Hi all,
Just bought one of these and I spoke with PAC and the SWI-RC-1 is compatible with the P38, I got mine for £28.09. Will try and fit this weekend, weather depending.
A lot cheaper than when I looked a couple of years ago!
You will have to forgive me, but I have no idea what you are talking about!
It's (according to websearching it) for 'maintaining the original function' of steering wheel controls when replacing the stereo. There's some comments on the web from a while back, other forums, that it might not work on older head units. (Depends what is meant by older I suppose). My controls are variable at best, will be interesting to find out how it goes actually.
It fits in between the steering wheel controls and the aftermarket head unit and has been used by a number of people with great success. It converts the ladder resistor network used on older cars like the P38 and others of similar vintage to the data signal that a newer head unit needs. I think you have to program it in some way depending on what brand of head unit you are fitting.
I've used one for years - works great :)
Glad to hear Sloth, can't wait to fit it to be honest.
They used to be very expensive, it's been sat in my Amazon watch list for at least 2 years. I've got a Sony DAB & bluetooth radio that takes 2 phones (work and personal) at the same time, very handy!
The only downside is the glaring blue display, couldn't find a green display at the time. Anyone recommend a good one with green and dimmable display?
Kenwood KDC-BT950DAB, https://kenwood-electronics.co.uk/car/rec/dab/KDC-BT950DAB/, I've got the predecessor to it and colour 18 is a perfect match for the HEVAC. The display is also dimmable at night time.
Agreed...kenwood...i have one of those in the defender and one in the RR
Doesn't look too out of place either
That does look good and not having a book in your HEVAC is just showing off hahaha
Thanks guys
Not had a book on the HEVAC for at least 6 years, do it right, do it once......
I can also vouch for the PAC SWI-RC - used one in my P38 for years until I went over to using the Android head units, which interface directly to the steering wheel controls.
Gilbertd - how did you fix yours? I have a complete spare heater box that I'm going to swap out when the weather is nicer and fix the a/c while I'm at it. I followed all the ST screw instructions to the letter and the longest I ever got working properly was around 14 days then the book was back. I did swap out all 3 blend motors not long after I bought the car but it really is bugging me. I hate things that don't work. This year I aim to fix everything on the car.
Thanks Marty - my only hesitation is bouncing around trying to hit a touch area... I don't think it would be too bad if only I could find an interface that you could re-size the buttons and and touchdown area on. I haven't looked for a year so I'll do some reading up.
Only this week I read about F35 pilots having the exact same problem. Some egg head installed touchscreen MFD interfaces that means the pilot has to look down to use it. Pilots are not very impressed and prefer real switches etc, but £££ dictate cheap parts
No book is almost certainly down to new pots in the blend motors and giving the motors a clean and a blast of 12V in each direction, putting new brushes in the blowers and making sure everything moves nice and freely. Having a mate who is a mobile AC man helps too, as does jumpering the connections behind the RH kick panel as the feed to the AC compressor goes through that. I haven't had to have the heater box out as it seems fine but that may be because my car gets used almost ever day so the flaps are kept well exercised. I used to get the book on at odd times when I first got the car and the drivers blend motor would stick at one or other end of the travel. You could almost guarantee it would stick on full heat in the summer and full cold in the winter. After driving through France with the outside display showing -2, snow falling and sitting in a sleeping bag in an effort to keep my feet warm, I decided I really should do something about it. There's some things that seem like a minor inconvenience until one day you realise they need to move higher up the list of priorities.
I've ordered one of the interfaces so I can have a play. My Kenwood can take a remote input but my steering wheel doesn't have any buttons as the car was supplied to plod with no radio or cruise control. I'm looking for some very low profile pushbuttons that I can mount on the back of one of the spokes so I have a volume up and down on there. If the SW-RC1 can also be programmed to answer the phone, I'll add a third switch on the other side for that too. Just got to find some suitable switches now......
If you got a wheel with buttons, is the wiring not there ? Standard black wheels the last time I bought one were £20,,
Jeez, just had a look , cheapest £37 delivered, won’t swear to it, but might have one, I’ll have a look later today,, if I’ve got your welcome to it
Thanks Chris but I've already got a complete wheel with all the buttons that was given to me, and the wiring is all there, but I want to keep my original, well worn, plain, non-leather wheel. That, like the big spraystopper mudflaps, are part of the cars character and history. My works Kangoo had a small rocker for volume up and down on the right side behind the wheel and I want to recreate that, index finger for up and 2nd finger for down.
Gilbertd wrote:
Thanks Chris but I've already got a complete wheel with all the buttons that was given to me, and the wiring is all there, but I want to keep my original, well worn, plain, non-leather wheel. That, like the big spraystopper mudflaps, are part of the cars character and history. My works Kangoo had a small rocker for volume up and down on the right side behind the wheel and I want to recreate that, index finger for up and 2nd finger for down.
Can’t you just put the buttons on your wheel ? I nearly fell over last night, eBay, set of buttons and ribbon £185 there having a laugh
I seem to recall switches/buttons go where a "plain" plastic cover sits. I have to transfer mine as I am replacing steering wheels (well, this IS the year it's been two years my RRP38 is off the road and I am getting pissed), and it is a minor mod to do.
The electrical attachments points are also on the sides of the column and seem an easy "addition"
I had mine apart to clean it, and I've got a "cruise but no stereo buttons" steering wheel. I can find out what the resistors you'd need are, and the rest is just tact switches.