33 captured repliesDiscussion pagination complete · Source accounts, not a confirmed diagnosis
THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHDIY: Integrate Bluetooth into the CR/CDR-220
Leading reported evidence
Use power strip
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
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1
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I took a 12V power supply that plugs into the wall, chopped off the end and used a power strip to turn it on and off.
Leading evidence: 'Use power strip' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'little more than just a d-a converter' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Adjust scew until you get a reading of 5v' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
Source reports, not a diagnosis or a success probability. Counts refer to discussions and can overlap.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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1
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Suggestion · Original poster
Using your voltmeter, make sure you adjust the scew until you get a reading of 5V.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suspected cause
Its probably a little more than just a D-A converter
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion · Original poster
Then to double check I was on the correct pin location, I used the continuity tool on my multimeter to ensure the node I was soldering to corresponded with where the becker aux speaker input would've gone.
Explicit resolution reports before identified causes, performed actions and suggestions. Within each level, matching component labels precede direct query mentions and inherited thread context; successful versus unsuccessful discussion counts, owner confirmations and independent discussion support determine order. This is not a probability of success.
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Suggestion · Original poster
I recommend soldering jumpers strait from the board, but either way works.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
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Suggestion · Original poster
Then to double check I was on the correct pin location, I used the continuity tool on my multimeter to ensure the node I was soldering to corresponded with where the becker aux speaker input would've gone.
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
0 discussions have direct query context; 0 report a fix in that context. Other evidence may inherit the discussion’s subject.
Suggestion · Original poster
Then to double check I was on the correct pin location, I used the continuity tool on my multimeter to ensure the node I was soldering to corresponded with where the becker aux speaker input would've gone.
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
33 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
0 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Generation: 20261027T035758Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Disclaimer:
This how to is not a plug and play solution. I do not have a glove box in my 996, so I decided to add a bluetooth chip to the headunit and have everything self contained within the housing. I wanted avoid having an external unit that I would other wise need to mount somewhere.
Tools Required:
Soldering Iron
Solder
Wire Strippers
Volt Meter
T8 Screwdriver
Precision Flathead Screwdriver
Radio Removal Tool
24Ga Wires
Buck converter
USB Powered Bluetooth
USB Powered Bluetooth
24Ga Wire
Shrink Wrap
Small Zipties
Power source (Can be 12V wall plug or 12V from vehicle)
Premise: The idea here is to utilize the 12V switched power supply and ground supplied to the head unit. However, USB powered devices run on 5V, and if we plug the 12V strait to our bluetooth, bad things happen. This is what a buck converter is used for, dropping that supplied 12V down to 5V, without generating a negligible amount of heat. (There are other ways to do this, but not as efficiently as a buck converter i.e. voltage regulator) Once we supply our 5V to the bluetooth unit, assuming you purchased one with an aux out, all you need to do is solder three wires from the aux out to the aux in on the becker. So let's recap, 12v from the car goes to the buck converter, the bucker converter powers our bluetooth unit, and the bluetooth unit sends an audio signal to the aux in of the head unit.
The schematic shows which pins we will be soldering our little circuit to. Notice, the 12V switched and ground pins are not that easy to get to, but it's very possible to make a solid connection with a little patience.
Before we go soldering our buck converter to this pin board, we need to calibrate it. Buck converters can be adjusted to output a certain voltage, I believe mines has a 40V max output. In order to calibrate it, we'll need to supply it with power, and measure the output voltage. I took a 12V power supply that plugs into the wall, chopped off the end and used a power strip to turn it on and off.
Here, you can see the adjustment screw that you will need to adjust.
Using your voltmeter, make sure you adjust the scew until you get a reading of 5V.
Once your buck converter has been set to 5V, you can go ahead and solder your output power and voltage to the input of the bluetooth. There are two main reasons we want a USB powered bluetooth unit. Firstly, the usb only supplies power, no data, so we do not need to worry about the middle two pins, only pin 1 and 4. Secondly, getting the "bluetooth signal" to an aux out has already been done for us. The only thing we need to do is desolder the male USB from the board. Make sure you take note of the location of pin 1 and four on your unit. Disregard pins 2 & 3.
Once you've desoldered the USB port, you can go ahead and solder your 5v lead from the buck converter to pin 1 and the negative to pin 4. Plug in a headset and make sure everything is in working order. Blue light is on and sound quality is good, so at this point you're ready to solder the circuit into the becker unit.
Dis-assembly and removal of the head unit is pretty strait forward. Locate the 12V source and ground mentioned in the schematic above and solder in your power source and ground. For the AUX out, you can do two things. Solder wires strait from the pins on the board to the head unit board, or use an aux cord and strip the end of the wire and solder that to the board. I recommend soldering jumpers strait from the board, but either way works.
I soldered the ground lead first, since that is the hardest to reach, followed by the 12V source. At this point, shrink wrap the buck converter and the bluetooth unit, then proceed to solder the AUX leads.
After shrink wrapping, I secured my circuit to the casset tape stand offs. You do not want your wires or leads to vibrate and wiggle around, as it could weaken the solder joint and eventually break off.
Before you place your becker back into the vehicle, do not plug in the wires that to go to the CD reader. Just keep them tucked in the back. All that's left to do before you can stream music via bluetooth is to just turn on AUX mode. I'm assuming you already know how to do that.
Final remarks:
I had originally purchased plastic screws, nuts, and washers to fasten the circuit down. I decided against this as it would make assembly and disassemble of the head unit a pain in the *** and drilling the circuit board was not an option.
I will be opening my head unit back up to put a ferrite ring around the aux lines, as there is a very faint hint of alternator whine when I have the volume cranked up.
Or... IF you don't want to open the headunit up and solder just do everything externally:
I did this a year ago, no soldering or opening up required - I used:
Aux wire $2.89
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191476922546
The same bluetooth adapter $2.66
http://www.ebay.com/itm/121635348009
And this for power $1.72
http://www.ebay.com/itm/370869494870
connect to radio loom switched + and - with snap connectors $1.52
http://www.ebay.com/itm/200961535565
No need to open the head unit or solder anything!
Just pick up switched 12v and ground on the headunit wiring loom with the snap connectors
Plug the bluetooth into the power supply
Plug the aux wire into the back of your head unit and the the other end into the bluetooth adapter
Enable the "aux" input in the menu
Play music over bluetooth!
Question for the electronics gurus... If I want to keep the frunk-mounted CD changer, is there another option for getting the bluetooth signal into the head unit? Maybe a way of switching from Bluetooth to CD?
Yes. You can tap into the left and right signal and ground wires on the CD changer connection. Don't cut the ires just connect them to your bluetooth device as well.
Then burn an 80 minute silent CD
http://duramecho.com/Misc/SilentCd/
Simply select your silent CD and then play your music.
Can't beleive people still use the CD changer! I've kept mines in there for the "oem-ness" since it would take a minute to have it up and running again.
Was contemplating on removing the casset player in the cdr220, since a hard drive would fit their perfectly. Hrmm...
Could you tell me how you located the speaker inputs for the head unit circuit board?
I have the fiber optic cdr 23 head unit and would like to add in this feature.
I looked up an installation manual for Becker's aux cord . Then to double check I was on the correct pin location, I used the continuity tool on my multimeter to ensure the node I was soldering to corresponded with where the becker aux speaker input would've gone.
Do you have a CD changer in your trunk?
If you're willing to give it up, it would be easy to replace it with your own input. I gotten the CDR-220 into thinking the bluetooth input is the CD changer input, so it works even without an AUX mode. I could do it for you if you want to send it to me, as long as you pay for shipping+parts.
The CDR-23 uses the MOST bus for the CD Changer and AMP
It is different than older radios
The image you have is not a CDR 23
Here is the correct one
image
Finally home so I can elaborate my thoughts.
Fiber optic cables only transmit light, so there must be some sort of reciever within the becker that is recieving the light, deciphering it, and outputing an audio signal. For example, here is a datasheet for a
Toshiba fiber optics receiver.
It still has an audio ouput.
I could get it to work if I can find what nodes on the CDR23 circuit board correspond with the ouput from the fiber optic receiver. This would be incredible difficult to do without having the head unit in my hads, since I have no idea what receiver the becker unit is using.
Bored? Change your hobby and go drive your car and pickup girls, no need to reinvent the wheel.
Seriously, if you're bored, take apart the factory AOS and figure out how to improve it.
Figured I would post an update now that it's been a few months. I use my car pretty much everyday and the BT mod has never failed me. I haven't had to remove the head unit for any reason and it's served me well.
The only nuisance I've found while using this is having to use the iphone to skip, pause or play. Maybe in the future I'll look into converting some of the buttons to do basic functions, but I'm not quite sure it'll be worth the effort.
Just want to let everyone know that FastM96 found a 12V bluetooth board that will fit in the head unit. (Which means we don't need the buck converter in the system) Still some electrical bugs to work out, but an update to this mod will be coming out in the near future!
If anyone has a cr-220 lying around please PM me. I need a unit I can work on for more than a few hours at a time. I'd love to be able to utilize the buttons on the unit to control whatever app is streaming the music, rather than having to pull out the phone every time.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.
