CDR30 Replacement - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Hi All, oh it's only a day to go before I pick up my Boxster... very excited... unfortunately the Elise is going home to B&C this afternoon... there'll be tears before bedtime... any way to business. The Boxster I'm buying has a CDR30 stereo in it..complete with buttons indicating some sort of telephone is in place... If I were looking to replace / have it replaced with something what would be the best thing to replace it with and how easy / difficult would it be? Is it just a question of getting a wiring harness adapter from Halfords or will I need a specialist. I'm looking really for Bluetooth, Sat Nav, DAB (if poss)... anyone any thoughtS? Paul.

I'd be surprised if it had the phone module and not the PCM with Sat Nav. Not even sure if you could spec the phone module w/o the PCM. And, doing my a scratched record bit, replacing CDR30 with non Porsche OEM may cause problems if you wish to put an official extended warranty on it.

ooh so you're saying it should have the sat nav too? I'm not so bothered about an extended warranty.... wonder why they didn't mention it...

The CDR-30 has buttons for a phone but not activated unless you pay £x00 to Porsche to add the software behind them. Sonically the unit is average and easily upgraded by Kenwood, Pioneer, et al. For the interfaces - Connects2 are your best friends. The Porsche interface is very similar to the VW interface - so look at CT20VW02 or CT20VW03 depending on which FM aerial socket your head unit uses. Then they also do a Can-Bus adapter that unfortunately I did not discover until after I had my work done - so not sure of the model number but CAN-02 looks likely candidate. Finally, the CT23PO0x double din adapters do the facia work. You may find a kit that does all of these combined if you are lucky. For head units, I went for a Kenwood DNX4320DAB unit that gave me Bluetooth, DAB, Garmin Satnav, DVD media, and if you buy the necessary bits a reversing camera. For the last bit, def look at the Can-Bus adapter to give you a reverse signal to switch modes.

Thanks for the advice... I can't believe how expensive sat navs are!!! I think I'll buy a head unit and continue with Waze / Google Navigation for the time being :-) thanks again for all the info, much appreciated.

OK Car picked up and actually compared to the Elise the stereo isn't bad! I'm a bit fed up that I can stream audio via Bluetooth but there is an "aux" lead whooo (modern or what!). My son has a Pioneer AVH3600DAB which he can sell me, but I emailed this firm Accutek who tell me that; Hi Paul, This install is not an easy one!! Your Porsche has fibre optic audio. Adaptation for the fibre optic is £450 Facia kit is £45 Installation would be £150. Does it? What is fibre optic audio when it's at home? Or are they as my son suggests trying to pull the wool over my eyes... for £190 I might have been tempted but not for £600! anyone any thoughts?

Some later 996 and 986's (late 2002 on) have the MOST system (fibre optic) and apparently it's a b h to work with. I would confirm yours has it the do some googling on changing the MOST systems.

This thread has quite a bit about changing both the CDR-24 and CDR-30

The CDR-30 is NOT MOST enabled. There is no optical interface in the system. It is Can-Bus enabled, but that is copper wire and is mostly irrelevant. The main features that CAN-bus will provide is changing channels from the multi-function stalk on the steering wheel which most 3rd party head units do not support. It also provides a speed sensitive volume control and access to the reverse selection which is mostly useless unless you have reverse camera installed. The biggy is the switched power signal as the remainder of the loom is permanently live. The switched +ve can be fed from from a few of the fuses in the drivers footwell (eg rear wiper). However, with the canbus adapter I previously mentioned, all of these are available. So if you have a cheap head unit available, this may be a good route. Note if your Boxster has Bose it is unlikely to have the CDR-30 but the full PCM. In which case, MOST optical connectivity is true, but you already have SatNav and iPod connectivity.

Right... so... i dont have bose... i dont have pcm just bluetooth phone prep and a cdr30. So am i right in thinking that it should be a straight forward install? + fascia? Wheres a good place to order wiring harness adapters and fascias?.

I would look on www.connects2.co.uk for local dealer and then discuss the parts necessary. The site also does a full list of their catalogue so should not be too difficult. As I mentioned the VW adapter looms work - just check which FM aerial socket you have on your head unit. If you need a CT20VW03 (with ISO aerial), I have a sealed unit going spare for the cost of postage.

thanks for the offer and the advice! much appreciated. I think first step is to determine exactly what I've got... I think a quick investigate to see if it's fibre optic or not might be a good first step, though I'm not 100% sure what the fibre optic is from and too... presumably there's an assumption that there's an amp somewhere.... I'll update when I have information... I've watched a couple of videos on how to remove the stereo so when I have a spare few hours I'll whip the old one out and see what's what. thanks again. Paul.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-Cayenne-Dension-... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Porsche-911-Boxster-Caye...

Just had Porsche uk phone me up (following my email to them)... and they've confirmed the unit is optical based... Not sure what to do now... The Aux lead volume is so quiet...might have to buy one of those FM transmitter things... Are there optical head units that could replace it without needing a conversion or do you think I might have to spend the money? Cars...there's always something! :-) Paul.

I think I should have asked a different question as it's clear I've no idea how the boxsters stereo hangs together.... Having had an elise, you had a head unit and you had some speakers.... I'm thinking now I have a head unit, connected via optical cables to an amplifier which then drives the speakers... is that right? Can anyone tell me (in simple terms that I can understand, think 5 year old but slightly less brain power) how it hangs together? What are the components? It's all bonkers to me... Why can't the head unit drive the speakers like in most other cars??? Maybe I'm being too simplistic! :-) I'm beginning to think that £600 installation charge isn't such a bad price!!

The aux lead volume issue is well known and documented in the owners manual. However, if you are using an old style Apple iPhone, iPod etc with the 30 pin connector (not the new Lightning connector) then there is a line out available which is considerably louder than the headphone socket. You can access this though either a FIIO lead or something like http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-3-5mm-Aux-Audio-Data... It will still be a little quieter than the CD/Radio but not impossible.

You know when you start a topic off.. :-) So we've established that the CDR30 sounds pretty amazing actually (compared to the tin monster I had in the Elise)... but in order to change tracks I have to make sure the fuzz aren't watching while I flick on the screen of my phone and press the next track button on the app. I also have to have an Aux lead draped across the steering wheel to the phone that's in a holder on my windscreen... quite why the blutooth doesn't automatically connect I don't know, quite why I can't play the audio via Bluetooth when it can do telephone calls is another source of amazement.... So not the best offering... Is there a head unit I can replace this one with without it requiring lots of conversion work? I say again, can anyone explain what the optical cables plug in to (apart from the head unit?).. is it a separate amplifier that then feeds the speakers or are the speakers themselves optical????.... It really lets the whole experience down....but it's not like you can say "oh I won't buy this car because the stereo needs to be a bit better"... it's not like you'd know that before you bought it anyway now is it....

Well it's a compromise and only that... I'll see how well this works, not expecting much though the reviews sound good. http://www.amazon.co.uk/LAYEN-Bluetooth-Receiver-W...

Right...having "received" my receiver from Amazon and discovering that they'd sent a completely different item to the one I ordered... I decided after watching on Youtube how to remove the stereo to spend a little time and give it a whirl... easy or what.. The back of the unit looks like the below...

I can see the holes where you might plug in some optical cables but no optical cables... as I said previously, no BOSE just Bluetooth enabled CDR30... thoughts ?

the next issue... where to find a harness converter....

So are you thinking about the Pioneer unit again. If so, I would think that the Connects2 adapters (Loom and Can-Bus) should work OK.

yes thinking about the pioneer for definite, do you have a link to the adapter on connects? I can get a fascia for £49.99 apparently and a loom adapter for £15 and an aerial adapter for £10, so £75.00 all in as a DIY job.... They want £37.50 for a DAB aerial but I've never had to use one before... I've got a little pocket DAB radio and it has worked fine in the car (without a plug in aerial), will the normal radio aerial not be sufficient?

i have a cdr-23 headunit in mine, right pita

ISO Harness http://www.connects2.co.uk/ProductInformation.aspx... (check on FM aerial connector - maybe need CT20VW03 for ISO aerial) CAN-bus adapter http://www.connects2.co.uk/UniversalProductInforma... Facia http://www.connects2.co.uk/ProductInformation.aspx... Canbus will allow access to ignition control power, reverse and a few other functions - otherwise you'll need to run wires to the fuse box and find a switched live (rear wiper is one suggestion) DAB aerial - I got one fitted as Lincoln has poor reception at the best of times. Normally located in edge of windscreen on passenger side. But looks like you can get adapters to split/use the fm aerial http://www.dabonwheels.co.uk/dab_car_aerials.html Edited by gsewell on Wednesday 21st May 12:32

Jesus! This is like pulling teeth... Now I've convinced one of the supplier / fitters that it's not an optical based system because a. I don't have BOSE and b. the connector doesn't have any optical cables connected to it, I go on to discuss buying a fascia for £50 and a harness connector at £15 + the aerial connector thing at £10 and say I'm going to have a go at it myself. I simply asked a question of the supplier about if I plugged the harness adapter in to double check the stereo worked in that configuration to be told that it wouldn't just work due to there being no 12v ignition feed (quite how the existing head unit works is a mystery then!?!?) oh and the £50 fascia might need some modification to work????? Did I mention it's £50? I'm getting the distinct impression that they want me to say oh go on then fit it for me... I would have taken them up on their £150 offer had they not decided they wanted the car for a whole day to do it! Of course the other problem being that I've got to drive 20 miles to go and get the bits anyway...no online shop, no mail order capability... why does this have to be that difficult!?!?! I mean this is getting ridiculous. At this rate I'll stick with my Aux cable and my crappy CDR30 and they can have 100% of sod all.... sigh.... and breathe....

There is no ignition feed unless you use a CANbus adapter or run a lead to the fuse box. In the defence of your ICE fitters, 911Sport spent 4 hours fitting mine although that included the SatNav aerial and the DAB aerial as well as the facia kit and loom adapters and bluetooth mic to the speedo pod. I did not know about the CanBus adapter at the time, so it took a while to wire from the fuse box. Edited by gsewell on Wednesday 21st May 18:04

ok well having driven 20 miles there and 20 miles back and paid £29.99 (whatever happened to the £15 I was quoted) for "the lead" "definitely the lead".. I got home looked at the wiring harness adapter my son had bought for his sirocco and thought "they look the same"... I withdrew the radio only to discover that the lead that was definitely "the lead" was in fact NOT the lead at all... I don't know what you call the end that comes out the back of the CDR 30 but it wasn't going to go anywhere near the plug that was on the supplied adapter. this is the plug as extracted from the CDR30 (a quick google on boxster CDR30 wiring images revealed this, so not exactly difficult)... I've had an offer of £275 to have the unit fitted with a DAB aerial and all the bits... I'm severely tempted... but why all this has to be this difficult is frankly more confusing than actually hooking the thing up.

The connections in the blue and green blocks are the telephone mic and aux input. Most of the main connections are in the larger block. These will include the CanBus leads as well as power in and speakers out. These should be exactly the same as later VW cars.

ok booked in with Accutek a week friday.. I will post pictures...

cre8toruk said: ok booked in with Accutek a week friday.. I will post pictures... Where are you based? If it's anywhere near Putney, Leeds or Dunblane then PM me if you'd like to see my Kenwood installation.

ok no pictures as yet but the unit is installed... NOTE to anyone who's interested... If an installer tells you that you have to pay through the nose because you have a fibre optic unit that needs converting and you DONT HAVE BOSE then he's talking B#llocks and you should tell him so... The Pioneer AVH3600DAB is an awesome unit and the DAB works very well though I'm not 100% convinced I needed the stick on aerial but hey... the only other problem I now have of course is the FM aerial no longer seems to work... a quick phone call to Accutek on Monday should sort that out... where they try convince me again that they've done loads of Porsches that NEED a fibre optic conversion... M'thinks someone is eating a toffee crisp! 8.

The FM aerial amplifier is triggered by the white lead in the main block of 16 pins. Without that trigger, no FM amp and no FM aerial.

Interestingly... I've replaced the splitter thingy..and I can now get FM radio... no AM but it's a start. I've no idea also what the blue cable is for... i.e. one end goes into the head the other goes into the aerial and the blue wire goes....? Is that the one that should connect to the white ??

Sorry for the delay in reply, I've been away in the Lake District. The blue cable is the aerial amp feed (IIRC) and ideally there should be a pin in the ISO-connector to supply it. I cannot say for sure as 911Sport did my install.