Today I replaced my Bose headunit with an aftermarket one (Kenwood DDX7015) and it sounds great as one could imagine. My concern stems from the fact that I lost the steering wheel controls to control the radio while I await an adapter to come from Crutchfield. Along with the radio controls, My "Trip" button also is not working and I thought this was not going to be affected by the new headunit as the display in the guages has nothing to do with the headunit (or so I think). Could this be that there is a lack of power going to the pod or is the stock bose headunit required to control the trip computer? For those of you with aftermarket headunits, does your "trip" button work? Is there something special I have to do to get it to work like splice a cable to it for power? Should I wait for the adapter from crutchfield or go to the dealer? It's kinda a big deal to me becuase I actually use that computer and the fact that its frozen to one thing aggrivates me... (right now its stuck on MPG)... thanks for your help in advance.

 

You do not need an adapter or the dealership to fix it.
On one of the wire harnesses behind your new headunit, there is a brown wire that you need to cut, splice and ground it in order for the Trip button to work again.

 

I see. All I have to do is ground that brown cable anywhere?... I saw it prior to installation so I know the headunit has the brown cable...
Thanks...

 

Great info...

 

so what you are saying is that the steering controls will work with aftermarket HU? If that's the case the Bose is going Bye Bye....

 

NO...he's saying the Trip button will work...not the radio controls...that's good enough for me...I have the SW1-X or whatever it's called (just needs installing) to make the steering controls work.

 

Well my question is that with the controls, even with an adapter, I can control any HU in the market

 

yes, most models are supported. Call crutchfield to verify the compatibility of your head unit but he told me that it is compatible with the maximas.

 

FAQ's boys

 

it's not about compatibility. it's about a radio with a remote. any radio that comes with a remote will work, the PAC SWI-X is basically a universal remote. you replicate the signals and thus allow the controls to work from the steering wheel. in fact, you could have mode mean something else other than source if you want it to. want it to mean mute, then just program it with your radio's mute button.

 

well, if you read their site, some models aren't supported. I would just call and verify anyways even though odds are that your new HU is supported.

I should've checked the faq's sooner but since I thought I was an isolated incident I didn't bother to check as I haven't really seen this topic come up... Now I know for the future... thanks to everyone who responded.

 

i guess i could agree with that. if some remotes are exclusive design, then prolly can't pick up the signal. would be rather rough though, as most, if not all remotes, are infrared and therefore can be programmed.

 

My brother uses the adpaters all the time. They work with 99.9% of all decks out there.

 

I have my steering wheel control my XBOX in the trunk... the SWI interface is awesome.

 

yea i'd get that PAC unit if i wasn't so lazy to take out my h/u again