BlitzSafe AUX Adapter on TL04

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Old 05-28-2010, 12:23 PM
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BlitzSafe AUX Adapter on TL04

I have a TL'04 with XM, non-Navi.
I added AUX adapted, and I thought I'd give a review that might benefit others.

In my research I found many devices that would work INSTEAD of XM or CD changer, but I wanted one that would keep all functions working. I found two reasonably popular ones - HONAUX4, made by SoundGate, and HON/AUX DMX V.2X made by Blitzsafe.

Regardless of the manufacturer, I got an impression that they're made to order in someone's garage somewhere. So, they work (sort-of), but in complex cases (such as TL'04) the quality is far from ideal.

Anyway - I tried ordering HONAUX4, but it appears many vendors discontinued the product, and I got the one from Blitzsafe.

========
Installation
========

The easy way to put it into TL'04 was:

- remove the aluminum/plastic bar on the driver side of the console (do not use screwdriver; use hands or thin flexible plastic or wooden ruler; be careful not to bend it )

- remove the 2 screws inside the storage area of the console

- remove 4 screws under the aluminum bar

- "wiggle" the back of the storage area a bit toward the passenger side

- pull out the clips on the right and bottom side of the panel under steering wheel (it was hard, and required quite a bit of force; when you pull it out check that metal clip parts on the plastic nobs are still in place)

- take out screws that hold the side panel on the drivers side (the one that goes on a corner between the console and steering column panel you just worked with) I think there were 1 or 2 (I did not record that)

- pull out the clips on the side panel

- "wiggle out" that panel out of the way and remove it

That exposes the "left" (drivers) side of the radio. The XM connector should be visible there close to the side you now have access to.

The Blitzsafe is a pass-through device. That means you disconnect XM cable from the radio (that connector was very tight), connect Blitzsafe device to the radio and plug XM cable into the second connector.

==================
Post-Installation Support
==================

My first Blitzsafe device was BAD. When I turned on the radio, the AUX sound was on the same "button" as XM (instead of second CD player). So, XM and AUX played sound AT THE SAME TIME!!! I guess something was wrong with its programming. Blitzsafe CLAIMS that they test EVERY device before they ship it. The Blitzsafe support was responsive, but the only solution they offered is to replace it, with me paying shipping both ways.

Anyway - my seller was kind enough to replace it with free shipping.

I got a replacement, installed it, and voila - when I press CD button enough times, I get CDC displayed on the radio, and my MP3 player plays via AUX!

Note that I did NOT need to reset the radio for it to work. If you do need to do so and do not know where your code is, it may be written on a sticker on a side of the glove compartment. The longer number is a serial, and the short one is the code.

============
User Experience
============

This device works, but with quite a few glitches. Some are minor, some others may become annoying.

1. The buttons that switch radio to XM/CD/FM/CDC etc do not work some of the time. If you have CDC on, it may take 3-4 presses on the XM button to switch to XM. Same applies to other switches. So, if you press a button and nothing happens, press it a few more times, and it will work.

2. When you turn on the radio (or a car), AUX takes almost 10 second to "come up". It will not play the signal it gets from AUX immediately.
3. If you have a tape in a cassette adapter, you will not be able to switch to the CDC (that's where your AUX sits)

If you do not switch between sources very often, the device should work well for you. I played music on my MP3 during several trips that lasted about 2 hours, and it worked without any issues. Definitely MUCH better than a cassette adapter.

On a final note - personally I am reasonably happy with the device. It does what I need from it, and the drawbacks I listed above are not major annoyances to me. So, I would recommend it to others, providing that the right expectations are set.
Old 05-29-2010, 11:43 AM
  #2  
The DVD-A Script Guy
 
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Sounds exactly like the Blitzsafe ipod adapter I'm using in my 05. The "device works, but with quite a few glitches" just as you say

Slow response between modes (XM, FM, CD)
Loss of display (non-nav radio) when turning on car while still in CD-C mode from last time. Volume works but can't see any numbers or "CD-C" on the unit. That's fine since all I really don't need to see that anyway. Switching to any other mode returns the display.

What I have found is if my ipod isn't plugged in then the switching between modes (XM, FM, CD) is fine.
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