Aight, I got this Sony Xplod CDX-CA700X. As pictured here:
http://www.epinions.com/Sony_C...CA700

I love Sony Xplod - I've NEVER had a bad experience with them, and will always buy them until they let me down.

I have a CDX-GT400 in my '95, and I forgot which one was in my probe - anyways, that + the fact the last owner didn't have a conversion harness, so he sliced and diced it.

I got a few Q's.

The radio works perfectly, but I hate FM transmitters and only use mine out of necessity. The harness is a complete hack-job behind it, but it works fine.

Sony Xplod plugs seem to be the same, I put the one from my CDX-GT400 in and it worked fine.

So my questions:
A) Should I just CUT the whole mess of wires out, and get another stock harness end, and wire match them (so I have a stock radio harness) - then buy a conversion harness, and plug it in? or should I just leave this hack-job alone?

B) I kinda sold the CDX-GT400 with my '95 EX (included in sale) - I can't take it and replace it with this CDX-CA700X - that would just be gay on my part. Though this radio is so old, it has no headphone-type "audio-in" jacks (like my CDX-GT400 does on the faceplate, picutred here:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-z...L#Tab

I like to listen to my iPod and use an audio-in cable (I don't wanna use one of those radio attachment ipod things to work the ipod through the radio), I don't care if it's in the front or the back, just need something to plug it into, that and this thing wasn't around when MP3's were big so I can't even play MP3 CD's in it.

The only inputs I can find are the antenna (I was thinking to see if I can wire up something that would plug into there) and there's a "bus audio input" but I have no idea how that works (i'm really bad with sound equip).

Anybody got a solution here? I can live without playing Mp3's, but I can't live without playing my iPod. So what do I do, do I wire in a new harness (keep in mind that the current.."setup" works), or do I leave it alone? And what should I do about a head-unit? I can keep the CDX-CA700X if I find a way to hardwire an input into it...but sony xplod head units are expensive - trying to find one that plays MP3's, has an audio input, and hopefully can play subs (I have a pair of 8's sitting in my room which I need an amp for ).

Any suggestions are great...I'm kinda lost here, I'm driving around with the radio from my honda but I gotta put that bitch back in when I sell it.

And the harness? It works 100% - but it looks like a bomb went off in there - I'll take some pictures of the harness and the rear of the radio, maybe somebody can figure out something.

Oh, and PS: The reason I don't just go out and buy a new one is b/c I don't have $200+ bucks to spend on it (all 4 struts are dead (original), it needs a new hood + upper rad support pulled up, and I think the pass outter CV joint = shot).

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

 

*bump

I took some pictures

Here's the temporary CDX-GT400 I plugged in there:


Here's the butchered (but working) wiring job:










Here's what the "old" radio looked like - the CDX-CA700X





Anybody see a way of making it work??

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Syndacate &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"></TD></TR></TABLE>

Hrm.

I was just thinking, does anybody make a R/L channel (red/white RCA jack) to headphone wire? Maybe that would work on those BUS inputs .

EDIT:
I have a R/L/V RCA plug to headphone/S-Video for a computer to hook up to my DVD player, I'ma try that thing tomorrow - see if I can hook the R/L up to the red/white and plug the headphone jack into the iPod...then maybe I can go from there if I know it'd definitely work...

 

Start by cleaning up the wiring, you do not need to go through the cost and trouble of getting a stock radio plug, reconnecting it and then adding an adapter harness, connect the Sony's harness directly to the cars radio harness, start by cutting all the leads of the cars radio harness to the same length, [disconnect the batt.] then cut the Sony's harness leads all to the same length, keeping both sets of leads as short as convienently possible, [don't forget you will have to make the connections in the dash, so cutting them too short is not a good idea] the crimp or solder and shrink tube the two harnesses together.

Here is a pin-out and color code... http://www.installdr.com/Harnesses/HA-Wiring.pdf the only one missing is the stock illumination lead, [red/black] you may not need it, if not don't forget to cap it off.

With an adapter you can turn the HU CD port(s), [unilink and RCA buss in] into an AUX input, find an adapter that has the iPod docking port. instead of one that has the headphone jack. 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Start by cleaning up the wiring, you do not need to go through the cost and trouble of getting a stock radio plug, reconnecting it and then adding an adapter harness, connect the Sony's harness directly to the cars radio harness, start by cutting all the leads of the cars radio harness to the same length, [disconnect the batt.] then cut the Sony's harness leads all to the same length, keeping both sets of leads as short as convienently possible, [don't forget you will have to make the connections in the dash, so cutting them too short is not a good idea] the crimp or solder and shrink tube the two harnesses together.

Here is a pin-out and color code... http://www.installdr.com/Harnesses/HA-Wiring.pdf the only one missing is the stock illumination lead, [red/black] you may not need it, if not don't forget to cap it off.

With an adapter you can turn the HU CD port(s), [unilink and RCA buss in] into an AUX input, find an adapter that has the iPod docking port. instead of one that has the headphone jack. 94</TD></TR></TABLE>

Wait, where does the second harness come from?

I don't get what you're trying to say, you're saying ot cut the stock radio plug and add a adapter harness.

There is no stock plug - he wired the sony harness into the OEM harness. There's no adapter harness. I use an adapter harness and plug it into the back of the sony and the other end to the OEM harness - but he didn't do that - just wired the sony harness right into the stock harness.

I was just thinking if I put the stock plug back on it, I can just "plug-it-up" using an adapter harness, no? Though since this hackjob of the sony harness right into the OEM harness works, i'm just wondering if I should clean it up, or rewire it, or not touch it...

 

Sorry if I was not being clear...

I understand that the cars stock radio plug was cut off and the Sony harness is wired directly to the cars stock radio harness.

I recommend you rewire that mess, connect the Sony harness directly to the cars radio harness, like it is now, only do it properly, with solder and shrink tube or butt connectors ... http://www.scosche.com/scosche...R-100 and excess/unused wiring removed, and the harness "bundled" and zip tied together, [or taped] neatly together.

There is no point in spending the money, [$10 - $20] on something, that even if done properly, will still add 3 more connection points, one of which is only a contact connection, [plugs].
Unless you are planing on putting a stock HU back in, there is no need for a stock radio plug, so no need for the adapter plug either, there are better places to spend that $20 doller bill. 94

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fcm &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Sorry if I was not being clear...

I understand that the cars stock radio plug was cut off and the Sony harness is wired directly to the cars stock radio harness.

I recommend you rewire that mess, connect the Sony harness directly to the cars radio harness, like it is now, only do it properly, with solder and shrink tube or butt connectors ... http://www.scosche.com/scosche...R-100 and excess/unused wiring removed, and the harness "bundled" and zip tied together, [or taped] neatly together.

There is no point in spending the money, [$10 - $20] on something, that even if done properly, will still add 3 more connection points, one of which is only a contact connection, [plugs].
Unless you are planing on putting a stock HU back in, there is no need for a stock radio plug, so no need for the adapter plug either, there are better places to spend that $20 doller bill. 94</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, I suppose you're right.

I think I'm going with a pioneer though. Everybody keeps telling me these Sony Xplods are **** even though I've never had a problem with them.

Think I'm going to go with this one:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-6...H1900

I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible but a good brand, that has what I need (AUX input, MP3 playing capabilities, good ratings, etc.).

What do you think, anybody else have any other suggestions on units? I'm trying to stay around or under 100.

I tried that RCA plug with a cable I had for my laptop (R/L RCA jack to headphone plug) and there was no go after I plugged it into the "BUS AUDIO IN" ports.

Also, the wiring is "tight" - it's too far in there to do any work, what should I do, chop all the plugs off, then extend each wire, then wire on the harness? I don't solder things, solder has a bad habit of cracking in the cold - I use butt connectors, but whatever, they work just as good .