Cd Changer Connector

[rave]

Hi there! I have a Cd changer connector, connecting to the radio, but i don`t have a CD Changer... where might be the other end of the connectior? thanks

[anchorman]

The CD autochanger goes under the passenger seat if fitted.

It is also sometimes used for a Ipod interface which would normally be in the glove box or upper glove box on a 4.3.

[Hoovie]

There is a connector plugged into the CD-Changer socket even when you have no CD-Changer or other similar device. Where it goes specifically I don't know, but if you unplug it, then you lose the ability to control the radio head unit volume and other functions.

Not sure about the CD-Changer, but when you plug in an iPod adapter, they should come with a Y-Cable to allow you to keep the signal from the original cable going to the radio head unit.

Exactly why this happens, I don't know

[rave]

There is a connector plugged into the CD-Changer socket even when you have no CD-Changer or other similar device. Where it goes specifically I don't know, but if you unplug it, then you lose the ability to control the radio head unit volume and other functions.

Not sure about the CD-Changer, but when you plug in an iPod adapter, they should come with a Y-Cable to allow you to keep the signal from the original cable going to the radio head unit.

Exactly why this happens, I don't know

Thats bad news Hoovie...cause i think that in the GPS Unit TNS600 that i`m about to install, the Cd connector is of a diferente type its (6+6 pins) and i was just thinking of connecting the X-carlink that i bought that is 6+6 too and forget about the cd connector that is already there, being that way, how do you suggest me to do???

[Hoovie]

The connectors are either 5+7 or 6+6 .

I don't know if there is more to the difference then a connector style? So what is the connector on the radio? is that 5+7?

[rave]

The connectors are either 5+7 or 6+6 .

I don't know if there is more to the difference then a connector style? So what is the connector on the radio? is that 5+7?

The one i have now on the 58812 (i think) radio is 5+7 but the one on TNS600 is 6+6 thats why i was not worried with that, because i thought i did not have to connect the cd changer connector.

[shcm]

The connectors are either 5+7 or 6+6 .

I don't know if there is more to the difference then a connector style? So what is the connector on the radio? is that 5+7?

It's just a change of avc-lan connector. There's a straight forward adapter available (part number 08695-00370).

In fact I have one on my desk at the moment.............................

With regard to there already being a plug in the 5+7 connector I'm just wondering whether:

1. You are confusing this with the steering wheel control pad connector. I'm not suggesting you're wrong Hoovie, just wondering. However, I assume you mean you lose volume control etc via the front of the unit controls not the steering wheel? In which case:
   
2. It wouldn't surprise me if it is just a loopback of the avc-lan into the head unit. So in effect it may be connecting to itself.
   

If it's 2 and you are installing a new head unit, then you probably have nothing to worry about. Just connect up the carlink as you thought. Give it a go, see what happens.

Cheers

[Hoovie]

With regard to there already being a plug in the 5+7 connector I'm just wondering whether:

1. You are confusing this with the steering wheel control pad connector. I'm not suggesting you're wrong Hoovie, just wondering. However, I assume you mean you lose volume control etc via the front of the unit controls not the steering wheel? In which case:
   
2. It wouldn't surprise me if it is just a loopback of the avc-lan into the head unit. So in effect it may be connecting to itself.
   

If it's 2 and you are installing a new head unit, then you probably have nothing to worry about. Just connect up the carlink as you thought. Give it a go, see what happens.

Cheers

Made no sense to me at all what happened. I disconnected the connector intot the CD (only 2 wires in the connector used anyway) and could not use steering wheel controls BUT also could not turn unit off or control it on the controls on the unit itself - very odd indeed considering it was something into a CD-Changer Maybe the unit does need something to say the CD-Changer is NOT present?

I will be delving into that bit of the car this weekend to wire in a power-lead - I'll disconnect it again and check exactly what happens.

Good news on the adapter - didn't know they were available

This is the adapter loom from the ice>link with the Y-connector (5+7 configuartion) - not sure if you can tell anything from this?

[rave]

Now, i`m confused, but nice to now there are some solutions....i`m just waiting for a GPS antenna to arrive that bought from e-bay, and then i will discover and post here...

[shcm]

Made no sense to me at all what happened. I disconnected the connector intot the CD (only 2 wires in the connector used anyway) and could not use steering wheel controls BUT also could not turn unit off or control it on the controls on the unit itself - very odd indeed considering it was something into a CD-Changer Maybe the unit does need something to say the CD-Changer is NOT present?

Well, I can offer one explanation, but it may not necessarily be the correct one.

Sorry, I have to get a bit technical. Toyota's avc-lan is made up of a serial data connection (a bit like CAN, but simpler and slower) and an analog "bus" which is a couple of audio channels (left and right).

The data connection is differential bi-directional pair (again like CAN), which means there are 2 wires. Each audio unit "talks" on the data connection. There is a master unit, usually the head unit. Besides audio units, there can be other units such as navigation or display units on the data connection. The data connection part/pins of the avc-lan are usually labeled TX+ and TX-

A single audio unit at a time connects its audio outputs to the analog "bus", when told to do so. The audio "bus" is effectively a line-in to the head unit, but the head unit has to believe (via the data connection) that there is another working unit connected, before it will feed this line-in to the head unit amplifier. Anyway, I've digressed slightly.

If you look at some of the Toyota audio wiring diagrams, some head units have more than one set of TX+ and TX- connections, usually on different connectors. My theory is that although say the radio and the display are in the same box, they are effectively two separate circuits and they talk to one another via the avc-lan data connection. Very often the wiring diagrams will show the two sets of TX+ and TX- on the head unit connected together externally. I suspect this is what is happening with your setup.

Maybe a crazy way to do things, but then I've seen really bad (and unnecessarily expensive) ECU designs, where two microprocessors in the same box talk to one another over an internal CAN network. Believe me, that is stupid - there are better, easier and cheaper ways to do it.

The 5+7 avc-lan pin out is shown here:-

http://www.softservice.com.pl/corolla/avc/index.php.

If this were a connection to a CD changer, I'd expect most of the other stuff to be connected too (and certainly pins 4/5 and 11/12 i.e. the audio). I'd bet those two connected wires of yours in the connector are pins 8 and 9 - the data part of the avc-lan.

That Y adapter is probably just feeding the audio, data and power connections to the ice-link box.

Cheers

[Hoovie]

If you are curious about this, let me know if there are any specific things you want to know happen and I can try them - and also put a meter on the plugs to check voltages

[shcm]

If you are curious about this, let me know if there are any specific things you want to know happen and I can try them - and also put a meter on the plugs to check voltages

Nothing more than idle curiosity on my part really.

If you've got the head unit out maybe take a few pictures of the back connector sockets, the harness plugs themselves and which pins in the plugs are actually connected to the harness - if it's not too much hassle.

DC voltage alone won't show you much with the data part of the avc-lan. Each data bus wire should be idling at about 2.5V (I expect) with respect to ground and that's probably what a voltmeter would roughly indicate.

[Hoovie]

I'll note them down

Out of idle curiosity, why have Toyota used white wires with a bit of silver marking for EVERY SINGLE wire how is anyone meant to tell what is what when 1) they build the car and 2) if they have to replace a connector and they have not marked the position of each wire.

Never seen that before

[rave]

I'll note them down

Out of idle curiosity, why have Toyota used white wires with a bit of silver marking for EVERY SINGLE wire how is anyone meant to tell what is what when 1) they build the car and 2) if they have to replace a connector and they have not marked the position of each wire.

Never seen that before

As promised: with the TNS 600 UNIT B9001 it works fine without the cd changer connector being connected, i really forgot to tried that with the "old" cd Unit 58812 before i`ve taked it out. I have a X-carlink now connected to the B9001 and it works fine, and the steering wheel controls to!!!

[Hoovie]

Excellent news! seems this little CD-Changer plug wiring is only important on someof the toyota units.