I have finished writing the install instructions. I tried to write them as clear as I could, but I did the install over a month and a half ago and I wrote them from memory. If anything is confusing, or if you have any questions, just ask.

- The first thing I did was removed the floor and the side linings of the trunk.

- Then I removed the carpet that covers the rear dash.

- Then I moved the drivers seat all the way forward and removed the rear drivers side floor mat. I used the Velcro strips that came with the KOS-A200 to secure it to the carpet under the seat.

- Then I popped the plastic panel out of the rear drivers side door way and ran the FM modulator cables to the rear dash through this area.

- Then I popped the plastic cover off of the drivers-side C pillar. There are three points where the attaches. I ran my fingers along the edge until I found them and I pulled next to each one until they popped out. If you run your fingers along the edge though, be careful; even though it is plastic, the edge is sharp and I sliced one of my fingers open.

Once I popped the three points free, I noticed that there was a two inch long strap attached to the cover that would only let the cover hag a couple of inches from the pillar. Do not try to remove or cut this strap! This is the strap that stops the cover from flying across the car if the side curtain airbags deploy.

With the C pillar cover removed, I now had access to the antenna line. The antenna line is a cable that connects to two little button connectors on the rear window (the button connectors are the same type of connectors user for 9V batteries which is why this is sometimes referred to as the nine-volt method).

- I disconnected the cable and connected the button connectors on the patch cables to the antenna line cable and the connectors on the windshield.
(IMG:http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/gr8flbrdmn/1.jpg)

When you run the patch cables down the C pillar to the rear dash, be sure to run them so they aren't covering or blocking the side curtain airbag.

- I then connected the other end of the patch cables to the KOS-A200 FM modulator cables.

Now it was time to connect the power cables; this part was tricky. The power cable consisted of three cables: a constant cable (needs to be wired into a power source that doesn't shut off when the ignition is turned off), a switched cable (needs to be wired into a power source that does shut off when the ignition is turned off), and a ground cable. The ground cable had a wishbone type connector attached to it but the constant and switched cables were just bare wire.
The instruction manual said to wire the constant and switched cables into the fuse panel using fuse taps and connect the ground to a suitable point. I couldn't find fuse taps anywhere so I had to come up with another way. Both the constant and switched cables had fuses built into the cables so I wasn't worried about a fire starting due to installing them elsewhere.

- I ran the ground cable to the back of the trunk in kind of the same manner that I ran the FM modulator cables.

- I found a grounding point just below the drivers side taillight and connected it there.
(IMG:http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/gr8flbrdmn/2.jpg)

- Then I ran the constant cable to the power outlet in the trunk (because this one doesn't shut off when the ignition is turned off).

- I stripped the insulation off of the end of the wire with my teeth so that about a half inch of bare wire was showing. I stuck the end of the wire into the back of the plug, touching the positive (orange) wire, which connects to the rear power outlet and used a whole lot of electrical tape to hold it in-place.
(IMG:http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/gr8flbrdmn/3.jpg)

The constant cable isn't long enough to provide enough slack to be able to plug the power plug back into the rear power outlet. I don't really care because I have never used that outlet. If you like to be able to use that outlet, you will have to find another constant power source.

Also, I didn't want to cut my carpet to hide the cable, so I ran it tight from under the floor mat to under the back seat. Since it is yellow, I wrapped it with electrical tape so it kind of blends into the interior. Eventually, I will solder some extra wire onto the end of it so I can run it to the rear of the car that way I did with the ground cable/FM modulator cables.
(IMG:http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/gr8flbrdmn/4.jpg)

- Then I popped the little panel (behind the gear shifter) off, so that I could have access to the back of the power outlet that is between the front seats.

- I ran the switched cable under the front of the drivers seat, under the floor mat, and up along the side of the center console. I stripped the wire with my teeth, stuck the end of the wire into the back of the plug, touching the positive (gray) wire that connects to the rear of the power outlet, and secured it in place with electrical tape.

I used this opportunity to plug the 12V power connector from the XtremeMac cable into the power outlet so that I could hide the cable itself under the panel.
(IMG:http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/gr8flbrdmn/5.jpg)

- Then I connected the dock connector on the XtremeMac cable to my iPod, and the RCA connectors to the KOS-A200.
(IMG:http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/gr8flbrdmn/6.jpg)

The KOS-A200 comes with a little remote control sensor which is where the power switch is. The cable that connects it to the KOS-A200 is huge. It is six meters long, so you can put the sensor pretty much anywhere you want. Keep in mind though, that the remote control is the only way to control the unit, so be sure to put it somewhere that the remote control can communicate with it.

- I plugged the remote control sensor cable into the KOS-A200 and ran the sensor to the front of the car in the same manner I ran the switched power cable. I then ran the sensor cable behind the center stack and used a Velcro strip (this one wasn't included) to attach the sensor to the center stack on the passenger side.
(IMG:http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/gr8flbrdmn/7.jpg)

- I then tried to hide all of the cables the best I could, and put all of the panels back where they belong.

When I tried to use it with the RCA cables for the first time, it didn't work. After reading the instructions I realized that I needed to go into the settings and manually turn the AUX 1 input on. Once I did that it worked perfectly and I've been enjoying it ever since!
(IMG:http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h244/gr8flbrdmn/8.jpg)

Awsome write up! Thanks for taking the time. Only thing I would change is where you put the Kenwood (right in front of a passenger floor vent). I am not sure there is really a better place though.

It would seem that you can, in fact, hook an iPod up to a 2005 S40. Thanks again.

No problem!

I'm not sure I like the A200 where it is either. I've been thinking about moving it to the rear dash (under the cover). If I were to move it there, I doubt that the switched power wire would be long enough though to run up to the front power outlet because I would run it through the rear doorsill. I would probably have to cut the constant wire down to the exact length that I would need, and solder what I cut off to the end of the switched wire. That would eliminate the constant wire being exposed in the back seat area. My only concern with that though is that switched still wouldn't be long enough. One of these days I'll tear my car apart again and co crazy with a tape measure and try to figure something out.

Pictures are worth a million words and now I see some pictures I'm actually exited to do something like it :grin:
I hope I'll get time in the coming month do get to it.

Thanks man!!!! :thumbsup:

Greg

ok heres an mp3 update for you with the s40/v50

I had a v50 06 plate today as a hire car while mines in for repairs, as soon as i saw the aux port my eyes lit up.

I spent saturday afternoon ripping the car to pieces and tracing stuff.

the aux port has three wires comming from it that go straight into the back of the media player module (6 disc changer)

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/1496/v50008tt0.jpg

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/4169/v50006hy4.jpg

these go into the back in a 14 way grey connector

http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/2788/v50005yc0.jpg

the lid off the cd changer unit shows the pin connecter on the pcb circled

here is a blown up photo of the pcb

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/6404/v50015ra2.jpg

i will check my media player module on my s40 t5 when its back from the dealer and see if the pcb's are similar in any way, but it would appear that volvo are right and the newer mpm are wired differently, however it shouldnt be too hard to replicate the inputs in the grey connector to that of the combined most and power inputs on pre my07 models
heres a picky of the other input wires to the grey connector

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/2066/v50007tm4.jpg

ripped it apart again today
the yellow wire is audio right (position 9)
the unsheathed wire is the ground for the 3.5mm jack (position 14)
the black wire behind the unsheathed wire is audio left (posistion 7 on grey plug)
sorry for any confusion
the yellow and red (pos 1) and green and red (position 2) in the grey connector are 12v supplies
the black wire (pos 8) is an earth.

from what i can see, these power the unit itself

pcb layout of board above unit from 06 v50 6 disc changer
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/8448/v502009jg4.jpg

the cd changers in 2004+ and 2006+ models are identical, it looks like the cases and ancillaries i.e. the radio afm receiver is now fitted in.

in theory you should be able to fit one of these newer units into an older car if you can get the airiel inputs to the front of the car and a power and ign source 12v, and also change the optical connector to get rid of four way power side connection to just have the two opticals, then all volvo would be have to do is flash the software onto your pre 2006/7 car.

Its all theory but there is no reason why the software update couldnt be done on an older car that way, after all the software is just a program running with all the other programs.

It will only be a matter of time before someone with access to volvos software downloader will try this and it will work.

what it really needs is someone with an electronics degree to reverse engineer the pcb to find an input on the existing cd changer unit

hope this helps people understand new vs old

Hi,

I am debating between a new 2007 Volvo S40 2.4i, VW Passat and a Saab 9-3 2.0T. A deal breaker could be this iPod connectivity business. I do not want to spend the money on the S40 "premium package" which is $1900 or so, because I don't want faux wood trim, am ambivilent about a moon roof and the standard audio was fine for my musical tastes (if the premium audio were available stand-alone I'd buy it just to put the iPod/aux connection problem to rest - but it's not).

That said I have the option of buying the six-disc changer as an accessory for $650 or so. Does that unit contain the connection missing in previous years which would allow some type of direct interface connection wire or is that part of some other component of the premium audio package?

You guys seem to really know this problem inside out and I would appreciate your advice. There's just no way am I going to settle for a FM transmitter and having an FM modulator installed seems risky on a brand new car.

Thanks,
Victoria

my volvo 2006 1.6 TD one cd player in my car add ipod ?? Aux ? :( :ph34r:

Thanks ElectricsilverT5 for the instructions, seems now that there is 2 ways of working out this problem, that I am aware, one its that one you described using the FM modulator and the other one is having a JL Audio Cleansweep installed as described by “warmonger” on this forum http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id=58870.
Also found someone that its selling the instructions on how to install a FM Modulator over the internet on this link http://www.greggrocheford.com/volvo/audio_solution.html its just a few dollars but I will rather make that contribution to ElectricsilverT5, he rocks :smile:

Now I am not an expert on this and I am asking the question for the ones that know the subject, what are the Pros and Cons of these 2 methods? in terms of Sound Quality, Cost, Voiding Warranty on the car, simplicity, etc.

By the way I am new in this forum, found it on a Google search when trying to fix the Aux issue, I just got a Volvo S40 T5 Mid 2005, its pre-owned but looks brand new, just under 11K miles, I am glad that people still take care of his cars as in the “old days”, like the expressions read on this forum such “I will never drill a hole on my car”, “I didn't want to cut my carpet to hide the cable”…..before I had a 2002 Volvo S40 T4 2.0, its 63K miles, so its time for a change, and definitely I am sticking with the brand for a long time.

I looked into the Cleansweep but the cons far outweighed the pros.

The cons of the Cleansweep were:
-A new amp is required
-The center channel is lost
-The volume control on the head unit cannot be used (the clean sweep has its own volume control)
-Its WAY to expensive for me (parts/installation of the amp and Cleansweep came out to around $1000).

The pros of the Cleansweep were:
-It is a true AUX input which would sound better than an FM modulator

The cons of the FM modulator were:
-An open radio frequency is required (it is hard to find an unused frequency here in Italy)
-It took me having to install two before I found one that worked well (the KOS-A200 was the second one I installed; the first one I installed was an Audiovox FM-100A)

The pros of the FM Modulator were:
-It was easy to install myself
-It was relatively inexpensive (by my terms anyways)
-It sounds great when I can find an unused frequency, and it still sound pretty good when I can't find an unused frequency

I guess in the end it comes down to one's own preferences. I was willing to sacrifice a little sound quality and go down the FM modulator route. The money I saved went towards my BSR Stage 1 PPC—which was WELL worth it IMO!

I know that this is the S40 forum but I was wondering if there are any XC90 lurkers around that would like to do this with their cars. I have gotten as far as pulling the rear roof liner down to look at the antenna - it doesn't look like any antenna I have ever seen, so I promptly pushed the roof panels back and went on with my day. I wonder if anyone has any input on this?

Higgins,

This is awsome! I just which I had an electronic degree that would let me build my own input interface :thumbsup:

Good reverse engineering startup...

Greg

Electric Silver,

This is great. It should help me quite a bit :thumbsup:
I bought every thing to make an AFM FM modulator attachment. Unfortunatly I'm having a hard time - one finding the AFM - two removing the different covers.

Some have said that the AFM may not exist with newer models (after 2004.5) but
I have seen on sweedspeed website that someone found the AFM and that it could be located further down (under the small triangular shape window) from were you show the antenna to windshield location. I want to to check this out but I'm having a hard time removing the covers.

Did you had to remove the hat shelf to remove the C pillar cover? I have done it but I put it back until I know more...

I'm not an Ipod Fan at all, sorry guys, but I am an Auxiliary input fan. I'm planing on installing a mp3 DVD player if I can get this modulator hooked-up. I'm find with 4GB of music at a time. Plus I still like the CD interaction. It helps me better enjoy songs.

I may have to do what you did if I can't find the AFM unit. If I don't find the information online I may have to buy the manual and cables from were you bough yours... <_<

Thanks,

Gregoire <_< :thumbsup:

Gregoire,

I did have to remove the hat shelf to get the cover off of the C pillar.

Before you remove the triangular plastic piece that goes around the small back windows, check both of the C pillars for the AFM. I vaguely remember reading that the AFM might be located in one of the C pillars on a 2005 model. Also remove the interior lining of the trunk because it may be mounted near the tail lights.

If you do end up having to remove the triangular plastic piece, read this: http://forums.swedespeed.com/zerothread?id...d=711313#711313 Nottaken explaines how he got the trim piece off at the bottom of the post.

ElectricSilver,

Thank you for the link :beer: . It did not help me much in terms of description but it gave me good warning for what to look for.
Guess what? I found the AFM amp. It was behind the rectangular window cover. It is relatively close to the Antenna.

I took quite few images and I hope I will have some time to create a free guide for others outhere...

Now I bought the wrong cable adapters to plug into the AFM to the modulator. The ones I got have square fittings which don't fit. I'm hoping someone might know what store and specific model I need to buy.

Small tip: Since I didn't have the right equipment to finish this installation I remove very easily the small yellow plastic snaps from the covers. This way I could put everything back to normal without having to struggle the next time around. I wouldn't recommende to let it this way too long as there could be some implication with the air bags in case of a accident... covers could easily fly off.

I hope to get those cable ASAP.

Greg :57:

Please let us know when you find the right cables. I plan on eventually switching from the 9V method to connecting straight to the AFM.

ElectricSilver,

Unfortunately I'm not going to get new cables. Since I already broke off the plastic housing of each connector, instead I bought some MCX connector fittings which I should receive this week along with other cables and RCA attachment to fit in Aux audio I needed. I’ll cut of the cable’s ends and replace them with the new connectors.

I do have a question for you though. I’m trying to see if I can hook up a Hard Drive stored in the trunk or some DVD player which reads MP3.
I found some units out there that do just that but since obviously I don’t want to replace the main head unit I want it to be hidden. For that I want some king of control at the driver seat. Although simple in concept I’m having a hard time finding what I need.
I found a clarion unit which does that in combination with one of theirs LCD display built with controls for simple function, menu, track, volume, on/off. Unfortunately the display is a bit too big and I don’t know were I’d put it around the dashboard.

So long story short I was looking at the Kenwood KOS-A200 you got, quite an interesting unit. I really like that it can display information using the RDS signal and it seems that you can plug USB devices such as memory sticks. So since you have this unit wired I was curious to know if you can plug an external computer type USB hard drive and/or a simpler USB computer DVD player using the USB connection available on the KOS-A200. Can you get the tracks listed on the car radio display with the RDS? Can the unit control tracks stored on these kinds of device?

Any chance that you would have an external portable hard drive or DVD drive and try it out? :grin:

I’ll try to do more research but information on offered audio component system seems too often short of descriptions…

Thanks… :beer: !
Greg

Other than the high price tag, has anyone checked out the Alpine Vehicle HUB VPA-B211A and HUB pro VPA-B222 external controllers? How do they compare to the Kenwood KOS-A200? I'm tempted to order the Kenwood but I'm not sure what USB device I will be able to successfully connect to the KOS-A200.

Greg

I'm not sure about the DVD player, but a memory stick will work, and a hard drive should work. I loaded up my flash drive with MP3s and it worked. A hard drive should work the same way that the flash drive did.

The only draw back is that even though the KOS-A200 has RDS, it doesn't display the folder/track name. As I scroll through the different folders and tracks, the display on the head unit would say "F1T01" (for folder one, track one), or "F1T02" (for folder one, track two) etc. regardless of what the folders/tracks are actually named. This could make looking for a specific song difficult.