Just installed an Alpine CDM7872 CD player (top bit of kit I must say), question is - it has a lead which can be connected to the car somewhere, so that when the lights are switched on it dims the lights on the unit.
Is there such a place on an MY00 UK Turbo ? if so where is it, and will I have to dismantle the whole dashboard to get at it ?.
It's just the unit has blue switches and controls and they are a bit bright at night.

Ian.

 

If you have a UK car, you should have a 'bright' switch which you can wire up to the stereo in order to dim the display.

 

Hi Ian,

I've an Alpine unit too with the same problem. IIRC, on my unit there's a 'illumination' wire on the headunit connector.

On my MY99 (should be identical to yours), there is the same signal wire on the Subaru wiring loom for the headunit.

Unfortunately, my ISO connector (interface between the Subaru OEM loom and the Alpine ISO) doesn't have this pin, so doesn't connect the signal from the loom to the headunit.

What I need to do is buy a little extra pin from an ICE installer, which should allow me to connect the feed from the Subaru loom to the headunit.

This only affects the ISO adapter, so I'll not be modding the original loom. I'll be trying this tomorrow evening, but it sounds like you need to do the same.

Hope that makes sense. Just wish I had some pics to explain it better.

Stefan

[Edited by ozzy - 1/21/2003 11:21:46 AM]

 

Erm, not sure if this helps much but my MY00 had an iso adaptor in with the correct wiring. Just plug in and it works.

Perhaps it's worth checking the Alpine pin-outs and see if you can swap the dash illumination to another pin?

 

Nick,

Not sure about the ISO adapter fitted by Subaru. I modded and sold my original one and bought a new Autoleads jobbie. It doesn't have the illumination wiring connected.

Stefan

 

Sorry, but I may be talking complete bo!!ocks

I'm trying to remember back to my install and checking the variuos pics I took at the time.

I can only spot seperate blue/white and pink/black wires. These are 'remote turn-on' (for an amp) and 'audio interrupt' IIRC.

I've downloaded the manuals for my headunit and can't see an illumination feed, but saying that the pink/black wire isn't shown either

Stefan

 

Stefan, (and others)
Thanks for the replies, I purchased one of the Autoleads adaptors which connects the Subaru (large white wire block) to the two smaller black blocks on the Alpine unit. ie the Autolead has a large white block and two small black blocks.
So are you saying there is a pin not wired on the white block from Autoleads ? and what I need is to add this pin and then connect that to the trailing one from the head unit. If this is so what colour is the wire in the Subaru block ? (if there is more than one not wired.

Thanks
Ian

 

Ian, yes if I'm right.

problem is I can't for the life of me remember and all my notes/manuals are at home

We need to check if the 'illumination' signal wire is on the Subaru loom (I'm pretty sure it is) and that the Alpine headunit has an 'illumination' wire too.

Then we only need to add a pin to the ISO and connect it up. Any ICE installer would sell pins and connectors to do the job.

I'll check tonight (it'll be late as I'm away rock climbing), but hopefully someone might help in the meantime.

Stefan

 

Ian,

I've just checked my manual and for the CDM-7874R and CDM-7872R headunits, the orange wire is the 'dimmer' signal wire.

We need to double-check which wire this is on the Subaru wiring adapter, then simply buy an extra pin for the Autoleads ISO and connect this to the orange lead on the alpine unit.

Stefan

 

Stefan,
Agree, it's an orange flying lead from the Alpine unit, just need to confirm what colour the one is on the Subaru loom.

Ian

 

Ian,

I found this radio wiring from a US site. I'm going to try this tomorrow.

Stefan

 

Problem is sorted, following a responce from Autoleads, I have taken a line from the orange lead in the adapter ps2-44-4 which does not connect to anything on the Alpine block and connected it to the flying orange lead from the Alpine unit, now when lights are switched on unit dims.
So to clarrify, the orange lead in the Autoleads adapter is the dimmer lead, (can't remember what colour the Subaru loom lead is), connect this lead either by cutting and joining or get a small spade and make up a small lead and connect to the orange flying one on the Alpine.
Hope this helps.

Ian

 

Thanks Ian.

I don't remember seeing the orange lead on my Autoleads adapter, but I'll take out the HU and have a look tonight.

Cheers,
Stefan

 

Got it sorted last night. The Autoleads harness is full wired, but the Alpine cable has been seperated from it's ISO connector (God knows why). I could have added a pin to the ISO, but just cut the autoleads wire and simply connected it to the Alpine wire directly. I've wrapped everything in lecky tape so it doesn't short on anything or get ripped on the razor sharp metal bracket inside the centre console.

Stefan

 

Stefan,
Glad you got it sorted, I did the same (cut the lead on the Autoleads),
So we now both have Alpine units which dim. !

Ian

 

Guys, just to add to this...I'll be doing the same with mine tonight to give the unit a dimmer - I'll cut the orange lead from the Autoleads and connect direct to orange on Alpine Unit.

I was thinking re the adjustable dimmer switch but I'm no electrical wiz to confirm if it would work. Being that the dimmer lead just needs power to 'dim' the unit (when the lights are on)?? Then a dimmer switch (using an adjustable resistance?) wouldn't work...anyone know? I'll stick to the above as I don't want to mess the unit up...but it would be a laugh to adjust the light level.

 

I don't know m8. There's two possibilities that I can think of; the obvious one being that the unit just needs a switched voltage so when you turn the lights on, it simply flips the unit inot Dim mode. Turn them off and it flips back to normal.

The second one is it dims based on whatever voltage it sees, so in theory with a variable resistor you could adjust the amount of Dim. I guess the only people to answer that are someone who's been brave and tried it or Alpine themselves.

Stefan

 

I'll go with that Stefan...I'm 80% sure the unit works like the switch off/on as you said, and I'm not brave enough to test it on me' Alpine as I've only just got it today. Just a dim is enough I guess, as the rest would just be funky.

 

Anyone know what the blue lead (anntenna) is used for from the Apline unit to the Autolead block to something? Since the car has no 'auto' ariel, what is the power feed for? Just unsure being that there's a ignition cable, power cable (from batt)...

 

As far as I can remember the Antenna lead is just left alone. I simply connected the Autoleads ISO straight onto the Alpine connector, but then just made the mod for the Dimmer wire (I used some bullet connectors, like the original Alpine lead).

This is the pic I took before my install



I used the Orange wire for the Dimmer and the Blue/White wire for my Amp. The Pink/Black is Audio Interrupt, so I left that unconnected. Any others were just left on the IDO connector and ignored.

Apart from the Dimmer wire and running a seperate wire for my Amp, it was just a plug-in job.

Stefan

 

This is strange...I've got an MY02, and the Autolead has the blue lead marked ant going straight into the Alpine connector which is also blue and marked ant. It is the correct ISO adapter for sure, so don't think I'll worry, but I would like to know what it does on the car.

 

The Autoleads connector should have the std ISO pins wired up to match the headunit. In theory that blue pin should be the Antenna lead on any headunit regardless of make.

I would assume, it's similar to the remote turn-on signal wire in that it sends a 12v supply when the headunit switches on (or radio source is selected) to operate an electrical aerial.

You need to see which wire on the actual MY02 wiring loom corresponds to the pin on the Autoleads adaptor. That'll tell you if it actually does anything or not (which I suspect).

Sorry, I have a MY99 RB5, but I don't think the blue wire was connected to anything on my wiring loom. Could be wrong though. I do know it has no effect whatsoever on my car

Stefan

 

Confirmed! The blue wire does nothing...it's on the Autolead, but there's no connection on the Scoob OE block.

Anyway, all working with dimmer

 

Hi,

Ref the blue lead, it's powered when the radio is on (sometimes the radio has to be in tuner mode, i.e. no power for off or CD mode) and it is connected to a motorised retracting antenna, as fitted to the old Vaux Cavalier. It works in exactly the same way as power sense cable for a remote amp would, but asI say, may be 'tuner mode on' dependent.

Steve.

 

Yeh, I'm sure my manual says to use blue/white wire for amps and blue for ant only (not to be used for amp 'on').