[blanchettebb]

First post here:

Recently made my '04 Acura TSX my only car and would like to get my Alpine CD/MP3 player into it. I'm not in need of adding amplifiers or any additional components, just the deck.

The plan is to buy the OEM MP3 attachment kit (08B06-SEC-210) and install where the storage bin currently sits. This would leave the OEM radio intact, saving some cash on a custom fabrication job.

I've installed decks in other cars, but never with any complex wiring involved, just plug-n-play adapters. How would I keep the factory deck running while adding the Alpine deck down below? I can solder just fine, but I'd rather find an adapter if it exists. I would only add another source of volts if totally necessary.

 

[CL7-R]

First post here:

Recently made my '04 Acura TSX my only car and would like to get my Alpine CD/MP3 player into it. I'm not in need of adding amplifiers or any additional components, just the deck.

The plan is to buy the OEM MP3 attachment kit (08B06-SEC-210) and install where the storage bin currently sits. This would leave the OEM radio intact, saving some cash on a custom fabrication job.

I've installed decks in other cars, but never with any complex wiring involved, just plug-n-play adapters. How would I keep the factory deck running while adding the Alpine deck down below? I can solder just fine, but I'd rather find an adapter if it exists. I would only add another source of volts if totally necessary.

Why add a deck and maintain the factory head unit? The only thing the after-market head unit has on the factory unit is the MP3 player function and if you buy the OE MP3 attachment you'd totally cancel out the need for the Alpine deck altogether. Perhaps I'm missing something here...

CL7-R

 

[blanchettebb]

Why add a deck and maintain the factory head unit? The only thing the after-market head unit has on the factory unit is the MP3 player function and if you buy the OE MP3 attachment you'd totally cancel out the need for the Alpine deck altogether. Perhaps I'm missing something here...

CL7-R

You are correct, but there are about 3 reasons for the alpine.
- Easier connection to Ipod, where the OEM h/u needs an external adapter.
- Better control/navigation over mp3 file folders than OE MP3 deck
- While I think Acura put in a pretty good sounding system for a stock deck, it seems to pick up hissing sounds that don't belong when the music is quiet and I've had to turn the treble lower than it should be to get rid of the hiss - same music on the alpine with just the stock speakers in my old Accord made no hissing at all.

Sort of a combo of functionality/sound quality, but with functionality being more important. Surfed a few other forums and didn't find any positive comments about the OEM mp3 deck. A few people that bought it seemed really disappointed.

 

[phrequenc]

your best bet without ruining the interior of the car is to keep the stock headunit, use a audiocontrol or jl cleansweep and add the ipod to aux port..

 

[evanmlevy]

since the '04 doesn't have HFL, this is a much smaller problem than mine! IMO.... I would use the Alpine deck as the primary! use the aux on the Alpine for the stock deck. this would mean your cars deck is completely intact, you have 6-disc cd changer, tuner (x2!!), XM radio and mp3! youll be good to go!
now this is not hard, there is a harness for the tsx, I'm not possitive but I think its exactly the same as the 1998-2002 accord. now that the alpine deck is attached your old deck is not able to work.
to make that work you'll need to completely rewire your stock deck so that the power line is still intact (which now that I think about it you'll need to split it... and double the fuse) and then solder wires to make L+R RCA wires work. its that easy...

Obviously Im not that detailed here. but when I do it myself.... I'll be quite detailed
This is actually what Im good at! gimme a shout if you need any other help... or if someone spots that im wrong about anything.... let me know!

 

[phrequenc]

never heard of doing it such a way, interested though in the DIY and results.

 

[blanchettebb]

since the '04 doesn't have HFL, this is a much smaller problem than mine! IMO.... I would use the Alpine deck as the primary! use the aux on the Alpine for the stock deck. this would mean your cars deck is completely intact, you have 6-disc cd changer, tuner (x2!!), XM radio and mp3! youll be good to go!
now this is not hard, there is a harness for the tsx, I'm not possitive but I think its exactly the same as the 1998-2002 accord. now that the alpine deck is attached your old deck is not able to work.
to make that work you'll need to completely rewire your stock deck so that the power line is still intact (which now that I think about it you'll need to split it... and double the fuse) and then solder wires to make L+R RCA wires work. its that easy...

Obviously Im not that detailed here. but when I do it myself.... I'll be quite detailed
This is actually what Im good at! gimme a shout if you need any other help... or if someone spots that im wrong about anything.... let me know!

That was the idea, but the splitting/re-wiring part has be totally confused. I managed to get the dash apart without cracking or scraping anything and pulled out the whole console unit in an attempt to try an Ipod adapter. But after discovering that the 14 pin that came with the adapter doesn't fit and that I would lose some of the capability I thought the adapter would provide (because my stock unit has no XM button) I've decided to return the adapter - plus - who wants a wire sticking out of their glove box?

I've heard the car has a factory amp? The only thing I can see back there that looks remotely like an amp is a small box below where the 12v outlet and storage bin normally sit. It has a 20-pin and a 14-pin plug attached with blue clips?

In summary - I'm not sure what would need to be split and what needs to be left alone. I would assume that when the Alpine is attached as the AUX, the factory deck will automatically run it to the amp/speakers, etc.

 

[phrequenc]

to install the adapter for ipod you take out the cubby underneath the hvac

 

[blanchettebb]

to install the adapter for ipod you take out the cubby underneath the hvac

Now that you mention it, that does seem much better than the glove box. Not sure why I didn't think of that, but without a XM capable OEM deck, it really limits the adapter functionality anyway. Most navigation would need to be done through the Ipod itself and without XM, the OEM deck won't display the name of song files. I don't want to look at my ipod that much while I'm driving.

 

[CL7-R]

since the '04 doesn't have HFL, this is a much smaller problem than mine! IMO.... I would use the Alpine deck as the primary! use the aux on the Alpine for the stock deck. this would mean your cars deck is completely intact, you have 6-disc cd changer, tuner (x2!!), XM radio and mp3! youll be good to go!
now this is not hard, there is a harness for the tsx, I'm not possitive but I think its exactly the same as the 1998-2002 accord. now that the alpine deck is attached your old deck is not able to work.
to make that work you'll need to completely rewire your stock deck so that the power line is still intact (which now that I think about it you'll need to split it... and double the fuse) and then solder wires to make L+R RCA wires work. its that easy...

Obviously Im not that detailed here. but when I do it myself.... I'll be quite detailed
This is actually what Im good at! gimme a shout if you need any other help... or if someone spots that im wrong about anything.... let me know!

Why would you want 2 tuners?

'04 doesn't have XM

Who needs a 6 disc changer if you have an MP3 player?

Why go through splitting a power source and adding an additional fuse to say 'yay look at me I have two head units'?

Solder??? lol

I added a Premier head unit and an iPod. I only retained power to the factory unit because it has the controls for my HVAC and clock. You should be able to use the antenna cable from the factory unit and tap into the factory speaker wires through the appropriate harness (check Crutchfield).

CL7-R

 

[blanchettebb]

Why would you want 2 tuners?

'04 doesn't have XM

Who needs a 6 disc changer if you have an MP3 player?

Why go through splitting a power source and adding an additional fuse to say 'yay look at me I have two head units'?

Solder??? lol

I added a Premier head unit and an iPod. I only retained power to the factory unit because it has the controls for my HVAC and clock. You should be able to use the antenna cable from the factory unit and tap into the factory speaker wires through the appropriate harness (check Crutchfield).

CL7-R

How do you keep power to the factory deck while powering the aftermarket without splitting the power source?


What's so bad about soldering? Other than that its time consuming, tedious, and a little smelly.

 

[bmwproboi05]

How do you keep power to the factory deck while powering the aftermarket without splitting the power source?


What's so bad about soldering? Other than that its time consuming, tedious, and a little smelly.

run the dedicated 12 volt from a bat or a wire that is constatly on, and get your ignition from the fuse box. that is labled radio, and use a fuse tapper

 

[orgasm_donor]

Please no fuse taps or T-taps! Solder is best.

Metra does have a T-harness which is great for supplying power to the factory deck and utilizing all the functions of the aftermarket deck. You can run it straight up without using RCA's to connect but the volume of the aftermarket deck will be a tad loud.

I think the factory deck is garbage even when it does work. I also think that the amplfier is weak and poor sounding. An Audiocontrol unit or Cleansweep will help but upgrading the source is always the best if you can do it. Because of my local bluetooth laws, I was happy to put in the Kenwwod 993 to take care of that part. Also, the Ipod search functions are pretty dope.

 

[blanchettebb]

Thanks for the ideas. The end result:

The cubby is gone and has been replaced with Acura's MP3 attachment bracket. In that bracket is my Alpine and hidden beneath the center is the Ipod connection which ends up in the center bin. I ended up going to an install shop though rather than messing with the wiring myself, but I'm very happy with the results. They did clean work and I'm very happy to finally have a system back that doesn't need to be maxed out to hear it on the highway with the windows down. Everything looks nice and clean and I like having the hidden Ipod.

 

[blanchettebb]

Please no fuse taps or T-taps! Solder is best.

Metra does have a T-harness which is great for supplying power to the factory deck and utilizing all the functions of the aftermarket deck. You can run it straight up without using RCA's to connect but the volume of the aftermarket deck will be a tad loud.

I think the factory deck is garbage even when it does work. I also think that the amplfier is weak and poor sounding. An Audiocontrol unit or Cleansweep will help but upgrading the source is always the best if you can do it. Because of my local bluetooth laws, I was happy to put in the Kenwwod 993 to take care of that part. Also, the Ipod search functions are pretty dope.

The 993 was in the running, but I've gotten accustomed to Alpine's controls and my last Alpine was still running strong when I got rid of my car, compared to my first Kenwood, which conked out after 3 years, but it sounded great for 3 years.

I ended up upgrading to Alp's CDA 117 and it seems to maintain just about all the search functions I use on the Ipod. The display is also highly visible, which I like considering that I don't want to look that low for very long while driving.

 

[blanchettebb]

Why would you want 2 tuners?

'04 doesn't have XM

Who needs a 6 disc changer if you have an MP3 player?

Why go through splitting a power source and adding an additional fuse to say 'yay look at me I have two head units'?

Solder??? lol

I added a Premier head unit and an iPod. I only retained power to the factory unit because it has the controls for my HVAC and clock. You should be able to use the antenna cable from the factory unit and tap into the factory speaker wires through the appropriate harness (check Crutchfield).

CL7-R

Hopefully some help for anyone in a similar situation - Crutchfield may have an adapter, but they didn't want to provide much guidance on the install down below - which is odd, because that turned out to be far easier than replacing the stock deck and fabricating something.

Additionally, they hinted that most people run the ipod wire to the glove-box. The comments here and the local install shop both recommended other locations so that you can actual get to the ipod easily from the drivers seat if need be and after seeing it in the center bin, I can't imagine why I thought the glove-box would be good.

I'm also not sure if Crutchfield carries the adapter that allows you retain your steering wheel controls using the after market deck. That's not really essential, but it is nice.

 

[CL7-R]

My iPod is in the glovebox and I only take it out if I go for a jog on evenings after work, otherwise, it lives in the car. My aftermarket head unit controls all functions of the iPod. My car doesn't have steering wheel controls but I do have a Pioneer steering wheel remote but I hardly use that anyway.

Did you make any headway though. How's the project coming along?

CL7-R

 

[bmwproboi05]

u still looking into keeping your factory h.u an running an alpine?

 

[phrequenc]

bump. i wanna see the adapter plate you used.