Headunit adapter

Post by **user_3150** » 01 Jun 2004, 00:34

I'm currently looking for a mp3 headunit on ebay but I'm unsure about what I can do to keep the steering wheel controls working. I've looked on various car audio sites and all the adapter's are for Xantia's up to either 1999 or Jan 2000. Mine is A May 2000 Xantia. Any help much appreciated.

Post by **philhoward** » 01 Jun 2004, 01:10

I've got a Sony CDX-MP40, and it works with the autoleads adaptor fine; there is a link piece which gets left or joined, depending on whether or not its a pre- or post-facelift Xantia.
It could be that the dates mentioned are production dates; your Xantia could have been sitting around for a while!
AFAIK, any Sony unit with the "Joystick" socket will work with the Autoleads adaptor, and hence the steering wheel controls.

blueboy2001 · Post by **blueboy2001** » 01 Jun 2004, 02:00

Autoleads adaptors will work with all Xantia's.

andycarter · Post by **andycarter** » 01 Jun 2004, 17:25

instead of an mp3 headunit, have you considered an mstation?
Maplins have recently dropped the price and to me it seemed a much better buy than changing the headunit.
(don't bother with the rf modulator though)
Andy[;)]

VisaGTi16v · Post by **VisaGTi16v** » 01 Jun 2004, 17:31

what is this mstation? I put it into the search engine on maplins page but it didnt find anything

Post by **user_3150** » 02 Jun 2004, 01:27

Thanks for all the replies I was actually looking at getting the Sony cdx-mp40 and keeping the original speakers so what's the sound quality like Phil compared to the standard unit. Also I've got loads of mps disks already so I wanted the mp3 player Andy. Cheers for the replies most helpful.

KevMayer · Post by **KevMayer** » 02 Jun 2004, 03:58

I fitted a Sony head unit with single CD. I fitted the Autoleads adaptor and it all works ok except for..... if I turn the volume up past half way the fuse to the supply for the memory blows and the whole unit goes dead. I keep a pack of spare fuses in the glove box for such an occasion.

mark_sp · Post by **mark_sp** » 02 Jun 2004, 16:17

Blueboy
Sorry but you are incorrect. Autoleads adapters do not work with all Xantias, I have correspondence from Autoleads Technical Support Dept which states this. I have suggested to them that they be more open on this but so far they have not responded. However the car in question should have no problems.
Mark

acrowot · Post by **acrowot** » 02 Jun 2004, 17:21

I would agree with Mark but my understanding from Autoleads is that it is not the Xantia but the type of Sony Headunit used, they say that Sony changed the "coding" used on some of there Headunits (later ones ) and this is what causes the problem, and Autoleads do not intend to update their units. My Sony CDX-CA750X is unworkable with the Autoleads unit. One of the problems being that somtimes when pressing volume up the volume continues to rise to maximum ( quite worrying the first time that happened) as the only way to stop it is to switch the Sony off, the volume down or any other button for that matter are inoperative under these conditions. I am lead to beleive ( by Autoleads ) that other makes of Headunit other than Sony do not have this problem. Autoleads are not very helpful in this matter.

blueboy2001 · Post by **blueboy2001** » 02 Jun 2004, 23:46

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by mark_sp</i>

Blueboy
Sorry but you are incorrect. Autoleads adapters do not work with all Xantias, I have correspondence from Autoleads Technical Support Dept which states this. I have suggested to them that they be more open on this but so far they have not responded. However the car in question should have no problems.
Mark
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I may well be wrong. But I used an Autoleads adaptor with a CDX-MP40 in my 1993 Xantia, and subsequently sold it to a guy using the same HU in a 2000 X Mk2 Xantia and it worked fine, and the supplied instructions stated the lead worked with both types by changing the bullet connectors over depending on Mk1/Mk2.
Perhaps it would be useful to share the information you have from Autoleads - exactly which models of Xantia is the Autoleads adaptor incompatible with?

acrowot · Post by **acrowot** » 03 Jun 2004, 00:43

I wonder if these problems are down to some of these Autoleads units being faulty or outside parameters or whatever and not down to the Xantia or the Radio and Autoleads do not want to admit this and replace these units.My son has a 1996 Xantia with a Sony CA 5850 ( an older model ) and sometimes when he presses volume up it changes station, this he can live with but non the less it should not do this.

volcane305 · Post by **volcane305** » 03 Jun 2004, 04:29

Forget about Sony get an Alpine much better and steering adapters for most cars. Also change the speakers even fairly cheap replacemnts will make a massive difference.

Post by **philhoward** » 03 Jun 2004, 11:27

I've found the CDX-MP40 fine; sound quality is (for me) absolutely fine - my ears give up before the Sony (and the speakers) do!
I sometimes might press one of the buttons repeatidly (?) a bit quickly and it will do something strange, but live with it. I've heard that not all head units work properly with the adaptor, but this one seems to. The rewind or the skip (<< or |<< button I think) doesn't do what it's supposed to sometimes, but the main ones work fine.

mark_sp · Post by **mark_sp** » 03 Jun 2004, 14:33

Blueboy
when you said "works with all xantias" I'm afraid you hit a bit of a sore spot with me as I wasted a fair amount of time and money trying to get an Autoleads adapter to work in my car - 1998 Xantia TD.
After contacting Autoleads Technical Support I was first advised that the adapter should definately work all the functions.
At second contact I was then advised to "modify" the adapter. After modification the adapter still did not work but now I could not return the adapter (I did understand this before-hand)
On third contact Autoleads said that they were fully aware of an 18 month period in Xantia production when Citroen "played about with the pulse patterns from the steering controls" and the adapters did not work with these cars. My car is in this category. As if to rub Salt in the wound they then went onto say that they had 3 Xantia's on their own fleet and that their adapter only worked with one of these cars !
As I said previously I suggested to them that they be a bit more open with this type of information.
Mark

wrinklet1 · Post by **wrinklet1** » 03 Jun 2004, 15:15

Alec, if your thinking of getting a MP3 player take a look at the Blaupunkt DAB52 head unit, 45w output, CD,MP3,AM/FM Radio, MMC Card player (similar to a Digital camera smart card) and a DAB radio player also has a built in Graphic equalizer. I bought one and it is really good. Adaptors are available as are all accesories from www.bluespot.com (Trivial but Blaupunkt is German for blue spot) but look at www.scan.co.uk its a computer place I go to and the place I got my unit from. Watch the today only page as they reduce these units by about £20.
Regards
Paul
PS Cant insert a photo of the unit.