Holiday

Yeah I know what you mean but I'm desperate to listen to listen to my iPod in the car and all the other options seem to suck.

bureau13

I'm in exactly the same boat. I haven't switched yet, I'm trying to hold out for a stable version of software from Metra (plus I haven't decided the double-DIN vs. single-DIN thing yet) but the stocker is killing me. No iPod, and now the CD player is starting to go out on me. Hurry Metra, hurry! :D

jds

raphy3

another thing to think about is if you have the Bose system. Depending on your new head unit, you're going to end up driving the speakers with two amps at the same time. First, the built in amps from the stock Bose system need to be connected to the new HU via the amp remote turn on wire. Next, the speaker wires from the HU output to the Bose speakers. Since most HUs have built in amps as well, you'll end up driving your speakers with double the power. The result will be a lot of white noise when the speakers are supposed to be silent, and you need to turn down the source sound on your HU. Probably the way to fix that is to use the preouts on your HUs to drive the Bose speakers, since they aren't powered and rely on the external Bose amps to power them. Only thing is the impedance is all wrong, so I haven't looked into fixing that yet. It isn't too annoying a problem, but be aware of it if you have the Bose system.

For the display screen corruption, I've found that it seems to be a function of starting the car within a certain time of when you last turned it off. If I start the car 20 minutes after stopping it, I might get display corruption. But starting it two hours later, the corruption seems to go away after one or two retries of switching from ACC to off and then back on again. This isn't enough data to confirm anything, but if your only problem is the display corruption, like me, you probably don't need to reset it by disconnecting the battery, from my experience. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping no actual problems with the HVAC or anything happen. The display problem I can deal with via switching things off and back on or waiting.

rollerbldes

The update 1.1 really is stable. No more matrix-like display corruption and no more AC freezing. Just that the clock runs fast and small random parts of the screen corrupt for .1 second every 5 seconds or so.

As far as pre-outs I'm sure there is some simple circuitry you can set up to match the signal. I don't have the bose unit so I would not know.

J_Owens

your clock still runs fast roller? ever simce i did my update everything has been working fine and perfect, my clock doesnt run fast, display never gets messed up and hvac works great very happy =)

raphy3

Here is metra's response to me:
" I do not have a cable I can send to you. If you would like you can
send me your module and I can update it and send it back to you. Another
option is to contact www.integrationsolutions.net you can get a cable
from them to update your dashkit. If you decide to send it to me the
address is: ALL I NEED IS THE AXXESS BOX!"

Surprising. So they can help some users update their boxes and others not. I wonder how they choose who is allowed to have their $180 worth and who isn't, lol.

Roller you are right the preouts are probably very simple. I just know nothing about speakers and haven't had time to look into it yet. Probably will try when I update my box though.

J Owens, if your stuff is working, can you share your cable? I'll pay for shipping!

bureau13

Any idea how we can be sure we're getting the right version if we buy it new? Do vendors know what version they have, and is it easy to tell that you've got the right one? It sounds like 1.1 might be good enough to jump in with, but I want to make sure I do in fact get that one.

jds

alz0rz

iTrader: (41)

that looks like a standard usb motherboard header..

therx8man

What a ripoff! Why are they charging so much for it? Ripoff!

raphy3

nice find on the pic. I haven't had time to do any research on it yet.
Roller was saying there is most likely an interface chip inside the cable though.... I'm gonng do some more digging. Maybe I'll ask integratedsolutions directly and see what they say.

rollerbldes

It is definitely not just a 4 pin to 4pin direct match cable. There is definitely a chip within the cable that acts as a USB to serial converter.

After some searching.. I believe the cable is actually a modified version of something like:
http://www.ftdichip.com/Products/Eva...s/TTL-232R.htm
The circuitry within the cable is made by FTDI but it seems the end is spliced to a different pin-out. In fact the header is set up as the following:
Black(GND) Yellow(RXD) Orange(TXD) Red(Power 5V)
There is the Brown(CTS#) and Green(RTS#) handshake signal wires, but they are just cut and not terminated on anything.
The COM port itself is set as 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bits, no flow control, no parity.

With the above info you could technically fashion a makeshift cable. But I highly do NOT recommend you doing so.

nufan4322

ok i just finish installing a metra kit on a 2008 mazda rx8 but i m having problem with the wiring. When i receive it the output pin from the car into the metra kit was flip. the constant power wire and the ground wire were flip so i just burn out like 5 fuses for the headunit. Then right now the only problem i got is the access box, when i plug it in the box just get fried. DID anyone have the same problem like me? i m trying to find out what is wrong with my kit. The headunit turn on but i can't connect the access unit.

rollerbldes

It seems your wiring is all messed up. I have no idea how to help you.

Go here for harness info http://miata.fosketts.net/index.php?title=J-01

I seriously recommend you to get your stuff professionally installed before you fry your A/C controller and run into costly repairs.

nufan4322

i have done like 10 setup already in 10 different car. I never had any problem with it. I did a rx8 with the cork sport kit and it was working 100% with the steering wheel remote. I did my Sti system, a 240sx, honda accord , mazda 6 and etc. I never had any problem or anything like this. At first the wiring for the metra kit was flip, and i got picture to proof this. I was just wondering if anyone have the same problems? and awhat year was it used?

nufan4322

ok here are the picture of the metra kit i got. The wiring that i got from them was wrong it was a bad setup. the headunit work but i can't get the access box to work for the look of it i think metra kit flip the wiring inside the box or the other harness is bad.

raphy3

what year is your RX8 dude? from the pics you posted it does appear that the ground wire (black) is feeding to the 12V battery (yellow) wire of the metra kit. If you have a 2009, the metra kit is not advertised to work with that one... hopefully that's not your problem.
I can't tell about the other wire, where your black metra wire is connecting.

So did you disconnect these wires and only then your HU started working again?
You should check the wiring harness diagram roller linked to in an earlier post to me and make sure that the colors actually mean what they do. If your mazda harness actually has the black wire in the right place and it's just the wrong color, then the wires being flipped is not the problem.

Also I would add, I've also done many different setups in 5 different cars, and this was by far the hardest. My next car is going to have standard din mount, and my radio is not going to control my A/C, lol.

rollerbldes

I think.. your car is backwards, not the harness. haha..

What model is the car?

nufan4322

i posted it earlier. it is a 2008 mazda rx8. the last version of the old mazda rx8 look. Not the new 2009 rx8

nufan4322

what i did was look at the harness and then just reconnect it to the right place. So now the head unit work but the access thingy doesn't work. I did the same setup before on a rx8 which is the corksport kit and it fit 100%. i have no problem with the access box that came with the corksport or what so ever. i did the same thing on a mazda6 and never had the same problem. it look like either mazda flip the wiring at the last minute and metra didn't bother to do their research or metra f*ck up.

raphy3

Hey Rollerblades, do you have any updates from your contact at metra yet in terms of what they plan on doing to push out the update to all of us without cables who did self installs? So far the only response I've got from them is "send your box back", which I'm not going to do. They refuse to cross ship for whatever reason, and also claim they have no cables to update the thing with. I find the last part very hard to believe.

bureau13

Where's the best place to buy a Metra adapter kit where I can be sure I'm getting the 1.1 version of software, at least. Any opinions?

jds

HaiDoGGRX-8

well today the led on my ac control didnt turn on when i turned it on so guess its time for me to do the update because that just bugs when you know its on but the lights not on. Rollerblds, is your offer still open, I live about 30 minutes from the OC. I can take it out in advance to make it quicker.

HaiDoGGRX-8

called Metra, they told me to either send in the kit to them to fix or contact the vendor i purchased from, which is installer.com. So imma see what installer says now.

raphy3

Installer will tell you to send it in or buy the cable. This cable is one of these "value-add" profit items. Sort of like how the electronics store tries to get you to pay $100 for an HDMI cable when you buy your HDTV.
They will not simply send you the cable because they expect to make massive profit off the $60 part which costs $0.50 to make. "Updatable via USB!*"

*requires purchase of $60 item in order to fix your broken product that you paid $179 for and expected to be working out of the box.

rollerbldes

OK I have some answers for you guys.

1) After testing of a stable firmware (soon) J_Owens and I (well I only know about me for sure) will be sending our cables around. I will probably make a thread so you can post on who you received the cable from and who you will send it to next.

2) As far as vendors receiving the correct version of the AXXESS modules, they can tell by the last two numbers of the serial number printed on the AXXESS box. Again this will not happen at least until a while after the release has been made public.

3) If you are in the CA/Orange County area my offer still stands. If you are interested, you may bring your car out tomorrow to the Irvine/OC meet at around 9PM. If that does not work for you, PM me.