My Wife Loves Me

[Muskoka Minute]

Today is her Birthday and she bought me this.




Has anyone ever installed this unit?

I know there have been many threads on this topic.

Does anyone know what parts I will need and where to get them...

Thanks guys.

Now I have to figure out what she's after!!!

[Timco]

My wife never bought me 'nutin on her birthday....

[Jager]

Originally Posted by Muskoka Minute

Now I have to figure out what she's after!!!

Whatever it is, it won't be cheap.

[B6T]

I think your car has the CDR-23 head unit which is connected to the factory amp via a fiber optic cable. This prevents connection between the aftermarket HU and the amp via a wiring adapter.

You'll likely have to install an aftermarket 5-channel (?) amplifier as well, and then wire that to the factory speakers.

[jb92563]

Oh, she re-gifted what you gave her last year...clever guy.

Yes, Jager is right, its going to cost you big, be sure of that.

[Muskoka Minute]

Originally Posted by B6T

I think your car has the CDR-23 head unit which is connected to the factory amp via a fiber optic cable. This prevents connection between the aftermarket HU and the amp via a wiring adapter.

You'll likely have to install an aftermarket 5-channel (?) amplifier as well, and then wire that to the factory speakers.

So you think I will have to change the wire to the amp and the amp itself.
Will I have to change the wire to the speakers also or will that wire be ok?

[Smallblock454]

Well first, i think you run into trouble if that's a gift from your wife.

The CDR has a MOST bus system. That means the HU gets infos from the car via MOST bus and the connection between the stock radio and the stock amp is via fibre optic cable.

The alpine doesn't have a fibre optic output, it has a conventional chinch output, and the stock amp doesn't have a chinch input.

So you have to use an additional amp with chinch inputs or you have to use the integrated amps of the Alpine HU. But in that has no electronic crossover, that you'll need if you have a Sound package or Bose system in your car.

The wire from the amp to the speaker are connected with a very special and unusual connector. So if you will to use this you'll have to destroy it and can not use it in the future if you want to build back to stock. My recommendation is to do a complete alternative wiring and don't touch the stock wiring harness, so can always go back to stock.

Because of the CAN / MOST bus system you'll need a CAN bus adapter to get the power, speed and reverse signal for the Alpine HU.

So, do you still think your wife loves you?

Regards, Markus

[Muskoka Minute]

Originally Posted by Smallblock454

Well first, i think you run into trouble if that's a gift from your wife.

The CDR has a MOST bus system. That means the HU gets infos from the car via MOST bus and the connection between the stock radio and the stock amp is via fibre optic cable.

The alpine doesn't have a fibre optic output, it has a conventional chinch output, and the stock amp doesn't have a chinch input.

So you have to use an additional amp with chinch inputs or you have to use the integrated amps of the Alpine HU. But in that has no electronic crossover, that you'll need if you have a Sound package or Bose system in your car.

The wire from the amp to the speaker are connected with a very special and unusual connector. So if you will to use this you'll have to destroy it and can not use it in the future if you want to build back to stock. My recommendation is to do a complete alternative wiring and don't touch the stock wiring harness, so can always go back to stock.

Because of the CAN / MOST bus system you'll need a CAN bus adapter to get the power, speed and reverse signal for the Alpine HU.

So, do you still think your wife loves you?

Regards, Markus

Maybe she know this and this is her way of getting me to stay home more???

Do you know of a HU that would be a plug and play or am I going to be dealing with all these issues with any Hu that I go to install?

[DrCactus]

I would recommend you exchange it for a more compatible HU, as it will end up costing you twice as much to install it and there are other HUs which are much better stats and options.

[Muskoka Minute]

Originally Posted by DrCactus

I would recommend you exchange it for a more compatible HU, as it will end up costing you twice as much to install it and there are other HUs which are much better stats and options.

What do you recommend?
Which make/model would be more compatible for the install?

[Smallblock454]

Hello DrCactus,

what other after market HU will you recommend? There is nothing after-market that will fit to the Porsche MOST-Bus system. The only thing that will fit plug & play is an old school Porsche PCM2 system.

Hello Muskoka Minute,

no after-market system will fit plug & play, except the outdated Porsche OEM ones.

So you have to do your own wiring of the system and add some CAN-bus modules to get the Alpine run properly.

Or simply ask you wife for an next birthday present that will be a professional installation of the Alpine by a professional car-hifi shop. But you know what could happen to your life if you ask your wife such things.

Sorry for the bad news.

Regards, Markus

[Dubaday]

I have this exact HU and I plan on getting it replaced with a more updated HU, preferably an Android. Cost around a grand and some change for HU and install from car toys.
Don't get me wrong, it's a good unit. USB port in the center console, CD player that works well and doesn't skip too bad on bumps in the roads, Pandora radio, bluetooth, easy to use. And the map is very nicely laid out.

Keep in mind you can connect to pandora through the app that is on the HU, or connect via bluetooth and than play pandora on your phone.

Now for the upset. It WILL lag on you at times. For example, My phone auto connects once I start up the car, and I'm currently on pandora via HU app. This allows you to thumbs up, down, change station etc. on the HU itself.
But sometimes, it won't let you press anything on the screen unless you switch over to another setting first and than switch back to the pandora app on HU.
Than there is the shuffle on the usb setting that acts up sometimes and doesn't let you shuffle. And lastly, No video.
Other than that, radio, bluetooth and CD works well.

I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but I figure you should know instead of not knowing. Hey, maybe it won't be like that for you, maybe I got a defective unit.

Hope this helps,
Randy

[JayG]

Originally Posted by DrCactus

I would recommend you exchange it for a more compatible HU, as it will end up costing you twice as much to install it and there are other HUs which are much better stats and options.

Yea sure, exchange a GIFT from your wife. Smart move LOL