New Owner need help with cd Changer

[fox32223]

I have a 99 NSX that is all stock.
Bought CD changer from ebay, was told it was from a 94 NSX. It does have the "NSX" logo on the front, and had the NSX mounting bracket.

So far ebay has been a bad experience, and I just found this website. I feel much better dealing with people that know my car.

The 5'-6' cable in my trunk was missing, so I connected it to that 6" peice of cable that comes though the back "firewall." The Head unit knows the changer is there, the changer cycles though all disks, put it won't play the disks. Any suggestions?

Another question: Do they have different finishes on the radios though the different years of the NSX? All of my interior componnets have a dull black finish, but the my radio is "shiny" black. I'm wondering if my radio was replaced.

Could there be an incompatibility with my Head unit and CD changer?

 

[D'Ecosse]

Welcome to 'Prime!
I think you just need the extension cable - there is a pin-swap between the NSX component & the Alpine market-wide system; so without the exetnsion cable you don't have the correct interconnect. See details of this here

 

[fox32223]

Well, I now have more insight, but I still have questions.

Will all OEM Bose head units work with all OEM CD units units with no modifications?

Did they make cosmetic changes to the Head Units over the years?

Is the pin swap mentioned in the FAQ's in the short cable in the trunk?

Greg

 

[Inexcess]

Will all OEM Bose head units work with all OEM CD units units with no modifications?

Any M-Bus 6 disc Alpine can be controlled by the NSX head unit. The dual mode Ai-Net/MBus CHA-S6x4 series are controllable, but need to be used in M-Bus mode - there is a switch on the unit. Also needed for the CHA-S6x4 series is the Ai-Net to M-Bus Adaptor cable.

Did they make cosmetic changes to the Head Units over the years?

I don't think so

Is the pin swap mentioned in the FAQ's in the short cable in the trunk?

No it is in the long cable that the factory kit uses if you mount it on the passenger side. I made my own that swapped the pins and put the changer on the drivers side with velcro holding it to the trunk floor. It can be moved if it is ever necessary to put the tire in the trunk. BTW the DIN plug has slightly offset holes in it so if you use something like standard 8 pin radio shack plugs you have to bend 2 of the male pins with a slight "z" bend to make it fit. But it works like a charm. My changer is from a 92' Legend that I had years ago.

 

[D'Ecosse]

Will all OEM Bose head units work with all OEM CD units units with no modifications?

Just to clarify what you mean by OEM - I assume you mean the stock Honda/Acura Bose head as supplied in the NSX and the Honda/Acura version of the Alpine changer as supplied in the NSX or other Acura vehicles:
Then yes, all versions of that changer will work - see more information about the various model changes through the years here

However you can also utilize the commercially available M-bus Alpine changers by using the adapters mentioned. Note that if you buy a commecially available Alpine unit it should work with your "short cable coming out of the firewall" without any pin-swaps.

You can also install the latest Alpine mp3 changer by following these instructions

(Note that the very first adapter mentioned in this article is the cable to swap the gender back from the swapped honda cable - confused?)
You can probably use this cable to satisfy your "swap" needs for your Honda style changer or just eliminate it if you decide to go the commercially available Alpine route but use the other adapter & instructions if it's an Ai-Net unit.

 

[Inexcess]

However you can also utilize the commercially available M-bus Alpine changers by using the adapters mentioned. Note that if you buy a commecially available Alpine unit it should work with your "short cable coming out of the firewall" without any pin-swaps.

(Note that the very first adapter mentioned in this article is the cable to swap the gender back from the swapped honda cable - confused?)
You can probably use this cable to satisfy your "swap" needs for your Honda style changer or just eliminate it if you decide to go the commercially available Alpine route but use the other adapter & instructions if it's an Ai-Net unit.

That was not my experience. I have a commercial Alpine (630) and my car never had the OEM changer installed and I did not have the long extension cable. I plugged into the short cable and had to use a swapped pin short conversion cable for it to work. Or should I totally confuse the issue and say that I never tried it directly into the factory harness without the swapped pin adapter cable. Any who my non-oem alpine works with a swapped pin cable adapter.....

 

[D'Ecosse]

You think it's confusing so far??? Read on!

Well, I now have more insight, but I still have questions.
Is the pin swap mentioned in the FAQ's in the short cable in the trunk?

No it is in the long cable that the factory kit uses if you mount it on the passenger side. I made my own that swapped the pins and put the changer on the drivers side with velcro holding it to the trunk floor.

That was not my experience. I have a commercial Alpine (630) and my car never had the OEM changer installed and I did not have the long extension cable. I plugged into the short cable and had to use a swapped pin short conversion cable for it to work. Or should I totally confuse the issue and say that I never tried it directly into the factory harness without the swapped pin adapter cable. Any who my non-oem alpine works with a swapped pin cable adapter.....

Sorry Tom - these two statements seem in conflict.
In the first one you appear to be saying that for a "stock" changer the pin-swap is in the extension cable that runs from the drivers side over to the passenger side. From my original statement above I concurred with that - I thought from recollection & being endorsed by you that this was a correct statement. After further research to verify however, that is incorrect. I now remember going through this saga in gorey detail before.

In your second post I would deduce that the pin swap is in the long cable between the head unit & the part that exits the rear firewall in the trunk (referred to as the "short" cable by fox32222).
That I believe is the correct answer and is also borne out by further research.

Taj actually posts a procedure here , very similar to yours on how to modify the actual cable. Unfortunately the pictures are not linking, but the procedure is good. (If you want to see the pictures however, put your cursor over each red cross, right click & check properties - cut & paste the URL of the picture address into the address bar & you should get the picture displayed. When I then click "back" the picture is now embedded back in the original post again. This is because Imagestation won't allow direct linking any more, but this method will make it work - repeat for all the pictures)

OK - I think you'll have the whole story here - be sure to follow it all the way to the end! Final conclusion is the original pin swap is in the "long" cable fron the head to the trunk. So back to fox32223's original question - either that cd changer is not Honda specific, or there is a problem with it. The adapter is an cheap buy, so pick one up at Circuit City or mail-order & try it & see if it solves your problem - if it doesn't the changer is bad, but you'll need the adapter anyway for a "new" changer if you replace it.

 

[Inexcess]

.
In your second post I would deduce that the pin swap is in the long cable between the head unit & the part that exits the rear firewall in the trunk (referred to as the "short" cable by fox32222).
That I believe is the correct answer and is also borne out by further research.

I think we are in violent agreement but the nomenclature is pretty confusing I agree.

I think that whatever we call the cable from the head unit to the trunk that comes standard with any car has the pins swapped from what Alpine would consider a standard commercial configuration. Therefore in my case I made an adapter that re-swapped the pins and it works.

I must confess that I'm ASSUMING (we all know what that means) that the OEM changer is really a regular old Alpine and that the extension cable that comes with it to mount the unit on the right side of trunk re-swaps the pins also. It could also be the case that the OEM changer has the swap internally and the extension cable does nothing. I don't really know.

However if you don't think that I will not understand the affirmative solution presented I will not ever consider the opposite point negatively.

 

[D'Ecosse]

However if you don't think that I will not understand the affirmative solution presented I will not ever consider the opposite point negatively.

I don't disagree this is not without its points of ambiguity!
I hope this thread is not viewed as simply floccinaucinihilipilification.

 

[fox32223]

Well guys thanks for all the info. I'm really glad I found this website.

I will get one of those extension cables, but I'm not sure if that will fix the problem. The head unit knows there is a changer connected,a nd the changer will cycle through all the cd's when it's first powered on, but after it cycles though the cd's the head unit can't control the changer. According to the articles I've head here on this site it should just have static in the speakers. Any other opinions?

 

[NSXsan]

Well guys thanks for all the info. I'm really glad I found this website.

I will get one of those extension cables, but I'm not sure if that will fix the problem. The head unit knows there is a changer connected,a nd the changer will cycle through all the cd's when it's first powered on, but after it cycles though the cd's the head unit can't control the changer. According to the articles I've head here on this site it should just have static in the speakers. Any other opinions?

IMO the CD changer is something wrong, maybe the laser its gone, thats why can read all the disc but can't play after that, hmm confusing

 

[fox32223]

I need one of those extension cables for in the trunk. Anyone have one of those? All I have now is that little 6" peice hanging out of the fire wall.