Ok, I'm just about tired of listening to the poor sound quality of the tape deck adapter. So, I'm thinking about doing the mod but taking it to the **** level.

I have a few questions:

1. I'm thinking about installing a female jack in the radio or center console somewhere. Here is a picture of the jack.
   
   
   I'm going to install it in one of 3 places;
   a. Just forward of the coin holder pointing forward (not visable).
   b. Forward of the coin holder pointing towards the back seats under the ash tray.
   c. In the face plate of the radio, maybe where the remote receiver is.
   So the question is, where would you guys put it?
2. When I have the radio apart, how do you know which chanels are right and left? With the cables, how do I know which are pos and neg?
   

Thanks for the help.

http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...hp?f=1&t=11147

 

I believe:
Red=Right
White=Left
Black=Ground

Also, I just used a headphone cord with a male end instead of a female jack. It works fine and looks good!

 

As a rule of thumb, in a cluster of audio cables or wires on a circuit board, Red is always Right channel and White is the left channel. These are typically wrapped inside the ground (or negative) which also serves as a shield.

Art

 

Ok, so I have a right, left and common ground. I'll crack that thing open and get with it.

 

So I guess I should use a shielded cord?

 

The mod threads are really a mess. I wish someone would clean them up. Six different threads, 50 different ways they are done, I think it would be nice for someone to make a fresh thread, outline the process, and post pics of each radio model with the solder joints clearly marked. Then people can post their comments under the clean instructions/thread.

Also, my Phillips tape adapter is noisy, I wish the thing was quiet, it sounds pretty good, just the noise from the adapter makes me want to do the mod.

 

Shielded cords are better since they protect from RF interference. You are basically creating an antenna everytime you run any length of unshielded wire, and since these are being soldered to a pre-amp circuit you essentially will get noise if you do not shield the run. Most comon is the noise generated by either the alternator or the spark plug wires.

 

Ok, I'll help you out:

1. Take radio out of dash
2. Remove four screws on top
3. With the radio facing towards you, look in and find the wires cluster on the right (the one shown in the picture you posted), and unplug it.
4. Cut and strip the RED, BLACK, and WHITE wires.
5. Either get an old headphones cord, or make your own wires connected to that jack you posted, and solder the corresponding LEFT, RIGHT, and GROUND from your cord to the RED, WHITE, and BLACK wires you cut and stripped earlier. ***OPTIONAL STEP: Cut or disconnect wire to motor on the opposite side of radio so that it won't make any noise when you use your AUX input
6. Re-assemble the radio, running the wires out however you wish (I just restrained the cord securely with tape and then ran it out of the top).

USING AUX IN MOD:

Set iPod/iPhone/iPad to BASS REDUCER and set the volume to one click above SILENT! THIS IS CRUCIAL FOR GOOD QUALITY MUSIC AND AVOIDING DAMAGE TO THE AMP YOU ARE NOW USING, SO I AM WRITING THIS IN ALL CAPS!!! Then plug in device and hit play, and insert a dummy cassette into the radio to switch off the AM/FM and switch on the input. Then, just eject the cassette to go back to AM/FM.

Have fun!

 

Wait a sec, you do have the SC-710, right?

That's the best one for the mod, though others may work as well. My directions were for the SC-710, but you get the idea. Basically what you need to do is find the left, right, and ground coming out of the tape deck, disconnect them, and re-connect them to your AUX cord.

 

Most do not say that they have their volume set at min. I plan to use my new phone as the player, not sure if there is an eq. I have 3 radio's not counting the one in my daughter's S70. I'll test my good spare, then do my 710 spare, then do the main one I'm using now (likely a 816), then do the one in the S70 (816 I think). I have decided to put the head phone plug in the blank next to the sunroof switch. Good central location and it can be removed with no problem.

I like good photo instructions so I'll likely do those while I'm at it. Like "Radio Mod For Dummies". A lot of people find them usefull.

A little unsure about the shielded cords. I don't think all headphone cards are shielded so I'll check out a few and try not to use anything to bid.

 

I will likely keep the tape deck operational so I don't think I'll cut the wire to the motor. Although I can't remember the last time I played a tape.

 

Are all headphone or audio cable cords shielded?

 

Wow (small), it appears that I have this connection to complete:



Can anyone tell me where my ground needs to be connected to? Can it be soldered to the chasis?

 

OK, I'm having a little issue with ALL OF THE DIFFERENT INSTRUCTIONS.

#1: This post directs us to connect/solder our wires to one board (top):
http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...14122&start=14

#2: This post directs us to connect/solder our wires to another board (rear - photo above):
http://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/for...tart=70#p97033

Which is the best board to connect to?

 

Trust me, use the SC-710 and follow the instructions, it's really not hard!

BTW, once you do ANY of these mods, the tape deck will not function again, so there is no sense in leaving the motor connected. Who listens to tapes anyways? lol

 

My head unit has a CD player. Why would I go back to a unit that doesn't sound as good and has no CD player.

I want to leave the tape deck in tack so it will work if someone in the future wants to use it. Trying to keep the car as close to OEM as I can since it's a rare model.

The tape deck still words with the mod.

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!! Just lost my post. Dang!!!

I have the thing working. However, I do have a problem. My droid cuts the headphone jack off when I pause the music or search for music. After being idle for about 5 seconds I hear a click. Then when I go to play music, it plays through the phone speaker instead of the stereo. I still have the wire plugged into the mod. I have to unplug the wire from the mod, then plug it back into the mod for it to start playing the music again.

The strange thing is, when the phone is NOT playing the music through the mod but through the phone speaker, I can unplug the cord from the phone and plug in the cassette adapter and the sound will switch to the stereo. But if I unplug the cord from the phone and plug it back into the phone, it will continue to play the music through the phone speaker. Real strange. Now I can unplug the cord from the mod adapter, then plug it back in and the music will transfer to the stereo, but if the tape in the player is playing, and the music is playing on the phone, I get a horriable feedback then the phone shuts off the sound again. So I have to pause the stereo tape, then plug in the cord to the mod adapter, then take the tape off of pause before I hear music through the stereo.

Hope that all makes sense. If anyone has any suggestions for me please chime in. The mod sound is better and has much deeper bass.

 

A video would be very helpful, but I think I understand what you are trying to say and I may have a solution for you:

Try inserting a "dummy" cassette into the deck when you want to listen through the mod. What I mean by "dummy" is a cassette that is TOTALLY empty! No tape or anything, just a gutted, empty shell to activate the little switch in the deck to move over to the AUX input.

Also try using an iPod and see if that helps.

 

BTW, I also know what you mean about the better sound through the mod, because I was very impressed with the way mine sounded (compared to the adapter) after I completed it.

 

Man, if you can get your hands on a Volvo Premium Sound System you will be shocked how much better the sound is in those. The only reason I would ever replace the system is to get a touch screen with a DVD player (which can't be watched while driving).