Greetings everyone!

I made some posts here a while back about the compatibility of the new touchscreen Alpine head unit in the 2010 xB working in the 2008 Scion. With a bunch of research, a patient Toyota parts counter staff, and some copies of the wiring diagrams, I now posses the knowledge of putting this radio into the 2008 xB (and I presume the 2009) without much trouble. I also would guess it would be fairly simple in the xD and tC models, but I would require copies of the wiring diagrams.

You only need a few things. The Alpine head unit, obviously, the USB harness adapter (Toyota P/N: 86190-53040, List price is $127ish, lowest I was able to find it was $90 using a friend's employee discount, I opted to use the custom harness) or a a custom USB adapter harness, which I should be able to supply for around $75 plus shipping if anyone is interested. However, I think with the official Toyota harness, you do not have to modify the stock wiring at all, where as with the harness I can provide you have to move a pin in one of the connectors that plugs into the back of the radio. You only have to move the pin (or use the Toyota harness) if you want to use the AUX plug. The iPod and USB feature works without modifying ANY wiring, you just have to add a harness to your xB.

If anyone is interested, please let me know, and I will compile the install information over the next day or so and post it all. If there is no interest, then I won't bother.

I have the Alpine 2010 head unit running in my 2008 xB right now with all radio, iPod, USB, Satellite, and AUX features working. The navigation should work fine as it is independent of vehicle and solely a feature of the head unit. I also have not tested the backup camera feature yet, but will be installing that next.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c--fphzqGq4

 

I was wondering if the 2010 Alpine unit is compatible at all with other Alpine products... Like their blue tooth module, or the 45w "power pack". I'm guessing "not", but it sure would be sweet if it were.

 

I would venture a "not" as well on your question. However as far as Bluetooth goes, there is a Toyota "BLU Logic" Bluetooth kit that should be compatibility with the factory unit. I doubt the power pack would be ab easy hack. You may be better off just going with a small Alpine amp on the factory unit if you wished to retain it.

 

is the usb adapter just a plug in thing and running the cable. I was told it just plugs in and has one pin to add to a harness where the steering wheel control wires and aux input are in the back of the radio.

 

The adapter I have available does NOT have the additional pin. It is plug-n-play (and run the wire) for USB (iPod & General USB) operation. In my '08 xB I had to relocate a pin in the C27 connector. They moved the AUX Audio ground from pin 14 to pin 18. I believe the official Toyota harness has a additional wire for the AUX audio ground that you insert into your C27 connector.

The steering wheel controls worth without ANY change/modifications.

 

UPDATE: 2010-05-17

I have been working on a informational sheet on how to do this. I am providing links to the DRAFT copies right now. They are not complete, but they have a lot of good info. If you have any questions, let me know.

The PDF link is below, the JPG is below it. The image size is perfect for printing on an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper in landscape mode at 300dpi. Overkill I know, but at least it prints nicely.

PDF


UPDATE 2010-10-11
Big thanks to DDStrat for the below information that makes the C27 connector pin relocation a bit easier.

 

Awesome. Thanks for going to all the work to document this.

 

Dave - great post! I have a 2009 xB, and just bought a 2010 Pioneer headunit. I was wondering what else I was going to need to get it installed, and now I have my answer. Thanks!

 

Hope you meant Alpine, and not Pioneer. This documentation won't do a thing for a Pioneer head unit.

 

Everything I needed to know!! THANK YOU!!

 

Yay, it came in today!



This is the Alpine Video Input Harness that adds Back up camera input/Video device input to the Alpine premium head unit. Special thanks to Vicbuilder over at the Scion xD forums as his post over there allowed me to find this info for us xB owners.

The harness is shown over at Optomize Scion but it is not available from them directly. The Alpine Product ID is 001137162162443 as indicated on my sheet above. Since it's a part from a non-Toyota vendor it doesn't have a typical 5by5 Toyota part number. The SKU is typically the last 10 digits of the item when asking your Toyota parts counter guru. The last 10 would be 7162162443 in this case. If it helps, it also has a standard UPC code on it which reads "8 71621 62443 2" and there is another number on a sticker "MXTY913A01" just in case. I got the harness for around $28 tax and delivery included.

The kit includes everything you need but a video device itself, right down to the wire ties. from the looks of it, it appears you get to choose a backup camera OR a video input device. I intend to install mine with some sort of composite video switch to allow me to have both. I will document this for those interested.

I have a link to the instructions that come with it, as vague as they may be, you can click here for those if you want.

The only question this harness poses is that there are two unidentified video jacks on the back of the head unit. A composite video and S-Video jack. I really have no idea what these are for, I assumed they were for video input...now I am curious to know if they are video input.

Also, I was told by Vicbuilder from the xD forums that you use the "AUX" button to play a video input device as well, so I am unsure if you would lose any AUX functionality as far as the mini-stereo jack goes.

Update on Video Switcher info 04/23/10: Okay, so far, it looks like a PAC VA-26 video switcher/amplifier would let you switch between rear view and video input seamlessly. Video 1 on the unit is primary input, and Video 2 is activated when it receives a +12V or GND signal on one of two wires. This would allow switching without interaction from the driver, other than putting the vehicle in reverse. The unit also has a 6 channel Output, so you could hook up to headrest/visor/flipdown LCDs... My application doesn't need 6 outputs, but it seems for the price, I can afford just not to use them. The Accelevision AVS-200 also sounds like it would do the trick, but I couldn't find any documentation or picture of one...and it's the same price as the PAC unit. I will write a review of the PAC unit when it arrives.

 

subscribed :-)

 

so if I go get this Alpine HU, I don't have to get an amp, right? I think I would just get a sub and hook it up to the back.

 

This head unit only has an amp for the 4 factory speakers. A subwoofer would require an amp. This head unit DOES have RCA Line Level outputs for easy hookup to an amplifier.

There is a "factory" sub available from somewhere, TRDSparks?, but I venture it won't offer enough punch for me therefore I am uninterested in it. Search the forums or Google around if you think a factory sub might be for you.

But you will need an amp of some kind if you want a sub, whether it is built in or a conventional out board amp.

 

I was assuming that the USB/Aux cable would be the same for both units... am I wrong?

 

If you have the Pioneer that is Toyota P/N PT546-00100, it appears from this picture (found it on eBay for a 2010 Pioneer unit) that the connector is the same. If that's the case, then the harnesses listed here will work for you.

Assuming is usually a bad thing when trying to do stuff like this, but in this instance it looks like it would work.

 

UPDATED INFO - 24 APR 2010

Did some research this afternoon, and have updated the image and PDF in my previous post. If you still only see "9" connectors in the legend, refresh and make sure you can see 10 now.

New information is as follows:

The Alpine video input harness works link a champ. The reverse signal is a +12V signal, and the parking brake is a negative (GND) signal. The composite video jack on the back of the head unit itself is for the rear view camera input. I have also confirmed that you can have rear view input AND AUX video input. You do not have to choose between them. I also have confirmed that you can have the AUX Stereo-Mini jack input AND the Video input AUX, no functionality is lost. If you hit the AUX button and you have both hooked up (it senses ground on the connector to determine if you have a device hooked up) you just hit the AUX button to toggle between the AUX audio and the AUX video/audio inputs. This means you do NOT need any sort of video switcher unless you just really want multiple input sources.

Anyone know a good backup camera that's relatively inexpensive? I'd prefer wireless, but you can add wireless to any camera with a small device.

Also, another side effect of this research is technically you do not need the Alpine Video Input harness to use the backup camera feature, but you would have to sort of hack a wire onto plug #2 on the back of the radio. The Alpine harness is so inexpensive I would not recommend going this approach.

Finally, make sure you ENABLE the Rear-View Camera feature under the "Connection" section of the main menu, or it will not work.

 

Hey Dave:
Yes, that's the Pioneer unit that I picked up. I actually have the 2009 Pioneer upgrade in now, but I wanted the USB feature. So hopefully this new unit will work with a new cable, and also sound just as good. I was considering the Alpine upgrade but thought that it might encourage thieves too much. Ironic, because I'm really more of an Alpine guy than a Pioneer guy...

 

I haven't heard the '09+ Pioneer unit, but I was wildly unimpressed with the '08 Pioneer "premium" unit. Hopefully it works plug-n-play for you. The factory Alpine unit isn't particularly useful unless you've got a Scion, so I am not sure how theif-worthy it is. I can't imagine it brings a ton of street value. I see the Alpine unit listed over and over again on eBay for $400+, and almost never sells. I picked mine up 6 months ago or so for $265 shipped, the ones on eBay only seem to consistently sell for the sub $300 range. One did sell however for $400 recently, but one also sold for $199...so they're out there and affordable.

I am also considering using some sort of security screws to hold the radio in the vehicle, just in case they break in. By the time they break in, destroy my window and dash, I'll assume they're packing a 10mm socket on a cordless driver and realize that it's got security screws and then they'll bail. Hopefully. Hopefully it never happens, I've had radios stolen before and it's no fun experience.

 

Yeah, but is a thief looking to rip your stereo out so he can buy crack going to know that this fancy looking stereo will only work in a Scion? I kinda doubt it.