New Mazda 6-cd In-dash Changer
02-03-2003, 11:40 PM
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,985
Vosko - yes, it works.. sounds great, too! Better than the Bose CD player.
Leetheslacker - Thank you!
Joe Flo - Thanks for the compliment! It's factory Mazda (manufactured by Panasonic); that may explain the natural look! It was a drop in, minus the *tad* mod I had to do to the dash - between the 2 DIN stereos on the Bose system (Cd and tuner/tape), there is a seperator bar (of molded plastic), in the under-trim on the dash.. I had to *gulp* cut it off. I also had to remove the stabilizing plastic from the bottom of the stereo (one screw). I used the Scoshe (sp) Factory Amplifier Integration ($49.99 Crutchfield) to reduce the impedance and gain.
There is only one little tiny problem I've experienced, and that's with the lighting. Seems the dimmer on the later Mazdas works differently than in the FD.. When the lights come on, the stereo display goes dark.. I'm going to work with this and try to resolve it, but otherwise I'll just unplug the dimmer wire. Oh, and the display is green, so it does not match the factory backlight. I believe it's an LED-backlit LCD, so I may try and change the LED's out to an amber color.. we'll see.
Six CD's in the dash is fookin' noice! and the unit was $173 shipped, with a labeled and color coded wiring harness!! made the install a breeze!
Leetheslacker - Thank you!
Joe Flo - Thanks for the compliment! It's factory Mazda (manufactured by Panasonic); that may explain the natural look! It was a drop in, minus the *tad* mod I had to do to the dash - between the 2 DIN stereos on the Bose system (Cd and tuner/tape), there is a seperator bar (of molded plastic), in the under-trim on the dash.. I had to *gulp* cut it off. I also had to remove the stabilizing plastic from the bottom of the stereo (one screw). I used the Scoshe (sp) Factory Amplifier Integration ($49.99 Crutchfield) to reduce the impedance and gain.
There is only one little tiny problem I've experienced, and that's with the lighting. Seems the dimmer on the later Mazdas works differently than in the FD.. When the lights come on, the stereo display goes dark.. I'm going to work with this and try to resolve it, but otherwise I'll just unplug the dimmer wire. Oh, and the display is green, so it does not match the factory backlight. I believe it's an LED-backlit LCD, so I may try and change the LED's out to an amber color.. we'll see.
Six CD's in the dash is fookin' noice! and the unit was $173 shipped, with a labeled and color coded wiring harness!! made the install a breeze!
02-04-2003, 11:07 AM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: California
Posts: 22,465
i was playing with the single din mazda decks a couple of years ago, the 2001+ miatas light up orange.
so i was gonna swap the orange part, it turns out that the face plate beween bose and not bose are different. i never got around to going further though
mike
so i was gonna swap the orange part, it turns out that the face plate beween bose and not bose are different. i never got around to going further though
mike
02-05-2003, 06:12 PM
#9
Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Amityville, New York
Posts: 12,288
its normal for radios to dim a bit when you turn the lights on
I wouldnt let it bother me if I was you.
My Sony has a wire just for dimming purposes.
They dim because you dont need the radio as bright
at night.
I wouldnt let it bother me if I was you.
My Sony has a wire just for dimming purposes.
They dim because you dont need the radio as bright
at night.
02-05-2003, 11:08 PM
#10
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 4,985
Thanks Rob, That's not what I meant..
As soon as the "dimmer" wire is triggered (+12V), the display uses THAT as the voltage for the LED backlit LCD.. Since the wiring is different, the LED backlight goes BLANK, making the LCD invisible. None of the stereo's function lamps come on (no lite-up buttons). I think the key is to ground the (1F) wire to the radio chassis. That *should* complete the circut and allow the dimmer to control the stereo... If I read my schematics correctly. I'll try it as soon as the weather clears, otherwise... no dimmer, it's not that bright.
As soon as the "dimmer" wire is triggered (+12V), the display uses THAT as the voltage for the LED backlit LCD.. Since the wiring is different, the LED backlight goes BLANK, making the LCD invisible. None of the stereo's function lamps come on (no lite-up buttons). I think the key is to ground the (1F) wire to the radio chassis. That *should* complete the circut and allow the dimmer to control the stereo... If I read my schematics correctly. I'll try it as soon as the weather clears, otherwise... no dimmer, it's not that bright.