Girth

As the title mentioned, I 'tried'. I have the box, the monster cable, and the connector, but when I got to the FAQ thread and read it again, I realized that I didn't have the Honda cable needed to finish the process. Then I got to thinking... if I splice and connect the wires again, will I have use of my CD changer still or will I be in the same boat as the people w/ the ice-link, where it has to be disconnected? Also, If I splice and connect, does the soundgate box integrate into the steering wheel controls to allow me to use them? Doesn't bother me if I can't, but if it does, its a plus.

I'll be getting the wire from honda sometime this week and hopefully finishing the process. But for now, I have the box sitting there, wire under the center console and connected to the ipod, just waiting.

If anyone has done the soundgate box into a navi system, please let me know what you think of it if the CD changer is still usable .

Girth

nobody has navi setup w/ a soundgate box in their car?

elduderino

Shouldn't you say what kind of car?

Did you read the FAQs? Tons of 'em in TSXs... but no one with the changer, and I wold say probably not.

Girth

you know... I figured since I was in the TSX forum, and I was posting in a TSX Audio & Video section, 2 + 2 WOULD = 4. But I guess not.

NOW... for this exact reason, I didn't buy an ice-link, because I would have no use for the cd changer. If I can't hook it up to my "aux" channel and NOT have any use for my changer, what good is it if I bought the soundgate or the ice-link?

miner

The ICE-link will not disable your in-dash changer, only if you have one hooked up to the AUX connector. Do you have an external changer too?

elduderino

First of all, dude, you are NOT posting in a TSX AV section. You are posting in a merged AV section of every single fucking Acurazine model type - TL old, TL new, some CLs, the TSX, and the RL. There is no tag about where you posted from, and we can't read your mind, so please state your model of car. This has been a point of discussion on several threads, which I guess you missed.

Since the TSX has an indash changer, I guess I'm confused about what possible usefulness the Sony trunk-mounted CD changer would have. The in-dash changer is not the same as the optional Sony trunk-mounted changer, and the trunk-mounted changer is the one that would be disabled.

Based on my conversations at CES, no one is done yet with any device that works on the bus to turn devices on and off correctly to allow two devices (ext. CD Changer AND something else on an SHOND) on the same input.

You DO mean the external changer, right?

Girth

No... just the acura in dash one. The reason I didn't get the ice-link was because of the uselessness of the cd changer, which by the looks of it, i'm losing now anyway.

All I'm doing is connecting the (splicing now) the Soundgate box to the ipod, and connecting it to the back of the navi/aux. channel. I'm not intending on hooking up any external CD Changers... but I want to know if the STOCK CD CHANGER will still work if I splice the Soundgate wire into the wire I'm getting from honda to make it work. Hope that answers a lot of questions... and oh, elduderino, I enetered this section through the TSX section, so I just thought it was an extension of the same forum. Forgive me for not paying attention.

Love,

Ben

Girth

Nope... i'm just curious if my stock CD changer is going to be disabled. Hell, the dealer just replaced it under warranty... I would hate to lose it. Ipod or not.

elduderino

NP. Lack of a TSX-specific section is just pissing me off : )

The indash changer will work FINE. It's the optional Sony trunk changer that the Soundgate emulates to fool the HU into activating the AUX input... wish it emulated something else, like the DVD player, but we get that dorky changer screen when the SHOND is on.

It will work just fine for you as would the ICELINK (if you could get one) : )

Girth

The only reason I didn't get the ice-link was because they told me over the phone that the CD Changer would have to be disconnected in order to hook up their iPod connection to the Navi system. Apparently the non-navi is a straight plug in.

But hey... as long as it works, I'm all smiles.

elduderino

THey meant optional add-on Honda changer. they didn't think of the Indash HU as a changer (even though it is).

Girth

so... people w/ ice-links can still use their in dash stock changer AND control the ipod w/ the steering wheel controls?

slo007

Not sure about the last part.

elduderino

ALL TSX's have ID changers, so if it's EVER possible, it's possible with an ID changer.

Tsx536

Yep...this is true. The best way to think about it IMO is to think of the Stock HU as just another deck. Regardless of whether is has a CD changer or just a single disc CD player, you are just hooking the Ipod in as an external device that plugs into the AUX aka auxilary input of your deck. This input is used to expand a system without effecting what is already there. So it's basically just an add on piece and you retain all stock functionality including the changer/radio.

If you have an 05 with XM radio then it's completely different though. I think you cannot have both XM radio and the icelink without having some type of audio switcher.

Girth

I have a 04 w/ no XM... so, it should go well. It better, because I just paid $50 for a friggin' wire that I'm gonna be tearing up tomorrow.

elduderino

Welcome to my life.



Seriously, it worked in all the other '04s, so the concept is great. Just don't fuck up : )

Girth

fuck up what?

miner

But isn't the '05 XM integrated into the HU so no need for an external aux connection?

slo007

Except yours was ready when you got it...

elduderino

Hey, I haven't even plugged it in yet!

Gave my wife an iPod for xmas, and she just started burning her CDs into iTunes this week.

(FYI, slo sold me his SHOND and harness...

Girth

Girth

Well, I connected the Honda harness to the Soundgate main harness like THESE PICTURES show, and when I connected it to the car's harness... NOTHING. Doesn't work. iPod is connected, the wires are connected and the Soundgate box is connected. What else am I missing? I went through the FAQ section... and I didn't see anything that I didn't do.

Any ideas? I'm lost... and my center console is almost broken. Not to mention I'm frustrated as hell.

Ben

elduderino

FIrst of all, having run the Viper tech support line for four years, the first and most important advice I can give you is this: You are ging to kick this thing's ass. Lots of people dumber than you have pulled it off and you will get past it. Mentally, if you're stuck in how things suck it's a bitch to t-shoot - much easier when you ust see the end in mind.

OK, first off, when you press the AUX button does your head unit switch to showing a CD Changer screen?

If not, your SHOND is not appearing as present to the head unit. When the SHOND is powered, you should be able to access the AUX screen. This could be because it has poor 12V or ground... do you have a voltmeter to test these connections?

If you do get the screen, but get no sound, then the audio lines are in question. Your voltmeter could test the modifications using the continuity beep setting.

Girth

Well... I run an automotive shop, so t-shooting this thing isn't the problem. Its so simple, a 5 year old can do it, but its still not working. I've been thinking about it all night.


Nope.

No... but I can get one.

The power to the box comes from the harness itself, does it not?

And if it does, regardless of the connection to the ipod, will the CD-C screen pop up?


Lets not go too far ahead of ourselves just yet.

slo007

Did you try removing the key from the ignition, putting it back on, and turning the car on? After that, press AUX a couple of times. It should recognize the adaptor right-a-away. Also, how is your player connected (power-wise)?

slo007

Yes

The car needs to recognize the adaptor for the CD-C screen to show up. For that to happen, you'll need to re-boot the system; which involves removing the key and putting it back on (into accessory).

If it fails to show up after "re-boot", your wiring might be bad. Did you confuse a wire color?

Girth

quiet a few times.

Girth

The player... meaning the ipod, or the Soundgate box? The ipod is connected to a belkin charger, which has the monster cable connected to it. The soundgate box is connected to the harness, which is Y-ed for the navi harness.

I know the harness is working, because the touch screen on the navi is working (which doesn't work if its not connected). The ONLY thing I can think of right now, is the soundgate box itself. I hate this shit.

slo007

Maybe it's not plugged in right?

Yes, I know this is a stupid suggestion; but mine worked after I pulled the key and put it back in (drove me mad for 15 mins as I checked all the wiring).

Albeit it's a stupid little thing getting in the way.

Girth

not at all... we checked the wires 3 times. They're correct.

slo007

Nevermind then. I've run out of suggestions.

Girth

I'll try to mess w/ it again tomorrow... I think I was just too pissed because the center console (back side of the cupholder) cracked when I was putting it back in.

Thanks anyway.

slo007

Oh, I know, I know!!!!

My player refused to work when it was connected directly to the car through the RCA audio cables. I had to buy a GLI to curtail the noise in the signal. It only worked after I added the GLI.

Have you tried running the iPod without being connected to the car (power-wise)??

Girth

what do you mean w/ out being connected to the car?

I can tell you this though... when the iPod is connected to the charger, it lights up the second i turn the key on. its getting power... but the car isn't recognizing it.

slo007

Running from the batteries, without using the charger.

Girth

the ipod is a brand new gen 4. I hope the battery wouldn't be going bad this early in the game.

slo007

I think you misunderstood me. Try running the player without using the charger while connected to the AUX adaptor. There's some noise in the RCA cables that run to the player and could prevent your system from working. Removing the charger from the setup allowed the system to run properly. I had that problem with my setup; however, I ran an iRiver MP3 player, not an Ipod. To go around it, I installed a GLI between the adaptor and MP3 player...

Good luck!

Girth

I'll try that tomorrow... thanks.