I'm planning on changing my head unit on my 2003 Max but I don't want to loose my steering wheel controls.

Does anyone know if it's possible to swap out the factory HU and rewire the streering wheel controls to work with an aftermarket HU?

Thanks

 

Yup will loose ur steering wheel controls, and your trip computer control. However there is good news, after you change your HU, you will have to ground a wire,left over from your stock harness to have your trip computer working again. Sorry cant help with the actual volume control of the new HU, it ain't happening.

 

Crutchfield sells IR controls for your steering wheel. You won't have all of the same functions as your Bose HU does, but the IR unit works great. You can either search cd's or go through preset radio stations, but not both. I chose cd controls.

 

Even though you don't have Bose, check out my post in the Audio Forum's FAQ. It'll explain this alot more in detail.

 

wait, you cant change from radio to cd with a 2k2 with the pacs wix?

 

They sure screw you with the stock HU's don't they? I'll take a look at the Audio section.

Thanks for all of the advice.

 

You can...... IF the aftermarket HU's remote has a button on it to allow you to do so. The PAC SWI-X is nothing more than an IR repeater. You program it when you install it, and it "remembers" the IR signals from your aftermarket HU's remote. Then when you press the button, it transmits the "learned" IR signal. It's very much like the Homelink Garage Door Opener in the car.

 

Yes they do screw it down tight. I have an Eclipse HU. Yes I can switch between the CD function and any other "band". With my particular HU I could either change from track 1 to track 2 and so on "OR" change from my preset station when listening to FM. I could not do both. CD's were more important to me since I use the track function alot more than I switch radio stations. Generally people only listen to a couple of stations. I also have Satellite with a seperate receiver so I listen to satellite almost exclusively. Trust me it's worth the money to get the PAC SWI-X

 

but that homelink never works right does anyone have a writeup on how to install the pac swix?

 

Mine has worked fine for the last 2 years. You have to teach the opener's remote to the Homelink, then teach the Homelink to the garage opener itself. Instructions are in the owner's manual.

It comes with instructions. I've written some posts about it in the Audio Forum's FAQ, but there aren't any write-ups that I know of. The install can also vary depending on if you have a sunroof or not. I've placed my unit up by the sunroof with the IR transmitter mounted in the overhead console, but if you don't have a sunroof, this won't work.

 

Assuming I get the adapter to keep my steering wheel controls and re-ground the brown wire (I think) to keep the trip computer...does everything reset? I don't really care about the A and B mileage counters...I only use those to keep track of oil changes anyway...but what about the total mileage, total time driven, average speed, etc?

 

It will retain all of your settings and everything will work perfectly if you attach the brown/white? wire to your ground.