2000 Accord EX steering wheel radio controls wiring
#1
02-19-2013 | 07:52 PM
2000 Accord EX steering wheel radio controls wiring
Hello everyone, new guy here.
I'm in the process of tackling a project with the radio controls on the steering wheel. I read a lot of topics about people adding them to their stock radio and it seemed impossible to most, but I'm going the other way around. I have a fully loaded EX with the radio controls and replaced my radio with an aftermarket one, by the way might I add it's a HUGE improvement in sound quality even on the stock speakers, the stock radio sounded like junk, it was the double din single cd type, I don't blare my music or play any annoy rap so the stock speakers are plenty good for me.
Anyways here's what I know and what I need to know. First of all I'm very skilled at soldering and rewiring car's electronics, I have no fear of hacking or cutting into wiring harnesses or adding wires, it seems like the other posts I read people stopped when they heard anything about that. I found the 2 pins on the aftermarket radio that controls volume up and down by grounding them, I can also add relays if the input from the wheel controls goes high to 5v or 12v. What I've seen on many other cars (I have a vast amount of my experience with Chrysler products in particular) is that the cruise/radio controls on the wheel are multiplexed to cut down wires running through the clockspring. I'm not sure if this is true on the Accord for the 3 radio buttons but I'd assume so. If that's the case I'd need to build a de-multiplexer that will take different voltages or resistances and activate one of 3 relays or transistors.
If anyone has any feedback or input on this topic, please let me know. Right now I'm trying to gather as much information as possible and make a plan of getting this tackled. I don't have any wiring diagrams or service manuals for it and I haven't dug into any of the car at all except splicing into the radio harness to add the new stereo, that's all I did and looked at so far as I just purchased the vehicle for $9,000 with 51k miles on it, not bad at all.
Thanks for reading.
I'm in the process of tackling a project with the radio controls on the steering wheel. I read a lot of topics about people adding them to their stock radio and it seemed impossible to most, but I'm going the other way around. I have a fully loaded EX with the radio controls and replaced my radio with an aftermarket one, by the way might I add it's a HUGE improvement in sound quality even on the stock speakers, the stock radio sounded like junk, it was the double din single cd type, I don't blare my music or play any annoy rap so the stock speakers are plenty good for me.
Anyways here's what I know and what I need to know. First of all I'm very skilled at soldering and rewiring car's electronics, I have no fear of hacking or cutting into wiring harnesses or adding wires, it seems like the other posts I read people stopped when they heard anything about that. I found the 2 pins on the aftermarket radio that controls volume up and down by grounding them, I can also add relays if the input from the wheel controls goes high to 5v or 12v. What I've seen on many other cars (I have a vast amount of my experience with Chrysler products in particular) is that the cruise/radio controls on the wheel are multiplexed to cut down wires running through the clockspring. I'm not sure if this is true on the Accord for the 3 radio buttons but I'd assume so. If that's the case I'd need to build a de-multiplexer that will take different voltages or resistances and activate one of 3 relays or transistors.
If anyone has any feedback or input on this topic, please let me know. Right now I'm trying to gather as much information as possible and make a plan of getting this tackled. I don't have any wiring diagrams or service manuals for it and I haven't dug into any of the car at all except splicing into the radio harness to add the new stereo, that's all I did and looked at so far as I just purchased the vehicle for $9,000 with 51k miles on it, not bad at all.
Thanks for reading.
#4
02-19-2013 | 08:28 PM
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 7,094
From: United States
Okay, only the EX-V6 has the steering wheel remote switch, not the EX-4 cylinder.
The radio remote switch runs from the radio via a Grn/Red wire (Green wire with Red stripe) through cavity terminal #2 at C401 a (22-P blue connector located above the driver's under-dash fuse/relay box), then connected to the cable reel via a 4-P Blk connector, which then runs through a Blk or Grn wire to the radio remote switch. Does not run through the multiplex control unit.
The radio remote switch runs from the radio via a Grn/Red wire (Green wire with Red stripe) through cavity terminal #2 at C401 a (22-P blue connector located above the driver's under-dash fuse/relay box), then connected to the cable reel via a 4-P Blk connector, which then runs through a Blk or Grn wire to the radio remote switch. Does not run through the multiplex control unit.
#5
02-19-2013 | 09:42 PM
Ah, very helpful. Now I know what to trace down. I didn't even know there was a multiplex control unit in there or what it even does, could also be Honda's fancy name for a BCM maybe.
So pin 2 on the blue radio connector, green wire with a red tracer, through a connector and to the clockspring/cable reel. I have to get updated on all these terms Honda's uses for things, they have unexpected names for a lot of things.
The use of a single control wire to control 3 different buttons tells me it's a multiplexed control meaning there's different resistance values being feed through the same wire for each of the different buttons. That alone is a huge piece of the puzzle.
So pin 2 on the blue radio connector, green wire with a red tracer, through a connector and to the clockspring/cable reel. I have to get updated on all these terms Honda's uses for things, they have unexpected names for a lot of things.
The use of a single control wire to control 3 different buttons tells me it's a multiplexed control meaning there's different resistance values being feed through the same wire for each of the different buttons. That alone is a huge piece of the puzzle.
#6
02-19-2013 | 10:08 PM
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 7,094
From: United States
Yes, Honda's multiplex control unit is their fancy name for a BCM (body control module). On your model year Accord, there is the driver's multiplex control unit, the passenger multiplex control unit, and a driver's door multiplex control unit.
You're also correct that there are probably different resistance values for each of the different buttons, as it is only using a single control wire. See attached pic. Not disagreeing with your meaning of the term "multiplexed control" however, Honda doesn't include that as part of their multiplex control system.
You're also correct that there are probably different resistance values for each of the different buttons, as it is only using a single control wire. See attached pic. Not disagreeing with your meaning of the term "multiplexed control" however, Honda doesn't include that as part of their multiplex control system.
#7
02-19-2013 | 10:12 PM
I see, thanks for your input, it's extremely helpful. This is my first Honda so I'm just starting to get into the forgien cars with it, before all I ever worked on was domestic vehicles. I'll do some tests on the wire in pin 2 of the radio connector and see what I come up with.
#8
02-19-2013 | 10:22 PM
Super Moderator
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 7,094
From: United States
I'm going to move your thread to the Audio/Video Electronics section on this forum. That section has a A/V electronics guru, "keep_hope_alive", who can probably provide you any other exact info. with your project.