Thread: Steering Wheel Controls

Originally Posted by leenas

I have a 2001 nissan maxima do you think that it would work the same? I have vol up, vol down, up arrow, down arrow, and source.

Probably. Check out the PAC Audio website for thier SWI-X control . This is used for sending infrared remote signals from steering wheel controls. If the interface is similar to the G35, it will work with the software. If nothing else, this manual is helpful for trying to figure out which color lines are from the steering wheel controls.

I figured out which lines are for my car by using the service manual for my car which I got from Nissan Tech-Info for $20. You can download the whole service manual with a 1 day subscription to this. Since you have a nissan, I would highly recommend you do this, it will save you loads of time in figuring out how things work.

Originally Posted by Izik

One thing I don't understand is that the SWI-X requires that the yellow wire (pin 25) be connected to ground. If I understand correctly you connect the wire to 5v.

You are correct, this is not an error, it is suppose to be backwards. You should connect the joysticks +5v to where the ground coming from the radio use to be. Apparently the joystick port works the opposite way as the BOSE radio (and SWI-X) does. I.E. Positive juice flows from the power line to the joystick X and Y axises where as on the radio, juice flows from the remote control lines to the ground.

Use the SWI-X manual as just a wire guide. You should also use a voltmeter and check that the resitance on the wires leading to your steering wheel controls change when you press a button on them to confirm you do have the right wires.

Im about to work on it but im a little confused as to which pin is 1 3 and 6. Could you take a picture of your plug end so i can see it. I ve looked on this site that you referred to:
http://www.epanorama.net/documents/j..._circuits.html

The joystick plug i bought has numbers on them and they dont seem to correspond they way that site shows it. Any help would be great.

Another a quick question: Pin 1 supplies the 5v and then 3 and 6 change the volt according to the resistors in the remote, right? So nowhere in there is a supplied ground?

Sorry, but I won't be able to take any good pictures since the thing is already installed.

Heres the joystick layout from that page
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
o o o o o o o

o o o o o o o o
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

-----------------------------------------------------------
1 : +5vDC 1
3 : Stick 1 X-position 3
6 : Stick 1 Y-position 6
8 : +5vDC 8

This shows the two rows of pins at the end of your joystick cable, one row has 8 pins on it. This is the row where you will find the 3 pins you need. The row starts with pin1 and ends with pin 8. Pin 1 supplys 5v power and so does Pin 8. This means they can be used interchangably. So for power, just connect to a pin at either the end of the longer row. 2 pins over from either end is either pin 6 or pin 3 depending on which side you start at. You need to use both these pins as they are axis pins. It shouldn't matter which axis you use for which function so you can also use these pins interchangably. So just connect your axis lines to the pins 2 pins over from the end.

The ground is in the gameport of the computer. The wires 3 and 6 supply the ground as well as serve as the line that the data is read off of. So when you have your circuit all connected, power will flow from pin 1 (5v power) through the resistors in your circuit then to either pin 3 or 6 back into the gameport where they are connected to the analog to digital converter and the ground. Pin 3 and 6 do NOT change the voltage. The resistors / circuit that they are connected to change the voltage (or more correctly, the current) pin 3 and 6 simply serve as the line that connects the other end of the resistor(s) to the ground / ADC.

Sorry to be asking so many questions and thanks for the great explanation above (i understand now). Im thinking since nissan and infiniti are the same company im assuming the way the remote works are the same. I removed my remote today and i noticed that two of the wires seem to be grounded but one of the grounded wires was also crimped to another wire that i think goes back to the head unit. The third wire was not grounded to anythingand looks to head back to the head unit.

I understand the reverse polarity of it all and i think that i would connect pin 1 of the joystick port to each of the grounded wires with the diode and the resistor inline and then each of the two wires goes to either pin 3 or 6. What im not sure is what i do with that third wire coming out of the remote that goes straight to the head unit and is not grounded at all.

When you pulled yours out was it similar to what im explaining? If not then ill just test it myself.

I never saw how the steering wheel controls were wired on the steering wheel end. I had the service manual so I knew exactly what the wires did according to it, it even told the resitance that should be expected with each button press. I tapped into my wires where they went into the head unit so the only thing I had to remove was the head unit. There were three wires coming from it. A ground, a line called remote control A, and Remote control B.

If your not sure what the wires do, hook up a multimeter to the ground and the wire that you think leads to the resistors on your steering wheel controls. Turn on the car, put the multimeter to measure resistance, and see if the resistance changes when you press the button. If it works, you know you have the right wires, if it doesn't you either have it mixed up some how or your steering wheel controls work differently.