SVXdc

Judging from the first picture in this post, it looks like that version of Tim-M's harness might work for you. You can extract and "transplant" the radio-side pins from Tim's connector into your Legacy's "i85" connector. Then the individual pins at the other end of Tim's cable look like they'll slide onto that 22-pin socket ("C1") in the armrest you bought. You'd need to cut Tim's cable in the middle and extend the wires, though. That would be a lot less expensive than that Subaru Impreza aux pod kit.

The satellite receivers (as well as Subaru's iPod adapter module) plug into a different socket that can also be used for an OEM external CD changer. If you take a minute to look at the 2007-up Aux-in pinout link I posted, you'll see the 8-pin aux socket has no vacant pins for any other functions. I think someone wrote that the 2007-up Impreza aux plug is a different connector than on Legacies. But from what "blue dragon" posted, it sounds like the contact pins on both Impreza and Legacy connectors are the same (or at least similar enough). Not that I've seen. I need clear, close-up, straight-on shots of each of the 6 sides of the Legacy/Outback i85 plug (and i88 while you're at it). Or someone to send me those plugs snipped from a wrecked Legacy or Outback.

If someone can send me clear, close-up pictures of connector "i85" (the 8-pin connector that plugs into the back of the radio), I'll see if I can track down the pins (and possibly the shell, too). No cell phone pics, please Use a camera that you can set to "macro" (close-focus, might show a "flower" icon for this mode). I'd like to see every side. For the side that plugs into the radio, hold a metric ruler (with millimeters) next to it. While you're at it, pics of the other 8-pin connector would be nice too. First person who can do that I'll send a set of pins to (if/when I find them), or a pair of my 14-pin forward/reverse harnesses (if you can't wait). I posted links to the pin-out back in post #70 (and the whole list in post #118). But here's the link again: Pin-out for the aux socket on 2007 radios. Connector C8 (under the Aux jack) is different — it has 6 pins.

'08 and '09 still use the same older-style 14-pin connector for speakers and power as previous Subarus. If you're keeping the H/K amp, that should be all you need. In the H/K system, the HU's 4 speaker outputs go to the H/K amp. The amp drives all of the car's speakers and subs (6 separate speaker outputs for the four doors and two tweeters, plus 2 outputs for the sub [the sedan's sub uses only 1 of the 2, the wagon's sub uses both]). There's no line-level umbilical between the HU and amp like on the McIntosh system. Since you're dumping the OEM sub, you'll need to disconnect it from the H/K amp. When you start taking everything apart, could you please post some clear, close-up pictures of the new connectors on the H/K amp? I'd like to check if there are any existing radio harnesses that will fit them.

According to the 2008 Legacy wiring diagram (from the vacation pics), there is a chain of two harnesses that go between the center armrest console and the radio. The diagram doesn't give Subaru part numbers. Connectors: C1 (22 pins) is the empty socket in your picture C8 (6 pins) is the smaller white socket on the bottom of the aux pod C3 (2 pins) is the accessory power socket ("cigarette lighter outlet") [C3 not shown on above audio diagram] 1st Harness: Connector R43 (22 pins) connects to socket C1. The other end of that harness is R99 (12-pins, same gender as C1). The Audio System page shows only 4 wires plus a shield. A different page shows two additional wires for +12V and Ground for the accessory power outlet. 2nd Harness: Connector i54 (12 pins) plugs into R99. i54 has three wires plus shield that go to connector i85 (8 pins), which plugs into the radio. A fourth wire goes from i54 to chassis ground. i85 also has two other wires that eventually go to the steering wheel, and one more that goes to the Body Integrated Unit (for the "night dimness cancellation" feature). None of those wires go through the i85-to-i54 harness. So it's somewhat unlikely that the 2nd harness (i54/i85/i1) is sold as a replacement part, since it has multiple branches that snake through the car. The 1st harness probably has the same problem. Here's a link to Greg's post from earlier in this thread with the pics:

Pin 8 on connector i85 is for the "dimness cancellation" feature. When you turn on the headlights, the illumination dims on parts of the radio and A/C displays. But when you press the BRIGHT button on the clock they go back to full brightness (as if the headlights were off). Pin 8 is the wire that tells the radio's display to go bright. With that pin left disconnected, the radio's brightness is determined only by the two illumination wires on the 14-pin harness. ADDED: The Bright button went away starting in 2006. On 2006-up, when you rotate the dimmer knob all the way up, it clicks to activate the "night dimness cancellation" function.

Updating info from awhile back... Pin 8 on connector i85 is for the illumination Bright mode ("dimness cancellation"), controlled by the "BRIGHT" button on the clock. "Sat controls" are the buttons on the steering wheel (not satellite radio). The two Auto AC Control pins on connector i88 are for transmit and receive data to/from the A/C module.

Not directly. The SB30 is a kit of two antenna adapter cables. They allow you to connect an FM modulator between the car's antenna and the factory radio. These are needed because the '05 has a proprietary antenna connector. You'll connect your MP3 player (or any aux device) into the FM modulator. The modulator will play the audio on an unused FM frequency. Better ones cut out the car's antenna signal while your MP3 player is playing, to minimize interference from "real" FM stations. If you're stuck with a lame factory radio, this is pretty much the best option.

Unless the HD radio has a really high current draw (unlikely), I'd use the +12V accessory and constant wires going to the factory radio — tie into the Red and Yellow wires between the forward and reverse harnesses you got from me.

It's full frequency up to the tweeters — the wires split off (connected in parallel) from the wires going to the respective door speakers. On the back of each tweeter is a capacitor that serves as a high-pass filter. The door speakers also get full range (and do not have any low-pass filter). Sorry, I don't know the cut-off frequency (or even the value of the caps).

(for those who came in late, Tim-M found the proper connector and pins that plugs into the 8-pin aux connector on the back of some Subaru factory radios) Yes, the alignment "keys" on the aux connector is different on Imprezas vs. Legacies. But will the individual pins/wires from your connector snap into the Legacy's connector? That would still be helpful — people would not have to transplant and recycle the factory wires (as described in post #2 of this same thread).

That's strange. From the pictures you posted earlier, it sure looks like your radio has the steering wheel wires on the 8-pin plug. Do you think the radio just doesn't support that functionality? Are you sure your wires have continuity all the way to the steering wheel? Before you give up, you might try connecting the steering wheel directly to the radio with short jumper wires or alligator clips. Whether it works or not, can you post pictures of the front of the radio and the label on the top?

Thanks for posting those pics! I can confirm that the wire colors on the 14-pin connector (speaker/power) are the same as other Legacies since 2005. The connector itself and its pin-out has been the same since 1995 (with a few changes in the wire colors over the years). As for the 8-pin connector (AC controls/steering wheel controls/subwoofer/aux-in)... The pin-out on the 2007 radio is shown in this post. The 2005 & 2006 pin-out is shown in this post. On both, the steering wheel controls connect to pins 3 and 7 and use the same wire colors — violet/white and orange/white. Several of the other pins are different: The 2005 & 2006 have a subwoofer output and telephone audio input, and the 2007 trades both of those features for an aux iinput.

Right. See the wiring diagram that I added to my previous post. The existing wires run from the radio back towards the steering wheel, but stop half way back. What I'm suggesting is that you can run your new wires from the steering wheel to this intermediate connector, rather than running them all the way to the radio. I think you will find that the square 8-pin plug on the back of your radio (I85) does indeed have the 2 steering wheel wires and pins. It is the rectangular 8-pin plug under the steering wheel (B68) that does not have those wires/pins (shown in trabbic's step #10, post #11). But I don't know if all Legacies are like that. Your car could be different.

If somebody can post really good close-up pictures of the white connectors under the steering wheel (unplugged), I might be able to determine what kind of contact pins they use. They might even be pins that I already have. [talking about the 8-pin square plug on the back of the radio] Nobody has found the correct connector yet. As Brady said, since there are other important things on this connector, you would have to get both male and female 8-pin plugs, wire several of the pins straight through, and connect to the "satellite" switch pins on the plug that plugs into the radio. Update: I now have those. Alternatively, you could connect to the two satellite switch wires somewhere closer to the steering wheel. According to the wiring diagram, they go back to connector I1, a 28-pin coupling located somewhere behind the dash. I suspect we would find that pins 5 and 6 on the mating plug, B36, are empty. It should be possible to do the same push-solid-wires-into-the-empty-slots trick there. [Added:] Here's the Subaru wiring diagram (2005 Legacy/Outback). Click for larger image: http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/683/legacy2005satwoofsr5.th.jpg That diagram shows only 2 of the 28 wires on I1/B36. Again, if somebody can take some good pictures of that connector, the pins may turn out to be a kind that I already have. Similarly, you should be able to find the illumination wires on something under the dash closer to the steering wheel rather than stringing wires all the way over to the radio. The only advantage of tapping into the wires at the radio is that we already know which ones they are.

Only pins 3 and 7 are needed for the steering wheel controls. (two other pins, on the radio's main 14-pin speaker/power connector, are tapped for illumination for the steering wheel controls) Pin 8 is for the AC controls. [No, actually it's related to dimming. See update below] Note that the above pin number orientation is viewing the PINS side of the car's plug (wires pointing away from you). [Added:] Connector i85 On 2007 radios For Aux Input, Steering Wheel "satellite" controls, and A/C controls Looking at the jack on the back of the radio the pins are numbered: 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5This is also the number orientation looking at the rear of the car's plug (wires pointing towards you). Pin assignments: 1 - Aux Input - Left [brown] 2 - Aux Input - Right [Yellow] 3 - Satellite (steering wheel) switches* [Violet/White] 4 - No Connect? 5 - Aux Input - Ground [Gray] 6 - Aux input enable (connect this to chassis ground to enable) [Red/White] 7 - Satellite (steering wheel) switches* [Orange/White] 8 - Body Integrated Unit (Illumination Control)* [Green]*Possibly not all models. Wire colors from pictures posted by MonkeyHermit from his 2007 2.5i in this post. UPDATE: Pin 8 is for Illumination Control — canceling dimming of the radio's display.

That diagram is for the 20-pin nav connector. The new "ashtray" aux input box connects to one of the square, 8-pin connectors. See post #2 in this thread for pin-out and more info. Also see this post on NASIOC.

I think strife1012 is saying his car already has the Subaru subwoofer T-harness, and he wants to use that to access the speaker wires. At least one person I know has done that, and it worked very well for him. I provided a mating 8-pin harness that connects to the sub harness (see my homepage). The only catch was that the Subaru sub harness has +12V constant/battery. So he needed to find +12V accessory/switched to use for an amp remote turn-on (in addition to a new +12V constant that he ran with beefier wire to supply the main power to the sub). He said he removes the huge sub from the trunk and reconnects the OEM sub whenever he needs the trunk space.

In your first post, where you said... ...I think some people got the mistaken impression that the sub would be completely unusable after your mod (as in "doorstop"). Anyone who is able to do your '07 transplant mod will find the sub harness mod to be a piece of cake. They certainly don't have to buy a new sub or even a new sub harness. Just trying to save people some $$$. BTW, great job on the research and write-up.

The OEM sub will still work (IF it's the powered, under-seat style). See the subwoofer posts in this thread on NASIOC: Stock head unit information -- pin-outs, subwoofer, aux inputs, and more If your factory subwoofer has the old-style harness, it will be plug-n-play. (It sounds like the 2007's went back to the "old" style harness) If you sub has the new-style harness (with the extra 8-pin plug at the HU end), you'll need to jumper two wires to essentially convert it into an old-style sub harness. Details in the above thread. ADDED: If your subwoofer is a plain, unpowered speaker (which, as far as I know, you will never find under the front seats -- it's only in the rear cargo area of some Outbacks and Foresters) then it will not work without adding a mono amp and additional plumbing. ADDED: I've found the correct connectors and pins to make an i85 "breakout" adapter. That allows you to pass through the pins that are the same between your car and the newer OEM radio, and connect things to the pins on either side that are different (such as connecting an aux input jack to the 2007-up radio). See my homepage link for more info (click my username).

Are these 8-pin connectors behind the steering wheel exactly the same as on the Subaru under-seat subwoofer and its harness (below)? If so, I can provide a male/female pair that will permit installation without cutting the factory wires. E-mail me if interested. Also, if this is the same plug, the pin numbers actually run in the opposite direction (swap 1 and 3, and reverse the order of 4-8). EDIT: After closer examination of trabbic's pictures, I can tell that the subwoofer's connector is different. But if the contact pins are the same, I could at least provide 6" wires with pins already crimped on. That would help for MT cars (and any others where you want to add a wire to slots that were empty)

For those people who want to connect the factory buttons to an after-market radio... Attached is the schematic for the "satellite switches" from the 2005 Legacy wiring diagrams. With this and the above table (and some math) it should be possible to figure out the individual resistor values. See more info in this thread: Stock head unit information -- pin-outs, subwoofer, aux inputs, and more EDIT: Hmm... the schematic shows a power button that would result in 0 ohms, and no mute button. So there must be a slightly different schematic for the above resistance table. I'll bet it's very similar, though.

Yes, that is how the sub is connected -- between the car's harness and the stock HU. Yes, you can use the sub with an aftermarket HU. Your other questions were answered in the posts above (including mine that you quoted!). Refer back to coz's post that I was replying to for the pictures. He has the same model and year as you. See this post for some more useful information: Stock head unit information -- pin-outs, subwoofer, aux inputs, and more Yes it's that simple. No extra fabrication needed.

Looks right, but another Legacy owner should confirm. Right harness. Look around a little more -- you can do better on the price (they always kill you on the shipping). Though maybe it won't be so bad if you're buying multiple items from these folks. If you don't run across another, take a look at the bottom of my homepage link (click on my username). You only need the first one -- the one whose Motorola plug goes into your new HU. The second one would be used (in addition to the first) if you're keeping the stock radio and want to install an FM modulator that goes in-line between the radio and the car's antenna. Hmmm... Jazzy's mod was your best bet with the stock radio. At least with an after-market deck you're more likely to find one with a front input jack if you want that.

Here's a pin-out of the Legacy/Outback radio harness with wire colors for various years. Much of the information in this thread applies to Legacies and other Subarus: Stock head unit information -- pin-outs, subwoofer, aux inputs, and more