We are installing a new head unit (ATOTO S8) into my daughters 2003 Nissan Maxima (the same one I brought her home in from the hospital as a new born). Everything is working great except I can't figure out how to access the steering wheel control wires in the car? The ATOTO head unit has "Steering Wheel Key (+)" and "Steering Wheel Key # (+)" wires in the head unit harness. I just need to figure out where to get to them in the car. I do not need a PAC or other adapter as the head unit already has the needed logic to decode the steering wheel controls.

This connector was plugged into the back of the factory head unit and I wonder if it has the needed signal wires????


I used a Metra harness so I could plug in the new head unit without buggering the factory harness. If that extra plug is the steering wheel controls is there an adapter / harness available for it? If they are the right wires and there is no harness available I might rob the PCB mount mating connector and use it.

 

I pulled my factory radio apart. There are the connectors. It looks like they are on a daughterboard?


Yep, the daughterboard popped out.



Mounted up and ready for surgery. Removing the metal box around the connectors was misserable!


Doh! Wrong connector! I need the bigger connector!


Back of the board


The lower CD changer interface connector


The make-shift wiring harness:

 

Well, it ALMOST works. I put the red wire to ground and the yellow wire to Steering Wheel Control Key (+) and the ATOTO S8 recognizes the Volume Up, Station Up and Mode buttons. It allowed me to assign these 3 buttons and they worked. The Station Down and Volume Down buttons would not be recognized. I tried swapping the yellow and brown wires to no affect. I did NOT swap the red wire with the others.... so maybe there is hope?

 

Pin 4 - Steering wheel key # +
Pin 11 - Vehicle ground
Pin 13 - Steering wheel key +

All the volume, track skip and mode buttons on the steering wheel are working with the ATOTO S8 without any need for extra adapters (PAC).