VandeMan

hi all, I would like to thank everyone for their contributions to this thread. those of us with '05 / '06 units that want to upgrade will find the info and user experiences valuable. That said Ive decided NOT to install the 08 H/U I purchased, but rather am going with an aftermarket unit. I realized that with all the other accessories I want, it makes more sense for me to buy a single aftermarket unit with all the toys integrated. The only downside is that I will not retain the factory look. So if anyone is interested in a 08 head unit, single cd w manual controls, I've posted it in the Classified section here . Good luck with your mods -cheers

Jeromes, Thanks for that clarification. This hack/mod seems even easier now. I was under the misbelief that two additional wires ran from the aux input, one to pin 6 (audio enable), and one to pin 4 (chassisground). Apparently pin 4 chassis ground only applies to some imprezza/forester models(?). Looks like I'll try to do this this weekend.

Personally, I prefer the look of the stock radio compared to aftermarket. Most aftermarkets either would not match the interior illumination, or would just look a bit garish IMO. The were/are a few I am considering because of the convenience and additional options unavaible to the stock radio, such as built in blue tooth, usb ports, pre-amp outputs, etc.....FWIW....conventional wisdom has never been a strength of mine. -cjv

Hi, this is my first post. I also have a 2006 OBW with the manual controls. I just bought an '08 radio so that I can have aux and Mp3 capability. My question relates to the bolded words above. I don't understand what you mean by "pulled" where you refer to the ground. Also, I am confused about how /where to hook up the audio enable wire at the aux jack location (not the head unit), and the chassis ground. I have a jack ready to mount, but it has only 3 terminals: a left, right, and ground. Where does the Audio enable go?! Did you connect a second wire to either the right or left (or both)? I would like to do this later this week, but I am a novice and need to understand fully before I start. I'll send you a pm for pics. thanks for sharing your mod. -cjv