Anybody besides me get their F900BT in a new Scion xB?

It would be great to get in touch and share notes. I am nervous about making the hardware handbrake mod but I think I have identified the correct wires.

I have the 2008 xB release series 5.0, and i installed the F900BT when it first came out (i actually picked the unit up from the warehouse before it even hit the stores).

I am guessing the RS 6.0 has the same unit just dropped in, as i see they didnt change the dash to custom fit the F900BT. So i suggest you pop off the trim and check out the radio... do the mod, you will be much happier, especially when you want to nav on the fly. Otherwise you almost feel like your locked out.

i would like to know what they did to make the radio fully integrated into the xB... especially the speed wire, the stock ipod relocation port, the stock aux port, among other things... I have been planning on opening up my dash again to mod and make the unit 'one' with the car.... if you can i would greatly apprciate some picts and info, that is if you are diving into it....it would help limit some of the trial and error i may have to do.... please respond to the thread and/or email [email protected] (title it 'Scion xB with AVIC-F900BT 'or something so i recognize it) i can probably help you out or let you know what i did with my install. I will take some picts and post when i get a moment... i was thinking of getting to it this weekend.

avic-f900bt

I got the trim pieces on the side from crutchfield

HD radio (now i needa get an antenna splitter if i want the MSNdirect feed)

i have the steering wheel control (it sometimes craps out though)

i ran the USB and RCAs into my glove box

I have an Alpine PLT-5 LAT sub hooked up (HIGHLY reccommend this for the xB (as it had crappy lows)- great sound and fits perfectly in the truck, with plenty of room- it looks like it is part of the car) i dont know if you can get this anymore though. my original plan was to build a custom box and power 2-12's but it would have been heavy and space consuming.

Gunz.

I don't have the FB900 or a special edition, just a standard 09 XB, but I installed the F90BT, which the wiring is basically the same. The hardwire mod is way easy. I was scared at first when I did it. And I actually did it after I installed the deck. Made it kind of a pain but it was easy anyway. Just follow the pictures seen somewhere here on the forum. I too added an amp and one 10 inch sub in a bandpass box in the back. Took up some space, but the box is actually quite small for it's design, so it doesn't hog too much trunk space, and it is loud. Amp fit great under the passenger seat. You can see pics here http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2113941. No amp pics but you can see the sub size.

Hey guys thanks for posting, sorry I never saw your replies sooner. Jimmygunz, I'm gonna open the dash again in the next couple days when my 3.0 chip gets here and if I can get a couple minutes I will snap and post about what's in there.

They did a good job integrating the head unit with the car, the GPS is very accurate so they must have hooked up the speed wire -- sorry I can't tell you where, they shrinkwrapped all the wiring which is why I am having such a hard time with the mod.

The ipod connection lives inside the glovebox, which on balance I prefer since my ipod mostly lives in the car.

I do have a RS6 with the F900BT. I did the Hardware Mod and it works great. The mod is a little different on our cars because the wiring harness used, uses some different wire colors. There is no Light Green Hand Brake wire going to the back of our unit, like the mod calls for, at least there wasn't on mine. The Hand Brake wire on our car, if I remember correctly is a Red & White wire. It will be the third wire over from the Black wire on the Black connector. The link below will show you the pinouts and it's the position 9 wire on the Power Supply connector is the one you want.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a272/ ... inouts.jpg

Hope this helps.....

I've got the 2009 Scion xB Release Series 6.0 - had it a couple of days now. I really like the F900BT.

A question for you guys - do you steering-wheel audio controls work? Mine don't and I plan to take it in to Scion this weekend to see what they say. Since its factory integrated, I think they should work...

So, I assume this Hand Brake mod is so that you can enter addresses when you are not parked? Can you also dial with the phone pad?

Thanks,

Kevin

I've got the 2009 Scion xB Release Series 6.0 - had it a couple of days now. I really like the F900BT.

 

A question for you guys - do you steering-wheel audio controls work? Mine don't and I plan to take it in to Scion this weekend to see what they say. Since its factory integrated, I think they should work...

 

So, I assume this Hand Brake mod is so that you can enter addresses when you are not parked? Can you also dial with the phone pad?

My steering wheel controls work fine with the F900BT on my RS6.

The "Hand Brake Mod" will allow you do do "everything" while driving, even watch a DVD, though it's not recommended. LOL

My steering wheel controls work fine with the F900BT on my RS6.

 

The "Hand Brake Mod" will allow you do do "everything" while driving, even watch a DVD, though it's not recommended. LOL

Thanks! Sorry - I didn't have notifications turned on

I guess I need to take my xB in to the service department then, because my audio controls on the wheel do nothing!

I think I'll try to live without the mod for now - probably safer for me

Thanks! Sorry - I didn't have notifications turned on

 

I guess I need to take my xB in to the service department then, because my audio controls on the wheel do nothing!

 

I think I'll try to live without the mod for now - probably safer for me

We used it last night and it was great not having to pull over and stop.

Thanks guys, it's great to make contact with other RS6 owners! xbin* thanks a lot for the mod help!

Kevin, check the back of your unit to make sure the wired remote is plugged in. It's a little plug that looks like a mini headphone jack. The avic is installed by hand at the port, I think, and it would be easy for any installer to miss this.

The service dept might do a good job but you might be able to fit it yourself. Just pull off the fascia around the radio and then undo the bolts you see.

Tip: put a think blanket or pillow on the console where you will rest the head unit, there are a lot of sharp edges that could mess up your nice new car.

Awesome, Chris. Sounds like the facia is similar to the 2000 Durango I traded in for the RS6 - pop it off and undo a couple screws to pull the deck. I'll take a look at that today - thanks!

Thanks guys, it's great to make contact with other RS6 owners! xbin* thanks a lot for the mod help!

No problem, it's nice to know there is a place to come for the answers. I just updated my F900BT with the new software update, I'll keep you posted!

Ok - I was able to get the audio controls on the wheel working. The wired remote was plugged in to the "digital output" jack. I plugged it in to the correct jack and all is well.

While I was in there I removed the cable wrap on the iPod/USB cable and ran in out the bottom of the dash rather than in the glove box. Now I have more flexibility on where I put my iPhone

I didn't get to the handbrake mod yet, but that's next...

Kevin

I've read several posts on the hardwire bypass and I think I know what to do. Can someone confirm:

1 relocate mute wire

2 ground the relocated mute wire and the parking brake wire

is that it?

Kevin

I've read several posts on the hardwire bypass and I think I know what to do. Can someone confirm:

 

1 relocate mute wire

2 ground the relocated mute wire and the parking brake wire

 

is that it?

That's it! Just be careful, my RS6 didn't have a light green parking brake wire like all the mod's say to ground, mine was a different color.

Thanks guys, I have completed my 3.0 upgrade and my hardware bypass, and everything worked OK on a short 25mph test ride. Here's our accumulated wisdom:

Hardware bypass for Avic F900BT on the 2009 Scion xB Release series 6

1. Pull the fascia off the dash around the radio (big piece with vents and small piece underneath the radio), undo bolts, pull radio.

2. Relocate mute wire as detailed elsewhere. I pushed the pin out with a nail and pulled it into its new location with a needlenose pliers.

You will probably want to remove some or all of the wrap tape on the radio wires to continue. I just pulled it off.

3. Using tap splice conectors and a short length of wire, connect the relocated mute wire to the radio ground wire (black wire pin 15 on the power harness). You don't need to cut the relocated mute wire.

4. Locate the parking brake wire on the power harness. On the xB plug it's red and white, NOT green.

5. Using the same methods and materials as step 3, connect the parking brake wire to the same radio ground wire.

(At this point, you can check your work by seeing if the Address button works without the parking brake on.)

6. CUT the red-and-white parking break wire on the CAR side of the tap splice connecter you installed. In other words, the red and white parking brake wire from the radio should be electrically connected to the radio ground wire and nothing else. If you skip this step, the car will think your parking brake is always on and will beep at you incessantly. (Ask me how I know).

I did NOT have to perform and software mods to get this to work. Now my passenger can navigate, dial, and play video while the car is driving.

PLEASE don't play with the radio too much while you are driving -- I don't want you to kill somebody. It would be so easy.

Thanks for the instructions specific to the xB - I plan to do the mod this weekend.

One interesting note: I saw a youtube video on performing the mod (not on a Scion), and the guy who did it did NOT ground either wire. What he did was to re-locate the mute wire and then splice it to the brake wire (I think the brake wire to the car-side was cut)! It seems a bit simpler, but wondering if it makes any difference? I guess the basic difference is that it isn't grounded.

Kevin

Hey guys I also have a RS6 - My friend did the parking brake mod using a relay.

Since there are so many of you here though I have to beg of you a favor.

Can any of you get me the RS6 splash screen? I lost mine in modding I have been searching forever!

Thanks!

If you want a few bucks via PayPal or something I will!

Hey guys I also have a RS6 - My friend did the parking brake mod using a relay.

 

Since there are so many of you here though I have to beg of you a favor.

 

Can any of you get me the RS6 splash screen? I lost mine in modding I have been searching forever!

What is the purpose of the relay?

Can any of you get me the RS6 splash screen? I lost mine in modding I have been searching forever!

I got the RS 6.0 wallpaper from the OP in this thread: http://www.scikotics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54938 (note this is a different site)

PM me your email address and I'll send it to ya if you still need it. Props go to him.

On a different note.... but still related to the xB RS 6.0....

Any tips on optimizing the sound settings? I'm really thinking I might need to replace the current speakers... I just can't make them sound "right" to me.... then again they are factory speakers.... do they ever sound right?

Can any of you get me the RS6 splash screen? I lost mine in modding I have been searching forever!

 

I got the RS 6.0 wallpaper from the OP in this thread: http://www.scikotics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54938 (note this is a different site)

 

PM me your email address and I'll send it to ya if you still need it. Props go to him.

 

On a different note.... but still related to the xB RS 6.0....

Any tips on optimizing the sound settings? I'm really thinking I might need to replace the current speakers... I just can't make them sound "right" to me.... then again they are factory speakers.... do they ever sound right?

Thanks so much man I just sent you a PM - As far as the sound quality I was really dissapointed to . I have yet to find a setting that makes me happy. I just can't afford new speakers right now.

Hey guys I also have a RS6 - My friend did the parking brake mod using a relay.

 

Since there are so many of you here though I have to beg of you a favor.

 

Can any of you get me the RS6 splash screen? I lost mine in modding I have been searching forever!

What is the purpose of the relay?

I just asked him for an explanation he said it provides a brief ground signal after bootup and it was his belief that it needed to see it after bootup. Whatever it works! lol

1. Pull the fascia off the dash around the radio (big piece with vents and small piece underneath the radio), undo bolts, pull radio.

Thank you for posting a nice set of instructions for us xB owners!

I do have one question before I mangle my wife's box. Any tips on getting the fascia off without scuffing it up? Is it yankable with your fingers or do you need a tool?

Thanks!!

I do have one question before I mangle my wife's box. Any tips on getting the fascia off without scuffing it up? Is it yankable with your fingers or do you need a tool?

That first sentence made me laugh

The fascia pulls off with some gentle pressure (at least it did in my case). It will probably help if the interior of the car is nice and warm, since it makes the plastic a bit more flexible.

Pay attention when re-installing it as it looks the same upside-down. If I remember correctly, it has a connecting "tab" on the top side...

Hope that helps,

Kevin

I do have one question before I mangle my wife's box. Any tips on getting the fascia off without scuffing it up? Is it yankable with your fingers or do you need a tool?

I found it a little easier to use the airvents on either side of the radio to pull from. It pulls off really easy. There is also a small fascia piece mounted just under the radio that must come off too. This piece also just pulls off easy.