General Bye UConnect, say hi to Pioneer

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General Bye UConnect, say hi to Pioneer

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Jan 11, 2015
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Hi,
today I finished the bigger part of the radio conversion. New radio is in place, original microphone is attached and works fine, now all I still have to do is to install the 'Connects2 Infodapter' steering wheel control cable as soon as it arrives (it was missing in the kit I received in the first place), and to connect the rear view cam to the reverse light.
New radio works fine, looks good IMO, only issue is that the bay of the 500L is not really fitted for a full size 2DIN radio and I had to cut away some plastic. Still the radio is not sitting 100 % perfect and there is a 2mm gap on the upper edge of the fascia.

Brandy
 

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Now I have another issue ? turned out that my new Pioneer restarts each time the start&stop restarts the engine. Either the Connects2 harness does not connect the correct inputs, or the original radio has a built in power stabilizer that the Pioneer doesn't have. Seems I need another component ...
 
Wow. I haven't taken a look at the DIY project as I have been busy with work.

It's looking good and a superb job :), a bit of a shame that we are having this extra bug with start and stop :(

I wonder if it could be a radio issue? I'd contact both Pioneer and Connects2 for clarification about this as this doesn't seem right. Maybe the battery needs to be charged a bit more longer in short journeys to ensure that there is enough reserve power for the radio?

Do your headlights flicker or dim as soon as the start-stop system initiates as that could be a tail sign for the battery issue? If it does not occur, then it all points down to the aftermarket wiring that Connects2 has provided by adapting the uconnect cable to iso power + speaker.
 
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Hi,

I have contacted connects2 and they said it must be a radio issue :p and suggested to use a power stabilizer. I did't want to invest more hours investigating and have ordered an Alpine KPX-100B unit which should arrive this week. It is quite expensive, I also found some chinese units for a fraction of the cost, but since I don't want Luigi to burst into flames because I wanted to save 80 Euro, I decided to buy the expensive Alpine part.
I just have to find a place for the unit, since the radio bay is already cramped with cables, plugs and the connects2 unit :p
Apart from that, I am quite amazed by the possibilities of the Android Auto unit. If you add locations to your appointments in Google Calendar, the radio will (when connecting the mobile) immediately display the upcoming appointment, and by 1 tap you can start the navigation to there (y) 'OK Google' works great as well.
I had to install a different audio app since the original ZTE audio player did not show up on Android Auto. Spotify works great.
Currently, when shifting into reverse, the radio displays not the camera view but a view of a car from above, apparently created from the connects2 adapter. I guess I will be able to change that as soon as the steering wheel controls cable is installed.

Brandy
 
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Update, now after fitting the steering wheel control cable, everything works fine. Almost everything. I also fitted the Alpine power stabilizer, but still the radio restarts every time the S&S kicks in and starts the engine.
I think it has to do with the fact that the car does not supply a separated ACC cable (which is switched on by the ignition switch) but supplies only power that is not switched off when turning off the ignition.
Apparently, the information that the ignition was switched off is communicated to the UConnect via CAN bus. The connects2 adapter supplies the aftermarket radio with an ACC signal which it switches on/off also depending on information from the CAN bus. I suspect that stabilizing the input voltage to the connects2 is not enough, and I also need to 'stabilize' the connects2 generated ACC signal.
This is getting more difficult than I expected ))))

At least, after some more work on the radio bay, the radio and fascia sits perfectly without gaps.

Brandy
 
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Update, now after fitting the steering wheel control cable, everything works fine. Almost everything. I also fitted the Alpine power stabilizer, but still the radio restarts every time the S&S kicks in and starts the engine.
I think it has to do with the fact that the car does not supply a separated ACC cable (which is switched on by the ignition switch) but supplies only power that is not switched off when turning off the ignition.
Apparently, the information that the ignition was switched off is communicated to the UConnect via CAN bus. The connects2 adapter supplies the aftermarket radio with an ACC signal which it switches on/off also depending on information from the CAN bus. I suspect that stabilizing the input voltage to the connects2 is not enough, and I also need to 'stabilize' the connects2 generated ACC signal.
This is getting more difficult than I expected ))))

At least, after some more work on the radio bay, the radio and fascia sits perfectly without gaps.

Brandy

I feel sad that it is still not working :mad:

I just found out that the newer 7 inch model is apparently compatible, someone had the balls to do it after many people saying the body computer won't accept it.

You could look into this alternative as well :eek:

Perfect :D

I thought it would have been an easy proxi alignment.

I did notice that some people actually got the 7' model working on our 5' model so all that ******** the Fiat engineers are telling us about the body computer not accepting it is wrong :mad:

I saw this thread, where they replaced the frame (but you could cut the original frame) (I think from the translation) http://www.cinquecentisti.com/forum/uconnect-e-audio/68123-nav-7-pollici.html and then performing an proxi alignment with the nav model, similar to what you have done ;)

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So, I finally found the time to fix the issue. Everything works great now !

I removed the Alpine box (which is of no use, apparently) and used a electrolyte capacitor (3300 uF, 64 V) to stabilize the power. To prevent the energy from the capacitor from flowing back into the car's electrical system, I used a Schottky diode (type SBX2040). Both parts are worth 2,50 Euro, plus 2 Euro for a small plastic case. The radio now 'survives' the power loss while the engine is started. The only kinda odd behavior is that the radio keeps playing for approx 2-3 seconds after the ignition is shut off. I can live with that ;)

Here is how to connect the parts.


view
 
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Hi! I own 500L 2018.
I dislike uconnect, and bought an android head unit with a built-in 360 panorama system.

I tried to install it. Fascia from Aliexpress does not fit 2018+ models but nothing can stand Dremel :)

Now I trying to install all four cameras. For the front camera, I bought a cheap logo, drilled 18mm hole, and attached the camera stands made from wall plugs with soda+superglue.

So I have a question. How did you connect the original microphone?

p.s. The canmodule shipped with the unit is perfect. Everything just works - camera (I'll replace it though with 4 panoramic ones), steering wheel controls, door sensors, even wheel trajectory! Sound just perfect with a TDA7850 chip. Fascia is not fitting and need some work with a Dremel, but when the unit is attached everything fine. A Unit can take the internet from a phone via Bluetooth. And a built-in 360 system is just the greatest thing ever (I tested an app and connected cameras but didn't install cameras yet). Everything just for $300 (or even less - $230 for unit and $55 for cameras set)
 

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Great work (y)

Regarding the microphone - I sold my 500L in the meantime. As far as I remember, the PIN allocation of the standard radio, including the PINs for the microphone, were shown on a sticker on the radio. I simply soldered wires onto the original cabling, without cutting the original wires.

Brandy
 
Hi,
If you remember where back camera cable was attached to uconnect radio?
Thanks!
 
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