running wires from Audio harness till boot

2. Fabricating bracket to mount radio.

3. Eats boot space (tough not much)

 

Option 2:

 

Dismantle stock radio and just use main board. You can keep this in a box and place below driver seat.

 

 

 

On the back side of main board solder 2 wires for push to ON switch 

 

 

Front side of box

 

Back side of box

 

 

Pros

1. Just need to run wire till driver seat

2. Can mount ON switch directly on box and no need to pull wire and drill holes to place switch

3. Less space required

 

Cons

1. Cant use stock radio equaliser, default is ROCK (stock equaliser is not required as you can control from you HU)

 

DO AT YOUR OWN RISK. I WONT BE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU MESS UP.

[planehazza]

Is this for real?? Never heard of the need for this to fit a stereo??

[mannyo]

Is this for real?? Never heard of the need for this to fit a stereo??

If you have an Octy2 with the upgraded sound system, then the whole lot is driven from an external amplifier. No aftermarket headunit can control it, so you either need to rewire everything to bypass the amp or come up with a plan to get the amp to power on.

[ryan-re]

the other option mike is to get amps etc so you can run the entire system fully active. The price difference between this and that is huge

[langers2k]

That is pretty mad, I'm surprised the aftermarket headunits don't support the external amp as I expect all that's missing is a message on the canbus.

 

As most aftermarket HU are already on the canbus for on/ff signals then I'd expect it should be trivial for the manufacturer to add in this extra message and unlock the amps full functionally. At the very least I'd hope there was a small canbus box that can be fitted as there often is for non-canbus HU's.

 

Did you need to worry about high/low level outputs as well?

[virgo79]

External CAN Bus box dont support stock AMP and what I understand is its not only sending CAN Bus signal, control module for AMP is built inside radio.

 

I got below fault code when radio was disconnected.

 

00463 - Control Module for Digital Sound Package (J525) 

            004 - No Signal/Communication

             Freeze Frame:

                    Fault Status: 01100100

                    Fault Priority: 5

                    Fault Frequency: 1

                    Reset counter: 255

                    Time Indication: 0

 

@Mike: Tupperware box is just make shift arrangement

[ryan-re]

I run a pioneer 80prs and get the same error as the car cant talk to it. Its a standard error with an aftermarket unit fitted or no unit fitted.

[tjxkeith1]

Has anyone tried this on a Skoda Superb L&K 2008 model. This model has the amp under the parcel shelf in the boot to. I have installed the the original head unit in the boot as per option 1

 

If this had worked I planed to use a relay in place of the push to on switch trigged by switching on the new headunit.

[tjxkeith1]

18 hours ago, tjxkeith1 said:

Has anyone tried this on a Skoda Superb L&K 2008 model. This model has the amp under the parcel shelf in the boot to. I have installed the the original head unit in the boot as per option 1

 

If this had worked I planed to use a relay in place of the push to on switch trigged by switching on the new headunit.

I think I will have to answer my own question.

I have just taken the DX satnav unit apart and there an now boards in there that resemble the ones used in this mod.

 

I now believe they maybe the circuit boards from the Skoda Audience mp3 headunit. Did  this headunit use the inbuilt Skoda Amplifier 
 

Can anyone confirm this.