4200 Radio & Satnav upgrade

Sablewolf

Member
Messages
103
Thanks again for that Gooner. Those connectors came connected together so I'll make sure I disconnect them when I change over the ACC and BATT connectors as you mentioned.

Did you put the main Pioneer unit in the NIT frame? I gave mine away with the NIT.... I'll have to find another way of mounting it...

I changed the whole antenna (on the rear wing) for a dual FM/DAB one and ran the cable through when I was taking the reversing camera cables through. It looks just like the original but just has a 'normal' FM connector and a DAB connector on it - avoids having to remove the windscreen trim but does mean you have to take the trim out of the boot - but if you're planning on fitting a reversing camera then that would be the time to do both. Good DAB and FM reception on it:
CAMWAY Universal Roof Mount Active Amplified DAB + FM Radio Car 5M Aerial Antenna Mast 2 in 1: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

This is the reversing camera I fitted:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B071R3HJ6Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It tucks neatly in above the licence place (You can see it just under the 'r' in maserati):

79062
 

Gooner

Member
Messages
443
I did mount the main Pioneer unit on the NIT frame. I couldn’t be bothered to drill new mounting holes so used some double sided velcro tape just to keep it located. The frame and the rubber end stop take the weight. Shame if you haven’t got one but I guess any basic frame will do.

Thanks for the reversing camera link, that looks exactly what I need. If I find the route for the camera cable I might change the aerial at the same time. I suspect it might be harder in the Spyder because you’ve got the hood between the boot and the cabin.

The Pioneer unit has a cable to activate the reverse camera as well as the signal input. I guess I’ll have to check that the camera cables match, I had assumed they are all standard.
 

Navcorr

Member
Messages
3,839
If I find the route for the camera cable I might change the aerial at the same time. I suspect it might be harder in the Spyder because you’ve got the hood between the boot and the cabin.
My cables route from the n/s corner, behind the alarm mounting, and into the roof compartment via a hole in the framework. To the side of the tonneau cover hinge. It might be a services hole or maybe a locator point for the press jig. Not certain buts it was ideal. I used a grommet to protect the cables. 36mm from memory. Alternatively, if you're running just the one cable there is a route via the hinge opening but this wouldn't be my first choice. The cables then run behind the roof compartment lining. The rubber seal lifts easily and the cable are kept out of harms way. Finally, behind the rear bulkhead cover to the center console.
 

Navcorr

Member
Messages
3,839
Thanks a lot for that, you’ve saved me a lot of time trying to figure it out.
Glad to help - sharing info. is what forums should be about imo. Like your post a while ago re: roof straps. I'd considered a number of routes but when that hole presented itself it couldn't have been better. Found it with an inspection camera - very handy on these cars.
 

k1coupe

Junior Member
Messages
99
This white plug is from the back of the OEM Head unit.
Pins 1+3 (either side of the blue wire) put the hazard lights on when you put them together (with a switch of course). Pin 6 is Yellow & Black and takes 7 volts to power the lower centre dash lights. Pins 4+5 area handy source of 12v (battery/continuous & ACC). I didn’t find a use for pin 2 (blue) though..

View attachment 73231
"Pins 4+5 area handy source of 12v (battery/continuous & ACC"?
Pin 4 , the brown wire , is GND.
Is Pin 5 , 12V from battery or switched to 12V when ignition key is in?
Did you find what the Pin 2 , Blue wire is?
Also regarding extending the antenna cable behind NIT, the plug is different, what kind of plug or
extension cable you used to connect it to new radio?

79612
 

Gooner

Member
Messages
443
"Pins 4+5 area handy source of 12v (battery/continuous & ACC"?
Pin 4 , the brown wire , is GND.
Is Pin 5 , 12V from battery or switched to 12V when ignition key is in?
Did you find what the Pin 2 , Blue wire is?
Also regarding extending the antenna cable behind NIT, the plug is different, what kind of plug or
extension cable you used to connect it to new radio?

View attachment 79612

That’s an ISO aerial connector. Most new stereos use DIN connectors. Adaptors are easily available and cheap.
 

Sablewolf

Member
Messages
103
Pin 6 is Yellow & Black and takes 7 volts to power the lower centre dash lights. Pins 4+5 area handy source of 12v (battery/continuous & ACC). I didn’t find a use for pin 2 (blue) though..

I think from memory 4 is 12v continuous (battery) and 5 is ACC (switched with ignition) but it's very simple to check with a meter between either of those pins and earth...

My car is in the workshop at the moment so not able to check. I'm in the process or taking out the Android PC and replacing it with a Pioneer (as Gooner has - same model) but cant finish it until the car comes back to me. I think somewhere there is a list of pin outs for all the NIT connections - I did have it but now can't find it I'm afraid - The list of pin outs was either on here or on Maserati Life.

As Gooner said, that's an ISO antenna connector. Either buy an adaptor to plug it into your new unit, or if you're replacing the antenna anyway buy one with the connector your require.

I don't recall using the blue wire but it's a while ago now that I did the initial conversion so can't remember. I did post a whole raft of stuff at the time I did it so if you search on 'sablewolf' it should find everything I've posted on the subject (and others)
 

Sablewolf

Member
Messages
103
BTW - I’m assuming you have a multimeter but if you don’t, then you could use a 12v bulb (eg turn signal bulb) and a couple of bits of wire to check which wires are live and when (ie battery or ignition switched)
 

k1coupe

Junior Member
Messages
99
Pin 6 is Yellow & Black and takes 7 volts to power the lower centre dash lights. Pins 4+5 area handy source of 12v (battery/continuous & ACC). I didn’t find a use for pin 2 (blue) though..

I think from memory 4 is 12v continuous (battery) and 5 is ACC (switched with ignition) but it's very simple to check with a meter between either of those pins and earth...

My car is in the workshop at the moment so not able to check. I'm in the process or taking out the Android PC and replacing it with a Pioneer (as Gooner has - same model) but cant finish it until the car comes back to me. I think somewhere there is a list of pin outs for all the NIT connections - I did have it but now can't find it I'm afraid - The list of pin outs was either on here or on Maserati Life.

As Gooner said, that's an ISO antenna connector. Either buy an adaptor to plug it into your new unit, or if you're replacing the antenna anyway buy one with the connector your require.

I don't recall using the blue wire but it's a while ago now that I did the initial conversion so can't remember. I did post a whole raft of stuff at the time I did it so if you search on 'sablewolf' it should find everything I've posted on the subject (and others)
The reason I mentioned Pin 4 (brown) is that I am certain that it is Ground and you mentioned blown fuses before, just wanted to make sure you know it is Ground and not short a 12V to it.I know pin 5 is 12V but with my battery disconnected thought it's easier to ask than reconnect battery to see if it's switched 12v or continuous 12V.
I found the OEM to antenna adapter (VWA3B $6.29 on ebay) and 3' antenna extension.
There are mating connectors for the white 6 pin and the 2 eight pin behind the NIT, I suggest if you did not cut wires of your car harness, just order connectors and just plug in the new radio connections, if you need details about connectors let me know.


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Sablewolf

Member
Messages
103
Ah, thanks for that. The connectors on the pioneer match those in the car so they just connect straight together so no adaptors needed.
 

CatmanV2

Member
Messages
48,538
BTW - I’m assuming you have a multimeter but if you don’t, then you could use a 12v bulb (eg turn signal bulb) and a couple of bits of wire to check which wires are live and when (ie battery or ignition switched)

These are ace for this kind of stuff:


C
 

k1coupe

Junior Member
Messages
99
Apparently if I put 7v on the yellow & black wire of the white multi connector it will put the lower dash lights on. The suggested solution is to take a wire from the headlights, reduce it to 7v so that when headlights are on it will illuminate the lower dash. I’ll be trying that as soon as I get a step down transformer (as I’m not great with working out resistor values!). Will update when I’ve tried it!
So far I’ve made up and filled the bezel (which needed a bit of trimming on the inside for new head unit to fit and offered it up into place. It all fits (very tightly!). I started pruning it last night but here’s the bezel and screen in place (but not connected yet) - just trying it for fit
I am trying to find out more about this 7Volt, so any info as how you come across this solution is appreciated as there are unusual
things about the 7V here:
  1. Backlights are usually and easily generated from 12V source and that has been supplied to the AC dials already.
  2. Feeding 7V to yellow/black wire implies that the NIC display unit was sourcing it and has on it circuit to step down 12V to 7V.
had a quick look at NIT display PCB, I do not see such circuit.
 

Sablewolf

Member
Messages
103
I am trying to find out more about this 7Volt, so any info as how you come across this solution is appreciated as there are unusual
things about the 7V here:
  1. Backlights are usually and easily generated from 12V source and that has been supplied to the AC dials already.
  2. Feeding 7V to yellow/black wire implies that the NIC display unit was sourcing it and has on it circuit to step down 12V to 7V.
had a quick look at NIT display PCB, I do not see such circuit.
I came across the solution on maseratilife originally. If I remember correctly, the guy said it was a professional car audio shop that found the solution but I can’t remember the name of the guy who posted it.
It definitely works as proven on my own and a couple of other guys cars here in UK.
Absolutely DO NOT Put 12volts down that wire - find a converter and reduce 12v down to 7v. It doesn’t really matter where you take the 12v from. For ease of instal I took it from acc so it’s always on but if you take it from the switched side of a lighting circuit they will only come on when you turn on the light switch.
Hope that helps
 

Gooner

Member
Messages
443
FWIW this is the the buck converter I have been using for the last couple of months exactly as Sablewolf describes. It’s set to convert 12V to 7V. I wired it to come on with the lights so the same as if the NIT was still there.

 

k1coupe

Junior Member
Messages
99
I came across the solution on maseratilife originally. If I remember correctly, the guy said it was a professional car audio shop that found the solution but I can’t remember the name of the guy who posted it.
It definitely works as proven on my own and a couple of other guys cars here in UK.
Absolutely DO NOT Put 12volts down that wire - find a converter and reduce 12v down to 7v. It doesn’t really matter where you take the 12v from. For ease of instal I took it from acc so it’s always on but if you take it from the switched side of a lighting circuit they will only come on when you turn on the light switch.
Hope that helps

I have 12V to 7V stepdown converter, these are the pinout of the White 6 pin connector that used to power up NIT's display:

Pin 6 Yellow/Black wire ,????

Pin 5 Red wire ,Switched 12V

Pin 4 Brown wire , car battery 12V

Pin 3 Black wire , GND

Pin 2 Blue wire, ????

Pin 1 Grey/black wire , hazard switch

The switch connects pin 1 to GND and car hazard flasher blink.

As you could see, the 12V source and GND is already available on same connector so no need to look elsewhere for them.
I am already using them to power up the light of my hazard switch but I am not going to connect 7V to yellow black wire yet
till I find out more, the pro audio shops are mostly installers and rarely know and understand electronics circuits( I do).
Here is my Hazard switch pigtail awaiting my radio-bezel to be 3D printed, the white connector mates the NIT's display
6Pin connector and plug into it( I already added 3 wires for stepdown 12V to 7V on this pigtail, in case 7V prove to be needed).

80597

By the way,it is easy to find out if 7V story is true (except around here till March that below freezing in garage), plug in the white 6pin connector to original
NIT display, measure the voltage on yellow/black wire to GND, is it 7V?(hope you know how to use a voltmeter). If not, consider this too: little backlight bulbs
that light with 12V also light up with 7V. And if you do measure 7V there, you proved that there is a step down 12V to 7V converter on NIT's display PCB or
the display unit just commands the AC dials below by 7V to light up.
 
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titanwood

New Member
Messages
3
so I am another person jumping on the change your stereo bandwagon....

putting in a alpine system, going through all the threads for hazard wiring and 7v stepdown etc...

all good, everything moving forward but then I run into this: the hazard lights everybody says jump wires 1 and 3 and nobody knows what the blue wire does.... is my car the only one with a tiny circuit board connecting wire 1 with the blue? Do i just ignore this, cut it out and continue with a switch between 1 and 3?834638346483465
 

k1coupe

Junior Member
Messages
99
This is the pinout of the 6 pin connector as been indicated on:


80971


The pinout for the car 6Pin connector Is:
Pin 6 Yellow/Black wire ,???? ( This is the pin that if given 7V the AC back lights turn ON)
Pin 5 Red wire ,Switched 12V
Pin 4 Brown wire , car battery 12V
Pin 3 Black wire , GND
Pin 2 Blue wire, ????
Pin 1 Grey/black wire , hazard switch

Pin 1 ,hazard switch,if grounded makes the hazard light blink, you could ground it to pin 3 of the same connector that happen to be Ground, or you could ground it to
any metal on car chassis to make the hazard switch blink, normally you ground pin 1 by pressing a push button switch.
The tiny board you have do not interrupt hazard Pin 1 (gray/black) wire connection of two connectors that you have in above photo, and therefore DOES NOT AFFECT
HAZARD OPERATION.
The Blue wire ( pin 2) is connected to 2 pins of A6A1 IC from each side on the tiny board . I do not know what that A6A1 is but do know Pin 1 voltage is 12V when
it is not Grounded (this is typical if Pin 1 comes from coil of a relay and other end of that coil is connected to 12V and when you Ground Pin 1 that relay picks and
the hazard blinker and lights are turned ON).
Knowing that Pin 1,one of the 2 wires that connect to right side of tiny IC has either 12V (when switch is not pressed ) or zero volt (when switch is pressed), and it is also connected to A6A1, If the A6A1 pin that it is connected to is an input then Grey/Black wire modifies Pin 2 electrically, If the A6A1 pin that it is connected to is an output then blue wire may control Grey/Black wire and ground it , making hazard lights blink and that would be a second way to have those lights blink, , I do not know which is true before
finding A6A1 IC data sheet.
This tiny board and pigtail wire with 2 white connectors does not exist on my 2004 Coupe, could be an option on your Spyder.
SO THERE IS NO REASON TO CUT THE BLUE WIRE, just buy yourself a hazard switch, connect one leg of the switch to Pin 1 and ground the other leg of switch.
 
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