Gamma head unit wiring

[davewelch]

Hi,
I have an 03 passat with a Gamma radio/cassette. I would like to fit my Alpine 7583RB head unit instead. I read that 99% of head units use an ISO connector so I bought a cheap ISO to VW wiring converter from Ebay.
Wrong!! Nothing like what I need - The connector on the Alpine is a 16 way block (2 rows of 8 pins) plus two phono sockets.
Will I need to rewire or are any adapters available?
Also, how easy is running a cable to the boot for a CD changer?
Thanks
dave

[steve37]

your best bet is to take the headunit to halfords or somewere like that and just ask someone they.if the phono,s are red and white they are amp plugs.as for the cd changer cable you will need to remove the glovebox/n/s door sill trim back and front/n/s feet well trimand i think the rear bench seat and then just fold the upper back seat down.

[mak1]

Halfords do supply the correct cable you will need for the Alpine (i fitted mine last weekend with one of their adaptors).

However if you just do a straight plug and play the central locking (remote part) WILL stop working! This is all due to the 'K Wire' that VW use for the diagnostics of the vehicle. You will notice that the Halfords adapter loops back one of the 12v feeds to another connector in the block (Yellow wire if i remember). This wire needs to be removed from the block (or cut) and your locking will then work fine.

Just remember to tape / insulate the wire you cut / removed as it does have 12v on it!

[davewelch]

Many thanks for the info
dave

[guyg]

I fitted an Alpine head unit to my 2001 Passat using the Halfords ISO converter and have had no problems. I also ran an HD power lead and a pair of screened phonos down the left and right sill trims respectively to run a sub and amplifier in the boot.

Remove the kick panels at the front and then the sill trims unclip all the way to the back. The final bit can be routed under the back seat trim by the rear arch and then into the boot space.

Before you do this, have you considered an iPod? The Alpine control interface is really good - I bought a 60Gb iPod which now lives permanently in the glovebox and I can access my entire music collection from the head unit without carting cd's back and forth to the boot, and the cost isn't much different to a decent CD changer.

Just a sugestion...

Cheers,

Guy

[mak1]

I fitted an Alpine head unit to my 2001 Passat using the Halfords ISO converter and have had no problems. I also ran an HD power lead and a pair of screened phonos down the left and right sill trims respectively to run a sub and amplifier in the boot.

Remove the kick panels at the front and then the sill trims unclip all the way to the back. The final bit can be routed under the back seat trim by the rear arch and then into the boot space.

Before you do this, have you considered an iPod? The Alpine control interface is really good - I bought a 60Gb iPod which now lives permanently in the glovebox and I can access my entire music collection from the head unit without carting cd's back and forth to the boot, and the cost isn't much different to a decent CD changer.

Just a sugestion...

Cheers,

Guy

You must be lucky or your Halfords stock a different (and correct!) adaptor to my local store. I have now had two of these cables fitted into a 2001 and my current 1998 model and both suffered this problem. I agree with the IPOD connection on the alpines though. Get a full speed model and it is very very good. My Ipod now lives in the centre console!

[guyg]

You must be lucky or your Halfords stock a different (and correct!) adaptor to my local store.

I bought this about 18 months ago when I got the car; I seem to remember they had different [but very similar looking] converters for different car types [down to model and year]. It was a relatively new branch, so perhaps they had an extended range.

I remember being irritated at the cost - over a tenner I think, but judging from from your experience it was money well spent! Generally, I only shop in Halfords when I'm desperate for an item and can't get it anywhere else [like a Sunday afternoon!].

Cheers,

Guy