Surprising single-din stereo fascia adapter from VW dealer.

[Emeye]

Hahaha - sorry about the quote mix-up. Glad you could see through my stupidity!

Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated!

AlanD - what model of Alpine is your HU?

tony_danza - what model is that Becker unit? Are they really any good for the money?

My Alpine 9812RR has a very good rep as a HU but is getting a bit old and not sure how great it will handle iPOD control and Bluetooth, and as I will have to buy the Alpine modules it may work out a bit expensive when I could buy a whole new unit that does it all - I had it in my Seat Leon Cupra using the std speakers with a Rockford sub and amp in the boot and it sounded great - the in built amp is 60 watts per channel - it goes very loud for a HU and really simplifies the install. Think I will try this route whilst keeping the std speakers, but if I'm not happy with the sound I will upgrade the front speakers and probably amp them.

This is my HU which has lived in a box in the loft for the last 2 years as I bought a fancy Pioneer Bluetooth HU when I got my first Beemer, but sold it with my last Beemer along with the sub and amp:


Only catch with this HU is the requirement to power it directly from the battery which shouldn't be too much of a pain (I HOPE!!!) as I will have to get the power for the sub amp anyway.

Cheers.

[AlanD]

Cant remeber the model number but it is IDENTICAL to that one only with diffrent colours, 9812R rings a bell. Your one will suite the inside of the MK5 much better than my silver and blue one but I got it off ebay for a stupid price that I just couldnt turn down (£55 delivered !!!!! ) Can check when I get in as I have the box and stuff somewhere.

[flywalker]

The Becker unit (blue display/red buttons)  is a Grand Prix 7995 (incl  Bluetooth) and sells for around 270 quid. Ipod interface avail @ 70 quid. Not tried it but tempted..

[tony_danza]

Becker are standard fit in Ferraris and some other exotica, no flashy all singing all dancing stuff to appeal to the window breaking scum - just plain and simple OEM looks with exceptional quality.

They're owned by Harmon/Kardon, Becker is their car radio/NAV arm of the company.

[Emeye]

Cant remeber the model number but it is IDENTICAL to that one only with diffrent colours, 9812R rings a bell. Your one will suite the inside of the MK5 much better than my silver and blue one but I got it off ebay for a stupid price that I just couldnt turn down (£55 delivered !!!!! ) Can check when I get in as I have the box and stuff somewhere.

£55 is a real bargain! Seen secondhand ones going for about £100 - the silver one is a 9812RB IIRC.

Did you wire it directly to the battery as suggested in the manual? - I wonder if this is only really necessary on older cars where the wiring may be a bit dodgy, but I don't fancy melting my loom just to save an hour or so of knuckle grinding! 

Cheers.

[AlanD]

lol f**k wiring it to the battery. I just bought a converter and plugged it in. If you use the cheap as chips £10 converter like I did you lose serveal functions that the canbus system uses. For example as mentioned before you lose the ability to have the key turn it on and off and you loss the auto dimmin function which dims the lights on the HU when you turn your headlights on (nothing major then). You also lose the auto volume level thing which increases the volume as you go faster, all things I can live without and few other small bits and bobs that I cant remeber now. These can all be retoro fitted and done by playing around with the wireing but I really couldnt be bothered. The place I bought my adaptor from wanted over £100 for the canbus adaptor, I know you can get them much cheaper else where but thats far from the point. Its just a scam from VW / VAG to make you spend more and put you off replacing the orginal stuff.

[Emeye]

lol f**k wiring it to the battery. I just bought a converter and plugged it in. If you use the cheap as chips £10 converter like I did you lose serveal functions that the canbus system uses. For example as mentioned before you lose the ability to have the key turn it on and off and you loss the auto dimmin function which dims the lights on the HU when you turn your headlights on (nothing major then). You also lose the auto volume level thing which increases the volume as you go faster, all things I can live without and few other small bits and bobs that I cant remeber now. These can all be retoro fitted and done by playing around with the wireing but I really couldnt be bothered. The place I bought my adaptor from wanted over £100 for the canbus adaptor, I know you can get them much cheaper else where but thats far from the point. Its just a scam from VW / VAG to make you spend more and put you off replacing the orginal stuff.

Hahaha - I know where you're coning from, connecting it to the battery in each of the cars it has been installed in has been a pain! But can you please check it is a 9812? - as the 9812 is the only Alpine HU that requires connection directly to the battery IIRC.

Cheers

[AlanD]

My headunit is a CDA-9812RB.

[Emeye]

My headunit is a CDA-9812RB.

Cheers matey, if I can avoid having to mess around connecting it to the battery it will save me a whole lot of heart ache - which wiring adapter did you get?

Cheers.

[AlanD]

Cant remember what its called now. It just an adaptor which converts the canbus plug in the car to the two single plugs which go into the back of the Alpine. Any decent audio place will sell it.

You will NOT need to wire it to the battery, its gets its 12v from the canbus (all be it its a permanent live as mentioned earlier).