Many cars and trucks manufactured today come with controls installed on their steering wheels to operate the car stereo. This allows the driver to operate the radio without taking their hands off the wheel. If you want to install an aftermarket stereo in your car, then you need to adapt the steering wheel wiring to the radio. This may require removing the lower dash panel under the steering wheel.
Things You Will Need Steering Wheel Control Adapter Show More Instructions
- Check your vehicle manufacturer’s instructions for the color of the wire you are looking for on the radio wire harness. Remove the parts of the control panel that you need and take the radio out of the dash housing.
- Locate the radio harness. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to connect the correct wires from the adapter to the corresponding wire on the radio wiring harness. This model will be different depending on the model.
- Plug the connector of the adapter harness into the port on the back of the radio, called “steering wheel control.”
- Leave the radio out of the dashboard. Turn on the ignition. An LED on the adapter should blink rapidly. Press the volume button on the steering wheel up until it stops flashing for two seconds. This will be followed by a series of flashes, culminating in the LED flashing nine times. The LED will then light constantly. Try the buttons on the radio.
- Reinsert the radio into the dashboard housing. Reassemble the dashboard. Enjoy the added safety benefits of the steering wheel controls.
Change car radio without losing steering wheel controls
Kenwood steering wheel radio controls wiring diagram
The decision to upgrade an old factory stereo is usually pretty easy, but factors like non-standard head units and steering wheel control often complicate things. In the case of steering wheel audio controls, the fear is that factory controls won’t work with a new head unit, and aftermarket solutions are clunky at best.
The fear of losing your steering wheel controls when upgrading your car stereo is largely unfounded, but this type of upgrade is actually more complex than most. Although it is possible to implement aftermarket steering wheel audio controls with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) hardware, it is not a given that any new head unit you buy will work with the steering wheel controls.
In addition to purchasing a compatible head unit replacement, a typical installation scenario also involves purchasing and installing the correct type of steering wheel audio control adapter to facilitate communication between your factory controls and your aftermarket head unit.
How to find the steering wheel control cable
- Radio replacement interface with steering wheel control and factory amplifier integration – For use with harnesses on select 2004-up vehicles – Assign each control a secondary function – Program it yourself with a Windows-based computer
- Maintains certain functions factory installed on vehicles while powered by an aftermarket radio – For select 2004-2012 Ford and Lincoln vehicles – Preprogrammed to maintain steering wheel controls – Maintains factory auxiliary input – Maintains factory-installed subwoofer – Dimensions: 3, 5 ″ long x 2.5 ″ wide x 7 ″ high
- Maintains some factory features when an aftermarket radio is installed – Maintains factory-installed amplifier – Maintains steering wheel controls via built-in, pre-programmed interface – With navigation outputs (reverse, lighting, and speed signal ) – Provides accessory power (2A MAX) – Dimension: 3.5 ″ L x 2.5 ″ W x 7 ″ H
- Maintains factory features while working with an aftermarket radio – Preprogrammed to maintain steering wheel controls – Maintains factory auxiliary input – Includes antenna adapter – Dimension: 3.5 ″ L x 2.5 ″ W x 7 ″ H
How to install the steering wheel control interface
When shopping for a new radio for your car, one of the many questions your product specialist should ask is whether your current radio has steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Almost all aftermarket radios are ready to accept a signal that will provide you with steering wheels audio control features such as volume, source selection, tracking, and power. This is how it all works.
There are two common types of steering wheel control interfaces. The first is resistive; the second is data. Systems that use resistors usually have two wires connected to the switches. Each switch presents a different resistance value when pressed. The factory radio sees these different resistors as different voltages and the radio’s computer responds appropriately. There are usually two wires so that a multitude of switches can have well-separated resistance values to ensure that the functions never overlap.
A small computer is built into the steering wheel control switches in vehicles that use data communication for the steering wheel audio controls. This computer has dedicated inputs for each switch and its function. When a switch on the steering wheel is pressed, the computer sends a digital communication to the radio computer. This communication often takes place on the vehicle’s CAN data network.
Universal controls on the steering wheel
Steering Wheel Controls For Home Audio And Video – You Don’t Have To Miss These When Installing An Aftermarket Radio Spread The Love Modern cars have many features that are very convenient, and now that we’ve gotten used to them, it’s hard to live without them. There are power windows, power locks, remote Controls access systems, and child-proof locks.
Audio controls are another example of a device that has made our lives easier and more comfortable but creates a problem for many owners. Many are concerned that when they upgrade their car stereo they will lose the functionality of the steering wheel controls. However, this does not have to be like this. You don’t have to choose between a better-sounding stereo system and the convenience of the steering wheel controls.
Depending on the type of car and the stereo you have, you can buy an interface that allows you to connect your new stereo to the steering wheel controls. Many of the newer stereo units have device ports that allow connecting them quite quickly and easily.
In fact, the installation of these devices is quite straightforward on most car models, but there are some models where the installation is a bit more complex, so you may have to check the manufacturer’s recommendations to make sure. what can be done?
Related:
- The Best Universal Remote Controls
- How to connect Android to Kenwood car stereo
- Best Bluetooth FM Transmitters
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