Used car, factory plug clipped, how screwed am I?

[Elkins45]

I bought a 2009 Scion xB this week. It has a P.L.Z MP-901 touchscreen media player and backup camera installed. Unfortunately I hate it because:

1. The steering wheel controls don't work.
2. The AM radio doesn't work at all.
3. The Bluetooth randomly mutes itself. It stays connected and the phone still thinks it's playing but there's no sound.
4. The appears to be no balance control anywhere in any of the menus.
5. There's not a physical volume knob.

On the bright side, at least the backup camera works, not that I really care because none of my other cars ever had one.

I dropped $30 on a used factory Scion radio in the hopes I could pop it right in, but whomever installed the aftermarket unit chopped off all the plugs rather than wiring in an adapter. I discovered this when I pulled it out today. Here's what I saw:

How much of a mess is this for someone to fix? At this point I figure I might as well buy a new, working aftermarket unit rather than the factory radio because most of the cost will be in paying someone to fix the wiring and a decent head unit will only add $250 at most. Maybe a bit more if I buy one the camera can plug into. Thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[Firewalker]

You can buy the OEM wiring harness that the person before you cut out. The other question is does the Scion have the JBL amplified system in it?

 

[Firewalker]

If it doesn't have the JBL amplified system in it then these will replace the OEM wiring harness the other person cut out allowing you to use that used radio.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5WH2P3M/?tag=caraudiocom-20

OR if you want to still used a aftermarket radio then this will include that harness above but will also allow you to wire in an aftermarket radio while still using those OEM plugs so you don't have to do what he did.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XK4RXFD/?tag=caraudiocom-20

question is does he have an aftermarket amplifier in there because there is a pair of 2 channel rca's in there for some reason.

 

[Elkins45]

If it doesn't have the JBL amplified system in it then these will replace the OEM wiring harness the other person cut out allowing you to use that used radio.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5WH2P3M/?tag=caraudiocom-20

OR if you want to still used a aftermarket radio then this will include that harness above but will also allow you to wire in an aftermarket radio while still using those OEM plugs so you don't have to do what he did.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08XK4RXFD/?tag=caraudiocom-20

question is does he have an aftermarket amplifier in there because there is a pair of 2 channel rca's in there for some reason.

Thanks for the quick and very helpful reply. I'm pretty sure the amplifier was removed by the previous owner. I remember seeing some unconnected blue wires in the compartment with the spare tire.

I have no expectation that you would know this, but is there a schematic for the factory wire colors online? I have little hope the wire colors on the replacement harness will match LOL.

 

[Firewalker]

Scion Radio Stereo Wiring Diagrams

www.modifiedlife.com

That should help. Or do a search on yahoo for 2009 scion xb oem radio wiring harness and it should be the 3rd one down iirc

or this one

Wiring Diagram for xB/bB?

www.clubxb.com

or maybe this one click scion xb wiring diagram pdg and go through it. looks like those xb's wiring are all the same for those years.

SCION

SCION Car Manuals PDF download free - FR-S, iM, iA, iQ, tC, xA, xB, xD, tC; Scion Wiring Diagrams; SCION Cars Fault Codes DTC

www.automotive-manuals.net

2009 Scion Xb Wiring Diagram Original

Scion xb fuse ignition Scion xb wiring diagram Wiring scion xb harness parts toyota connector diagram Scion xb wiring diagram

diagramlibmonika.z19.web.core.windows.net

 

[Elkins45]

Scion Radio Stereo Wiring Diagrams

www.modifiedlife.com

That should help. Or do a search on yahoo for 2009 scion xb oem radio wiring harness and it should be the 3rd one down iirc

or this one

Wiring Diagram for xB/bB?

www.clubxb.com

or maybe this one click scion xb wiring diagram pdg and go through it. looks like those xb's wiring are all the same for those years.

SCION

SCION Car Manuals PDF download free - FR-S, iM, iA, iQ, tC, xA, xB, xD, tC; Scion Wiring Diagrams; SCION Cars Fault Codes DTC

www.automotive-manuals.net

2009 Scion Xb Wiring Diagram Original

Scion xb fuse ignition Scion xb wiring diagram Wiring scion xb harness parts toyota connector diagram Scion xb wiring diagram

diagramlibmonika.z19.web.core.windows.net

Thank you so much! Your Google fu is better than mine because all I kept finding were sites that wanted a credit card.

 

[Firewalker]

Eh I hate Google search and tbh Google website period. Only thing I like about them is Android and that is it. Hence why I use yahoo search for that stuff.

Anytime hopefully some of it helps.

 

[Jimi77 5,000+ posts]

Installer.com will probably have any plugs/adapters you'll need.

 

[Elkins45]

Eh I hate Google search and tbh Google website period. Only thing I like about them is Android and that is it. Hence why I use yahoo search for that stuff.

Anytime hopefully some of it helps.

One last question: do most aftermarket units use the same connector? It would sure be convenient to just pop in a new unit without having to deal with all that tape and wire nut disaster.

 

[1aespinoza 10+ year member]

One last question: do most aftermarket units use the same connector? It would sure be convenient to just pop in a new unit without having to deal with all that tape and wire nut disaster.

Most use the standard 16 pin connector. The issue is that is an Android radio. Those may use a non-standard connector or just ill fitting. The wire color code should be the same, so it should be as simple as removing and splicing one wire at a time.

 

[Elkins45]

Sorry, but I'm back again. It's even worse than I thought. The factory radio has five different input connectors. The two marked in green in the first photo are the ones that come in the replacement connector kit. I have the luxury of having access to an identical car so I pulled out the factory radio and looked at it. Four of them were used. One is probably for the steering wheel controls and the other is likely for the iPod and AUX inputs that were built into the center armrest of these cars. The fifth (unused) one is undoubtedly for satellite radio.

The idiot who installed it clipped all four of the existing plugs, so I need the other two (circled in red) to restore full functionality. I tried installer.com with no luck so I guess it's time to start searching again. Maybe I'll see if I can pick one up from Toyota.

This is what an unmolested factory wiring configuration looks like:

I think I'm near the point where I just pay someone else to fix it. What a mess!

 

[Firewalker]

Looks like it is a JBL amplified system then.

 

[Elkins45]

Looks like it is a JBL amplified system then.

no, there’s no amplifier. It’s just a hack job. The other car with the four used plugs I took the second picture in is the Scion branded stock
Pioneer unit.

 

[Elkins45]

I think I’ve figured out that the one closest to the corner is the steering wheel and the one above it is the remote aux/iPod interface.

 

[Firewalker]

You can get the radio replacement harnesses from amazon that I linked above. The replacement ones for the steering controls and ipod you will need to go to a junk yard and cut them from a junk vehicle. Toyota uses the same ones as well. The harness for the radio is linked again below. Then just go to the salvage yards for the other two like i said.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B5WH2P3M/?tag=caraudiocom-20