My new JVC KW-XR610 will be arriving this week. I'm doing some preplanning so that I don't get too surprised when I actually do the install.
I already know that HVAC steering wheel controls and VF dimming are in series with the OEM radio. If I'm lucky, the enclosed connector and Axxess have the work arounds for both of these issues and all I'll have to do is solder up the adapter harness to the JVC harness, plug in the Axxess, and be done with it.
I know life won't be that simple. I'm pretty sure I'll have to jumper E4-F5 (97 Lesabre FSM) to restore the dimming HVAC display. However, I was wondering if I'd have a similar problem with the steering wheel control for the HVAC. No amount of surfing and googling got me anywhere until I got out my FSM again and looked at the schematics. Of course, the steering wheel controls go through the radio too. (Is this a trick to make us want to like our stereos?... no, don't answer that....) Once I googled jumpering pins E6-E1 (Remote Signal from steering wheel - Remote signal to HVAC) I found Willwren's post when he was installing the JVC in Lisa's LeSabre (or was that Lisa's JVC in Willwren's LeSabre?) It seems from Willwren's thread that the work around was to jumper the E6(dark green)-E1(light green) (1997 Lesabre FSM).
My questions are:
Did you have to jumper the dark green->light green to restore steering wheel control for the HVAC?
Did you also have to jumper purple/white ->yellow to restore the dimming of the HVAC display?
Steering Wheel controls & JVC KW-XR610
Re: Steering Wheel controls & JVC KW-XR610
I installed the JVC yesterday. I was hoping I could maintain HVAC VF dimming and HVAC temperature controls with the new JVC. After reading the following thread
http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... VC#p194007
I figured it would be possible to jumper the light green and dark green wires (on a 99 Lesabre they are pins E1 and E5) to maintain HVAC temperature controls from the steering wheel. Just so that no one else has to go through what I went through, if you have a 99 Lesabre, this does NOT work.
I figure there must be solid state processing of the data line in the OEM head unit. (thanks a lot, GM!) At first I was rather upset about this, but I also discovered that the Axxess ASWC steering wheel adapter reassigns the Temp Down to Mute/Pause and the Temp Up to Source. This function is actually more useful than Temp Up/Down, so I'm happy with the steering wheel controls.
The VFdim control circuit was the most puzzling. I have a 97 FSM which I use for the 99 Lesabre. For the most part, things are identical. The wiring harness for the radio was identical, but the HVAC connector was very different. The VFdim signal to the OEM head unit is a constant 12V with headlights ON, 0V with headlights OFF. This is consistent with the 97 wiring diagram. The VF dim signal leaving the OEM head unit (purple/white) does have variable voltage, but is high voltage at low dim, and low voltage at high dim. (another solid programming of non stereo functions in the OEM stereo, thanks a lot GM!) However, this signal does not appear to go the the 1999 Lesabre HVAC connector. (The 1997 FSM shows an VFdim wire going from the OEM head unit to the HVAC display.) Some time in the future I'll look at the wiring diagram for the 1999 Lesabre HVAC controls and see what GM changed.
Incidently, only the vacuum fluorescent display on the HVAC control is affected by this. All incandescent bulbs, including those on the HVAC controls, dim with the rest of the dashboard lamps.
The bottom line: at least for the 1999 Lesabre with dual climate control and steering wheel controls:
(earlier years/different models may be similar)
1) steering wheel control for the Temp Up/Down will no longer function.
2) the vacuum fluorescent display on the HVAC control (centre control only) will no longer dim.
If you use the Axxess ASWC with JVC XR610, Temp Up/Down will be reassigned to Source/Mute/Pause. I cannot say what reassignments will be done for other head units. Manual programming for the Axxess ASWC is possible so you can choose different stereo functions for the steering wheel control.
Also, the Axxess ASWC installation manual for the 1999 Lesabre says to connect the orange/green wire to E6. Be sure to check the OEM harness and find what pin is used for the steering wheel control data. Some Lesabres use E6, others use E5.
http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/fo ... VC#p194007
I figured it would be possible to jumper the light green and dark green wires (on a 99 Lesabre they are pins E1 and E5) to maintain HVAC temperature controls from the steering wheel. Just so that no one else has to go through what I went through, if you have a 99 Lesabre, this does NOT work.
I figure there must be solid state processing of the data line in the OEM head unit. (thanks a lot, GM!) At first I was rather upset about this, but I also discovered that the Axxess ASWC steering wheel adapter reassigns the Temp Down to Mute/Pause and the Temp Up to Source. This function is actually more useful than Temp Up/Down, so I'm happy with the steering wheel controls.
The VFdim control circuit was the most puzzling. I have a 97 FSM which I use for the 99 Lesabre. For the most part, things are identical. The wiring harness for the radio was identical, but the HVAC connector was very different. The VFdim signal to the OEM head unit is a constant 12V with headlights ON, 0V with headlights OFF. This is consistent with the 97 wiring diagram. The VF dim signal leaving the OEM head unit (purple/white) does have variable voltage, but is high voltage at low dim, and low voltage at high dim. (another solid programming of non stereo functions in the OEM stereo, thanks a lot GM!) However, this signal does not appear to go the the 1999 Lesabre HVAC connector. (The 1997 FSM shows an VFdim wire going from the OEM head unit to the HVAC display.) Some time in the future I'll look at the wiring diagram for the 1999 Lesabre HVAC controls and see what GM changed.
Incidently, only the vacuum fluorescent display on the HVAC control is affected by this. All incandescent bulbs, including those on the HVAC controls, dim with the rest of the dashboard lamps.
The bottom line: at least for the 1999 Lesabre with dual climate control and steering wheel controls:
(earlier years/different models may be similar)
1) steering wheel control for the Temp Up/Down will no longer function.
2) the vacuum fluorescent display on the HVAC control (centre control only) will no longer dim.
If you use the Axxess ASWC with JVC XR610, Temp Up/Down will be reassigned to Source/Mute/Pause. I cannot say what reassignments will be done for other head units. Manual programming for the Axxess ASWC is possible so you can choose different stereo functions for the steering wheel control.
Also, the Axxess ASWC installation manual for the 1999 Lesabre says to connect the orange/green wire to E6. Be sure to check the OEM harness and find what pin is used for the steering wheel control data. Some Lesabres use E6, others use E5.
Re: Steering Wheel controls & JVC KW-XR610
If anyone does have any work arounds for the 1999 dimming of the HVAC display, I'm interested. It would be interesting if anyone has found the work around for the HVAC steering wheel controls, but I'm satisfied with the reassignment via the Axxess ASWC.
Enslow
Enslow
Re: Steering Wheel controls & JVC KW-XR610
I solved the dimming auto function for the JVC. The JVC display will dim when headlights are turned on. However, the installation manual doesn't tell you what kind of dimming signal is required so I originally connected it to the variable incandescent dimming wire (gray wire, pin F4 of the 99 Lesabre). Dimming did not work. This particular JVC requires a switching 12V supply that switches ON with headlights/parking lamps and OFF when headlights/parking lamps are off. There is no variable dimming with the variable dimming on the dash.
Head units that have auto dimming features may use a switching 12V signal. The Orange/white stripe wire from the JVC must be connected to the VF dimming wire (purple/white wire on pin F5 on the 99 Lesabre). The display now dims when parking lamps and/or headlights are turned on.
Head units that have auto dimming features may use a switching 12V signal. The Orange/white stripe wire from the JVC must be connected to the VF dimming wire (purple/white wire on pin F5 on the 99 Lesabre). The display now dims when parking lamps and/or headlights are turned on.
Re: Steering Wheel controls & JVC KW-XR610
This last update is information that many who have already installed aftermarket stereos in these cars are probably already aware of. For those who have not yet installed stereos in these cars and are searching for answers, I did not find the solution on any forum, nor in the installation instructions. If I had poured over the FSM I might have figured it out, but even the FSM was vague. The issue was poor AM reception with the rear window "heated backlight antenna".
If you have a Buick or Oldsmobile, you might have a "heated backlight antenna", the antenna built into the rear defogger. This antenna goes to an antenna module which requires power from the radio. If you have a radio with a "remote output" wire, this must be connected to the Ant Relay pin (F3). There should be a wire on your harness adapter that goes to the Ant Relay, and it's this wire that must be connected to the "remote output".
According to the FSM, Pontiac's have the power mast antenna, so it's pretty obvious to connected the "remote output" wire to operate the power mast antenna. Because I didn't have a power mast antenna, I didn't connect this wire because I didn't think it needed power. Then I wondered why I have poor AM reception.
I now have wonderful AM and FM reception, and Willwren is very right that the sound quality from the stock speakers is absolutely fantastic! I love being able to adjust the colours of the HU buttons and display to match the interior of the car. I have set the button colour to amber, and the display to green. I love how the display will automoatically dim when you turn your headlights on. The only things I don't like are the fact that the VF display on the HVAC will no longer dim. I might be able to figure out a work around for that in the future when I get a 1999 circuit diagram for the HVAC control. I was a little disappointed that I lost the steering wheel controls for the temperature up/down. That MIGHT be programmable with the Axxess SWC, I don't know if that's supported. However, the SWC reassigned the temp buttons to radio functions, so I'm happy. Oh yes, I also love the fact that the JVC has large buttons. I guess my age is catching up with me and I hate fiddling with these tiny buttons on most head units.
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The reason I'm posting all this is because no one on several forums seemed to have answers for my questions, and there appeared to be no solutions posted in any forums as far as I could find. Maybe I'm a complete idiot when it came to installing this stereo, but I don't think so. I've installed several head units in the past with no trouble at all. I've solved several wiring glitches that dealerships couldn't solve, but knowing there can be idiots working in dealer shops too, that might not be much to boast about.
In spite of this being somewhat verbose, I hope some one finds this useful in the future. I'm sure these issues apply to more than just a 1999 Lesabre, and to more than just the JVC KW-XR610.
If you have a Buick or Oldsmobile, you might have a "heated backlight antenna", the antenna built into the rear defogger. This antenna goes to an antenna module which requires power from the radio. If you have a radio with a "remote output" wire, this must be connected to the Ant Relay pin (F3). There should be a wire on your harness adapter that goes to the Ant Relay, and it's this wire that must be connected to the "remote output".
According to the FSM, Pontiac's have the power mast antenna, so it's pretty obvious to connected the "remote output" wire to operate the power mast antenna. Because I didn't have a power mast antenna, I didn't connect this wire because I didn't think it needed power. Then I wondered why I have poor AM reception.
I now have wonderful AM and FM reception, and Willwren is very right that the sound quality from the stock speakers is absolutely fantastic! I love being able to adjust the colours of the HU buttons and display to match the interior of the car. I have set the button colour to amber, and the display to green. I love how the display will automoatically dim when you turn your headlights on. The only things I don't like are the fact that the VF display on the HVAC will no longer dim. I might be able to figure out a work around for that in the future when I get a 1999 circuit diagram for the HVAC control. I was a little disappointed that I lost the steering wheel controls for the temperature up/down. That MIGHT be programmable with the Axxess SWC, I don't know if that's supported. However, the SWC reassigned the temp buttons to radio functions, so I'm happy. Oh yes, I also love the fact that the JVC has large buttons. I guess my age is catching up with me and I hate fiddling with these tiny buttons on most head units.
---------
The reason I'm posting all this is because no one on several forums seemed to have answers for my questions, and there appeared to be no solutions posted in any forums as far as I could find. Maybe I'm a complete idiot when it came to installing this stereo, but I don't think so. I've installed several head units in the past with no trouble at all. I've solved several wiring glitches that dealerships couldn't solve, but knowing there can be idiots working in dealer shops too, that might not be much to boast about.
In spite of this being somewhat verbose, I hope some one finds this useful in the future. I'm sure these issues apply to more than just a 1999 Lesabre, and to more than just the JVC KW-XR610.