[steve500]

I am installing a computer installation in my truck for a total custom media system.. I'm trying to figure out how the steering wheel controls communicate with the rockford fosgate head unit, some vehicles's steering wheel controls communicate through the trucks lan system and can be communicated with thru the OBDII port, some cars pass the steering wheel controls directly to the head unit using just resistors instead of digital data pulses and then that's it. Does anyone know which way our frontier's are wired up?

If its not run through the OBDII/lan communication... I've already got the hardware to get steering wheel controls to communicate, but if it's OBDII/lan ... it's gonna be a bugger to build an interface.

thanks of any help

This will also be good info for those installing aftermarket stereo's that have steering wheel controls, not just crazy fancy computer installations.

 

[gm_2001se]

Controlling an iPod through the stock steering wheel buttons??

Sorry, this is not an answer, but may help:

I am trying to do something vaguely similar. I have a 2001 Frontier SE, in which I swapped out the stock stereo for a SONY XT-330. I play my iPod through the AUX port.

With the swap, the steering wheel audio controls do nothing, of course, so I've been wondering if/how I can join the (now unused) stereo ends of the steering wheel audio control wires to an iPod input cable, thus controlling some of the iPod functions like play, pause, FF, skip, etc., directly from the steering wheel.

Here's a link to a wiring diagram for the steering wheel audio controls on a Murano, who knows if they're the same on a Frontier or not:
http://ww2.justanswer.com/uploads/F..._06_Murano_Steering_wheel_control_diagram.jpg

(Google Images: Murano_Steering_wheel_control_diagram.jpg if the link doesn't work)

I've seen some posts about wiring an iPod into a stereo in such a way that the stereo buttons control the iPod. No bad, but I'd like to put the steering wheel buttons to work if I can.

I may wire the steering wheel buttons to my missile lancher, machine gun, and force field controls (all manual, at the moment) if I can't figure out how to get the iPod wired in.

 

[steve500]

Well here's what i've figured out...


In the frontier there are 3 wires coming from the steering wheel controls. Ground, input 1 and input two. The controls are RESISTIVE meaning there is no data involved (makes things easier)... in other words, it works like an oldschool microsoft joystick, just resistors on each switch circuit, different voltages coming back to the head unit thru the ground wire means each different button being pressed...


In your case, something like THIS Pac-Audio.com Product Details | iPod Integration for your car and More by Pac-Audio - Connecting you to the future would probably be needed, you'll have to find out on the web if anyone has found out how to get the ipod to respond to the common steering wheel control interface that this device converts the frontier's steering wheel interface into.

 

[gm_2001se]

Stock Steering Wheel Controls

Thanks.

That looks like the ticket if you've got the right stereo and want to control the stereo itself. I installed a Sony, so I don't think that I can make use of this device.

I'm looking to do something a little different - rather than control the aftermarket stereo through the stock s/w control, I'm looking for a way to control the iPod directly from the s/w buttons (without going through the stereo at all).

 

[steve500]

Thanks.
I'm looking to do something a little different - rather than control the aftermarket stereo through the stock s/w control, I'm looking for a way to control the iPod directly from the s/w buttons (without going through the stereo at all).

I know, maybe i totally slaughtered my previous reply to the point of in-understandable lol, i'm saying, maybe after installing that steering wheel control interface I linked you to earlier, there may be an interface out there on the web to tap those steering wheel signals into the I/O port of the ipod.

 

[gm_2001se]

Steerign wheel iPod control

Thanks for the clarification, I'm with you now.

I would like to use the stock s/w controls, if there's a way.

 

[SinisterFrontier06]

I think this is what you need:
Peripheral Electronics Nissan/Infiniti Steering Wheel Control Interface - ActiveTuning

Converts factory signals into IR signals.

 

[gm_2001se]

Steering wheel controls through IR

Very interesting, thanks for the link.