Honda Element Owners Club banner

2006 Steering Wheel Audio Control Retrofit

52K views 109 replies 29 participants last post by  Legioss 
#1 · (Edited)
I have successfully retrofitted 2006 EX steering wheel audio controls onto my '03 EX, and it works with the '03 EX factory headunit.

I ordered from Majestic Honda:

Product Number Description Quantity Unit Price Total Price
78506-S9V-A01 SCREW, TRUSS (4X14) 2 $0.51 $1.02 (screws to attach aidio switch to trim)
78504-S9V-A01ZC FINISHER, L. (WITH SWITCH) 1 $6.04 (see Note below)
35880-SCV-A01 SWITCH ASSY., AUDIO REMOTE 1 $26.66 $26.66
77900-SCV-A21 REEL ASSY., CABLE (FURUKAWA) 1 $39.66 $39.66

I would ALSO recommend anyone doing this to LOOK INTO the color of '06 CRUISE CONTROL switch assembly, because the '06 EX/EX-P switches (Audio *AND* Cruise) are finished in "EX Dark Metal". My '03 EX cruise switch is black with a different item # as the '06 DX/EX switches (and the '06 cruise switch is listed on Majestic's site as "No Color"). Slight mismatch in color... You can also find out if there are other Hondas with the same audio switch in black.

The '06 SRS reel is plug and play, and saves you the trouble of modifying your existing reel to accomodate the audio switches.

You will still need to find your own electrical terminals to wire up the ground wire and the control wire. I managed to get by with the terminals stripped out of some R/C switch & servo harness connectors.

Reference these threads for the general retrofit discussion:
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?p=129588
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8046

(1/27 - showroom visit confirmed EX & EXP audio / cruise switches are both EX Dark Metal)


Note: By mistake I ordered an extra of : 78504-S9V-A01ZC FINISHER, L. (WITH SWITCH cutout) $6.04 If anyone needs this, let me know. I may sell this along with my original SRS reel, or a spare foglight switch, or a spare steering column top cover...
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#2 ·
So this will work with the 03 head unit?
 
#5 ·
Shane, with the right PAC adaptor (their basic one, the SWI-X, is at the bottom of the page although they do have an Eclipse specific one, too), it should work on yours and my decks, too. Or anybody's aftermarket deck that has remote control capability for that matter.

I'm going to have to look further into this, reading the old threads and PAC's installation sheets when I get some time to verify this, but we hook up steering wheel remote controls into aftermarket decks all the time for people at my store. This ought to work. And you can believe I'm interested to find out. :)

Nice work, ob3. Congratulations on the install. Thanks for adding to the knowledge base.
 
#6 · (Edited)
outpost4 said:
Shane, with the right PAC adaptor (their basic one, the SWI-X, is at the bottom of the page although they do have an Eclipse specific one, too), it should work on yours and my decks, too. Or anybody's aftermarket deck that has remote control capability for that matter.
Thanks Outpost, This would be a great next mod.
 
#7 ·
Does anyone know why this won't work with the 2005 stock EX radio?

I saw that it won't work on the '05, but is there a work around?
 
#8 ·
Cyclist_306, could you be referring to the Pilot's reel assembly not fitting the '05 Element?

ob3 --- this is really cool. Thanks for being our guinea pig.

I noticed on Majestic's site that the '06 audio switch is similarly shown as "NO COLOR", like the '06 cruise switch.

But you're saying the '06 audio switch you now have is (or looks like?) EX DARK METAL, which is identical to the finisher trim pieces (for all Element years)? Does that mean there is in fact no contrasting color between the new audio switch and surrounding finisher trim? Maybe one of use should also check out an '06 in the showroom ...

BTW, our original cruise switches are known as GRAPHITE BLACK.

Summation (I hope):
The least-expensive way to do this and keep everything matching would be to NOT replace the graphite black cruise switch we already have. The way to do that is get a graphite black audio switch. In 2005 the Pilot went with either Titanium or "HJ Silver" --- so use an audio switch from 2004 or earlier. I don't have the Honda part number but it's shown on this page:

http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com...&catcgry4=KA5AT&catcgry5=STEERING+WHEEL+(SRS)

OR, a person could use both switches from an '06 Element and have "EX DARK METAL" switches.

OR, a person could use both switches from an '05 Pilot and have either Titanium or "HJ Silver" switches.

OR, a person could use both switches from some? '06 Pilots (I didn't check colors on all trim levels) and have MIST SILVER switches.

And then there's the finisher trim to consider, whether or not you want to stick with EX DARK METAL or use one of the Pilots three choices.
 
#9 ·
deckeda - yes, the '06 audio switch is EX Dark Metal in color, matching the surrounding trim. In looking at Majestic's '06 parts list I was expecting to get black. I never checked an actual '06 EX/EX-P car, which I probably should have done... Take a look at the attached pic in my first post and you'll see the mismatch.

Thanks for the summation. It is pretty accurate.
 
#10 ·
OK, so how do we make it run aftermarket stuff without remote capability? I gots a rather simple deck, but would love to be able to just drop the noise when the bluetooth beeps in my ear, rather than reaching across the chasm of space between me and my deck....
 
#13 ·
no, the 05 stereo, and only the 05 stereo removed the fuctionality for a remote control. This all has to be wired into pin 3 of your stereo connector but pin3 does nothing on 05. I have personally tested this and I believe Juicebox did also, I know at least two people have confirmed it does not work. On the plus side, people should be tearing out their 06 factory stereos for aftermarket very soon if not already.
 
#14 ·
valkokir said:
no, the 05 stereo, and only the 05 stereo removed the fuctionality for a remote control. This all has to be wired into pin 3 of your stereo connector but pin3 does nothing on 05. I have personally tested this and I believe Juicebox did also, I know at least two people have confirmed it does not work. On the plus side, people should be tearing out their 06 factory stereos for aftermarket very soon if not already.
Thanks for the quick reply. Now that I am depressed I will go eat some lunch here. LOL.

Gracious!
 
#17 ·
outpost4 said:
Rob, if you want it, I'll sell you my 2004 EX radio for $50. That should work for him, right? :? The radio was fine when I pulled it and it's just sitting in the garage. I used it for about a year.
Thanks man, but I will survive without the little buttons. If I do anything I will be installing one of those sweet looking decks like u did. Very nice job!
 
#18 ·
I bet this could have been done all along since 03 with the Pilot steering wheel controls.
 
#19 ·
^ It has been. The Pilot controls were what people used. The Pilot wheel itself doesn't fit well but it can. There are other threads beyond this one I've read and in general it's a tough retro. That's the whole thing abut steering wheel controls before using '06 parts. It's been tough. Now it looks relatively doable. It wouldn't be a first project but if you knew your way around a car...

I've got to do this mod.
 
#20 ·
^ Yes, MTP and Valkokir were probably the first few who have done this mod (also see my reference threads). Valkokir's site is the closest to a full-DIY. The difficulty prior to '06 is the SRS reel modification. Now you can just buy the '06 reel, and the rest is simply deciding what kind of switches and trim (Pilot or '06 E) you want to use.
 
#21 ·
Hopefully this isnt a dead thread. I definitely want to do this mod. Just one question. ob3 netioned need to fond your own main and ground terminal. Not to sound dumb but that is just the wire right? What does the end of the terminal need to be?
 
#22 ·
I am so "all-over" this...this is the next mod on my ELEMENT for sure! :D

Thanks for sharing this information ob3!
 
#23 ·
Big Fig said:
Hopefully this isnt a dead thread. I definitely want to do this mod. Just one question. ob3 netioned need to fond your own main and ground terminal. Not to sound dumb but that is just the wire right? What does the end of the terminal need to be?
I don't recall the exact details anymore, but I think, from the back of the radio, you need a terminal for the control wire. This one I'm positive I used a regular ol' R/C servo wire harness connector (same one also found on r/c switch harness, in case you have any such equipment).*** From here, you need to run your own wire (1 wire a couple of feet long) from the back of the radio, to the steering column where the SRS reel terminals are.

I don't remember anymore how I attached that control wire to the SRS reel. I may have soldered (hard-wired) the ground and control wire from the '06 SRS reel. I am still wondering whether that ground wire can even be connected to the steering wheel frame - that would have been easiest.

*** = I still have my extra parts from my retrofit (the finisher trim, and the old '03 SRS reel; along with foglight switch and now an extra top steering column cover). I also bought an aftermarket radio connector that has the pigtails for the radio connection. Buy my parts and I'll strip one of those pigtails out for you!!! :)
 
#24 ·
I don't have side air bags but the 06 EX Swith Assembly remote does. Can I use this and leave the side connector unplugged? Or would I be able to use the 06 LX Assembly? I'd feel pretty insecure leaving a side connector unplugged thinking it might let the main driver airbag deploy.
 
#25 ·
I don't have side airbags either. The SRS reel only connects the steering wheel airbag.
 
#26 ·
OK. Thanks. Just wanted to be clear before ordering.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top