Adding a Bluetooth Receiver to Factory Radio

[Silverhawk1991]

I’ve seen some mentions of Jeremy’s Radio Emporium on here, but seems like he’s no longer selling kits to add an aux input on the AM radio leads. 
 

I picked up a Bluetooth receiver with L/R channels out (https://a.co/d/0xPCZ8m) and am thinking of soldering those to the AM radio pins and snipping off the transistor. This guy made a great video walk through of adding an aux cable, and I feel like it would be the same process except for splicing in to the ignition lower source to power the Bluetooth module:

Has anyone done this?

[Jeephazlett]

Just bought a new-to-me factory radio to get rid of my junky aftermarket cd player and was about to do the AUX mod until I saw this and now you have me thinking! From an audio standpoint it should be the same as long as you have two outs and a ground. My only uncertainty is the power source and putting in a fuse

 

 

edit: looking at the BT receiver more, I don’t think the radio outputs will receive the RCA jacks

[Silverhawk1991]

So the BT module I linked above has an in-line fuse. I’m thinking of splicing the red into a constant power line and splicing the blue/white into the radio ignition line. 
 

This is what the wires look like. I also bought an RCA to bare-wire adapter (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B15JZ4CJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) so I didn’t have to deal with the coaxial grounds that RCA has. 
 

I’m thinking it should be about as easy as the aux input! Just have to find the constant power and ignition power lines. 

[GrandBoost98]

Thats very sleek! Ive had good luck with the cig lighter bluetooth/FM devices if it doesnt work out 

[fiatslug87]

Pins are in different locations depending on the radio, read through this post.

 

[Silverhawk1991]

@Minuit, you happen to be available and can chime in? I’m pretty sure I have a 56009004 radio in my Comanche, and I’d like to add that Bluetooth module and also snip off the capacitor to completely nuke the AM radio like in the above video. I haven’t opened it up just yet, but planning on soon. 
 

Appreciate any help! Thanks in advance. 

 

[Jeephazlett]

On 8/4/2023 at 3:02 PM, Silverhawk1991 said:

So the BT module I linked above has an in-line fuse. I’m thinking of splicing the red into a constant power line and splicing the blue/white into the radio ignition line. 
 

This is what the wires look like. I also bought an RCA to bare-wire adapter (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B15JZ4CJ?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) so I didn’t have to deal with the coaxial grounds that RCA has. 
 

I’m thinking it should be about as easy as the aux input! Just have to find the constant power and ignition power lines. 

If you find a power source that works, can you update us?

[ghetdjc320]

So I can comment a bit on this. @Minuit has the real info though. I picked up a Bluetooth module with has a pass through, that way I didn’t remove am or fm radio (am is used a bit here for emergencies so I wanted to keep it). The module itself is impressive with the latest streaming protocols. Jeremy was able to find a power source on the board for it. The challenge we had was regulating the line voltage as it’s too high. We intercepted the FM signal into the pre-amp board. So essentially, fm radio passes through the module at any time unless you start playing content through Bluetooth at which point it ducks the fm signal and passes through the Bluetooth. It seems that the am/fm input on the pre-amp board on the factory radios is very sensitive and requires a lower input voltage than what my module put out. I’d be curious to know the voltage output from the radio module to the pre-amp board. If we can find that exact number, we can lower the output voltage of whatever module gets installed to something that makes the pre-amp happy and will be a similar level to the radio/cassette at any given volume. My project is on hold a bit but will eventually go into my tomahawk build as I keep working on it. 

[jennchick1]

On 8/4/2023 at 3:24 PM, Silverhawk1991 said:

@Minuit, you happen to be available and can chime in? I’m pretty sure I have a 56009004 radio in my Comanche, and I’d like to add that Bluetooth module and also snip off the capacitor to completely nuke the AM radio like in the above video. I haven’t opened it up just yet, but planning on soon. 
 

Appreciate any help! Thanks in advance. 

 

I’m looking to do the same mod to my ‘96 XJ radio. I was going to splice off of the cigarette lighter power and replace the lighter with a hard wired USB charger. I’m a complete newb when it comes to electrical, does this sound like a safe approach? The Bluetooth unit I got has an inline fuse preinstalled fwiw…

TIA!

[Minuit]

One of these days I need to just sit down and make a video on the 15205238526 ways you can handle adding an (insert media type here) input to these radios.

 

By far the easiest way with the Chrysler tape decks is the "snip VR71", pre-amp signal with NO DC BIAS (in other words, AC coupled) into TP371 and TP471), the two TP pins being left and right pre-amp input respectively. This is not something unique to Jeep tape decks, by the way. Everyone who's ever added an after-the-fact input to a sound system has done more or less the same thing. Whether this be done by simple means of a headphone cable or by hiding a multi-input Bluetooth receiver inside the radio, powered by the radio's internal power supply, is up to the needs, wants, and skill of the individual performing the task.

 

There are several points inside the radio in which 12V can be found. A good place to tap into would be on the downstream side of the fuse header (which takes some disassembly to get to) - 95% of these radios are fused at 7.5 amps - you'll be fine adding the minuscule amount of power that a properly designed wireless receiver draws.

[jennchick1]

On 8/4/2023 at 8:17 AM, Silverhawk1991 said:

I’ve seen some mentions of Jeremy’s Radio Emporium on here, but seems like he’s no longer selling kits to add an aux input on the AM radio leads. 
 

I picked up a Bluetooth receiver with L/R channels out (https://a.co/d/0xPCZ8m) and am thinking of soldering those to the AM radio pins and snipping off the transistor. This guy made a great video walk through of adding an aux cable, and I feel like it would be the same process except for splicing in to the ignition lower source to power the Bluetooth module:

Has anyone done this?

Okay I have successfully done this mod using your suggested parts and it worked out great! I used a 2 RCA (f) to 1 RCA (m) converter to also add a wired AUX line in case a someone else wants to plug in without BT.

Very straight forward install. Only comment is to plug the red 12v wire into an ignition switch rather than constant power (as suggested in instructions).

Also, I was able to remove the PR71 transistor by desoldering and pulling without having to take out the tape deck and volume knobs. I’m glad I was able to avoid additional deconstruction.

 

Thanks for the help y’all!

[Silverhawk1991]

On 8/20/2023 at 9:56 PM, jennchick1 said:

Okay I have successfully done this mod using your suggested parts and it worked out great! I used a 2 RCA (f) to 1 RCA (m) converter to also add a wired AUX line in case a someone else wants to plug in without BT.

Very straight forward install. Only comment is to plug the red 12v wire into an ignition switch rather than constant power (as suggested in instructions).

Also, I was able to remove the PR71 transistor by desoldering and pulling without having to take out the tape deck and volume knobs. I’m glad I was able to avoid additional deconstruction.

 

Thanks for the help y’all!

 

AWESOME! Nice work. So you spliced both the Red and Blue/White wires into an ignition source? I know the Blue/White is supposed to go to igninition, but thought the Red needed constant 12v battery source. Also, do you know which wire you spliced into? Cigarette lighter? 

 

For the left/right channels, did you use a pin connector or solder the ends of the wires straight onto the pins? 

[jennchick1]

On 8/25/2023 at 11:00 AM, Silverhawk1991 said:

 

AWESOME! Nice work. So you spliced both the Red and Blue/White wires into an ignition source? I know the Blue/White is supposed to go to igninition, but thought the Red needed constant 12v battery source. Also, do you know which wire you spliced into? Cigarette lighter? 

 

For the left/right channels, did you use a pin connector or solder the ends of the wires straight onto the pins? 

 

Thanks! And yeah I ended up having both blue/white and red wire plugged into ignition power rather than 12v. I was able to plug into an unused ignition slot in the fuse board under the driver side dash which was convenient since that’s where the radio cables spit out. You just need to solder or crimp a male paddle connector and it’ll fit right into the fuse slot. You might be able to get away with only using the red wire but I didn’t test it out.

I used the pin connectors from DigiKey! They fit perfectly! Just needed to be crimped on.

I would recommend routing the rca cable to the left side of the radio rather than the right. That way you don’t need to wrap around to radio to get over to the driver side dash.

[Silverhawk1991]

@jennchick1Heyo! So I FINALLY got around to wiring this up. I have the aux input working on the stereo, and have that feeding into the RCA IN on the Bluetooth module. 
 

Question: is your bluetooth still working? Did you get this one (https://a.co/d/0xPCZ8m)? Mine worked once, and then died, which seems common based on reviews on the product page. I bought another to see if this one is just a dud. 
 

I have it spliced into an add-a-circuit with a 10A fuse in the accessory slot. Where did you add yours?

[robfg67]

On 8/4/2023 at 9:17 AM, Silverhawk1991 said:

I’ve seen some mentions of Jeremy’s Radio Emporium on here, but seems like he’s no longer selling kits to add an aux input on the AM radio leads. 
 

I picked up a Bluetooth receiver with L/R channels out (https://a.co/d/0xPCZ8m) and am thinking of soldering those to the AM radio pins and snipping off the transistor. This guy made a great video walk through of adding an aux cable, and I feel like it would be the same process except for splicing in to the ignition lower source to power the Bluetooth module:

Has anyone done this?

How did you connect the wires to TP371 and TP471?

[Silverhawk1991]

11 hours ago, robfg67 said:

How did you connect the wires to TP371 and TP471?

Got this all working by the way! I did in fact get a dud Bluetooth unit. New unit works amazingly. 
 

I soldered the ends of this AUX cable straight to TP371 and TP471. Just need to be careful not to heat the pins too much, because it can desolder them from the board. 
 

 

[robfg67]

Got it, thanks