Apologies for churning up this well-trodden ground, I just can’t find clear answers for my questions anywhere else.
I have a 2012 Kuro with Bose. It doesn’t support music streaming as some later NCs apparently did. I’ve been using an FM transmitter for about a year, initially it seemed like the perfect solution but it’s either failing or I’m just noticing the electrical noise it generates more than I used to.
There are many little modules sold for the NC that plug in to provide Bluetooth audio, however there’s a question over using them with the Bose system. Connects2 says 2006+, doesn’t mention Bose. This is where I get confused. We know that both the standard and Bose systems have two plugs on the back, I was able to find this pinout diagram online.
The modules replace the smaller plug. What I can’t find is what exactly does the smaller plug do in a factory setup, what is different on the Bose setup and why wouldn’t those modules work?
Let’s take this unit for example:
The pins seem to correlate with (left to right):
2A - B+
2M - Aux Control
2G - Signal Ground
2E - Input Signal LH +
2C - Input Signal RH +
2A - Power Ground
Seems pretty basic, why wouldn’t this work with the Bose unit? Maybe it’s a question of what will I lose if I unplug the factory plug and plug this in? The Aux port no doubt but anything else? What is illuminated by pin 2N on this plug?
Any help in understanding this is appreciated. I’d really like to keep the factory unit if I can, as I don’t like any of the current touch screens. I’m looking at buying an old Sony XSP-N1BT to experiment with, which is basically a big phone holder built into a head unit and your phone becomes the display.
Thanks
Matt
i have a 2009 nc3 and i havent touched the bose unit. i connect my phone via the aux cable. Its night and day difference. i play spotify and comes through the bose system and calls also
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That small module would plug into what is the CD changer socket on the rear of the OEM head unit.
The lower diagram you posted up is the wiring configuration for the CD changer. Illumination pin I guess is for the display on the head unit, something like playing CD1.
I’m not conversant with the CD changer units, never had one. Also I know you don’t want to swap head units but that’s what I’ve done twice now on my NC’s. The OEM units are limited that’s not to say someone has devised a better way via Bluetooth etc to get more out of them
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Thanks both. I’m reluctant to use an aux cable because I use magnetic charging cables with my iPhone, I’d have to remove the adapter and then use a charge/aux splitter to charge the phone. Too many cables.
I think I’m going to have to take the head unit out and have a look and see if it has anything plugged into that second socket. I don’t have a separate changer, just the integrated 6-disc. Seems like an ideal job for a rainy weekend.
Aside from potentially paying a fortune for a screen with awful resolution, terrible touch response, poor integration with the apps I use and no volume knob, I really like the way my phone is mounted with a CD slot mount and MagSafe charger.
If I moved to a touch screen unit I’d lose this option. I’ve not seen a non-touch double DIN unit that looks decent since they were released!
I do understand that the OEM unit is limited - the lack of decent auto-volume control always irritates me - but I drive with the roof down 99% of the time so I’d just like to be able to listen to Bluetooth audio without interference and use the steering wheel controls. The FM transmitter lacked the steering wheel control compatibility, often not an issue but I’d really like to avoid touching the phone wherever possible.
As I thought, with the rain today it was an ideal time to go out and remove the head unit and check the pinouts. I’m always amazed at how easily things come apart on this car and that the screws are the same.
Everything unplugged OK with a bit of fighting and I could see the pinouts. This is the smaller connector from above:
After confirming that the black/white and pink cables go to the tip and ring of the 3.5mm connector, I also confirmed that the partially hidden green/white connectors below go to the sleeve of the 3.5mm
So on this connector we have:
2M - Aux Control
2J - TNS+ (?)
2E - Input Signal LH +
2F - Input Signal LH -
2C - Input Signal RH +
2D - Input Signal RH -
2A - Power Ground
2B - System Mute (?)
I tested the unit without this plug in and it works fine, Aux just isn’t available. So I don’t see why any of these plug in units wouldn’t work. I do at least know that I could remove the input pins from this connector, tape them up and add the ones from whatever Bluetooth unit I get to replace the 3.5mm Aux socket.
Assuming it gets 12V when the ignition is on it should work find and I don’t need to have anything on show. I won’t get steering wheel controls but it seems like they aren’t passed through to this connector at all.
Having said all this I’m still going to buy the old Sony XSP-N1BT head unit because it fascinates me.
My Bluetooth gizmo has a power out as well as aux out usb socket and cables.
This means I can power/charge the phone as well as hard wire to the head unit. Win/win
Documenting progress for anyone else who has the same questions, I bought a cheap module from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08HYXJFK4
I tested it on the bench with a 3.5mm lead and it worked perfectly, but as I was warned it doesn’t work in the car as it is. The head unit just doesn’t recognise that there’s an aux module plugged in.
I was powering it from a separate power source, so I’ll try it on the 2P ‘+B’ and 2A ‘Power ground’ terminals before going any further, then if that doesn’t work I will try removing the 2C, 2D, 2E and 2F connectors from the existing plug and plugging the ones from the Bluetooth module in their place. As with the picture up top, the module I bought has a single 2G ‘Signal ground’ instead of split left and right negative 2D and 2F, so I might need to split that connection. Maybe this is the reason it doesn’t work.
I was originally hoping I could just find a cigarette lighter plug USB power supply that has a 3.5mm socket on it to plug straight into the Aux, I couldn’t find one though as they’re all Fm transmitters.
I have one that plugs into the cigarette-lighter type power socket and also has an aux out usb socket that piugs into the aux in socket. It also has a usb power out socket thst powers/charges the phone.
It works perfectly and gives noticeably better quality than the cd drive.
I have an idea that most, if not all the fm transmitter units will also have the hardwire option.
