Hi all, a while back I posted a question about hooking up a stereo from a WH statesman into my VX Berlina and getting the steering wheel controls to work. Not too much was known about this so I thought I'd investigate it the hard way. I had read that a lot of people in other threads have said it won't work due to a number of reasons, but I tested it out and behold, it works!!
I thought I would outline what I have done to be of assistance to others trying the same thing. Unfortunately I don't have a camera, so I can't post any pictures at the moment.
The steering wheel buttons on VX exec's and berlina's is controlled via the BCM, that is Steering Wheel Controls > BCM > Stereo. The BCM interprets the voltage changes in the steering wheel controls and then sends a signal to the headunit.
The VX / VT Calais' and WH statesman's are a little different. I'm sure anyone who has had a look at the back of one of these stereos would be familiar with the fact that there is an extra 6 or 12 pin connector in addition to the standard connector in all VT / VX models. Steering wheel controls in these models are linked directly to the headunit. There is no BCM involved.
BTW, I will not take any responsibility for any damage caused to your yourself of your vehicle. This information is used at your own risk, as there may be some wiring differences that may vary between model and series. Here's what I did:
The wiring from steering wheel controls can be accessed by removing the cover from the steering column as seen in the first image 001 and from there you will see the clock spring connector image 101. It's a good idea to remove the fuse for the airbag or disconnect the battery because we'll be fiddling with wires that run parallel to wiring for the horn and airbag. wires connected to the 3rd and 4th connector (from the left--1 and 2 aren't used) connect the steering wheel controls to the BCM in the Berlina. I cut the wires a little closer to the BCM and spliced them to a new set of wires that run directly to the back of the stereo. The wires on the clock spring connector on the image I have are labelled BR - 515 and B/Y - 701, however in the Berlina, B/Y is actually a different colour (B/W).
Make sure your stereo is disconnected from the main harness. Running these wires I simply hooked them up to the two pins that did the job, BR - 515 to pin 4 and B/Y - 701 to pin 11 on the 12 pin connector on the statesman stereo (image 201), plugged the power back into the unit and hey presto, the controls work as they should!
I have also attached what I believe should work for Berlina / Exec owner's who have a 6 pin connector on the Calais stereo BR - 515 to pin 1 and B/Y - 701 to pin 2 (image 301) but I can't guarantee this works and you can try at your own risk. Just remember the connectors on the last 2 diagrams are based on the pins on the unit itself when you are looking at the back of it and not to the connectors that plug into them.
VT / VX exec / berlina steering wheel controls w/ calais / statesman stereo upgrade
) so i insulated the other pins by stripping some speaker wire and pushing it over them...
Linear Mode
