Metra AXXESS ASWC install issues
 

Hi,

I purchased the Metra AXXESS ASWC steering wheel control unit with the intention of installing it this past weekend when I installed my DD unit (Kenwood DNX5120) but being seemingly stupid I cannot comprehend the wiring instructions for the AXXESS unit (the head unit install was quite easy and works well).

So now that it is all put back together, I don't want to take it apart until someone can help me figure out which wires need to be wires to what. I know it made a difference I have a Kenwood unit and had to connect a brown wire to the green/yellow remote wire coming out of the HU, but it wasn't working when I did it, so I yanked it and decided to try again later.

I did get power to the AXXESS ASWC but I think I'm just not wiring it to the HU correctly so any help is appreciated, otherwise I've got useless steering wheel controls and an unused AXXESS ASWC.

Thanks again

http://documents.victorytechnologies...icle/10985.pdf

The documentation linked from Metra's website is pretty straightforward.

wow well i feel like an idiot for not seeing that before, i had been going through another way instead of just clicking steering wheel control and it kept giving me the generic instructions.

thanks wrathernaut,


also I really appreciated your buyers guide, made everything very simple (except i ended up buying bot the 70-7551 then the PAC connector because the latter was easier with the Bose setup)

Glad I could help.

Don't feel too much of an idiot, I had to dig a little on that site to find it.

I updated the shopping list a few weeks ago to only recommend the PAC ROEM with any year of Bose, since people still were having issues, even though it was working fine for me.

i used that guide you posted wrathernaut (thanks btw) but i still cant get it to work. the problem seems to be that the image of the factory harness they **** in the guide is different that my harness, making things rather difficult.

If someone has correctly installed this is our cars before please post exactly which wires from the Axxess unit you used and to which wires in the car you connected to. Please use colors as that seems easiest to understand rather than pin numbers.

I just did it today using that manual. The harness you see in that manual is not your metra harness, it is the harness from your car instead. You have to take out your stock HU before you can see that actual harness. Then you will have to cut the wire #4, 13 and 11 behind that harness and spice with the wires from your ASWC accordingly.

I don't remember the color. But I do remember the wires from your car harness does not has the same color as the wires from your metra harness. So watch carefully before you cut.

Here's the harness you're looking for, and the wires. You'll connect the red and green to whatever the Metra guide says, not to any resistors.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_kXePT1F4TyQ/TM...%20harness.jpg

Thanks so much, I had been tapping into the wires in between the PAC ROEM box and the kenwood DD.

So i just took everything apart again to try and fix this except its still not working. I have all the correct wires connected this time but at the end of the auto program the metra light still blinks and the controls don't work. I'm using tap-ins and i made sure there was metal on metal contact but maybe not strong enough. I think I'll just cut the wires and twist them to ensure a good connection. Also I have so many things running to the same ground point that it might also be a problem.

It sounds like it's the tap-ins. I have all my grounds going to the same point and haven't had any issues. I don't ever plan on putting my stock hu back in, so I just cut the wires on the stock steering wheel harness and connected them to the axxess swc unit.

Still have issues? I plan on doing this w/my Pioneer Z1

im doing this tomorrow...hopefully I dont have issues.

I just installed a Metra ASWC in my 03 G35 coupe with a new Alpine unit without any issues. I made a custom plug and play connector out of the factory Bose radio by unsoldering the plug from the back radio and then soldering it to the ASWC wires. By doing this you don't have to splice into the factory harness. What year vehicle are you installing it in? If you are around the SoCal area I'd be glad to help you out.

I also have an 03 coupe....with a pioneer 3300BT receiver....id appreciate any help....

I dont really understand what part u took of the bose and soldered.

Ok here’s the deal. Look at the back of your Bose unit. You will see 4 female plugs, 2 black and 2 white. Look at the white ones. The one you will use is the white 16 pin plug which is the nearest to the antenna port. Basically just start removing screws until the metal part on top (highlighted in blue) comes off. It is a bit difficult but it can be done. After you get the cover off there will be some more small metal pieces inside holding the 2 white plugs in place. Pry them off and you will be left with the 2 white plugs which are soldered onto the circuit board. Take some very small cutters and snip each pin flush with the circuit board. Once you cut all the pins you should be left with the plug in your hand. Now hold the plug in your hand and get a small pair of needle nose pliers. Go in from the front of the plug and remove all the pins you don’t need by grabbing each little pin with the pliers and pulling. Remember to do this from the front of the plug not the back. Once you complete this you should have a little white plug with 3 pins still in it. Use another set of very small pair of needle nose pliers to loop the back of each pin. Solder the wires from the ASWC to the corresponding pins. See my diagram for how to do this. After the wires are soldered put some heat shrink over each pin/wire. Now you should have a plug and play harness for your AWSC.

Connections-
You will only use 4 wires on the AWSC harness: Black, Red, Gray/Red and White/Green.
Pin 11 on the plug you made will go to ground.
1) Connect the Black wire of the ASWC to ground. You may use the same grounding point as the aftermarket radio.
2) Connect the Red wire of the ASWC to a 12 volt accessory wire, one that turns on and off with the ignition key.
3) Connect the Gray/Red wire of the ASWC to pin 4 of your plug.
4) Connect the White/Green wire of the ASWC to pin 13 of your plug.
5) Solder a piece of wire on pin 11 of your plug Connect that wire to a good ground.

After everything is all connected plug in the male 3.5mm connector of the ASWC into the back of the aftermarket radio, designated for an external SWC control interface. Please refer to the aftermarket radios manual if you are in doubt where the 3.5mm connector of the ASWC goes. Once all connections have been made, plug in the aftermarket radio if not done already.
* If this is the first time the ASWC is being installed:
1) Turn the ignition on; the led will start flashing rapidly which means the ASWC is looking for the vehicle and the radio. Go to step 3.
OR
* If the ASWC was installed before:
1) Turn the ignition on, the led will flash slowly
2) Hold down the reset button for more then 2 seconds but less then 10 seconds, the led
will start flashing rapidly
3) Push and hold the Volume Up button.
4) After a couple of seconds the led should stop flashing and not light up for 2 seconds.
At this point do not push any buttons.
5) After the 2 seconds there will be a series of 7 flashes, some short and some long.
6) The led will pause for another 2 seconds then flash up to 9 times. 7) This is the end of the auto detection stage. If the ASWC detected the vehicle and the
radio successfully the led will light up solid red.
8) Make sure the steering wheel control buttons function correctly in the vehicle and
enjoy your radio.

Most of this info is directly from the Axess website. See here http://documents.victorytechnologies...icle/10985.pdf
If you have any more trouble let me know. I tried to be as clear as possible. If it wasn’t such a pain I’d remove my stereo and take some pics of my wiring. Like I said if you are in the SoCal area I’d be glad to help out. Let me know if you need more info.