If you have a 40 fitted with a stock CD changer, or a radio that has the CD option with the DIN plug in the trunk, looks like there’s a cool way to fix a buggered up Alpine changer. (If you don’t mind listening to mp3’s)
Disconnect and unmount duff changer.
Chuck it out
Pick up a Chinese M-bus CD changer adapter with the various SD, Usb and phone inputs
Load up a usb or whatever with 6 folders containing a cd each (could be 1000’s more of course)
Good news, arrived in the mail today, works perfectly, just plug it in load it up with six folders full of songs and you’d never know you didn’t have a cd changer in the trunk.
Excellent invention for XJ40’s and 1994 and earlier XJS cars, works right out of the box. Ten stars!
are these still available? the link didn’t work. While I have the ashtray out, I figured I’d do a little searching about adding an aux to the radio, and found your posting- looks like a really easy way to get modern tunes and keep the orig. radio!
Better get right to it Bob, looks like this is the last one! Alpine M-Bus is the type you need. Mine has worked flawlessly for 3 years, I generally use SD cards rather than USB sticks.
I took a different approach and swapped out the original head unit for a Kenwood unit that provides AM, FM, CD (single), 1/4" aux input, USB, and Bluetooth with external microphone for hands-free telephone. I use the Bluetooth with different apps (Sirius XM, Spotify, Jet Audio) on my cell phone to stream music. Works well for me.
Yes, my 1976 GMC motorhome has that same arrangement. It works well, but keep in mind the Yatour system gives you all of the same features (if you add the bluetooth accessory) and retains the functionality of the OEM radio and 6 CD selectors …installation is also pain free as you just have to unplug the CD DIN cord in the trunk and plug it into the Yatour.
Thanks for the new link, it worked great. I am now looking for the cable in the trunk- I take it that it should be an 8 pin female? so far all I have seen that is obvious that is not connected to something is a single wire purple with a common female spade type connector, pass side near the trunk hinge. do you know, does the cable come thru on the floor? and if so dr. side, pass or down the tunnel?
It’s plugged into the CD changer and yes it’s a circular plug. Maybe tucked under the carpet if the changer has been removed? My changer was mounted on the right side of the trunk up near the hinge. I’ve seen them low down too, on the left side but I think in earlier models than the 94
my 94 XJ6 dosent have a CD player, but the radio is the factory one that is CD capable, so I’m hoping the cable is in the car. I will take the carpet out tomorrow and look for it. I already removed the spare. there is also a insulating? pad at the top of the trunk in the front that it could be hidden behind. I was hoping someone would know where they ran the cable so I could remove the minimum of trim to find it- If they put the cable in the less expesive models that didnt get the CD changer.
IIRC the cable in my car (that did not have the CD changer installed) was held in a plastic clip on the underside of the rear parcel shelf, right side. The trim panel at the forward end of the trunk had to be removed to get to it.
this is a very good news! i was looking for a similar device to save my Daimler 1992 Alpine stereo. I have ordered from china a M-bus to 3,5 jack adapter, but i think it won’t work , because my OEM stereo CD button works only if it feels there is a CD-PLAYER connected.
My cassette player is not working anymore… so i was left only with FM radio.
This device is the right solution!
the CD cable is always present in the rear boot even if the CDPLAYER is not present ? in this case i don’t have to remove the trim panel and the radio itself…
I believe I found the plug, it was upper rt. in trunk, just curled up and pushed in a ways. I see what is probably a plastic clip for it, looks the right size, anyway. looks kind of corroded, hope it will work. I ordered the Yatour device this morning.
Get some vinegar on that plug and follow up with some contact cleaner!
While you wait for the yatour to arrive, get an sd card of 8gb or less, format it and create 6 folders named CD01 to CD06. Load each one with tunes, podcasts etc and you’ll be good to go.
Thanks! I dont know how to do ANY of that stuff, but my kids are computer savvy, I’m sure they will be able to do it for me. (I can clean the plug, though) about how many songs can go in each folder?
As Robin says, quite a few.
I’ve never reached the limit, whatever that is. Most of the time I just put a few albums of one type in each folder then when I get sick of that, I can move on to the next “CD” by selecting it with the head unit.
I also have quite a few jump drives and SD cards. I find the sd cards are more compatible as USB thumb drives have to be 4gb and under and not all makes of drives work properly.
Also, all files have to be in the root of the folder, they can’t be in sub folders.
OK, nerd mode on…so I have a number of songs I’ve ripped from CDs to MP3s, with the resulting song files ranging from about a half megabyte to one and one half meg in size. Assuming each song file averages about 1 meg in size, and one gigabyte is about 1,000 meg, then you can store about 1,000 songs per GIGabyte or, in the case of an 8 GIGabyte card/flash drive about 8,000 songs. If a typical CD contains 16 tracks (songs) that is…let’s see…divide by…borrow one…about 500 CDs. Or something like that. In any event, enjoy!
