6 replies to this topic

[MikeMeyerhoff]

I've had a Kenwood  X997 for a while and really like it as far as sound quality and everything it can do.  What I don't like is the interface.  Changing sources required hitting a button and then using the volume knob (while looking at the display).   Searching through radio presets was not much better.  Overall its not very convenient while driving and to make it worse there is no easy power or mute to quickly turn it off when you need to.  So I thought I'd give a steering wheel control adapter a try and it turned out to be a lot easier than I thought it would be.


Wiring:  

For my 86, the steering wheel control harness has four wires:
Black is ground
Blue w/White line is 12V keyed accessory power
Yellow w/White line is the signal wire that feeds the SWI-RC
Green is not used.  (The FSM says connects to fused power.  Mine is keyed, but less than one volt.  Maybe its part of the dimming circuit for the lights on the steering wheel buttons?)

For the SWI-RC:
Black is ground
Red is 12V keyed accessory power
Yellow is signal input wire and should be connected to the Yellow w/White line in the cars steering wheel control harness.
Blue w/Yellow line is the signal output that goes to the X997.
I didn't use the 3.5mm mini plug output or the White, Orange, or Green inputs.   There is also a solid blue wire that I didn't use and don't know purpose it has.

Programming:

Turn the "Radio" dial on the side to 3 for Kenwood

AFTER that, program the "vehicle version" to 5 for Starquests

Then you can program the individual buttons to a function. Keep in mind my 86 has the "early" buttons and yours might be different. The kenwood function stack goes in this specific order:

Volume + function mapped to Vol +  button
Volume - function mapped to  Vol -   button
Mute function mapped to Power button
Source function  mapped to AM/FM button
Play function not used
Track + function not used
Track - function not used
Disc +/FM+  function mapped to Seek button
Disc -/FM-  function mapped to Scan button
Answer function not used

How it works:  Sources are cycled through and can be done without taking my eyes off the road.  Same with radio presets and being able to skip forward in MP3 playlists.  The mute function is really like 90% mute, but its better than having to spin the volume knob like crazy.  The only thing to watch out for is holding the volume buttons to long.  It seems to lag/store input... so if you hold them down you'll get a BUNCH of volume.  

Hope this helps

[importwarrior]

Nice Write up!
pinned for now.

[Leeintheconquest]

I have the same adapter, and yes, tapping the buttons is something you learn quickly!  LOL

I think I attached a wiring diagram in here somewhere.

Edited by Leeintheconquest, 23 July 2015 - 09:40 AM.

[importwarrior]

link it in here.

[delayed replay]

I would like to add that for the 88_89 models you will have to tie in the power to the blue w/white on the steering wheel harness and ground to the black wire on the harness. That may be what Mike meant in his write up above, but wasn't crystal when I was trying to wire mine up. Lol just wanted to make it a little more clear to anyone doing this to their audio setup.

Edited by delayed replay, 11 November 2019 - 06:24 PM.

[Jay40245]

I installed this recently (89 model), and followed the instructions outlined here. Works seamlessly! Thanks Mike!

[Red Baron]

I am running into problems when programing the Steering buttons where the LED on the SWI-RC not coming back on, did anyone experience this?