When Is An Iso Connection Not An Iso Connection???

485 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by bigfootisblurry, Mar 28, 2010

elduce

Discussion Starter · Mar 28, 2010

Having sorted out a few issues on another thread, I thought I had my head unit installation licked, however I now find that what looks like a straight fit ISO plug connection on my Pioneer DeH8600 head unit doesn't fit the ISO plug adaptor on the car loom.

The adaptor loom came with the car and was previously plugged into the back of a Kenwood CD player that came with the car. This headunit is broken though - it won't respond to any button presses on the unit. It does play the radio channel it's set to perfectly though, so the connections are ok.

So, I took a 6 year old Pioneer unit that I had from my previous car and thought it should be a straight swap, just unplug the Kenwood and plug in the Pioneer, but the plug socket on the Pioneer, whilst being the same size as the one on the loom and the same pin arrangement (two rows of eight pins) seems to have thicker pins than the Kenwood, and the plug won't push on to them, even with a bit of effort.

Can anyone suggest what the problem is, or a possible solution please?

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indykid

· #2 · Mar 28, 2010

ISO is 2 blocks of 8 pins. sounds like you're trying to make a kenwood plug fit a pioneer socket, which won't go. can't remember if it's pioneer or alpine but the plug is identical but the pins are connected differently. if you power it up with the wrong lead, it lets the mystical blue smoke out. luckily i found this out on one of work's headunits.

presumably your pioneer came with a subloom? to ISO plugs?

you need a converter from mazda to ISO, then ISO to your headunit with the supplied subloom. look on ebay for ISO converters. shouldn't be much over a fiver
tom

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elduce

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 28, 2010

Ok, thanks for the advice. I thought this might be the issue, but then thought that surely they wouldn't be that mean.

Back to ebay it is then. I'll also need a new cage for the pioneer unit, by the time this is all over I may as well have just bought a new head unit.