Swapping Out My CD70 Navi (Or Maybe Not)

**DanR** · 1st March 2010, 21:53

Evening all,

While I'm waiting to take delivery of my new Veccy I'm contemplating whether or not to replace the current CD70 Navi and am in need of some advice.

I currently have an old Pioneer headunit (about five years old), I assume that if I were to fit this I would lose the in dash display and steering wheel controls?

If I wanted to retain the in dash display and wheel controls what would be my best option, I'd want an auxililary input and also be able to use my Nokia bluetooth car kit.

I was thinking of perhaps adding an FM modulator to my existing CD70 for the ipod, would I be able to integrate my nokia car kit into the CD70 as well? The only other issue I can forsee with this is not having the benefit of being able to control my sub and having the inbuilt EQ that my Pioneer unit has.

It's been a while since I've had a car with such an integrated factory stereo and what with CANBUS and all this new fangledness I'm a little lost

.

So, if I could use my existing headunit what would I need to buy to make it work, or if not what would I need to buy. Any suggestions/advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks for bearing with my many, many newbie questions

.

Dan

**Robsey** · 1st March 2010, 22:29

Nokia Kits can easily be fitted to the CD70 via an Auto Leads Loom.

Approx £16 from E-bay ( Complexsolutions), or £29.99 from Halfords.

Alternatively, you can tap into the existing wiring loom as follows: -
The nokia kit requires it's speaker wires to go to pins 34 and 40 on the back of the radio.
It will need to take it's ignition live (Blue in Nokia Kit) from the Cig Lighter connector black wire,

And finally connect the yellow Mute wire to the black wire on pin 11 of the radio.

The i-pod is another matter unless your car is manufactured after approx. july 2007, where-upon cars were fitted with Aux-In jack plug sockets.

Cars manufactured before this date will require an FM modulator to be fitted in-line with the aerial. Then you just tune in to it with your radio.

The CD70 will also play mp3's...but only if you burn them onto a cd.

Finally - CD70 does have a sort of equilizer, but it is very basic...you can have options of talk, classical, pop, rock and user setting...

**DanR** · 2nd March 2010, 00:18

Thanks Robsey,

Unfortunatley mine is pre 2007 so no aux in for me

.

However I have been pondering (instead of sleeping) and am erring toward fitting my Pioneer headunit (I can cope with loosing the steering wheel controls in favour of having my sub and lots more settings to tweak).

So, two further queries:

First off, can I get a cable to go from the quadlock connector in my Veccy to the ISO on the back of my headunit?

Second off, what will I see on the in dash display if I remove the CD70, I know it won't display station/track information so what will I get - or will I just have a blank display?

I'm really regretting not spending more time playing with the buttons in the car yesterday - the wait for the DVLA to re-register it is going to kill me

.

Thanks again.

Dan

**Robsey** · 2nd March 2010, 00:34

You can get steering wheel control adapter leads from places like Autoleads, and an ISO2CAR loom is what I used to fit a CD70 to my 1994 cavalier.
I got this from complexsolutions on ebay.

If nothing else, your radio will show everything it used to except music and map information.

So it will show time, date, temperature and if enabled / fitted it will show BC functions.

As a weird thought,
You could run a mono aux in, if you run it via the audio input from the Nokia kit.
You could flick a switch to earth out the "mute" pin on the CD70, and then this clears the way for your mono aux in.
Not fantastic running an ipod in mono, but the choice would be there.

Forgot to say...steering adapter leads are head-unit manufacturer specific, so look for one for your model of Alpine radio.

**DanR** · 2nd March 2010, 00:50

My headunit (Pioneer DEH-P7500MP) seems to predate steering wheel controls as it has no socket on the back that I can connect an adapter to, however loosing the steering wheel controls isn't a major issue for me.

Regarding the ISO2CAR looms I'm not too sure how I would connect this up:

Attachment 29532

I assume that I would connect the female quadlock to the car's loom, and the male ISO to the stereo - however that still leaves the male quadlock and female ISO hanging free?

Cheers for the suggestion about running the ipod in through the car kit, if all else fails at least I have something to fall back on.

Thanks for bearing with me!

Dan

**Robsey** · 2nd March 2010, 01:01

Originally Posted by DanR

I assume that I would connect the female quadlock to the car's loom, and the male ISO to the stereo - however that still leaves the male quadlock and female ISO hanging free?

When I got mine, I stripped out the un-needed pins...made the loom a lot less bulky.
In doing so, I also got rid of the excess connectors male quadlock and female ISO.
I used a jewellers flat blade screw-driver..
One of those packs of 6 silver screwdrivers in a black plastic box from the pound-shop.

1.4mm flat blade driver is best.

You may need to swap the wires around in the ISO block to ensure correct connection, however I can e-mail you a pin-out for that.

I kept all the spare wires for my other ongoing adaptations.

Yet another thought, the adapter loom will come with the necessary connection for your nokia mute function as well.