New head unit in a VY-S: HELP!

[deanhellene]

Hi all,

I'm about to swap my stock Blaupunkt system in my VY-S with a new Sony head unit. I'm also adding a PAC Audio SWI-PS Steering Wheel Control Module so I can still use my steering wheel buttons too. I have a few questions:

- What happens with the functionality of the on-board computer? Will I still see which station/track etc I'm on next to my odometer? Does the on-board computer recognise the new radio?
- Will the radio aerial only be up when the radio's on? (ie Will the aerial drop back down when I'm listening to a CD?)
- Does anyone here use their steering wheel buttons to control another type of radio? How do you find it? Same as before? Better? Worse?

Thanks a lot everyone!

[one_and_only2004]

your on screen display will no longer tell you the radio station, or cd track - you only get this with the stock head unit. It'll still stay on with the key out of the ignition untill you open the door (the same as the stock one does).
Depending on your head unit it might have an ANT remote wire. just hook this up to the ANT remote wire of your car and it should work. My pioneer head unit never had an ANT remote wire, so i put a switch in so i could put it up manually.
I've had experience with the Infra-red CAT aftermarket steering wheel converter for pioneer head units. There's about .1s of a delay at the most - hardly noticeable.

[deanhellene]

How does the steering wheel converter work? Do you program what the buttons do yourself or are they set and can't be programmed?

eg. If I'm listening to the radio and I press NEXT on the head unit, it auto tunes to the next station. Can I program the steering wheel NEXT button to switch to the next preset instead of auto tune like the head unit button does?

[one_and_only2004]

The one i had came setup to convert a VY steering wheel controller to a Pioneer infrared signal. I attatched the wires as per the instructions and it worked...

Sorry i can't help anymore than that.

[alien]

How does the steering wheel converter work? Do you program what the buttons do yourself or are they set and can't be programmed?

The PAC Audio Steering Wheel Controller must be programmed. It will learn your vehicle's buttons. This should be in the manual you get with the device. If you dont get a manual shoot me a PM and i'll send you the details on how to do it.

The wires connect to your wire from the steering wheel and convert it to the bus controller plug which plugs into almost all Sony head units. Check against your model number here: Pac-Audio.com Product Details | iPod Integration for your car and More by Pac-Audio - Connecting you to the future

[scozz76]

for the VY, prog' it for version #3 then prog' your buttons. Follow the programming instructions.

Go to the Pac-Audio website and follow the installation instructions for the Pontiac - GTO. Link below
Pac-audio.com Steering Wheel Interface | iPod Integration for your car and More by Pac-Audio - Connecting you to the future

[lastlegend]

I just replaced my stock VY SS 6 Stacker with a new Alpine 502E DVD head unit and Northfield used a CAT Steering wheel connector which works just like the factory one controls.

The LCD function is gone from the screen on the Dash but all other functions work as it did with the factory unit.

CAT unit is a hard wired device and cost around $229 from Northfield Car Sound up here in Brisbane.

[scozz76]

SWI-PS is about $80AU on Ebay (from USA).