Aux-in, Tel 1 a reality for the 2003+ 9-3!!!

[epsilon93]

The Aux-in install guide can be found here.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~mmo/guides.htm

Thanks Saba.

[Entertainment]

I just found this forum and I would like present my self, so this topic suites me perfect because I'm the designer of the Entertainment system in the Saab 9-3SS and 9-3Conv.
My name is Jari and have worked at Saab for the last 4years with the components radio, CD-players and the functionality Entertainment.

You can find a lot of information and tips of the Entertainment/Infotainment system on my website under the bottom OTHERS.
http://w1.520.telia.com/~u52011611/

[Saba]

Wow! the holy grail has found us! Welcome Jari, be back in a minute. I'm off to check your website

Back, couple of questions about Aux and Audio.

1. The other pins in the two 12 pin blocks appear to be not functional. Is that the case? Why are they there?

2. I noticed that you couldn't provide the part number of the lead that connects to the EHU either. Is it really available?

3. Do you have nay tips on upgrading the audio with aftermarket components? ie head units, amps, DVD's etc.

I think you are going to be bombarded with questions.

Cheers

[josh]

Welcome!

Another question [I'm sure there will be a few :wink: ]. I was wondering, if you're allowed to say, if and when the European market navigation system [ES3, I think] will be available as an upgrade to ES1 and ES2 here in the US?

Josh

[TheKomoman]

Welcome Jari, very very welcome indeed!

I sincerely hope we don't scare you away!

[Entertainment]

Saba here are some answers to your questions:
1. The rest of the pins are unused, the reason to this is that the connector is a standard AMP connector used by several car makers (like BMW, M-B, Audi etc. all who have this kind of MOST units that have use this amount of pins).

2. The AUX, as you maybe know, is only a factory option and not an aftermarket option. So there are no accessory cable for AUX to purchase from Saab.
So you have to make your own cable if you want AUX in your car.
The AUX will maybe be as an option on all car in the future, but today it's only standard on cars with ES3 (the ICM with the colour screen).

3. I'm working on upgrade tips for the soundsystem, I'll put this on my website in the near future. There will be a guide how to get an lowlevel output from the EHU, AMP1 and AMP2.
The head unit (the EHU) can not be replaced without loosing all the chime sounds in the car (these are generated in the EHU). The ICM can not be taken out from the car, because if you don't have the ICM you can not start the car and the ICM is also the gateway between CAN and MOST in the car.
So it's a little bit of a complicated system that we have designed in the 9-3.


Josh, sorry but I don't have the answer to that question because I didn't work that much with the navigation system. I think the problem was to combine the antennasystem (the "sharkfin") for both OnStar and navigation, OnStar don't want to share the antenna signal. There also were some problem with DVD-ROM (mapdatabase disc), I don't think the mapdata for US was ready (but I'm not sure of this).

[TheKomoman]

Originally Posted by Entertainment

2. The AUX, as you maybe know, is only a factory option and not an aftermarket option. So there are no accessory cable for AUX to purchase from Saab.
So you have to make your own cable if you want AUX in your car.
The AUX will maybe be as an option on all car in the future, but today it's only standard on cars with ES3 (the ICM with the colour screen).

3. I'm working on upgrade tips for the soundsystem, I'll put this on my website in the near future. There will be a guide how to get an lowlevel output from the EHU, AMP1 and AMP2.
The head unit (the EHU) can not be replaced without loosing all the chime sounds in the car (these are generated in the EHU). The ICM can not be taken out from the car, because if you don't have the ICM you can not start the car and the ICM is also the gateway between CAN and MOST in the car.
So it's a little bit of a complicated system that we have designed in the 9-3.

There's one question I really would love to have definitively answered... do all the 2004 model year vehicles have the AUX in the Tech II software? My dealer is giving me a run-around about it "just not being there." I think he simply doesn't know how to do it and is covering it up by blaming different versions of the software flying around. That's just not how engineers do things.. I know too many of them!

Low-level outputs without step-downs from the amps to use outboard amplification is the holy grail for me, Jari. I'll be anxiously awaiting your guide!

Thanks

[epsilon93]

Jari,

Welcome to the site. The information you posted on your website is very useful. We have been scratching our heads for the longest time :-D

I have a couple of questions about the aux-in. Can you tell me what is the input impedance of the aux-in port? Reason I am asking is, I find that I have to turn up my iPod volume quite high in order to get a reasonable input gain to the aux-in. This also means that I have to turn the volume on the EHU up quite high in order to have it sound loud enough.

[pete28]

Jari,
one stupid question, Is there any chance that CD-text will be displayed on the SID or ES2 while playing the song?

Upgrade(patch) idea, how about giving car indicators of sound level when one increase or decreases volume.

[CosmicSaab]

Wow, this is going to be great! I have several questions.

1) There seems to be some sort of software controlable equalizer that is changed during software updates. Is there some way the an end user, like myself, can access this and adjust the EQ settings?

2) Is the MOST system in the 9-3 flexible enough that additional modules (such as an XM Satellite radio module) can be added in the future?

3) Do the different makes use different commands for Most. Would a CD Changer from a Mercedes be usable in the 9-3?

Thanks!

And you truly are going to have many, many questions from many different people.

[Saline]

Anyone know a number for pizza delivery in Trollhättan? We may owe this guy a lunch... :P

[CosmicSaab]

You're assuming Jari likes pizza.

[CosmicSaab]

I just realized something (I think). I bet that the OnStar module in U.S. cars is just actling like a Tel2 module, The Infotainment system probably sees it as a Tel2 device and that's how it interfaces with it, and is why we can use the keypad for the personal calling feature. The 3 OnStar buttons are probably routed directly to the OnStar module. I don't know what this has to do with anything, but that is probably what is happening.

[tromara]

Hi All,

I am in the process of picking up my new 2004 Saab 9-3 and have some questions about the infotainment capability. I have read many posts and was wondering if someone (or a few of you) could confirm the following:

1)If you have an Arc (ES2-13) without Onstar, then their is no real way of using the built in phone in North America without making your own modifications (TEL1, AUX, bluetooth etc) and even if you somehow get your hands on the SIM card reader sold in europe you can't get a duplicate SIM card from north american cell phone providers so its useless.

2)I've heard that the difference between the 7 speaker system and the 13 isn't that big unless you are trying to get more rattles in your doors etc.. so I am considering a Linear. With a Linear in North America with ES1-7 can you still make the home made modifications for AUX and TEL1? (since saab wont do them for us)

Thanks!

[CosmicSaab]

Originally Posted by tromara

Hi All,

I am in the process of picking up my new 2004 Saab 9-3 and have some questions about the infotainment capability. I have read many posts and was wondering if someone (or a few of you) could confirm the following:

1)If you have an Arc (ES2-13) without Onstar, then their is no real way of using the built in phone in North America without making your own modifications (TEL1, AUX, bluetooth etc) and even if you somehow get your hands on the SIM card reader sold in europe you can't get a duplicate SIM card from north american cell phone providers so its useless.

2)I've heard that the difference between the 7 speaker system and the 13 isn't that big unless you are trying to get more rattles in your doors etc.. so I am considering a Linear. With a Linear in North America with ES1-7 can you still make the home made modifications for AUX and TEL1? (since saab wont do them for us)

Thanks!

In answer to #1, even with the SIM reader, from what I know the unit is a dual band 900/1800 MHz unit designed for Europe and Asia and would not work in North America anyways, where we use 850/1900 MHz systems. And your provider would need to be on the GSM standard (this applies to everyone). You could probably get your provider to give you a duplicate SIM, but there would be no use for it.

For #2, there is a difference, and the rattles have been taken care of for '04 models. There is some more bass and a little better high end, but the 7 speaker system in the lInear is very good as well for '04, but the 13 speaker system is better. All modifications such as Aux and Tel1 can be done with the ES1 system in the Linear.

[TheKomoman]

Originally Posted by tromara

2)I've heard that the difference between the 7 speaker system and the 13 isn't that big unless you are trying to get more rattles in your doors etc.. so I am considering a Linear. With a Linear in North America with ES1-7 can you still make the home made modifications for AUX and TEL1? (since saab wont do them for us)
Thanks!

I'll comment on the 13 speaker upgrade... EW!

I'm a little hazy on exactly what the difference is, but I can tell you that in my 04 9-3 Aero there is DIDDLY SQUAT coming off the rear deck. If you have the system cranked and fade to the rear there's just a bit of muffled noise coming from back there. What the heck is the 80x2 amp doing!?!

The only real bass in the car comes from the 2 6.5's in the front doors, and they're really just midbasses, not subs. Very disappointing. There are many reasons to buy a 9-3 and I absolutely love my new car, but the stereo is mediocre to poor.

As far as the AUX goes the hard part is getting the dealer to enable it. The cable is easily had or made.

[tromara]

Thanks for your replies guys!

Here's a new question:

I know it is possible to get TEL1 working by using a bluetooth system and installing a Microphone for it, but.. for those of us who don't have a problem plugging their cell phone into something and then having a handsfree phone through the stereo....

Is it possible (much like the AUX connector install in the center console) to use a handsfree headset cable with male jacks on both sides (one to plug into the cell phone and the other into a connector in the center console) and then hook up the Audio+- to the EHU (as well as the mute)?

Is there a microphone installed on Linear models in North America (if so where would the wires be run to? so that we can connect the microphone to the headset jack as well).

If this set up is possible, then it would be economical and just require you to plug your cell phone in when you get in the car... and then have a handsfree system through the stereo system and mic!

[Entertainment]

I'll sum up all my answers to your questions.

TheKomoman: I'm not an expert in TechII software, so I can't tell if AUX is in all MY04. But all cars can be equipped with AUX, the EHU hardware is the same in all US cars and the function AUX is built-in in all ICM models (but not activated, this is what you do with the TechII).

You should go back to the dealer, because you probably have some hardware fault in your AMP2 (or maybe only the parameter file has been corrupt in some way when downloaded into your car). The 6x9" should play much more.
We had some AMP2's at Saab with this kind of faults, but I don't remember exactly what the fault was.


Epsilon93: The MY03 EHU had a fault in the resistors for the AUX input, this is changed to MY04. So the level is much better in MY04 cars.
Then there is an other fix in cars built from somewhere around w340 and forward, there is 2 resistor (10kohm) added to the PCB that takes care of the background noise that exist when nothing is connected in the AUX input (try this: activate AUX and do not connect anything in the input. You'll hear a background noise). This fix can be done on the AUX cable also. Just add 2 resistors (10kohm) between AUX-R -- GND and AUX-L -- GND. This will drop the noise level by appr. 15dB.


Pete28: CD-text in the SID (HPD) was not allowed by the ergonomic group at Saab, this would give too much driver information!
The ES2 was not supposed to get the CD-text feature at all, but the supplier of the ICM made a mistake and we kept the function because we got it for free.


E715: 1. The EQ setting in the EHU, AMP1 and AMP2 are not that easy to change. The EHU can be "changed" at Saab for engineering purpose, but still Clarion must change the software to finalize the settings.
For the AMP1 and AMP2, Saab never got the tools from Pioneer to make the changes by them self. In all the soundtuning occasions, Pioneer was present and handling the tools.
2. XM will come in the future, but I can't tell more.
3. The MOST units that Saab uses can't be mixed with BMW or M-B. There are differences in the MOST Function Catalogue used by the different carmakers. So sorry, you still need to by Saab parts.


Tromara: The 6,5" in SS3 (13 speaker system) doesn't play as low in frequency as in the SS2 (7 speaker). The AMP1 EQ setting is different between these systems. So you'll get less noise from the doors in the SS3 compared to the SS2.


The only way to get real a good telephone functionality in the cars, is to have the TEL1 preparation from the factory. This enables the microphone, antenna (shark fin) and connects audio and mute to the EHU (this gives you telephone sound in the car speakers).
The TEL1 installation can off course be done afterwards in the car, but it's more work and I'm sure the microphone and antenna (only dummy when no phone) are installed in the car.
The ICM is also configured with phone if you have TEL1 prep, otherwise you have do this with the TechII.

I hope you got some answers, feel free to more question and I'll try to answer them.
And yes, I like pizza!

[moz]

Jari, thanks for the great info! Especially, that about why the AUX port has all that background noise when nothing is connected. Glad to have you here!

[mopo]

Hi jari,
I was just wondering if there was a way to get an RCA preout for an external amplifer from the EHU, most of the guys on this fourm have tapped the output from amp1 to the 6.5"...

is there a better way?

Cheers
Pat