Behold!


I now have RCA IN with my factory Bose. My SkyFi sounds CLEAN! Any MP3 player would as well. Basically, I put the headunit on CHANGER. Doesnt matter what CD is in there, it will play whatever is fed to it.. In this case, my XM.

I opened up the changer and found traces for the analog R + L signals.
Pic of circuit board

The colors I was seeing on the cable didnt make much sense, so I had to double check them inside the changer. I traced the wires up to the dash and made the mod you see in the pic. That mess in the middle is actually shielding and cotton insulation, I really didnt touch that part, it was already like that in the loom. My wires are clean and thats what matters

I put the output of the changer on male RCAs and the headunit on female RCAs. I will be installing a small hidden A/B switch under the dash so I can switch from changer to AUX easily.

Skyfi's have a weak line out and this is no exception. While I can get it to crank loudly, you do not want to go back to another source until the volume is back down. I plan on trying to find a line level converter to get the output back up.. I hope I can do this cleanly (sound wise). If not, it still sounds much better than FM modulation

Right now its a total mess.. But I have a very clean install of the Skyfi to show you tomorrow. All the wires will come under the coin holder and I won't be hacking up anything you can see, so I can go back to stock in minutes.

On the cable that comes from the trunk there are four wires on the end of the connector. I traced them out to be
Black = L+
White = L-
Blue = R+
Red = R1

but I dont suggest blindly following what I've done. You really should trace them for yourself. I have no idea what the input level is supposed to be for the Headunit and at what point something goes pop, which wouldnt be cheap to fix. And 02+ Boses dont need any help dying, so this mod isnt for everyone. I was basically on the virge of chunking the whole thing, so I wasnt risking much.


Pic of me testing it - note the RCA cable in the floorboard.

 

oh, so you guys hound me about this.. then nothing..

 

What about if we have a built in CD changer...?

 

you would have to have a cable going into the head unit.

 

Ok, I DEMAND a write-up! Tim, in my opinion, this is the greatest mod I've seen audio-wise on a maxima!! I ALMOST LOVE YOU MAN!

 

Nice Job,

I'll be looking for a parts list and a more detailed how to. I've been wanting to get XM but only with an AUX in.

Is there a way to use the AUX in via Tape Player or does it have to go though CD Changer? I never use my cassette player and wouldn't feel too bad if I screwed that up.

 

actually, this should work for non-bose as well.. just as long as there is a CD changer in the trunk

 

if you get a Delphi with the car cradle, it will have a tape adaptor. You'll want to throw that away and go get a Sony cassette adaptor (15 to 19-ish).

With the sony adaptor, the quality wasnt too bad, but the cable was a pain and there were pops every once and awhile. Thats what drove me to do this CD CHG hack. it's so clean.

 

Ok, that's not what I was asking but I think I'm out of luck either way being that I have the in-dash changer. I was asking if there is a way to do a true AUX-IN without the tape adapter. Thanks for repy.

 

oh i c... hmmm, you are saying the tape player is a separate unit? well, I doubt they would move the audio any other way but analog. (they arent going to use fiber optics like a merc )

if theres a cable, then its probably possible.

 

Be nice, but why?

Also, does it have to be a factory CD changer?

 

Nah, should work for the USA specs too... see thats the beauty of it, the changer feeds analog.

 

all your bose are belong to me....hmmmm that sounds so familiar....could it be all from "your base are belong to me" from Sombeing? hehe...where have you been spending your FREE time....

 

yeah, I ran out of current internet cliche's and reached back to 2001 for that one.

 

More pics and a write up, PLEASE!!! My head's about to explode!!!

 

I have an in dash changer as well. I was thinking about cutting the leads from the tapedeck to the amp and splicing into those. I never use the tape player anyway. Would this work?

 

I want to put my subs and amp back in and would think it would sound better than splicing into the rear speaker like I did in my 4th gen. I want to keep all the factory Bose audio equipment, except maybe those tweeters.

 

I guess you guys will need to see how that tape is hooked up.. I would bet dollars to doughnuts (whatever that means) that there is an analog signal that can be rerouted for your nefarious needs.


GaMax97GLE, check the audio forum. Basically, there is a usuable signal back there on the bose amp. If your amp has *very* good balanced inputs, you can use it for RCA. or you can get a matching line converter and use that. Since youre using a preamped signal, you'll be good. Bose uses low impendence even at preamp level, so you may not have enough gain for it to hit hard without an adaptor. Again, that info is discussed alot in the audio forum.

 

Are you sure you have to have a cd changer in the trunk? Why would that matter...there is no difference in the deck whether or not there is a cd changer installed or not...

 

no, there must be a changer. for one, unless the HU 'sees' a changer, the changer button does nothing. Also, in between disks (not tracks), the sound mutes. The HU will ignore the cable without the changer hooked up... I didnt modify the DATA/BUS cables at all, the HU still thinks it playing CDs.

 

There must be some way to fool the deck into thinking there is a cd changer plugged in. What if you bought the cables?

 

Could the deck just be looking for an input signal? Otherwise, it mutes as it does between CDs.

What do you mean "DATA/BUS" cables?

I'd really like to figure out how to trick the deck into allowing ANY aux input through the CD changer cable, but withOUT the actual changer.

 

no, the HU expects the Clarion European Bus. And the HU definately interacts with it (muting between disks). Whatever you could possibly do, just getting a cheap $200 USAspec would be the best option. If someone wants to donate a dead bose, I'll do an autopsy on it and see whats really possible. I have no desire to rip mine own apart at the moment.

 

No because it muted my XM when I changed disks.

 

Great job. You've helped me 1/2 way through my current project regarding the Bose HUs.

Try this: Get a Digital MultiMeter and test the voltages on the TX/RX/DATA lines in both A/C and D/C modes. Record the following things and send them to me. They'll help in my project as well.

1) Note the voltages when you are listening to the radio.
2) Note the voltages when you are listening to a CD in the Changer.
3) Note the voltages when you are changing from 1 CD to another.
4) Note the voltages when you skip tracks.

If my assumptions are correct, there should be a minimum voltage level required on the wires. But the voltage will change when the tracks are changed (data sent from the HU to the changer) and when the discs are changed (data sent from the changer to the HU). If we can find that it's looking for a particular voltage at all times (at least a minimum), then my testing will commence. The cable hack portion is already completed, with more information to follow. (My tests are for those who have the in-dash changer without an external trunk changer).

 

ok, may be next week tho. I already have everything put back together.

umm, all I see is RX/TX here

 

also, on the left hand side of this, there is only the red and white wires. the black is ground for the wire shielding..

 

You have just solved my woes! I have an mp3 cd player and I've hated how I have to hook it up through the tape deck...

 

Tim, it looks like you posted this over a year ago. I'm thinking about doing this mod in my Infiniti J30 (same HU as the Maxima) but was wondering if you still have those pictures somewhere.

Carlos

 

YOU ROCK!!
i have been wondering for months if this could be done!!
i always said "cant i plug XM it into the cd changer place?"
so yes, i would like to see pics as well PLEASE!!!!

 

Holy old thread Batman!!

 

i have asked on here and everyone said "cant be done, get a new HU" i guess this thread was started so long ago everyone forgot that it can be done!!

 

Note that while this is an old thread, it's still valid.

Also note that if you have a in-dash changer, this thread does not apply, as you do not have the necessary cables, etc.

 

Nice, Real Nice
Id like picts too!

 

i dont actually have a changer in the trunk but since i have the Bose, i obviously have the "changer" button on the HU so i have all the wires/cables there already

 

Soonerfan. I don't think it can be done UNLESS you have a trunk changer. The problem is that the head unit does not enable the CD/CHG input unless it KNOWS (proprietary comm protocol between HU and changer) that there is a CD Changer on the other end.

I spoke with a BOSE repair place on the internet and the tech said the same thing. Of course, I'm oversimplifying how it really works but the trick seems to be the fact that the analog input on the head unit (for the cd changer) is only enabled if there is a real changer on the other end.

Carlos

 

but the connection is in my trunk for a changer. so it is prewired.
im confused.

 

The head unit will not enable the changer input unless the thing at the other end of your trunk connection is a compatible CD-Changer.

When you press that CD/CHG button, the head unit polls/queries the CD changer. When it gets a valid reply from the CD changer saying "I'm here", that input is enabled. This is why when you press the button today, nothing changes on the head unit.

For example, on your home stereo, if you don't have a CD player but push on the CD input button, your stereo receiver changes the input to CD, there will just be silence since you don't have a CD player. Your home stereo receiver is passive in this regard. Your car's Bose head unit is smarter than that. When you select the CD/CHG button, it "talks" to the CD changer before it will enable that input. Your Bose HU is "active", not passive. It cares whether or not there is a valid CD changer connected to that input.

This is also the reason why you can't use any other CD changer. It is this weird proprietary communication protocol that throws a wrench in the whole scheme. Since the protocol is proprietary and Nissan/infiniti own the rights to it, there are no aftermarket harnesses that can emulate this communications scheme.

In essesnce, if you could figure out what it is the head unit gets as a valid reply from the changer, one could theoretically build some sort of control box that sends that reply/signal to the head unit to fool it into thinking there is a changer at the other end.

This is what I was trying to get from the Bose technician I spoke with but I had no luck.

Carlos

 

They are correct about the HU not enabling the aux input. But... you forget one thing. ALL cars were pre-wired with the exception of the last 6 feet of wire. Even if you have the last 6 feet of wire, if you have a 6-disc in-dash changer, you CAN NOT use this setup. It's because the HU doesn't even carry the ability to control a changer in the rear, even if it was a Nissan (Clarion/Bose) changer. The input on the back of the HU doesn't exist for the 6-disc changer models.

If you have the non-Bose unit with a single disc in-dash, then this would be possible because there is an extra input connector at the back of the HU. This is also the same for the Nav units. But the 6-disc in-dash Bose changer does NOT have that input connector.

 

Yes, this is also correct. I was assuming all-along that we're talking about Nissan/Infiniti year models that CAN accept a trunk-mounted CD Changer. The mod being discussed is to tap into the analog signal going to the HU from an external CD changer. The initial post and my posts aren't talking about the in-dash units.

With the In-dash CD changers, there is no external wiring to tap into so no mod is possible. I guess one could argue that you could somehow do it inside the head unit itself but that's outside the scope of this post since nobody has done that yet.

The point I was trying to make in the previous post is that even with the head units that CAN control an external changer, you cannot use that CD Changer input unless you have a valid/supported CD changer connected to it.

At one time, I was trying to determine how to use that CD changer input WITHOUT the use of a cd changer. It was during that research that I found out it could not be done unless you found a way to reproduce the communications protocol (or replies) the CD changer sends to the head unit for it to enable the CD Changer input.

Carlos