|
Car: 2004 Acura TSX without navigation
This review covers basic installation and usage in a 2004 Acura TSX without navigation or XM.
Installation was fairly straightforward and can be found well documented on the web. Removal of the middle
storage cubby is required to access the port and no removal of the stereo is necessary.
I've read that it's smart to cover up the sides with painter's tape to avoid scratches, and this proved wise. Opening up the lower bin and gently tugging on the bottom of the cubby released it from the four catches holding it in place. One wire is attached to the top of the
bin for the lighting, and is easily removed by rotating a quarter turn counter-clockwise.
Very Straightfoward place the plug that was supplied into the missing space on the factory deck
Connect the USB and headphone 1/8 jack to the soundcard (NOTE: Scions have a factory Aux 1/8 jack and I foolishly assumed this is where the 1/8 jack should go) Not to say it doesnt work just that when you change to AUX on the headunit you just cant change the songs any longer as its no longer in cd changer mode...
Using a mirror I located the port for the Car2PC to fit in.
It's relatively close to the front and an easy connection to make. 2 pins one side, 3 pins the other side, and it slides right in. I put some foam tape on the bottom of the box to avoid rattles, and used electrical tape to secure the cords to existing cords. It was fairly movement free when I was done.
My original plan was to use this with a variety of inputs: ipaq, mp3, laptop, portable tv/dvd, so I wanted the cords readily available, but hidden. The easiest way was to drill a hole in the top of the storage cubby and snake the cord through.
First test with mp3 and ipaq proved successful with the music coming in very clearly. Back/Forward controls were not available through the steering wheel, but this was not expected. At this point, it was being used only as an aux in. The head unit display shows only "MD-C 1-01" and never changes.
Next I attached the USB to the laptop and the auto-installation went off without a hitch. I installed the WMP plugin included on the installation CD, and selected a group of songs to play using WMP 10. Everything was very clear, and the Back/Forward controls were functional.
As idiotic as it seems, I thought track info ( as in artist/song ) would be displayed on the head unit. It was only as I was playing with the ipaq that I realized that there's no real place for this to work since the display is fairly basic. With the laptop attached the head unit shows "MD-C 1-01" or "MD-C 1-02" etc. depending on which track in the playlist is playing.
Everything went very smoothly in my TSX, and everything is functioning well. If there are any other aspects you would like me to test, please let me know. Thank you for letting me take part in this beta. | 
