Replaced the stereo in my LX450 with an Alpine 9" screen head unit (1 Viewer)

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ProjectsNMotion

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I replaced the stereo in my LX450 with the Alpine iLX-F309, also known as the Halo 9. You can see the entire process here.

Cheers

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Nice, great write up
 
Great write up & pics of the back-up camera.

Do you have an install of the actual head unit, wiring connector plugs used, & connections with the factory wiring?
Did you delete the factory amp?
 
Great write up & pics of the back-up camera.

Do you have an install of the actual head unit, wiring connector plugs used, & connections with the factory wiring?
Did you delete the factory amp?

The factory amp is still in place. It's quite compact, I wouldn't gain much by removing it.

This spreadsheet details all of the connections that were made. Please note that I also added a Parking Brake Bypass, which makes Alpine head units way less of a pain in the ass to use. They can be readily found on eBay or Amazon.
 
If all goes well, I'll be the owner of an 80 series on Monday. This was going to be one of my first upgrades. Thanks for the write up. That stereo harness is quality work!

Any reason why you tapped into the reverse signal behind the glovebox instead of near the back-up lights? According to the '96 EWD, there's a connector in the left quarter panel in the trunk that feeds the back-up lights. (Figured out the reverse signal goes to the stereo.)

Also, are you using the Crux CUL-03 rear-view camera? How do you like it?

Thanks,
James
 
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Do you happen to have a link to the USB/AUX extension you used and do you think it's pretty decent quality? I only ask because I ended up with one where the usb port is already loose only after a couple of months. I like the 3d printed cover, it makes a huge difference compared to just throwing it in and having it stick out like I did. Was hoping to get a higher quality port before I did something about it.
usb aux extension port.jpg
 
Any reason why you tapped into the reverse signal behind the glovebox instead of near the back-up lights? According to the '96 EWD, there's a connector in the left quarter panel in the trunk that feeds the back-up lights.

Also, are you using the Crux CUL-03 rear-view camera? How do you like it?

Thanks. This is the camera that I used. The wiring at the camera end actually consolidates power and signal into a single, multi-conductor cable. Usually that's a no-no, but I haven't noticed any EMI problems. Anyway, if I forewent that idea and just wired the camera power to the reverse lights, I would still have to connect the head unit to the reverse wire in the glove box, so the head unit knows to display the backup camera when the vehicle is in reverse. So I would have had to do more work than what I did. But what if I tied camera power into the reverse lights, and also tied the spare conductor in the camera harness to the reverse lights, and connected the other end to the reverse wire input on the head unit? That would work, and it would be equivalent to the setup that I have now. But then in the future, when I wanted to add supplementary reverse lights because the stock ones are worthless, or when I wanted to make a custom, robust 7-pin trailer wiring harness, I'd be tapping into the reverse lights at least twice, if not more, and that's just sloppy IMO. So I tied into the reverse indicator switch, behind the glove box, because I'm always thinking several projects ahead.

Do you happen to have a link to the USB/AUX extension you used and do you think it's pretty decent quality?

This is the USB/AUX cable that I bought. I haven't had it very long, so I can't really offer a long term review. Plus, I leave my USB cable in it at all times, I'm not disconnecting and reconnecting all the time, so I don't really expect to have any issues. This is the 3D file that I created. You can download the file and print one for yourself, or have one printed for you.

Cheers
 
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Have you noticed any humming or feedback running the head unit through the factory amp? I heard on other posts this is the case and why many bypass the old amp. I would prefer to keep the amp and small woofer in play. The guys at Crutchfield seem confident the harness I purchased from them will mate the Kenwood unit to the factory amp.

Also curious to know what you did with the Security switch plate normally located in the upper center bezel? Did you delete or move to the left side of the dash? I need to make room for 3 blanks (CDL and two horizontal seat heater switches) in the center bezel and trying to figure out what switch I should move to the left side.
 
This is the USB/AUX cable that I bought. I haven't had it very long, so I can't really offer a long term review. Plus, I leave my USB cable in it at all times, I'm not disconnecting and reconnecting all the time, so I don't really expect to have any issues. This is the 3D file that I created. You can download the file and print one for yourself, or have one printed for you.

Cheers

First off, thank you for sharing your hard work. Could you double check that thingiverse link? I'm getting a 404 error off it. I really appreciate it.
 
Have you noticed any humming or feedback running the head unit through the factory amp? I heard on other posts this is the case and why many bypass the old amp. I would prefer to keep the amp and small woofer in play. The guys at Crutchfield seem confident the harness I purchased from them will mate the Kenwood unit to the factory amp.

Also curious to know what you did with the Security switch plate normally located in the upper center bezel? Did you delete or move to the left side of the dash? I need to make room for 3 blanks (CDL and two horizontal seat heater switches) in the center bezel and trying to figure out what switch I should move to the left side.

I didn't connect the head unit to the factory amp. I completely bypassed the factory amp, I just left it physically installed in the vehicle. I didn't feel like connecting the regular Alpine harness as well as the additional Alpine Preamp harness. It left the wiring far neater and issues easier to diagnose. I did lose the functionality of the factory subwoofer, yes, but the average fart generates more low end than that thing ever will, so I wasn't really concerned.

I removed the entire factory alarm system. Please see my remote starter installation post here.

First off, thank you for sharing your hard work. Could you double check that thingiverse link? I'm getting a 404 error off it. I really appreciate it.

Thanks. I only just posted it on Thingiverse, and it said that the link would be active after 24 hours. So check it tomorrow, haha.

Cheers
 
Thanks for feedback on bypassing amp. Sure these modern heads do a better job amplifying a signal so makes sense. Also like the idea of deleting the annoying Security system to free up the switch for the CDL.
 
Nice write up! Thanks.

Most importantly, where did you get that shift knob?

Nevermind, found it on your original post. Is it a drop in swap, or does it need some work to get it to function?
 
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Most importantly, where did you get that shift knob? Is it a drop in swap, or does it need some work to get it to function?

Thanks. It's pretty much a drop in replacement except for the O/D button. Firstly, the wiring is ridiculous. I guess the bulk of the shifter console is installed as an assembly, because the 2 wires from the O/D button just terminate as 2 pins in an 8 or 10 pin connector. I just cut the wires on the new and old shifters, added my own in-line connectors, and plugged everything in that way. However, the O/D button on the 80 series LXs is a latching switch, and the O/D button on the 100 series LXs is a momentary switch, so right now, it's only sorta functional in my rig. I would have to hold down the switch if I wanted my Overdrive off. The two switches are different sizes, so you can't swap the switches between the shifters. If I really cared, I would add a latching relay at the base of the shifter to latch and unlatch the O/D signal. But I've never had occasion to turn off the Overdrive gear, and I can't imagine that I would, so I'm leaving it as is.

Cheers
 
The factory amp is still in place. It's quite compact, I wouldn't gain much by removing it.

This spreadsheet details all of the connections that were made. Please note that I also added a Parking Brake Bypass, which makes Alpine head units way less of a pain in the ass to use. They can be readily found on eBay or Amazon.
LOL. Can't you just ground the wire to get by this...
 
LOL. Can't you just ground the wire to get by this...

No, you can't. Some video head units, including all Alpine video head units, need to see a momentary ground followed by a continuous ground before you can access the settings menu and other features. Basically, they want you to set the parking brake, release it, then set it again and leave it set. If the parking brake wire could be simply grounded out to allow all functions while moving, Alpine would be in a vulnerable position, legally. Alpine is just taking reasonable precautions.

Cheers
 
@ProjectsNMotion awesome work!
Can you snap a few photos showing what the unit looks like from the side. Drivers side, passenger side, and top. I am interested in this option!

Thanks. I'll see about taking some pictures this weekend. I can tell you now though that there are a couple of plastic trim pieces that finish off the sides of the screen mount, and I never bothered installing them because the only time I look back there is when I'm removing the head unit to mess around in the dashboard.
 

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