Vec C Parrot Help Needed

[vect001]

Hi All,

I'm a complete newbie to anything related to ICE/carkits etc. BUT I am planning on installing either a Parrot MKI9000 or MKI9200 kit to my car (Vectra C/CDC40 Opera) rather than spending money going to Halfords or elsewhere...

Reading quite a few other threads here, I have some questions and worries that I'm hoping someone here will be able to help out with.

1) I really don't want to be cutting cables or joining to existing wires - I was under the impression that the kit+SOT122/SOT122s is all plug and play but reading other posts, I think there is a need to "get a live from the ignition via the lighter socket". Can you confirm if I need to do this and if so, what does it mean (e.g. stripping the wire in question and connecting to it with the one from the harness/Parrot).

Does anyone have a picture of what this should look like when connected (I have taken the facia plate off the lighter socket but can't take the socket itself out (read: I don't know how to!) to see what wires are underneath).

Must admit - if I have to do this, I am concerned about warranty issues and generally screwing up the wiring

2) I have a Vectra C with full can-bus (scroll-wheels on steering wheel) - I'm not fussed with using the steering wheel controls to be honest. I used to have a Vec C with CK3100 installed and the steering only controlled the volume, no other function - I would be happy with this. That said, do I need the SOT122 cable or SOT122s cable?

Of course, if I can't get the headunit out (spent an hour on it this evening but no joy - will get the halfords din removal tool tomorrow and give it another go...), I might have to give up before I start!

BTW - thanks to this forum, I have already got my CDC40 enabled to show me the MPG values...much better than just a timer!

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for your help.

Vec001

[Aidi]

Yes, you need to take a live feed from the SOT122s cable (blue wire i think).

Remove the ashtray from your Vectra, and you will see the plug on the bottom of the cig lighter. It will easily pull off. The live is the black wire. So, you will somehow need to connect the blue live wire on the SOT122 lead to the black wire.

In order to test my setup before wiring it in, i just stripped the end of the blue wire, tinned the end with solder and pushed it into the plug where the black wire is conneted. Once the Parrot had been tested, it was a case of stripping the black wire a bit, and soldering on the blue wire from the SOT122 a bit of insulation tape and job done.

The DiN pins are a must for removing the head unit. It should just slide out. The best place to put the blue parrot box is where the controls are for the heater.

Remove the heater panel, and with some double sided tape or sticky back hook and loop it will go very nicely into the area behind the controls.

Rgds
Aidi

[Kev_G]

I just used a block to cut into the cig lighter lives took about half a hour to do it all

[Steveocee]

Ok, I don't speak auto leads part numbers, but a connects2 ct10vx04 is the t harness you need to fit into the vectra.
To enable steering wheel controls for the parrot you need more cabling, a ctunivx01 and a ppar005 will do the trick, they retail around £150 plus your parrot.
Is it worth it for the minimal steering control when the kits come with a wireless button? I don't think so.

[andy.l]

by the time youve bought all the leads etc etc to fit the parrot then

you might aswell have the vauxhall factory bluetooth system fitted
it probably only cost around £240 fitted

if you want any guidance on this then let me know

[vect001]

Hi All,

Thanks for the replies and pointers! Looks like I'm going to have to cut into the wiring after all...

I'll follow your tips and the guide in the How To section and will hopefully get the kit installed...!

I will keep you posted on progress.

Thanks again!

[Tom Williams]

The easiest way is to get an SOT122 as said above which is a fully populated wiring loom that the Parrot ISO wiring loom plugs into.

the only physical connection you have to make is the ignition feed - everything else is done by the SOT122.

these aren't expensive and they are the easiest route without cutting wires.

Tom

[vect001]

Finally got around to ordering and fitting the car kit - I decided to go with a CK3100 in the end.

Thanks to the answers to my original post and the guide in the 'How To' section, I managed to fit the kit to the car. After the initial trial run, I found the that the mute only worked on the radio and not the CD player and that the kit was turning itself off immediately (without saying "Goodbye") when the ignition was turned off....after a bit of googling, I found a post somewhere that said I needed to swap the fuses and connect the short, pink wire from the SOT122 to the mute lead from the Parrot kit. I followed these instructions and the kit works fine now. Also, I got the power from the lighter socket (black wire underneath) - I can't remember what the connectors I used are called but they I think they are the Maplin's equivalent of scotch connectors, so no cutting was necessary!

Thanks again guys - appreciate your help!

[Aidi]

Glad you got it sorted in the ened mate. Like you, i was a bit wary at first about installing something like this, but after a bit of reading and conformation from others who had done the job it was very easy indeed.

Saved a good few ££ not having to have it installed for you!!

[aaron03]

Had Parrot MKi9200 fitted to my cdti150 £24:99 Halfords.Unreal bit of kit.Price of Chinese Take Away.Safe yourself the hassle