After searching a lot on the net on how to connect an MP3 player to the AR166 ICS, I decided to take my tools and disassemble the ICS. I managed to find the pins at which to connect the headphone out of an MP3 player.
Figure 1 shows how to get the cassette/tuner part removed from the frontpanel and the bottom part.
Figure 2 shows the connections on the bottom side of the board of the tape/tuner. The indications in white are for connecting a line in. The red indications are if you want to connect directly to the amplifier.
Figure 3 shows the tape mechanism. Bend the metal extension upwards, such that it does not push the switch. This makes sure that the tape deck keeps thinking, it has a cassette loaded.
If someone has some knowledge on how to remove the tape mechanism, I would be happy to hear. If you simply remove it, the ICS shows the message "no cassette". It seems as if the ICS checks whether the tape mechanism works correct. If not, then it would not play.
AR 166 2.5 V6 (1999), AR GTV 3.0 V6 (2001), AR Alfetta GTV 3.0 V6 (1984)
Not quite. The mechanical tape deck has a small circuit board, which has an IC for bidirectional controlling motors. It has also a voltage regulator, but the main function of this small circuit board is redirecting switches and sensors to the main circuit board. The tape deck has two photo sensors which detect whether the hubs rotate, i.e. whether the tape has reached the end or not.
I tried to disconnect to motors and manually rotate the hubs, but this did not trick the main circuit board in thinking all was OK.
When you shut off the tape deck, the tape head is retracted. When you power on the tape deck is moved to the tape. If this is disabled (mechanically) then also the circuit board is not convinced that all is OK.
My main guess is that one should look at the main circuit board for some kind of connection which should be activated and tells the ICS that all is OK.
Now this I like! Even better than my switch on the CD-changer cable. Takes a little more work, but this is surely the thing to do. Add a 3,5mm connection beside the cassette player and you are home!
I sell a small adapter you can connect to the CD wire, so you can listen to the audio of the mp3 player in high quality. Mail me at alfa166@tiscali.nl
Rogier,
I did come accross your small device. (and also the Loudlink) However, I do not have a CD changer cable preinstalled in my 166. So I would have to buy/build a cable and buy your device.
My solutions also provides the same sound quality as your CD changer mod, but you need to be a bit of a handyman.
Use some tape to isolate the wires from the circuit board and then assemble the housing. The housing will make sure that the wires are clamped between the housing wall and the circuit board.
King Rikard I have had a FM transmitter 10 CD changer in my 166 for over 3 years and its great. The unit goes in the boot, the transmitter under the rear seat and the neat bit .. the control unit goes into the ash tray and flicks open when needed. There is also a remote control. Additionally of course my kids can listen to music running on the unit through thier ipods while we listen to the radio on the speakers. Brilliant on a long run!
Would be great to see a proper hard wired system as well.
A hard wired connection probably sounds better sonically, so it might be worth to take the ICS apart to fit the 3,5 mm socket. It should be possible to simply cut the line output from the tape deck. Or maybe even keep it and switch between tape/3,5 mm input socket with a switch. Some people might still use the cassette deck.....but I hardly think so.
Come to think about it, a standard 3,5 mm input socket usually has a mechanical switch that shorts upon inserting the plug. It could be used to operate a tiny relay, switching between tape/socket automatically!
After searching a lot on the net on how to connect an MP3 player to the AR166 ICS, I decided to take my tools and disassemble the ICS. I managed to find the pins at which to connect the headphone out of an MP3 player.
Figure 1 shows how to get the cassette/tuner part removed from the frontpanel and the bottom part.
Figure 2 shows the connections on the bottom side of the board of the tape/tuner. The indications in white are for connecting a line in. The red indications are if you want to connect directly to the amplifier.
Figure 3 shows the tape mechanism. Bend the metal extension upwards, such that it does not push the switch. This makes sure that the tape deck keeps thinking, it has a cassette loaded.
If someone has some knowledge on how to remove the tape mechanism, I would be happy to hear. If you simply remove it, the ICS shows the message "no cassette". It seems as if the ICS checks whether the tape mechanism works correct. If not, then it would not play.
Thanks for the these instructions - they are very good.
I do have a problem through. Once I put everything back together and installed in back in my car the system my audio system has disappeared all together. Everything else works (climate control, trip computer etc) but when I press the audio button the system tells me no cassette, if I press CD then no CD and there is also no radio.
I have pulled everything apart and checked my work and everything looks fine. I have also checked all leads and they seem to be in order including the ribbon lead that runs between the lower section (seimens unit) to the top section (becker unit - which I assume is the audio section) and everything seems to be in order.
Any suggestions /ideas would be very much appreciated...
Sorry - False alarm on that. Don't ask me what I did but I rebuilt everything for the 4th time and everything is working as it should.
I have made one large mistake... I hard wired in a jack that fits into the bottom of the ipod (not the headphone jack) and the sound quality is very poor. I believe this is because there is too much distortion coming from the ipod as the level output is very high. I am going to take everything apart again this week and go back to a 3.5mm jack. This way I should be able to run the output level on the ipod a lot lower and use the power of the car amp to acheive the desired volume. I hope this way the quality will be alot better.
I will report back once I have found some time to make the conversion...
