Current Head unit in Exige V6

[Kristof Thys]

Hi,

 

I know that the head unit built-in in 2013 was first the Alpine CDE-131R and then the Alpine CDE-171RR, without any bluetooth abilities.

Does anybody know that it is still the current head unit?

 

 

Anybody some experience with hands free phone systems in an Exige V6?

Edited June 10, 2014 by Milton1

[PhilS]

My car is 5 days old and in my hand I have the manual for the CDE-170xx/CDE-171xx. I have a work call in a moment, so can't go and check the exact model, but by my razor sharp powers of deduction, I can narrow it down to the 171xx range, as that's the iPhone one, and I know my iPhone works in it!

 

Other than that, there are no clues in the manual as the differences, but I'm sure there's very little. Certainly there's no bluetooth option.

 

Hope that helps,

Phil. 

[Kristof Thys]

Thanks Phil.  Going to swap out that headunit then for one that does bluetooth handsfree calling.

[PhilS]

Thanks Phil.  Going to swap out that headunit then for one that does bluetooth handsfree calling.

 

I'm not sure lack of bluetooth is the biggest challenge you're going to face - actually hearing a caller, and more importantly, them hearing you, whilst driving, I would suggest is going to be more of an issue?

 

However, I'd be interested to hear how you get on with. Good luck!

 

Phil.

[PhilS]

Milton1, Did you change your head unit? I thought I'd give a quick update here, as I was initially sceptical of hands-free in the car, but have changed my mind now:

 

I've made a few (!) upgrades to the sound system in my car since purchase - initially I swapped out all four standard speakers for Infinity Kappas and  whilst doing so, fabricated some sound enclosures behind / under each speaker using Silent Coat sound deadening sheets. I filled the rears with acoustic baffle (more commonly known as cushion stuffing, don't tell my wife...!) and lined the fronts with some acoustic foam that came with the Silent Coat starter kit I used. This made a significant improvement to the sound quality.

 

A few weeks back I then also replaced the head unit with an Alpine IDE-178BT, primarily because I'm addicted to spending money, but also as a friend had recently put one in his Elise and recommended it for the audio quality. The convenience of bluetooth audio streaming and the promise of a vTuner app* for internet radio was also appealing. The unit delivered the sound quality as promised and has taken the audio quality up another notch - it really does sound like a proper car stereo now!

 

Anyway, last night I was out for a drive and took my first call in the car - I happened to be roof off and driving on a motorway at the time, so probably the worst set of conditions, but I'm surprised, and pleased to say I could hear the caller very easily and apparently I was also audible, albeit with some road nose.

 

I'm pleasantly surprised and withdraw my earlier scepticism!

 

Phil.

 

* One annoyance is that this vTuner app is not currently available in the iTunes store (there is a Panasonic version) and I've not managed to find out whether it is coming back or not, but I continue to harass Alpine to follow up...

[Kristof Thys]

Hi Phil,

 

I saw your speaker solution on *that other forum*.  Did you need to remove the seats for the back speakers?

 

Haven't changed the head unit, but will do during winter.  Enjoying driving her too much now.

[PhilS]

You can do the driver's side quite easily without removing the seat. I removed the passenger seat when I did mine - easy enough to do with a Allen socket and a long extension bar. I know someone managed to change the speaker leaving the seat in place using the harness holes, so it's possible, but probably quite a faff to fit any sound deadening material.

I'm enjoying driving mine as well, even more so with audible music!

Phil

[Ian Lockwood]

I'm going to pop the Alpine 131R in my car out in an attempt to fit a phone holder that slides down the side between stereo and mounting sleeve. It looks like it should be a case of flicking up the locking pins at the front and perhaps undoing the bolt at the back? Any tips for removal?

[Bibs]

Alpine often need a removal tool, basically a u shaped piece of metal. Halfords sell them for a couple of quid or you should have got them with the handbook perhaps?

[Kristof Thys]

The removal pins are indeed included in the handbook plastic baggy.

Edited November 9, 2014 by Milton1

[Ian Lockwood]

Cool, will dig them out. I had a quick look this morning, the manual talks about flicking up small switches either side and I can feel these (spring loaded it seems) on the inside of the trim around the head unit. Do these get the fascia trim off or bring the whole unit out? Or do they not actually affect the removal process?

[PhilS]

There's a thin "sleeve", about 5cms deep that fits in the dash hole and the radio itself slides into this. The sprung pins lock the radio into this sleeve. I used a couple of small screwdrivers and with a bit of Anglo Saxon faffing, out the radio slid. There's no bolt at the back, so once the pins are unclipped it will slide out. I did find that the outside part of the radio surround ( the bit the removable panel sits in) came unclipped, but that was probably my ham-fistedness, although it is a little tight to the top of the dash.

When the radio is out, you will see that the sleeve is held in place but bending parts of the sleeve out to hold it in, just bend these back in all around to remove it. On my car it was also stuck in with some sticky foam tape.

Hope that helps,

Phil.

[Ian Lockwood]

Excellent, thanks Phil. That certainly tallies with what the manual says, but obviously on some cars you can bolt it at the back too. I'll have a play, not sure if the phone holder I've bought that slots down the side of the stereo will fit as it looks pretty snug around the fascia trim. Here's hoping, I have no other ideas for a phone holder other than buying a cup holder and doing the foam insert thing I saw someone else do.

[Kristof Thys]

I have no other ideas for a phone holder other than buying a cup holder and doing the foam insert thing I saw someone else do.

That's what I did (crappy pic, I know):

 

 

Edited November 10, 2014 by Milton1

[Ian Lockwood]

It's a neat solution Milton, it's just that I don't have a cup holder to start with!

[Kristof Thys]

...slots down the side of the stereo will fit as it looks pretty snug around the fascia trim...

Hi Ian,

 

any updates?

 

thanks

[Ian Lockwood]

Haven't managed to get round to it yet, sorry! Will post info as soon as I successfully (or not) grapple with the stereo.

[Ian Lockwood]

Finally managed to have a crack at this today, I didn't think it was going to fit but with some firm shoving, the stereo is back in the cage with the phone mount inserted. The stereo does just clip in with the two spring-loaded pins at the front, which you can get to without removing the fascia trim, but I think it unlikely you'll pull the stereo out without taking it off as it's very snug to the top of the dash area.

 

The only downside to this mount is that the clip on that side doesn't relocate, because it's blocked by the mount itself. It's clipped on the other side though and exceptionally firmly inserted, so I think it will be OK! Here's a pic:

 

 

Now I just need to work out how to pick up a switched power wire behind the dash and work out where to mount a cigarette lighter power socket. At the moment the power to the phone mount is from the standard cigarette lighter and having the wire stretching to the dash is not the best way to go!

 

Anybody know how I can easily locate a wire to chop into for the power?

[TBD]

Why not take the power from the stereo cabling? 

[PhilS]

...or how about using a USB cable from the front of the Head Unit? That way you can also stream music, if that suits?

 

Before I changed my HU, I found a 90 angle USB adaptor on Amazon, so the cable ran downwards from the HU and that looked quite tidy. You can probably push the cable between the heater control shroud and the top of the coin try to hide it as much as possible for the final run to the mount.

[TonyKL]

...or how about using a USB cable from the front of the Head Unit? That way you can also stream music, if that suits?

 

I plugged my iPhone 5S into the USB on the head unit (demo car - test drive) and it wouldn't power my phone ??

[PhilS]

Odd. I'm 99% sure mine charged the phone, also an iPhone 5S. I've changed the HU now, so can't check, but the new one, also an Alpine, but with rear USB definitely charges the phone. Perhaps someone can check to see if this is the case with all, or perhaps your demo car had a faulty unit?

[Ian Lockwood]

USB isn't really an option for me, as the Brodit holder is a cigarette plug and I wouldn't know how to go about soldering a USB connector to it instead! Also, unplugging it from the HU every time would be a pain.

 

If I can get the wiring colours or diagram for the HU cables, I could do it that way, although I'll need to work out how to get round the back of the dash to access them first!

[PhilS]

Ahh, I see. So, I'd say the best way to access is to remove the HU. You can then route the cable through either end of the coin tray. I fed my cables (iPhone USB and the Microphone) inside the steering column shroud and into the coin tray through the edge of the trim in the coin tray. It was a bit of a faff to feed it through, but there is a clear route to do so.

Edited December 1, 2014 by PhilS

[BillTheButcher]

I got a little black case with my stereo instructions. It looks like it's the right size for the front of the head unit but I can't work out how to get the front off. I'll never listen to the stereo so I figure I might as well remove any extra incentive for scrotes to break in.

 

Is it removable and if so how?