Keeping Stock Bluetooth Controls with Aftermarket Headunit

magneto198

magneto198

Well-Known Member
24
25
Well guys, I've upgraded my Si's stereo but lost the factory Bluetooth wheel controls. I've been emailing Metra and their lead tech contacted me about their wheel control products. Basically they will work for the audio controls but not Bluetooth (answer/hangup). Their product, the ASWC, works on the Honda CRZ in terms of BT functionality but i asked him why the CRZ and not the Civic. Let me show you what he wrote.
"Unfortunately the bluetooth buttons will be lost. But the audio buttons will work. It's not Axxess that prohibits Bluetooth, it's Honda. If a manufactuer (Honda in this case) designs the bluetooth in the radio, you can keep the buttons. But if they design the bluetooth outside the radio, then the buttons will be lost, because the wires are not at the radio to retain the bluetooth. They are at the bluetooth module. Nothing we can do in this situation except to make a bluetooth bypass module, which we will in the future."
Click to expand...
This shows that the Bluetooth module is outside the radio and that if the radio is taken out, you can still theoretically tap into the module and use it. Use the factory mic, buttons, and BT regardless of the new headunit you put in. You would just need to know what wires in the harness control the Bluetooth. If someone more tech savy than I can get a wiring diagram or something to accomplish this, that would be awesome.
 
Bluetooth module IS outside the radio. The part is called HFT unit (Honda Automotive Parts, #10). But then the HFT unit in CRZ is also outside of the radio (Honda Automotive Parts, #18), so what Metra says doesn't make any sense. In fact, I have not seen any Honda/Acura's bluetooth module that's built in the radio.

The only thing that is different between all other Honda is that, all other cars use the old remote wire (pin 16 on grey 24-pin plug and a ground) but our cars uses CANbus on pin 8 and 18 on the light brown plug.
 
Seems like too much money for a module that May be backwards compatible. Unless there is someone more tech savy than I, I'm not willing to go this route. Thanks though. Still open to more ideas.
 
I was linking that because it was the crz... and that's outside the radio...no? You were saying the crz still works, right? They wrote you saying if it was inside the radio it wouldn't work. That module I linked looks outside the radio on the crz?
 
do you have any information on how the steering wheel buttons are wired, you might be able to cheat, since the Metra and the equivalent PAC look for variances in voltage or resistance on the input wire. If you find the two wires associated with the bluetooth buttons, ground the appropriate wire and connect it to the input wire on the ASWC along with the normal audio control input, the ASWC should be able to differentiate the additional buttons. You would have to also have a head unit that supports the additional bluetooth functionality, so you would be bypassing the honda HFT module in favor of the aftermarket head unit

This is all theory, i have not seen a 9th gen wiring diagram to have any idea if this is possible
 
ethlar said:
do you have any information on how the steering wheel buttons are wired, you might be able to cheat, since the Metra and the equivalent PAC look for variances in voltage or resistance on the input wire. If you find the two wires associated with the bluetooth buttons, ground the appropriate wire and connect it to the input wire on the ASWC along with the normal audio control input, the ASWC should be able to differentiate the additional buttons. You would have to also have a head unit that supports the additional bluetooth functionality, so you would be bypassing the honda HFT module in favor of the aftermarket head unit

This is all theory, i have not seen a 9th gen wiring diagram to have any idea if this is possible
Click to expand...
I know that PAC is another device that does the same thing. I didn't try them but they claim to allow Bluetooth buttons to still work but i couldn't find any evidence of this being the case for our cars. I know the theory is there on how to make it work, im just waiting for someone to actually try it. Somehow connect the buttons directly to the headunit like ethlar was saying. I like theories. They give you hope.
 
Im basing my theory on the fact that the PAC claims to be able to do it on the 8th gen, just by putting the two + wires from the bluetooth and the audio controls into the input and grounding the other end, if the PAC can differentiate the signals, i dont see why the ASWC cant do the same, it just might need to be manually programmed
 
I liked the auto programmable feature of the ASWC, that's really the only reason why I got it over the Pac. I'm too lazy to do it all over again. If someone decides to go the Pac route, i'd appreciate the feedback.
 
i think if you follow the PAC directions for including the bluetooth wires your ASWC should be able to understand the inputs, it just might need to be manually programmed
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top