Welcome to Just Commodores, a site specifically designed for all people who share the same passion as yourself.

New Posts Contact us

Just Commodores Forum Community

It takes just a moment to join our fantastic community

Register

Guide: VT / VX steering wheel controls on stereo upgrade

gsx913

New Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
7
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Members Ride
VXII Berlina
VT / VX exec / berlina steering wheel controls w/ calais / statesman stereo upgrade

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.
 

Attachments

  • 001.GIF
    001.GIF
    6.9 KB · Views: 9,980
  • 101.GIF
    101.GIF
    5.1 KB · Views: 11,734
  • 201.GIF
    201.GIF
    9.8 KB · Views: 5,989
  • 301.GIF
    301.GIF
    7.5 KB · Views: 7,010
Last edited:

garfa

New Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2004
Messages
1,937
Reaction score
22
Points
0
Age
37
Location
SE Victoria
Members Ride
VY SS
bloody good post!

can a mod please link this in to a sticky at the top and also post it in the how to section.

again top stuff for a new member!
 

gsx913

New Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
7
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Members Ride
VXII Berlina
thanks mate, i have a camera on the phone so i'll take a couple of pics so everyone can see it cause i think it's probably easier to understand when you 'see' it. now all I need is the 12 pin plug itself in order to make it permanent. currently the wires are hooked up to the pins on the h/u from pin sleeves i pulled from inside an unused connector I had lying around (don't know what they are called). i can't say that this sort of setup would last (or be safe) as I had already blown a fuse by accidentally touching pin 12 as i was trying to put the sleeve on pin 11 (that's why i suggested disconnecting the radio from it's power source, pin 12 is a backup power out... oops :whistling) so i insulated the other pins by stripping some speaker wire and pushing it over them...

can anyone help with supplying a 12 pin connector for the back of one of these h/u's? i am happy to pay for it and will consider any offers.
 

gsx913

New Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
7
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Members Ride
VXII Berlina
here are the pictures, unfortunately the camera on the phone is not that crash hot, but i thought i'd post them anyway.

the first one is looking top down at the clock spring connector and the next two are the wires connected from the connector to the back of the stereo.

anyone who wants to try this themselves and take better photos... be my guest :)
 

Attachments

  • Image022.jpg
    Image022.jpg
    118.5 KB · Views: 6,276
  • Image024.jpg
    Image024.jpg
    149.6 KB · Views: 10,082
  • Image025.jpg
    Image025.jpg
    103.9 KB · Views: 5,387

gsx913

New Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
7
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Members Ride
VXII Berlina
Just a quick update, the 12 pin connector I have been looking for is the same 12 pin connector that fits to the back of a Berlina / Calais Climate Control Module so they're pretty easy to come by. Hooked it all up and put everything back in it's place. Works exactly like a Calais / Statesman in as much that pressing the previous / next buttons on the wheel while listening to a CD changes the track, while holding it down for longer changes the disc.
 
Last edited:

Bezzey

New Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2011
Messages
154
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Members Ride
VT 99' Series II

Bezzey

New Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2011
Messages
154
Reaction score
2
Points
0
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Members Ride
VT 99' Series II

56_holden

New Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2013
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
SE QLD
Members Ride
VX SS
Mate, not sure whether you're still in the system, but I can't thank you enough for the post about the difference between stato/calais steering wheel controls and the exec level ones. When the wreckers told me the buttons were the same, first thing I did was get on here and find out what was going on, and how i could get them working on my Maestro "upgrade".
Once again the Just Commodores forum wins the day.
I've just got my junction box from Go Tech in Melb, so now I have a better head unit, CD changer, and MP3 connectivity, all with factory look and controls in my SS
 
Top