Custom Alpine/Acura Adapter
Time: 30 minutes max
Tools: Soldering Iron, and some solder (optional)
Background information: Second generation legends come pre-wired for a trunk mounted CD-changer. Since Acura CD-changers are hard to find and very expensive, most people purchase the Alpine M-bus 6 series. I purchased an Alpine CHM-601 model off eBay for roughly $80, after shipping and noticed that when I plugged the CD-changer into my car, the signals were not being properly distributed to my speakers. The solution is to purchase an adapter that will correct this problem. Today, adapters run in the range of $20-$30, which may not be a lot to you, but I am extremely cheap. So let us begin.
Step 1: Remove the CD-changer from your trunk if already installed; if not then just get the CD-changer from wherever it is.
Step 2: You will be working with the connector from the CD-changer only; do not mess with the wire coming from the car. There will be one side of the black casing saying something like push. On the other side there’s a little slit in the casing. Pull that up, without breaking it and the casing should slide off very easily.
Step 3: Open up the connector, there should be some tape that you will need to remove.
Step 4: According to this diagram from
www.integracaraudio.com, Pins #2 and #4 need to be switched. When you look at the connector’s face, you will notice numbers 1-8. Those numbers represent each pin. Pin 2 should be red, and pin 4 should be black.
Take your soldering iron and make sure it is very hot, and clean. Place the iron onto the wire of your choice (2 or 4), and pull. The wire should come off very easily. Wait a couple seconds for the wire to cool, and then repeat for the other pin.
Step 5: Solder the #2 pin to the #4 slot, and vice versa. Also, remember to be in a well ventilated area.
Step 6: Put the casing back together and plug your CD-changer back into the car wiring.
Enjoy!