trunkie

Searched but didn't find anything model specific and modifry's website seems kinda out of date. Does anyone know if the Kenwood KDC-W8531 is compatible with the modifry wired DCI?

operator207

From: http://www.modifry.com/products/dci/...patibility.htm

"Usually only the high-end units in the "Excelon" line of Kenwood head units are compatible with the Kenwood Wired DCI. These head units have a blue/yellow wire labeled "steering remote control" that connects to the DCI, providing the link for the DCI to control the head unit. You can check compatibility by reading your owner's manual to verify that wire is provided on you head unit."

If you have the blue/yellow steering remote wire, it probably works. If its in the Excelon line, its most likely works.

On page 48 of http://www.kenwood.net-disp.com/i/05produc...1_e_english.pdf
it states it has a steering remote wire. So it probably will work.

Worst case is you could get the IR version, and use that.

trunkie

Yeah removed the head unit last night and it does have the steering remote cable but it's not a 3.5mm jack as stated on modifry site. I've emailed Bob to see if I need a converter or can splice the wires.

sin_loki

Kenwood does not use a 3.5mm jack, they use a banana style jack.
the Kenwood DCI is bare wire, your options are.

1.) go to radio shack and buy some banana interconnects (save the Kenwood oem plug)

2.) cut off the oem banana plug and solder it directly to it

i did option 1 so the HU could be pulled out with out cutting anything (future upgrades)

operator207

My KDC-X993 uses just a wire. (blue/yellow) Soldered it to the DCI's wire, and am good to go. I guess what I am saying is they don't necessarily use a jack (of any type)

trunkie

Ok well here's what I'm faced with any ideas how I connect this to the DCI?
Kenwood refer to this as for an external display/steering remote so presumably I need to cut this connector off and determine with wire is for the steering remote and insulate off the unused external display ones?




Also here's my convertible control unit, I don't seem to have a black/white wire, does anyone know which pin it is on the connector?

sin_loki

I don't think that will work with the DCI
Mine looks like this (see page 51) its just a single wire with a plug on it.

If you want to experiment, i would get the DCI connected and solider a pin on the wire and plug it in to one of your four ports and see if you get it to work.

trunkie

Well I took your advice Sin and the first pin I tried (top left) worked! Spliced the wires together and all's well.

Thanks for the help!