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THIS DISCUSSION / SOURCE-DERIVED OVERVIEW
Discussion summary
YOUR RESEARCHDension 500 install with CDC 4
Leading reported evidence
Use cd changer and the dension unit
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
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0
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1
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Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Because multiple cd changers are not enabled for PCM, the secondary loop on the Dension is used for the cd changer and the dension unit replaces the CD changer in the loop.
Leading evidence: 'Use cd changer and the dension unit' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Disconnect fo connector' (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.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
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Suggestion · Original poster
Disconnect the FO connector from the CDC-4 and plug it into the primary side of the dension, holes "1 and 2." (the top if "Dension" is right side up).
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
Because multiple cd changers are not enabled for PCM, the secondary loop on the Dension is used for the cd changer and the dension unit replaces the CD changer in the loop.
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.
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
0 original-poster resolution reports. Counts can overlap; they are not unique people or a success rate.
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Suggestion · Original poster
Use the brown wire (ground, black on the Dension harness) and the red/green wire (red wire on the dension harness).
Use dension unit and retaining the cdc-4 functionality as well
Suggestion or failed attempt
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Reported fixes
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Unsuccessful attempts
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Discussions
Read evidence and context
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
Okay guys, there are plenty of Dension install threads, but I'm going to add another because I haven't seen a lot of clear pictorial instructions on using the Dension unit and retaining the CDC-4 functionality as well.
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
Because multiple cd changers are not enabled for PCM, the secondary loop on the Dension is used for the cd changer and the dension unit replaces the CD changer in the loop.
Discussions that performed work without a confirmed outcome
1
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.
Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
Because multiple cd changers are not enabled for PCM, the secondary loop on the Dension is used for the cd changer and the dension unit replaces the CD changer in the loop.
Use dension unit and retaining the cdc-4 functionality as well
No successful repair reported for this finding.
0
Reported fixes
0
Unsuccessful attempts
1
Discussions
Read evidence and context
Discussions that contain suggestions
1
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
Okay guys, there are plenty of Dension install threads, but I'm going to add another because I haven't seen a lot of clear pictorial instructions on using the Dension unit and retaining the CDC-4 functionality as well.
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.
1 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: 20261027T144324Z · outcome-qualification-6. Deterministic extraction; no AI model inference. How we use sources
Okay guys, there are plenty of Dension install threads, but I'm going to add another because I haven't seen a lot of clear pictorial instructions on using the Dension unit and retaining the CDC-4 functionality as well.
My car is PCM 2.1 with CDC-4 cd changer in the frunk. The fiber optic loop leaves the PCM unit and goes first to the AMP, and then to the CD changer, then back to the PCM. I know this because the connector at the amp will illuminate as long as the ignition is on, and even sometimes when it isn't, although the connector at the CD changer will illuminate only when the connector to the amp is plugged in.
The dension, then, does not go between the output of the PCM and the input of the amp, but between the amp output and the input to the PCM
where the CD changer used to be.
Because multiple cd changers are not enabled for PCM, the secondary loop on the Dension is used for the cd changer and the dension unit replaces the CD changer in the loop.
The long and short is that you don't need to undo any trim or fish around behind the brake booster like I've seen on a couple of videos. Reprogramming the PCM is not required because a CDC-4 was already in place. Simply do the following:
Toggle dipswitches 2 and 3 to the on position on the Dension in accordance with the Dension manual.
Unplug the FO connector from the CDC-4.
Use wire taps to source power from the CDC-4's power connector, which is just aft of the FO connector. Use the brown wire (ground, black on the Dension harness) and the red/green wire (red wire on the dension harness). For whatever reason, the voltage on the white/red wire is too low to turn on the dension. I was reading 11.8 with the car off. The dension needs at least 12V for the unit to function and the blue LED to turn on. You will want to trim the dension power harness pretty short; I left about 4 inches past the fuse. Strip the ends and crimp them into the radio shack connectors.
Disconnect the FO connector from the CDC-4 and plug it into the primary side of the dension, holes "1 and 2." (the top if "Dension" is right side up). No modification is necessary to the cable/connector, just unplug from the cdc and plug into the dension.
There are two FO cable pairs that come with the dension. Use the one that says "CDC side" to connect the dension directly to the CDC-4 using the dension's secondary loop, holes "3 and 4." If you're holding the Dension "right side up" so that the word "Dension" is readable, this is the port on the bottom.
You can see in my picture that I routed the cable up and over the CDC-4 and then looped it back into the bottom of the CDC-4 to plug it in.
Take the other FO cable pair that came with the dension and throw it away.
Take all the other FO connectors and also throw them away.
3M tape the dension to the surface of the CDC-4.
The aux-input box must be plugged into the dension for it to work. Toggle down for dension input (ipod/USB) to be enabled, toggle up for CDC-4 to be enabled. Both cannot work at the same time. 3M tape this to the CDC as well and tuck the excess cable underneath the CDC.
In summary you don't have to do any crazy FO cable splicing or connector modification to make it work. Just unplug the CDC-4 and put the dension in its place. Don't even think about touching any FO cables that are near the amp or in the passenger compartment.
This is a source reference. Confirm exact model applicability in the original material.