JVC Connects2 wiring

[ecnarfi]

I've just received all the bits to add a new head unit in my 156 and have a query about the wiring harness.

I don't seem to be able to embed images, so I've included a link to my diagram of it here;
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-K...s800/image.jpg

Cable A: Connects2 lead to convert Alfa's internal wiring to ISO
Cable B: Connects2 lead to convert Steering Wheel controls to JVC's input
Cable C: Supplied with JVC head unit and connects stereo to cable A.
(Click cable names for more detailed pics of each cable.)

The bit I'm confused about is;
- Cable B has 2 wires coming from it, one with a 3.5mm plug on the end (I've labelled it "2") and one with a generic connector plug on the end (I've labelled it "3").
- Cable C has a loose wire with Steering Wheel Remote written on it (I've labelled it "4").

I assume that Cable B is attempting to cater for multiple possibilities and that I don't need to use both its wires, is that correct?
My stereo doesn't appear to a have a 3.5mm socket for Steering Wheel Controls (there is a 3.5mm aux-in one though) so I assume I have to connect wire "3" to wire "4" and just leave wire "2" hanging loose in the dash, is that correct?

If I'm right, what's the best way to connect wires "3" and "4"?
I suspect either;
a) try to get hold of a male plug that matches the female being used on wire "3"
b) snip off the generic connector and join them together with a terminal block

Cheers,
Ecnarfi

Didnt you get a wiring diagram with the cables ?
The 3.5mm usually plugs into the hard wired remote control socket of an a/m head unit.
Your new JVC does support swc ? What model is it ?

[ecnarfi]

Thanks for your reply, the stereo is the JVC KD-R521 and definitely supports SWC.

The stereo's install guide only makes reference to the lead here.

The instructions supplied with the Connects2 lead are here, but only show the 3.5mm lead.

The rear of the stereo is here, the 3.5mm socket is at the bottom left, but this is where the bluetooth adaptor connects.

[ecnarfi]

In fact the JVC installation guide is here

[ecnarfi]

Not 100% conclusive, but I just found this blurb on a retailer's website;

This patch lead is compatible with the latest range of JVC head units with the new style blue/yellow striped wire for steering wheel controls. It is also backwards compatible with head units that use the 3.5mm jack plug steering wheel control input

So it sounds like I'm right to just connect the brown lead on the Connects2-JVC patch to the blue and yellow lead on the JVC wires, and then just wrap some tape around the 3.5mm jack and leave it loose.

[gazamatazzer]

ecnarfi have you had any luck connecting your steering wheel up?

I have the exact same leads / head unit and Im so confused - theres a cable they give you thats not mentioned on the wiring diagriam! Crazy isnt it.

I'm torn between connecting the brown cable or finding a 3.5mm to normal cable adapter of some sort. How did you get on?

Thanks

Gareth

[gazamatazzer]

Right I have tried wiring the blue / yellow cable from the JVC unit to the brown cable with no success:

https://plus.google.com/photos/11571...NHlpN3mwbnRiwE

Not the best picture but u can see i've connected the two and also put cable around the 3.5mm jack. I left this over night, tried it this morning and no joy.

But what I did notice today is that the adapter i bought does not seem to connect to all the cables coming from the car.

In this picture you can see (although not that clearly) that there is a blue and yellow cable coming from the car.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...98201685417058

But on the new adapter side there are no cables:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/1...98173597111986

I'm thinking I need to connect the two blue and yellow cables but this means cutting the cars standard cables which I'm not willing todo. I think i'm going to go to Halfords next week and see what they can do.

Let me know if those images cant be viewed.

If you have a multimetr check the blue/yellow wire from the jvc with it pluggd in to wiring harness and switched on. You may find that is a simple 12v live trigger wire. On my phone so strugglin to see your pics at mo.

[ecnarfi]

Hi Gareth,
I'm still waiting for my ISO to DIN aerial connector to arrive so I've not done mine yet.

Is your 156 a facelift or pre-facelift? I ask because my facelift version doesn't have the blue and yellow cable that you mention is coming out of the dash and my connectors look different to yours.

Hopefully my aerial connector will arrive tomorrow and I'll have chance to play around with it all tomorrow night.

Cheers,
Ecnarfi

[ecnarfi]

All done, it all went together pretty straight-forwardly in the end

I connected the blue+yellow wire from the stereo wiring-harness to the brown wire from the SWC lead using a terminal block and just taped up the 3.5mm jack.

To add to the complication my stereo came with a bluetooth dongle. This has 4 connections;
- 3.5mm jack, this just plugs into the socket on the rear of the stereo
- black lead
- brown lead
- blue+white lead
For each of the 3 coloured leads I had to snip the correspondingly coloured wires in the JVC wiring-harness and use terminal blocks to join the bluetooth dongle's leads to them.

Once it was all plugged together everything worked (including the SWC). The only problem was that once I turned off the ignition the presets I had chosen lost their settings. One quick look at this fantastic thread (HOW TO INSTALL AFTERMARKET HEADUNIT - a guide for 147, 156, and GT) showed that I needed to swap over the red and yellow leads on the JVC harness. Fortunately JVC had placed bullet connectors on each of these leads so it was very quick and easy to do.

The only problem I have now is that the Bluetooth dongley thing doesn't want to stick to the dash, so is rattling around in the tray under the steering wheel by the drivers door but that's not the end of the world.

[gazamatazzer]

Cheers for the reply ecnarfi sounds like I need to try wiring up my cables again, I was just wrapping them round each other but a terminal block sounds a better solution. Def more secure, this could have been my problem.

My cables may look a bit different as I its not an Alfa - its a Ford Mondeo, sorry for misleading anyone - I googled JVC and Connects2 wiring and I found this forum. Also I couldn't find anyone out there with the same problem I was having.

Glad you get everything sorted, I'm 90% there now - got my sub in. Thanks again for your info, you've saved me a trip to Halfords and a pricey bill!