Kenwood DMX9708S...1998 Trans Am..can our steering wheel controls work with this unit
04-05-2024, 07:17 PM
#1
Kenwood DMX9708S...1998 Trans Am..can our steering wheel controls work with this unit I'm having this unit put in, are there any adapters that will allow me to use all of my steering wheel controls?
04-06-2024, 11:53 AM
#2
I used the Axxess ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control Adapter for my Kenwood DNX996 head unit (2002 TA) and all the buttons function and work well. Only word of advise is get the wire location as I ended up adding a pin to the aftermarket wire harness that connected to the Axxess (Kenwood or select JVC with a steering wheel control wire: Connect the Blue/Yellow wire to the Brown wire.). As soon as I powered on the radio and followed the Axxess learning instructions it worked like a charm. Since then I have removed the battery cable once or twice for other things and didn't have to go through the learning process again, which is nice.
04-10-2024, 11:45 AM
#3
I used the Axxess ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control Adapter for my Kenwood DNX996 head unit (2002 TA) and all the buttons function and work well. Only word of advise is get the wire location as I ended up adding a pin to the aftermarket wire harness that connected to the Axxess (Kenwood or select JVC with a steering wheel control wire: Connect the Blue/Yellow wire to the Brown wire.). As soon as I powered on the radio and followed the Axxess learning instructions it worked like a charm. Since then I have removed the battery cable once or twice for other things and didn't have to go through the learning process again, which is nice.
Thanks.
04-10-2024, 11:48 AM
#4
I used the Axxess ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control Adapter for my Kenwood DNX996 head unit (2002 TA) and all the buttons function and work well. Only word of advise is get the wire location as I ended up adding a pin to the aftermarket wire harness that connected to the Axxess (Kenwood or select JVC with a steering wheel control wire: Connect the Blue/Yellow wire to the Brown wire.). As soon as I powered on the radio and followed the Axxess learning instructions it worked like a charm. Since then I have removed the battery cable once or twice for other things and didn't have to go through the learning process again, which is nice.
By the way, how is that head unit I chose? Overkill? I just watched a ton of youtube videos to settle on that one. Do you know of any negatives about it?
I hardly need anything special, literally just basic music/radio....... I have Matts all around and a 12" audiobahn woofer in the back. I think 1,000 watt amp maybe.
Last edited by BigBoyWS6; 04-10-2024 at 12:10 PM.
04-10-2024, 10:38 PM
#5
The Kenwood DMX9708S looks like a really solid head unit you can build a great system around. You can attach 3 amps (Front, rear, sub) and it comes with a 4 channel 22 watt RMS amp built in so you can take your time piecing your system together.
I wouldn't say it is overkill but it provides a lot of options so you can take it where you want to. Add a back-up camera, no problem. Dash-cam, real easy. GPS antenna so you can offload directions from your phone to save on your data plan, just remember to keep the GPS database updated. I am not aware of any negatives other than the usual large flat screen stuff.
Viewing angle is a big thing as when driving around the sun will cause glare at different times of the day so being able to adjust the angle is a plus. I would say the biggest negative is you will need to spend enough time learning all the screens and features that mean the most to you that you can work the system without having to look at it much. That is a general downside to any modern stereo that replaces *****, switches, and buttons with a touch screen. This think will get finger prints on it and then dust will get on those so keep a microfiber handy to wipe it down often. I need to look into the wiring for mine as it raises the antenna as soon as it is on and won't lower it when the radio is "off". I would like for the antenna to lower when listening to CD, MP3, phone, USB, etc. Even on stand-by (my Kenwood's version of off) the antenna stays up, unless the head unit was in standby when the car was off and then started.
The screen is "always on" when the car is running. Nice part of that is you can see what time it is. I loaded custom graphics on mine so the default background I loaded is always there, it can be a plus or minus.
I wouldn't say it is overkill but it provides a lot of options so you can take it where you want to. Add a back-up camera, no problem. Dash-cam, real easy. GPS antenna so you can offload directions from your phone to save on your data plan, just remember to keep the GPS database updated. I am not aware of any negatives other than the usual large flat screen stuff.
Viewing angle is a big thing as when driving around the sun will cause glare at different times of the day so being able to adjust the angle is a plus. I would say the biggest negative is you will need to spend enough time learning all the screens and features that mean the most to you that you can work the system without having to look at it much. That is a general downside to any modern stereo that replaces *****, switches, and buttons with a touch screen. This think will get finger prints on it and then dust will get on those so keep a microfiber handy to wipe it down often. I need to look into the wiring for mine as it raises the antenna as soon as it is on and won't lower it when the radio is "off". I would like for the antenna to lower when listening to CD, MP3, phone, USB, etc. Even on stand-by (my Kenwood's version of off) the antenna stays up, unless the head unit was in standby when the car was off and then started.
The screen is "always on" when the car is running. Nice part of that is you can see what time it is. I loaded custom graphics on mine so the default background I loaded is always there, it can be a plus or minus.
04-11-2024, 08:46 AM
#6
The Kenwood DMX9708S looks like a really solid head unit you can build a great system around. You can attach 3 amps (Front, rear, sub) and it comes with a 4 channel 22 watt RMS amp built in so you can take your time piecing your system together.
I wouldn't say it is overkill but it provides a lot of options so you can take it where you want to. Add a back-up camera, no problem. Dash-cam, real easy. GPS antenna so you can offload directions from your phone to save on your data plan, just remember to keep the GPS database updated. I am not aware of any negatives other than the usual large flat screen stuff.
Viewing angle is a big thing as when driving around the sun will cause glare at different times of the day so being able to adjust the angle is a plus. I would say the biggest negative is you will need to spend enough time learning all the screens and features that mean the most to you that you can work the system without having to look at it much. That is a general downside to any modern stereo that replaces *****, switches, and buttons with a touch screen. This think will get finger prints on it and then dust will get on those so keep a microfiber handy to wipe it down often. I need to look into the wiring for mine as it raises the antenna as soon as it is on and won't lower it when the radio is "off". I would like for the antenna to lower when listening to CD, MP3, phone, USB, etc. Even on stand-by (my Kenwood's version of off) the antenna stays up, unless the head unit was in standby when the car was off and then started.
The screen is "always on" when the car is running. Nice part of that is you can see what time it is. I loaded custom graphics on mine so the default background I loaded is always there, it can be a plus or minus.
I wouldn't say it is overkill but it provides a lot of options so you can take it where you want to. Add a back-up camera, no problem. Dash-cam, real easy. GPS antenna so you can offload directions from your phone to save on your data plan, just remember to keep the GPS database updated. I am not aware of any negatives other than the usual large flat screen stuff.
Viewing angle is a big thing as when driving around the sun will cause glare at different times of the day so being able to adjust the angle is a plus. I would say the biggest negative is you will need to spend enough time learning all the screens and features that mean the most to you that you can work the system without having to look at it much. That is a general downside to any modern stereo that replaces *****, switches, and buttons with a touch screen. This think will get finger prints on it and then dust will get on those so keep a microfiber handy to wipe it down often. I need to look into the wiring for mine as it raises the antenna as soon as it is on and won't lower it when the radio is "off". I would like for the antenna to lower when listening to CD, MP3, phone, USB, etc. Even on stand-by (my Kenwood's version of off) the antenna stays up, unless the head unit was in standby when the car was off and then started.
The screen is "always on" when the car is running. Nice part of that is you can see what time it is. I loaded custom graphics on mine so the default background I loaded is always there, it can be a plus or minus.
Do you know an easy way to fix the red LED lights in our steering control buttons?
I remember back when I bought the car new in 1998, when lights would fail, people were using a replacement LED at Radio Shack and soldering it in.
04-12-2024, 02:22 PM
#7
From the FAQ page the link to the article is dead. Tried a web search and it was a rabbit hole that yielded not much useful stuff. Hawks has some used for sale and looking at them the wire harness connects down in the steering column but looks to be able to disconnect on the back side of the module. Once out it should be easy enough to disassemble and find the bulb or replace with LED and maybe resister to get the right resistance to imitate a bulb.
