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Add Aux Port to '95-'97 JBL Radios?

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    Add Aux Port to '95-'97 JBL Radios?

    I was cruising eBay to see if I could find a cheap JBL head unit for the '97 since the tape deck is messed up, and I had been using it once in a while. However, I noticed a lot of Ford radios listed as "refurbished" with aux ports added to them. However, none of them appeared to be the type that work with a rear control unit, just the Midline models seen in base Crown Victoria and GS trim Marquis.

    Searching around online, I could really find anything about them either, just save for a few folks on other forums who just tapped a ground, and a left/right feed to the appropriate pins on their circuit boards. I even went and watched Gadget's video for the Box radios to try and compare my findings.

    I need to open up the one from the '97 and look in it, but is it really as simple as hooking up three wires or am I missing something here? I'd like to have the aux port added since the Pioneer unit in the '87 has one, and I've been using it quite a bit.


    My Cars:
    -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
    -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
    -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
    -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

    #2
    What connectors are on the back? If its the sort that is capable of working with a CD changer, aux is very easy and needs no internal work. If not, it still can be done but probably needs some futzing about on the inside. The plugs on the back should tell the tale. The changer-compatible ones have a 6 (or maybe its 8) pin connector that has a jumper plug in it when not used with a changer. Basically you pull that plug out and it loops through a 3.5mm socket with a switch in it to make it all go.
    86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
    5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

    91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

    1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

    Originally posted by phayzer5
    I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

    Comment


      #3
      This is the back of the CD changer model:


      FWIW, I do have the CD changer as well. It plugs into the RCU.
      Last edited by Kodachrome Wolf; 01-24-2019, 08:15 PM.


      My Cars:
      -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
      -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
      -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
      -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

      Comment


        #4
        hm, they must have changed it in 95 then. The one I'm familiar with has a small plug for the CD changer and another plug for the audio output. There was no RCU on those, the radio was the radio, the amp was all that sat in the trunk.

        Possibly with the wiring diagrams an easy way of adding aux might be turned up. I'm honestly not familiar with the RCU setups.

        If there is a CD changer input at the RCU, you can probably interrupt it there to feed the aux in, but of course then you're running a cable from the trunk to the inside of the car.
        86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
        5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

        91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

        1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

        Originally posted by phayzer5
        I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

        Comment


          #5
          I’ll grab my ETVM and look at the stuff for the JBL system.


          My Cars:
          -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
          -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
          -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
          -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

          Comment


            #6
            Interesting thing I found online: http://www.discountcarstereo.com/AUX-FRDW.html

            That looks like it plugs in-line from the back of the radio into the harness that runs back to the RCU.


            My Cars:
            -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
            -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
            -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
            -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

            Comment


              #7
              says it connects to the changer, not the radio. Sounds like its about what I had in mind, it breaks the signal between the changer and the rest of the system and injects the aux signal.
              86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
              5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

              91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

              1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

              Originally posted by phayzer5
              I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

              Comment


                #8
                Strange. That connector doesn’t look quite like the stuff that goes into the RCU. RCU connectors are more D-shapes versus the square type.

                If that harness wasn’t $50 I’d probably go ahead and pick it up, but I’ll wait on that one if the creative way doesn’t work.


                My Cars:
                -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
                -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
                -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
                -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

                Comment


                  #9
                  forgot I have these, derp

                  Click image for larger version

Name:	97 rcu plug.jpg
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                  I would bet that if you broke the signal at the "cd changer in" and fed in an aux, it would work. You'd need one of those 3.5 mm jacks with the internal switches to do it but thats easy.
                  86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                  5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                  91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                  1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                  Originally posted by phayzer5
                  I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                  Comment


                    #10
                    So based on that, a five pin 3.5mm audio jack is what I’d be looking for, since that would be a switch type?

                    I am a clueless about how I’d setup the connector at the jack though. I know I’d have my five wires, L/R in+out and ground, I’m just not sure where they’d go on the jack.


                    My Cars:
                    -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
                    -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
                    -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
                    -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

                    Comment


                      #11
                      yep

                      typical switched jack looks like this electrically



                      The "in" wires to the RCU plug would connect left side to pin 3, right to pin 2

                      The wires from the CD changer connects left to 5, right to 4

                      ground goes to 1

                      plugging in a jack breaks the path from CD changer to RCU, and your iWhatever signal gets sent instead
                      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                      Originally posted by phayzer5
                      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Thanks so much for your help.

                        I’ll order up a jack tonight and try to get into this project next week.


                        My Cars:
                        -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
                        -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
                        -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
                        -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I would suggest pulling those wires out of the connector and poking something in there to connect the mp3 player first just to verify it does work as expected. Its definitely not impossible the system doesn't work quite how I expect it does.
                          86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                          5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                          91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                          1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                          Originally posted by phayzer5
                          I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                            I would suggest pulling those wires out of the connector and poking something in there to connect the mp3 player first just to verify it does work as expected. Its definitely not impossible the system doesn't work quite how I expect it does.
                            I'll see about testing that then when I've got some time. Got a few bigger projects to knock out before I get to this one, but this should be the more interesting of the bunch going forwards.


                            My Cars:
                            -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
                            -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
                            -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
                            -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Currently working on this project. Everything is wired up and working semi-correctly. I guess the audio jacks I ordered despite being labeled as a switch type definitely don’t switch, so there’s the audio from the CD changer and audio from the external device.

                              Great if you’ve got enough ADHD to listen to two songs at once, but I’m not that good. I’m going to be lazy and just burn an entire disc of blank tracks so I can use my phone. I’m sure if I found a better jack, it would work. Anyway, I’ll try to get some pictures of my “handiwork” up once I get the cable run to the front of the car.


                              My Cars:
                              -1964 Comet 202 (116K Miles) - Long Term Project
                              -1986 Dodge D-150 Royale SE (112K Miles) - Slowly Getting Put Back Together
                              -1987 Grand Marquis Colony Park LS (325K Miles) - April 2017 + September 2019 POTM Winner
                              -1997 Grand Marquis LS (240K Miles) - The Daily Workhorse & March 2015 + January 2019 POTM Winner

                              Comment

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