zuburg

VIP1

Post Apocalyptic Inventor on YouTube has some videos on adding Bluetooth and AUX-In to Car Radios and Home Radios.

Jay Ramsey

Jason Novak

It will be a bit trickier to tap into the audio internally on a radio only unit, it's likely traces on the board. With a CD player (or cassette player) is much easier since it generally has a separate module connected to the main board via a ribbon cable, so you know the audio is coming over some of those wires, and it's fairly easy to trace and find.

VIP1

Quick google search and fast-forwarding through this video to the 4:06 mark, showed me a delco board with the CD player:
(I didn't actually watch the whole video just skipped ahead to see inside)
Comparing the boards, it looks like there is a connector pad on yours that on the CD version goes to the CD player so the traces may be there, but I don't know how to have the radio switch to them since it doesn't have a CD or AUX button., unless the pad for it is on the board but the button is just missing from the face.

This video shows how to add line-in to a radio with cassette deck. Its not a delco, but the info there may help since he explains the layout of the board and he has other videos adding line-in and bluetooth to other radios as well (even home stereos). Many of the other videos are in my other post above.
Although your radio doesn't have a cassette deck, the info there about board layout may help you find where the output of the receiver goes into the pre-amp. I don't know if tapping there will work but you can try. However, that will probably mean cutting traces which is delicate.

The hot glue blobs also make things more difficult to read and access. If you can read the names/codes on the chips, you can google them to get their pinouts.

I found the Cassette and CD versions of that delco (or at least it looks like it) on ebay. Maybe you can get one of them and modify it to save your current one.

autogeek23

iTrader: (13)

So I tried to do this. Saw that I have the ribbon connection. Not separate wires. Decided to just put it back together and now I only have a clock. The radio won't do anything else.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Check the RADIO fuse (#17 - 15A). The radio is powered by three circuits... the IP DIMMER fuse provides the illumination with the dash lights, the PWR ACCY fuse provides battery power to maintain the clock, CD eject, and station memory, and the RADIO fuse powers all other functions.

autogeek23

iTrader: (13)

#17 fuse looks good to me. No dark spots. But I am now going to check all the fuses.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Never rely on a visual inspection of a fuse... it can be blown and still appear normal (especially old fuses). Always use a fuse tester, multimeter, or replace with a known good fuse. There is no point checking other fuses unless you are experiencing some other electrical problem - the RADIO fuse is the only one which could produce the symptoms you describe.

autogeek23

iTrader: (13)

My friend figured it out. The faceplate had these little pins that weren't in.

Vetteman61

iTrader: (1)

Hello all,



When I add an aux input to my Delco I would like to set it up where either you do not have to insert a CD (preferable) or the CD will not spit while in use. I found this older thread where a guy was able to do it to different model but I’m not quite sure how he did it. I’d like to know how the radio knows when a CD is installed and then replicate that signal with a switch or isolate the wire that is used to deliver the signal.



Also, for a radio that does not have a slave cd/tape player or a cd changer, what purpose does the aux button serve? If the button exists could this be used to power the aux input without having to splice into the audio wires for the internal CD player?



My unit is a 1997 Delco (Lumina) with internal CD player and dual circuit boards.





The referenced thread: https://ls1tech.com/forums/stereo-el...st-method.html



Thank you,
Brandon

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

None of the existing modifications for auxiliary input will work without a CD inserted. The Novak mod described in this thread requires the CD to be active all the time the auxiliary is in use. The mod in the other thread requires the CD only to initialize the system at each startup but then doesn't keep it running when switched to auxiliary. The only functional difference is the amount of wear possible for the CD player... not something that should be a huge concern. Many people never listen to radio and their 20-year-old CD players are still working.

Since the original poster of that second mod hasn't been back since 2014, you may have to do some bench testing to determine which wire between the internal CD player and the main board is used to signal when a CD is inserted and playing. Use a multimeter to determine what each wire does when a CD is playing and when it isn't. You should be able to find a wire that does something different between the two conditions (e.g. has power when CD in use and no power when not in use). That would be the wire that corresponds to where he put the switch.

Another option might be to contact 1factoryradio2 on ebay - they sell a variety of head units with the auxiliary port already installed.

The AUX button is not a separate button... it's actually a single CD/AUX button. One press will switch from radio to the internal CD player. If equipped with an external CD changer, a second press of the same button will switch to the changer, otherwise it will switch back to radio. So the answer is no... it can't be used to switch to an auxiliary input by itself.

schumyspain

Hi all! Thanks for this great post. I've been reading quite some pages already and I think it's fair to say that if the CD player doesn't work, there's no option for me, right?
My unit has some sort of issue since a few months ago where the CD player would not play or even push the CD out. I've looked inside, used some cleaner but... no difference at all. I keep getting ERR 23 on the screen.

I've been wanting to have a direct connection to the unit(I'm using one of those FM emitters on the phone which is quite bad quality wise) for a while but I don't get to make it work without the CD playing... Any tip or should I already start looking into a new unit?

Thanks

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

As listed in the Monsoon FAQ sticky, the first thing to try for an error ERR 23 is to disconnect the battery for several minutes to reset the head unit. If that doesn't work then the head unit probably needs repair or replacement.

You should try a wired FM modulator instead of the wireless type. You will get much better sound... in fact the sound will be as good as FM is capable of producing. The wired modulator gets plugged into your antenna cable providing as strong a signal as possible. Search Amazon or other online sources for "wired FM modulator"... there's a good one for $25 that includes a switch to allow selection of the auxiliary input or normal FM (the switch prevents interference if you have a local station on the same frequency as the modulator). Make sure you get a stereo one. You'll probably also need an antenna adapter since GM uses a much smaller version of the Motorola antenna plug than is standard... you can pick up one of those at any auto parts store or even Walmart.

drb930

Is there not a way to accomplish this with BlueTooth yet?

k3000

This might be an option.

Looks like a solid product, except it's very basic (but does have bluetooth) and I do NOT think it works with steering wheel controls.

https://www.retromanufacturing.com/p...33901013139592

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

No, because the factory head unit doesn't support Bluetooth and most of the adapters that can be used to add Bluetooth are long discontinued because there's no demand for upgrading 20-year-old stereos. Even the FM adapter I suggested is leftover Radio Shack stock so I wouldn't wait too long if you're thinking of getting one. Otherwise, you would be better off installing an aftermarket head unit with Bluetooth built-in. A nice, basic double DIN head unit can be had for about $125 (Pioneer) or even less if you don't mind going with cheap off-brands like Boss or Pyle.

VIP1

You can get Bluetooth to 1/8" adapter and modify it to fit just like the instructions above. They are still for sale (I've seen them). One of the videos I posted above also shows how to do it.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

That would be good in most cases but he's already said that his CD player is malfunctioning so the mod doesn't work (needs a working CD player to function). That seriously limits the options with a factory head unit. The adapters I was referring to are the ones that plug into the remote CD changer port like the USA-SPEC but they're pretty hard to find these days.

VIP1

Oh. Right. Forgot.

OEM Radios with CD are listed on ebay for random prices.

Otherwise, there are plenty of aftermarket options.