05 JBL single CD to newHU w/ipod and steering wheel controls

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Bluedevil

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Hi new here, but I've learned a ton through the search function.

I am purchasing a 2005 Sport edition 4Runner with the JBL system and the single CD HU. I'd like to replace it with an Alpine HU with the iPod control cable and hopefully steering wheel controls.

The iPod cable is pretty self explanatory to the Alpine, so that much is settled, and the dash kit seems pretty clear cut as well. I've seen the How To's as to getting at the existing radio and I don't see any problems there. However...

I understand the JBL systems are integrated into an amp and a new HU would require a special wiring harness that. I've seen a Metra harness that looks to be around a $100 bucks, but I've also seen the people at Best Kits Online have a harness that appears to be cheaper. Anyone have experience with these or any other options on cheaper harnesses?

The second major cost is the piece that integrates the steering wheel controls. I've read on here that often you can do every function on the steering wheel using these adapter things. Does anyone have any experience with these?

I'm looking at the Alpine CDA-9883 and 9885 as a reference, but I've heard that not all Alpine HU's accept the steering wheel controls... is this true?

Thanks again...
 
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If the unit has a remote control you can do steering wheel controls without a doubt.

If it has a wired remote input you can do them as well. The company that makes them is Peripheral...

The universal one is called the PESWIX, and I believe the one for most alpine radios is PESWIAKJ. The PESWIX doesn't work as well as the direct plug in but none the less still works. The reason it isn't as good is because you have a little IR trasmitter that has to be pointed at the radio for it to work. Basically it takes the same signals as the remote for the radio does, learns them, and duplicates them when you press the steering wheel control...

They can also all be a pain in the ass to program, and I do it daily.
 
what is involved with installing the steering controls? I've done all of my own car stereo installs and I did work for a car stereo shop in sales so I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing but I wouldn't consider myself to be an expert. You also mentioned that programming the units can be difficult... what is involved with doing the programming? Is it similar to programming a learning remote?

As for the wiring harness for the radio itself... any tips on places to get a harness cheap?
 
Its not that they are difficult... just sometimes can be a pain in the ass. The steps are pretty straight forward in the instructions but you have do do everything a specific way in a short period of time and sometimes it still messes up. All thats required is giving the unit power, ground, and tapping onto the steering wheel wire which is generally behind the radio.

Don't go cheap on harness...you'll regret.
 
tarheeltp17 said:
Its not that they are difficult... just sometimes can be a pain in the ass. The steps are pretty straight forward in the instructions but you have do do everything a specific way in a short period of time and sometimes it still messes up. All thats required is giving the unit power, ground, and tapping onto the steering wheel wire which is generally behind the radio.

Don't go cheap on harness...you'll regret.
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Maybe I over simplified my comment... I only meant that I wanted a good harness at a good price. 100 bucks for a Metra harness for the JBL system is a lot, but it is what it is.

It sounds like all of this is something I can do myself... which is good. I only wish the parts were a bit more reasonable.
 
gotcha... yea at my shop there we have metra harnesses but there for 2 weeks the company wanted to try some other brand because they were x amount cheaper, and there was a reason behind it. Metra, Best kits & harness, and American international are all quality.

BTW, Check you private messages.
 
Just picked up my 4Runner and I LOVE it.

However I did wan to note that the radio I have looks like the one in the image attached except mine does not have a JBL logo in the upper right hand corner. Does this mean it is still the amplified system?

I listened to it with my iPod on the way home (with an old cassette adapter ) and while most songs sounded great (I think I heard a little thump from the sub in an amped system) I had a few newer songs with some distortion on them. Could this be traced back to using the adapter? I haven't had any problems using the AUX in on my old Alpine unit.
 

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I recently had my radio pulled out and had a Pioneer DEHP580MP installed. I also had the steering wheel controls hooked up.

I originally had an Alpine 9856 installed. It worked fine but the 6 blue lights on the faceplate did not dim......very distracting at night. Decided that for the money it was now worth dealing with that issue, so I switched it for the Pioneer radio. It had red lighting.......which goes much better with the orange in your 4Runner.

The steering wheel controls is the PAC SWI-PS and it enables all the functions. However, when it changes the channel it goes from like channel 20 to 21 instead of from the presets in the radio.

I have the JBL system. I lost the center speaker and an amp in the back. That was with the special cable.

Hope this helps. Oh and total cost was about $530
 
The reason for it going from Channel 20 to 21 is not because of the unit not being capable of going through the presets, its the programming.

The way you have it programmed now is better suited for CDs...because you can skip through tracks. But if you program it where you can go through your presets, it acts as a "preset up/disc up" and "preset down/disc down" . Now you have it programmed for "seek up/track up" and "seek down/track down".

You could go back and make one like "preset up/disc up" and the other "seek up/track up" .. etc...

Just because a button on the steering wheel is mean't to be volume, mute, etc... doesn't mean you can't program it to another fucntion, ust so you know.
 
Let me ask the next logical question... if you set up the steering wheel control buttons to do the next and previous track functions, how does that impact the operation of a Alpine-type HU with the iPod integrated?
 
This is what I gathered when I was researching my radio. Yes you can have Ipod integration, but for most radios it is nowhere near as smooth as using the scroll wheel. I am not 100% certain that the steering wheel control would work, but if I were a betting man I would say it would just simply go to the next track.

The best head units for Ipod I found where the Pioneer models (6800,7800, and 9800) which have a "rotary commander" scroll wheel that control all the functions of the radio. The 9800 is pretty tight b/c it comes with integrated bluetooth.

Hope this helps. Also, when I was researching it I used crutchfield.com and called their technical support.

Good luck and make sure you post pictures of whatever you do!!
 
Thanks arouth...

Usually when I use my iPod, I navigate to the playlist I am using and press play so that I listen to the entire list on shuffle. From that point I only click the "next" button to go to the next song on shuffle. That is all that I want the steering wheel to be able to do... volume, function (radio/cd/ipod), and next/prev. track so long as it allows me to do that with the ipod on shuffle.

Can this be done with an Alpine? Inquiring minds want to know.
 
Steering wheel controls can be programmed to any function. Say from the factory you have source, volume up, volume down, track up, and track down buttons on your steering wheel. You can make the factory source button the aftermarket mute button if you wanted... etc. So if your steering wheel has 5 controls, you can program any 5 controls to those buttons.
 
Well you got me on that one. I think so, but thats just a guess. Try reading the online reviews at crutchfield.com. Those guys like their radios and get pretty detailed in there reviews.

Oh, and one more thing. If you look under a radios features it will say "wired remote". If it says its optional then you can directly plug the remote control thing into the back. If it says no (like the Alpine 9856) you have to use an IR sensor with a slight delay.

Good luck
 
"except mine does not have a JBL logo in the upper right hand corner"

If no JBL on the HU then the radio has the normal internal amplifier (vice the external JBL amplifier) and no Bass speaker (sub woofer) in right rear.
 
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wolfgang said:
"except mine does not have a JBL logo in the upper right hand corner"

If no JBL on the HU then the radio has the normal internal amplifier (vice the external JBL amplifier) and no Bass speaker in right rear.
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Even if it looks IDENTICAL to the HU in the picture (minus the logo)?

If no, then there is some tremendous bass coming from those speakers. Are they amped to some extent?
 
If these speakers aren't amped, it would seem to make a hell of a lot of sense to swap those out for a quality pair of speakers.

Any suggestions? I would end up pushing the speakers with the HU so it's likely some of the high end speakers wouldn't be a great fit. But perhaps some of the entry component sets (Polk, Infinity, etc.)
 
tarheeltp17 said:
I hate polk and infinity... personally i would find a memphis dealer and go pick out a pair.
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I did some research on Memphis speakers... good stuff.

Would you go to with a 6.5 component set or a pair of 6x9s? I am used to having a powered 10" MTX woofer in my old car, and while I realize I won't have the same punch I assume the 6x9s will be able to hit lower frequencies than the 6.5 components can.
 
tarheeltp17 said:
I hate polk and infinity... personally i would find a memphis dealer and go pick out a pair.
Click to expand...
The closest dealer I have is two hours away.

Any recommendations? It seems they have a number of different lines...
 
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