VW PhatBox IN Ford Focus

[dchoward1977]

Hello all, I am new here.  I am considering getting a VW PhatBox.  From what I've read here, it seems like it should be possible to put it into my 2000 Ford Focus.  I understand that I will at the very least need to get a cable and upgrade the firmware on the PB.  SO: a few qustions.  Will I be able to get this thing running in my Ford?  Does anyone know how much cables are direct from PhatNoise, and if they will even sell me one?  Apparently the Ford PB is somehow different hardware-wise, does this difference extend to the cable wiring? Will a Ford cable work with the VW box once the VW box has Ford firmware on it, or are the pinouts on the two different boxes themselves different?  I have browsed through all your info here, but would just like to know it this is possible before I take the plunge.  I'm pretty tech-savvy, but some of the info I've seen is a little vague...  If anyone here has gotten a VW PB to work in a Ford I'd love to hear from you.  And if anyone knows of alternate sources of cables that would be cool too.  Guess I could make one if I had to, but I'd like to avoid it.  Thanks in advance everyone.

[sbingner]

http://www.pie.net/index-2-details.cfm?recordID=FRDC/PC-KNNSR

Converts ford to KNNSR format - then you can use the kenwood firmware and cable, those are documented

[dchoward1977]

Okay, I think I was looking at the PIE adapter on Crutchfield's site.  SO:  Get the VW Phatbox, Buy this PIE adpater, Get a Kenwood CD changer cable, Install KENWOOD firmware on the Phatbox, and then everything should be hunky-dory?

[markbowen]

Okay, I think I was looking at the PIE adapter on Crutchfield's site.  SO:  Get the VW Phatbox, Buy this PIE adpater, Get a Kenwood CD changer cable, Install KENWOOD firmware on the Phatbox, and then everything should be hunky-dory?

You're right about everything, except it is not the Kenwood CD changer cable you need.  You are probably looking at this cable:  http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Tvm79JKEEz6/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=234250&I=469KNWDIN&search=kenwood+changer+cable

That is for a regular CD changer.  What you need is a Kenwood to Keg cable, Kenwood part # KHD-5L1.  Just Google the part number and you should find a few parts dealers that have them listed.  Whether they have them in stock or not is the question.

[dchoward1977]

Okay, I was looking at the wiring diagram on the PIE site.  Should have realized the Phatbox would need it's own specific cable.  One more question: since I will be loading Kenwood firmware on the Phatbox, will that cause me to lose some features that are specific to the Phatbox?  Like the voice indexing?  And will the control layout on the headunit change at all?

[dchoward1977]

I know Phatnoise's site has cables available, perhaps I should call them about a Ford specific cable. Anyone ever got one directly from them?

[sbingner]

they won't sell you cables unless you bought the box directly from them (read: $700)

If you can buy a cheap Kenwood KHD-710 it would be simplest for you.... getting the cable is usually pretty hard.   You do lose SSA, but you can buy VIOT or enable the SSA functionality without VIOT by using a hack that you may be able to find on the wiki

[az1324]

The VW phatbox can be converted to a Mazda and someone said use the Ford firmware for Mazda so why can't the VW phatbox do Ford too?

[sbingner]

I dunno, try it... let me know what the pinouts are too :b

[dchoward1977]

Hmmm...getting some ideas here.  Figures Phatnoise would be like that with the cable availability, I pretty much expected that one.  There is one more option I think might work: as an option on some Focus models, there was a Blaupunkt-manufactured headunit.  It has CD changer controls and MP3 playback.  I was considering getting one anyway since I don't want an aftermarket unit (weird DIN and a half size radio slot, install kits look terrible.)  Apparently to get this H.U. to work in a Focus, you need a VW(!) wiring harness for it, or parts of it anyway.   So I'm thinking maybe the PB would connect to this with the VW cable I'll already have when (if) I get the PB.  Does anyone know what the connector on the PB VW harness looks like and if it will match this one? There are Picture of the back of this H.U. here:  http://www.centralautorecycling.com/eBay/eBay_Photo_Pages/Focus_Radio.htm  
I am assuming that the CD changer connector is the top one in the plug area there.  These H.U.'s go for about 200 bucks or so, so this will be getting kind of pricey.  The only thing I'm not sure of would be what firmware to use with this H.U. : VW, Blaupunkt?  Any thoughts, please let me know, all. Thanks, what an awesome forum, hope I can get this to work.

[timps]

I don’t know about the frimware  & if that would work.

The VW phatbox comes with a very short cable designed to mate up with a VW or Audi >02 CD Changer lead  not the back of the radio.

You would need to cut off the end of the VW phatbox lead and insert the pins directly into the existing radio connector plug /new connector plug or buy a CD changer cable from VW.

The radio connector plug is available from in my case Audi and so are the replacement pins I have the part numbers somewhere (not that expensive but the phatbox would have to be sited closed to the radio like in  the glovebox).


The VW CD changer lead comes with a rectangular CD Changer plug at one end and bare pins to push into a radio connector plug at the other (some come with this plug attached different p/n)  & is long enough so the phatbox could be sited in the trunk.

 The back of the radio does look like the same connectors as the ones in my Audi (same as VW) the top connector on the Audi  has CD changer, can bus, and line out.

This may not be exactly the same on the Blaupunkt