Has anyone tried installing in the new hybrid Toyota Prius? I am aware that mounting in dash isn't very likely, but, I'm curious if there is sufficient wiring in place for an auxillary input, etc.

Thanks!

I drug this post back up because I'm looking at buy a 2004 Prius. Has anyone installed an Empeg in one of these? It looks like it might be a challenge. Also, does anyone know if you can install an aftermarket head unit indash in this vehicle. Looking at the curvature of the dash I'm not sure you can.

Sure you can. Depends on how committed you are. Looks like a worthy opponent. Good luck.

<aside>

By the way, for those outside the United States who were puzzled by Tony's reference of "Illegal crosspost. 10 yard penalty." in the general forum, he is refering to US Football, not to be confused with your football. Think of it as an equivalent to a "yellow card" - if my definition search was correct...

</aside>

Nope, yellow card is far more serious than a ten yard penalty.

Two yellow cards, and its an early bath for you.

We do have 10 yard penalty's in Rugby, and of course we are now World Cup winners too

A very simple Google search for "toyota prius stereo" turned up this link. It looks like it was made for the 2001-03 models, but it may work for the 2004. If that adapter works on the same IR frequency as the Empeg, I'm sure you could use the built in controls of the Prius to control the Empeg with ir-translate in Hijack. You should also join the 2004 Prius Yahoo Group and ask about aftermarket stereos.

Who is "10 yard penalty", and what do they own?

I went ahead and bought a Prius today. The waiting period is anywhere from 2 to 6 months. Mark, The hybrid adapter shown on that link will not work with the 2004. It is a 2nd generation vehicle. Totally different. I simply thought that the empeg site might be a good place to pose the question. Thanks for the link to the yahoo site, that might prove interesting.

I would watch this website
http://www.coastaletech.com/

They have a ton of stuff for the 2003. I looked at the 2004 and there was a pocket that it looks like the empeg would fit into.

If you wait around, I'm sure coastaletech or that other guy will come up with a nice kit. However, if you want to be cool, you'll help out other owners and figure it out yourself, posting instructions the whole way.

If you got the premium sound, you could tap into the audio outputs of the radio before the amplifier, and add some sort of switch to switch between empeg and stock stereo. Or, you can actually just run the audio out of the stock radio into the aux of the empeg, and then send the out of the empeg into the amp. All this would require either just cutting and splicing the wires, or finding the right connectors to whip up some custom Y-cables.

Now, if you have the regular (non-premium) stereo, it's probably a little harder, since the amp is integrated into the head unit. In this case, either you add an outboard amp, run both the stock stereo and the empeg to them and switch between them, or fashion a way to get the empeg sound into the CD changer input of the stock stereo. If you want to tap into the changer input, finding the right wire to connect to won't be a problem, but figuring out how to tell the Prius AVC-LAN that there's a device available on that input is trickier That's what some of those links in this thread have done in their kits, by tacking on a little circuit board that knows how to speak AVC-LAN.

For the physical mounting of the empeg, you shouldn't have any problem putting it in the lower dash storage compartment, after actually taking the storage pocket out. That's where the add on changer goes (for the lower end stereo), and that changer is DIN sized. If you were to buy the changer to add it on after purchase, there might be a "settings kit" required that would include the cable for it and possibly hardware to put the changer in that pocket. Depending on whether that kit is required (like for the 2001-2003), and on what hardware is in it, it may be worthwile to purchase to help mount the empeg in that spot.

Now, in case you haven't found this yet, these are your three best friends for this project:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/2004-prius
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/prius_technical_Stuff
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/toyota-prius

Now, whatever you do, please report here to keep us all apprised. I'm especially interested, because I have one on order to come in probably next month, and I'll definitely be putting my empeg in. At this point all I know comes from the groups, the various tech documents, and my dad's 2003. Having some hands on reports from someone trying to put an empeg in a 2004 will be priceless.

Thanks for the links! I'm pretty excited about this vehicle. It is quite a departure from what I am use to. I expect the excitement will wear off before I get the car as it will be at least 4 months before I see it. I ordered the option package number 8. It comes with the enhanced audio package and the nav system. It should be pretty cool! I will definitively document the installation of the empeg complete with pictures and post it here. It looks like your going to beat me though Aaron as I just ordered the car.

Thanks!

Its more 'offside' than yellow card!

Please keep us informed... I have been looking at the new Prius myself and wondering how the heck to get the empeg in there.

Good Luck!

Your car was just picked Motor Trend Car of the Year in the US. Congrats!

I just got on the waiting list as well. Perhaps if we all voice our interest in an AUX IN adapter from Costal Tech, we could influence their priority.

Not sure if anyone else actually used the Prius bluetooth capabilty. It worked like a charm. Incoing call (while my phone is in my pocket), auto-muted the stereo, and let me answer hands free mode from the steering wheel control.

I heard back from CoastalTech support. They are actively working on AUX IN support for the 2004. If I get any further updates I will let everyone know.

Thats good news. I will be getting my Prius this week! When I ordered it a couple of weeks ago I wanted an option package that was just made available. I was the first person to order that package at this dealership. A car came in with the package I wanted. It's white instead of silver but that is the only difference. Oh Yeah!

*bump*

Just test drove one yesterday, and am seriously considering buying. Looking at the dash, it looks like the empeg would fit perfectly under the exising stereo. The empeg with no sled almost slides into that pocket.

I'm probably going for option package 9, so electronics wise, they should be the same. It's a shame the empeg can't tie into the touch LCD.

If any of you want a Prius, can live with an older one, but want it "now", evrental.com seems to be selling off previous model years which were used as rentals for around $12-$13k.

Not associated with them, haven't even managed to rent from them, but I noticed it while I was doing research on replacement cars.

The 04 changed quite a bit over the 03. More interior room, more trunk space, better gas milage, and some new toys like keyless entry and starting. Some of the toys are why I am considering one.

Thanks for the link though, I know someone else who might be interested.

There are certainly reasons to get an 04, but indeed, this was more pointed at impatient people who aren't wedded to the new features.

Just ran into this tidbit :

"We have completed the Audio Auxiliary Input for use with the XM
radio addition and will make it available soon. It is something that
can be added later after the installation of the XM unit with
minimal disassembly and will provide direct input to the radio for
left and right audio signals. You can use them for your portable
players or whatever audio you are trying to add. This will be
something that factory XM radio owners can use or owners of Prius
who have had the 6 CD changer added to their base system. The aux
input is installed and operating at this time in our Prius and
provides clean high quality audio.

Happy Monday
Coastal Dave
www.coastaletech.com"

I've had mine now for about two weeks. The only mods I've made so far are seat covers and studded snow tires. I think I will start to take a look at installing the Rio. At first I was not sure if I really wanted to do it. The six cd changer is pretty nice and I may not be quite as diehard a Rio user as some of you but I think I will give it a go. I need to find instruction on how to disassemble the dash center console and then I will be able to see if the hole in the dash is deep enough to hold the rio. Hooking it up should not be a problem. This new gizmo by cabletech would make it easy. Even without that a 4PDT relay powered by the rio amp wire would probably be all that I would need. If I decide to do this I will document the steps.

Later

I wanted one but I didn't want to wait so I bought a Mazda 3 5 door instead.

Ok, I took the plunge and ripped into my 04 Prius this last weekend. Of, course to remove the existing stereo you have to pretty much tear apart the entire front of the dash. This includes the removal of the touchscreen as it is the last piece that needs to be removed to get to the last two bolts that hold the deck in place. The good news is that the Rio WILL fit in the Prius! The bad news is that it is not an easy fit. When I am finished the Rio will be snugly fitted into the dash under the existing stereo. In order to fit it using a sled I had to remove the lip from the front of the sled and then mount the sled to the existing frame work that holds the stereo. The frame work and the stereo come out together so this will not be a big deal. The cubby hole that existed under the stereo needs to get cut larger to except the rio. In fact I chose to cut the opening big enough so the rio is recessed into the dash. This will allow me to close the cool door that is in front of the cubby hole. When done and the door is closed the Rio should be hidden and the car will look stock. Also the plastic tray that is the cubby hole actually fits almost perfectly into the Rio sled when the Rio is removed. I should be able to remove the Rio and install the tray for a look that is close to stock when the door is open. More to follow. Oh, yeah. If anyone has the stereo wire color codes for this car, I could use them. They are NOT the standard Toyota color codes. I will be taking my Oscope to it to figure it out but if you have 'em it would save me some work.

C

We want pr0n!
We want pr0n!

pr0n

oh... you prolly meant install pr0n. disregard

The cubby hole that existed under the stereo needs to get cut larger to except the rio.

I'd have expected the opposite: shrinking the opening would except the rio, while enlarging it would be needed to accept it

I bet priusonline.com has info on the harness

Doh!

Here ya go! http://home.earthlink.net/~charles1357/Prius/

I put back on the parts of the dash around the steering wheel so I wouldn't be kicking them around.

Ooh... stealth... sweet.

After looking at the Prius stereo system with an Oscope I can tell you that it is different. From what I can see the head unit outputs left and right channels as differential 1v signals. These signals are not effected by volume or balance. This makes connecting the rio much easier! There is a second connector on the head unit that comes from the steering wheel. It has five wires and they are vol up / down, selection up / down and mode. There is a serial data line on the main connector. This carries the signal that controls volume. Volume, balance, fade, must be handled by the remote amp. When I am done the existing controls should be able to work with the Rio just like they do with the existing stereo. All I should have to do is install a 4PDT 12volt relay that is energized by the amp out of the Rio. This will switch the audio outputs of the head unit out and the outputs of the Rio in. I will also use the amp out to fire up the remote amp if needed. Not sure yet. More to follow. All in all connection looks like a breeze.

Oh yeah one last thing. I thought I would put the car back together without the stereo so I could drive it. When I started the car the touch screen was pretty much useless. No climate control, no nav system, nothing. It told me that it had lost connection with these devices. Reconnecting the head unit brought everything back to life. It looks like the data stream that controls all this stuff goes through the stereo. FYI

I think that's the most buttons I've ever seen on a steering wheel!

-brendan

All I should have to do is install a 4PDT 12volt relay that is energized by the amp out of the Rio. This will switch the audio outputs of the head unit out and the outputs of the Rio in.

This sounds like the now-discontinued Sony XA-39-II audio switch.

Good luck finding one...

tanstaafl.

The P.I.E. MPSS-4 was just linked by Tony Fabris in another thread...
Functionally pretty much the same thing as the old Sony unit.

/Michael

That looks like it might work but it does not say if the ground side of the line input is switched or not. This would be bad in my case as the existing head unit is differential and the rio is single sided. For this reason I will use a 4PDT relay that will switch all of the line level leads. Bought one today for 15 bucks.

The rio is now snug in it's sled. In the Prius. Here are a couple of pics of what I did with the sled and the harness I made. The RCA jacks could have been removed as they are for the rear channels and not needed. The sled is riveted in place. You can see the relay rtv'd to the back of the sled. This switches between the normal head unit and the rio. All of the in car controls work with the Rio! I have bass, midrange, and treble along with balance fade and volume. This really is a pretty cool car. I will post some pics of the finished install after I get the inside of the Prius cleaned out. It is still full of all the tools used to do this. I will also list there the order of panels to be removed for anyone else out there wanting to brave this.

Wow. Beautiful install. The workmanship looks superb. Be sure to post a couple pics of the completed project when you get everything put back together

Here are three pics of the finished install.
/
/
This one is of the console all closed up with everything off. The Rio is hidden.


This one is still closed but with the Rio on.


The last is of the rio with the door open.

In order to remove the existing stereo the dash panels must be removed. They are all interlocking and must come off in a specific order. This is for an option 8 USA Prius. Use this guide at you own risk. I don't guarantee the accuracy of these instructions, sorry.


1. Remove the bottom center section. There is one plastic "screw" on the passenger side. This panel will now pop out.

2. Remove the vent assemblies from the right side of the center console and from the far left drivers side( on left side of steering wheel next to drivers door). These panel just snap off. It is the entire silver panel.

3. Bottom dash under steering wheel. There are two screws in the bottom of this that need to be removed. Then just snap it off. It's attached with wires and the hood release so it will just hang there.

4. Upper dash above steering wheel. This one just snaps off. It also is attached by the start button.

5. Vent left of center console. This one just snaps out. You can disconnect the park button so it can be removed.

6. Remove the two 10mm screws holding the touchscreen in and pull it out. It comes out by pulling it directly back. Disconnect the four cables going to it and put it in a safe place.

7. Center console piece below stereo. This just snaps out.

8. Remove the two lower and two upper 10mm bolts that hold the existing stereo in and yank it out. Disconnect the 3 cables going to it.

Thats it!

Neutrino,

That really looks nice! You did a terrific job at making that look stock. Gotta love that translucent door, too.

Did you happen to make any notes on your electrical connections? I'm seriously considering ordering a Prius, and I'd be looking to follow in your footsteps pretty closely. I have the same relay setup (using the Sony switch) and find it is very handy, indeed.

Do the steering wheel controls directly affect the amp, then? I'm guessing that, since you say they work for the empeg, as well as the factory head. I'm also guessing you have no controls in the wheel for next track, etc.

Thanks very much for your detailed documentation -- should make things much easier for me down the road.

--Dan.

Thank you, and your welcome

The color codes are :

POWER

• memory........blue
• ignition..........grey
• ground..........brown
• illumination...green
• dimmer.........white / black
  

SPEAKERS

• Right +...........red
• Right -............green
• Left +..............white
• Left -...............black
  

I used the illumination wire to dim the Rio. It is a full 12v and cycles with the headlight switch. The dimmer wire is variable with the dome light thumb switch.

I am not sure that I have the polarity of the speakers correct. These signals are differential on the Prius. I based + and - on Oscope readings and color data from a generic Toyota wiring list.
If anyone has a Toyota wiring list for the 2004 Prius it would be great to know if these colors are correct or not. It does seem to sound correct.
You are correct in your assumptions that the volume control on the steering wheel is the only control that effects the Rio. The mode and up / down buttons still work with the existing stereo only. This buttons do provide discrete inputs to the head unit. It would be quite possible for someone to add another relay and port one or all of these switches over to the rio. Using a couple unused contacts on the Rio connector and modifying the Rio. It would be possible to make them work. If there was one function I would like to have it would be pause. I may look into this after I have enjoyed my new car and the Rio for a while. It was undrivable for a week while I made the Rio upgrade.

CYA
C

Thats a nice install, if only the dash on my clio came apart that easily.

Not strictly on topic for this thread, but I hear someone has figured out how to add the stealth mode button to U.S. 2004 Priuses. (Supposedly to make it easier to get approval for use in the U.S., they left it out, whereas in other markets it's there)

No details yet on how.

Not strictly on topic for this thread, but I hear someone has figured out how to add the stealth mode button to U.S. 2004 Priuses. (Supposedly to make it easier to get approval for use in the U.S., they left it out, whereas in other markets it's there)

That would make it run off electric all the time then ?

Well, until the battery discharges. Then, the ICE fires up again.

That would be cool. I can tell you from experience that it won't last long. About a month ago I awoke to about a foot of snow. I had put studded snow tires on Grendal (the Prius) two days before. After trying to get out of my driveway for about 5 minutes I broke down and made a path with the 4X4. When I got back in Grendal I noticed that the battery was discharged enough to light up the warning lamp in the dash. I think I had one bar left. This was under very heavy load but it sure didn't last long.

Yeah, I figured. It's not that big of a pack.

Dragging up an old thread here, but I'm considering a Prius for my 600 miles/week commuting (now that I know it's empeg-capable). I drive a good 80mph pretty consistently (save for snow, cops or heavy rain) as it's all open, rural highway. Is the Prius capable of handling comfortably at 80? How does cabin noise compare to other cars?

-Zeke

I guess the speed limit anywhere near the Bay Area isn't going to be high enough for me to try. I'll have a 2004 Prius as a rental next week.

What's speed limit got to do with how fast you can go?

-Zeke

Zeke,
You should also consider one of VW's TDIs (diesel). I drive a Golf for my daily commute of 80 miles round trip and get over 700 miles per ~$28 tank with a heavy foot.
I'm in northern MA about 30 minutes south of Nashua if you'd like to meet up and for a test drive.
There is also a decent forum over at Fred's that supports the VW TDI nuts, and it's got a good ratio of knowledgeable people.

Thanks for the offer & the info. I'm not really that serious yet, but I know the day is coming for my 188k '99 Forester, so I'm scoping out the options. Despite my wants for a $40k SUV, a $20k econo-car is the right thing to do since I basically make a new car almost worthless in 5-6 years (I avarage 36,000 miles/year).

-Zeke

Accelerating to 80 was no worse then in my Saturn SL2. The cabin noise, thats another question, I can't really remember it all that well from the test drive. I'd guess though that again it was no worse then the Saturn I drive, since it doesn't stand out in my mind as a negative.

The only negative I had with the Prius was the dealership. Completly ignored at one, then the second, had a sales guy get all pissy with me including discussing economics when enquiring about the employee discount agreement between HP and Toyota. He also tried to steal the sale from the first sales guy I talked to, and was happy to deal with.

In the end, I decided I didn't need another car, and paying off my Saturn right now should be a priority, since the loan amount left is higher then bluebook by a bit.

I guess I should take it up into the hills; It lacks the quick burst of power of the cars I'm used to when you punch it, but it feel almost exactly like my friend's Saturn Vue, which I assume means it's a circumstance of the CVT.

Those image links have all died. Are the pictures still available?

I wanted to print some to take to Cambridge Car Audio this week so I can ask them to make something similar...

I looked at a couple of toyota dealers and was ignored also. Aren't toyota sales people on commission ?

Most Toyota Dealers are complete muppets.

My wife ended up shouting at one, which was nice becuase normally she shouts at me !!

Well, the new Prius arrived yesterday. Maybe this weekend I'll rip the dash apart for the first time and start scoping this out. Charles' photos have disappeared, unfortunately, so I'll have to replicate some of his work. He did document the wiring codes, which should be a big help.

--Dan.

I am also interested in insatalling an EMPEG unit (when I get one) in my Prius. I also have a SIRIUS PNP unit in my car. When Costal Dave gets his AUX-IN kit finished will I be able to connect the EMPEG unit to the RCA inputs on his kit and the SIRIUS unit through the EMPEG?

Peter
Miami, FL USA

I'm going to attack this install the same way Neutrino did, so I'm shopping for a 4PDT relay. Digikey has the MY4-DC12(S) for $6.48, or the MY4N-D2-DC12(S)-ND for $28.65. The difference appears to be an LED indicator, and a diode on the sense input. I don't care about the LED, but should I care about the diode? Is this relay a good choice for this application?

Thanks for any advice from the electronically gifted.

--Dan.

For $22 you can buy a crapload of LEDs, resistors and normal diodes...

The LED is just an on indicator - LED + resistor can just as easily be applied in parallell to the coil external to the relay. Also means you can place the LED exactly where you want it - if you want it all.

The internal diode to suppress inductive kickback (wired in reverse, so as to not conduct when relay is in normal operation) is nice to have - especially if you're driving the relay with an output that might be sensitive to overvoltages. The collapsing magnet field of the relay coil as the relay is turned off can produce hundreds of volts (but very little current...) that can hurt a sensitive output... But you can get a simple diode and add it externally yourself for a lot less than the price difference between those relays...

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your advice! I am going to be driving the relay with the amp remote line from the empeg, so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that a little protection might just be a Good Thing. Unless, of couse, the empeg had such a diode fitted internally, but why take chances?

Thanks again,
--Dan.

Definately fit one, but I'd get the diode separately (a 1N4001 should do fine - or any other in the 1N400x series)... You could fit it in/by the [ISO] connector on the empeg, or on the relay itself...

Excellent. Thank you very much.

--Dan.

Good luck on your install, mine is still working perfectly. I'm happy with it. The pictures are gone. I have looked all over for them but I seem to have lost them. This quote from earlier in the thread should help you.

Quote:
In order to remove the existing stereo the dash panels must be removed. They are all interlocking and must come off in a specific order. This is for an option 8 USA Prius. Use this guide at you own risk. I don't guarantee the accuracy of these instructions, sorry.


1. Remove the bottom center section. There is one plastic "screw" on the passenger side. This panel will now pop out.

2. Remove the vent assemblies from the right side of the center console and from the far left drivers side( on left side of steering wheel next to drivers door). These panel just snap off. It is the entire silver panel.

3. Bottom dash under steering wheel. There are two screws in the bottom of this that need to be removed. Then just snap it off. It's attached with wires and the hood release so it will just hang there.

4. Upper dash above steering wheel. This one just snaps off. It also is attached by the start button.

5. Vent left of center console. This one just snaps out. You can disconnect the park button so it can be removed.

6. Remove the two 10mm screws holding the touchscreen in and pull it out. It comes out by pulling it directly back. Disconnect the four cables going to it and put it in a safe place.

7. Center console piece below stereo. This just snaps out.

8. Remove the two lower and two upper 10mm bolts that hold the existing stereo in and yank it out. Disconnect the 3 cables going to it.

Thats it!

The one thing I can't stress enough is to take great care in the placement of the rio sled within the existing audio metal frame. This is essential in order for the rio to line up correctly with the opening and for it to be located at the proper depth. It was the hardest part of the install.

Charles

Chris Dragon has written a great little Prius dash disassembly guide, with pictures. It's not written for Empeg installs, but contains plenty of general install info.

His PDF file is linked from http://www.chrisdragon.com/prius/.

Also, there is now at least one AUX-IN kit for the Prius, which should simplify the install prosess.

Peter
Miami, FL USA

Well,

I've decided I can't wait any longer for a kit from Coastal Dave. So tomorrow I'm off to the local installer to see what they can do. I'm printed out this thread to show them as well as a Prius dash disassembly guide. Any tips on what to tell them either about the EMPEG itself or the Prius install? I'll also be having them install a Sony stalk to control the unit.

Perhaps if Coastal Dave ever releases his kit, I'll drive up there (I'm only about 2 1/2 hrs away) and have him take a look and see if he can't get the steering wheel controls to work with the Empeg. Thanks for all the info thats already in this thread!!

Peter
Miami, FL USA

Ok, no install after all for me. After taking a closer look at both the Prius and the Empeg, the installer decided they didn't want to do it after all. I brought a copy of this thread with me to "prove" that it could be done, but they were of the opinion that the outputs on the Empeg wouldn't work well with the factory amp. They also warned me that I would lose the navigation voice guidance while listening to the Empeg. I'm pretty sure that the NAV goes directly into the amp, but anyway nothings been touched. Now I really need Costal Dave to finish up that kit!!!

Peter
Miami, FL USA

I thought that the Nav didn't even go into the amp, but directly to the left front speaker. That's all just a vague recollection on my part, though.

Hi,

For anyone following this thread, it appears that Coastal Dave is finishing up his AUX-IN kit. It also seems that he will offer an IPOD kit as well, allowing one to use an IPod via tha touchscreen. There are some videos of his gear in action here:

http://coastaletech.com/video_preview.htm

Peter
Miami, FL USA

I wonder if he could come up with an Empeg kit....

To any odd soul to may be following this just about dead thread...

The CoastalEtech audio/video kit is now available for pre-order. This should allow for a "plug and play" solution for installing the Empeg in a Prius. As soon as the kit goes on sale, I'll be driving up to them to have it and the Empeg installed. (I hope this goes better than my last attempt! ) I'll try and take pictures of the grand occasion if they let me and will post the results here. They may be a month or more away from today(2/3/2005) though.

Peter

Good luck!

Well Coastal Dave has still not offered any sort of kit yet. There is a video of one up at his site for all the good that does.

But the Empeg is installed!!!

I finally found a shop here in South Florida who was willing to give it a shot. The combination of the Empeg and the Prius just scared off installers. Of course it took them two days to get it right, even with this thread and pages of info about the Prius and the Empeg printed out for them. After the first try I could no longer hear the factory radio, left and right channels were reversed, and best of all they didn't cut away the facia for the cubby so that the Empeg was locked into place! The next day I brought it back in and all was well.

I went out with my camera to take some pics, but as my luck would have it, dead batteries. I'll post pics tomorrow. I couldn't be at the shop for the install so I couldn't get picutres of that.

Now I'm happy! I was getting really tired of just listening to the Empeg on the desk...

Must....have....pictures....

Congratulations on getting it installed though!

here are a couple:


and


I've posted a few large photos at my web site (really just a very sloppy photo album, but its my very first try at creating a site) here:

Prius album

I'm dragging this post back from the dead because I finally got a 2006 Prius and intend to stick my empeg in it. As I do, I'll try to document things a little bit for posterity just in case anyone else is looking to do this in the future. It'll also be a good reference for me to go back to and remember what I did.

I'm going to start by summarizing the current state of Prius/empeg connection options. All of the information in the previous replies is still pretty much valid, but there are some easier options now.

Coastaletech has still not come up with a good audio hookup option for this generation 2 Prius. He's showed some prototypes of a full AV interface as well as an iPod interface, but none of that's come to pass. Even if they were available, he's a sketchy source. The dude has zero business sense and thinks nothing of sitting on an order for a few months without any sort of communication until more parts become available.

There are several devices that'll hook up to the CD changer port on this gen 2 Prius and provide aux input. Some of them will allow an additional CD changer to be hooked up, some will replace any possible CD changer. Some of them also have full iPod integration or satellite radio hookup or things like that. Using one of these things would make the actual audio wiring much easier. I don't have any idea which one of these might work better than any other, but if I look into it more, I'll post findings here.

Additionally, the 2006 models (except package 1, aka the fleet/rental car package) have a 1/8" aux input jack in the center console. This jack also presumably has a switch that signals the stereo that something's plugged in. The stereo only makes the aux input available for selection if something's plugged in to the jack.

Some packages of the gen 2 Prius have Bluetooth phone integration. When making or receiving a call, the audio mutes, and the CD player actually pauses. I do not know if this is exposed in a mute sense line anywhere or just dealt with over the CAN bus, but I intend to find out and hopefully use it.

Mounting is still the same. The compartment under the stereo is still the best place to mount it, and I doubt anything physical has changed behind the dash that would make mounting more or less difficult. It's still going to require removal of the compartment and a little trimming, and will still look excellent when covered by the door. The only possible change is there might be a tiny bit more room behind the dash above the compartment, since the cassette player has been deleted from all configurations. However, I suspect the size of the factory radio's enclosure is still the same.

So, it appears I have a few options. Power and ground would be connected the same way for all of them. The possible hookup of a mute line would be the same for all of them. The volume would all be controlled by the car (so I could still use the steering wheel for that). The audio would just take different paths.

Option 1: Brute force the wires into the signal path like Neutrino did. Basically tap into the audio path going from the head unit to the amp and use a relay energized by the empeg's amp remote wire to switch the audio signal. To the best of my knowledge, this would still work. I have the JBL system, which I believe still has an external amp for 2006, although I've read differing things on the location of the amp (in dash vs. under the driver's seat). And, I'm assuming that electrically, the signal from the head unit to the amp is the same (although the wiring colors my be different). If one had the non-JBL system, it might not have an external amp, and if not, you'd have no path to tie into there. Pros: cheap, doesn't mess with or tie up any of the rest of the system. Cons: a bit of a complicated install. Plus, you can easily get into a situation where audio's coming from the empeg, but the CD transport is still spinning, losing your place when you come back to the CD. A possible solution to that would be to somehow tie the empeg amp remote wire to the hypothetical mute sense line in the car to pause the CD when the empeg switches on.

Option 2: Use some sort of auxiliary adapter to get the audio into the stereo. This lets me just pick the empeg as another source on the head unit. Pros: dead simple installation, as most of these things just take RCA style inputs right into them, and then plug into an empty port on the back of the head unit. Gives me all sorts of other possible options, like integration of satellite radio or ipod with the touch screen. Cons: They can be expensive; $200 or more for the fanciest. Also picking the right one can be hard. If I want iPod integration, which one does it best? Will they all handle the 4v outputs of the empeg? Are any of them more prone to ground loop noise than any others? Also, it's easy to switch sources away from the empeg and leave the empeg running, which would lose your place on the empeg when you come back to it. If there were such an aux-in device that somehow gave some electrical indication that the aux source was currently selected, I suppose you could tie that into the empeg mute line to start and stop it. I wonder if there's any wire that goes between the head unit and the aux-in box that's only powered when aux-in is selected? If so, that could tie into the empeg mute line and start and stop it. I don't know if that would keep me from tying in the hypothetical Bluetooth mute line, though.

Option 3: Use the existing aux-in signal path on the 2006. The cheapest and easiest way might be to just run a cable up to the center console and plug into the aux-in jack. Aesthetically, that's goofy, though. So, what I'd probably do here is just tap into the aux wires before they get into the head unit. I would need to then somehow trick the head unit into thinking there's something plugged into the jack. I'm guessing I'd accomplish that by tying the empeg amp remote wire to the wire coming from the switch part of the jack, or using the empeg remote wire to trip a relay closing the switch circuit or something. That way, whenever the empeg was on, the head unit would see aux as a valid source selection. I don't think I'd need a relay to switch the empeg audio in an out of the signal path, though. From what I'm guessing, this would be the equivalent of using a Y adapter to put two audio signals into the same input. Now, when I want to plug something into the existing aux-in jack, I can do a couple of things. I can just turn the empeg off and let only the other aux-in signal come through. Or, I can actually have the switch in the jack fire a relay that switches the empeg audio out of the path and even mute or cut power to the empeg. Or, I can wire the existing jack solely to the empeg's aux in, and use its switch to signal the empeg to go to aux in mode (although that would keep me from using the mute line for phone mute purposes). That would require the empeg in car to use the aux in, though. Pros of this option: Can be a pretty capable semi-automated installation with a lot of flexibility. Can be pretty easy if I don't go overboard. Cons: Could get ridiculously complicated very quickly. Could still change sources and lose your place on the empeg. There are existing ground loop problems when using the aux input with a device that's powered from the lighter port. That my portend the need for some sort of ground loop isolator in this kind of installation.

Other notes: Oh how I wish for a way to control the empeg from the Prius. I would be so happy just to have the track buttons on the steering wheel send forward and back commands to the Prius. I have very rudimentary electrical skills, and certainly no CAN hacking skills, so I can't make this happen, but how I wish someone could.

Aaron,

I went with your "Option 2", and bought the SLU from VAIS Technology last summer. It's expensive, but I got a $100 discount via priuschat group buy. It provides two aux inputs, which appear in the audio system as MD Changer 1 and MD Changer 2 (the Prius audio system has no built-in concept of an Aux input). My empeg output is connected to the Aux 1, and I use the "Disc" button on the stereo to select it. It all works perfectly, and the sound quality is excellent (given the limitations of the Prius JBL system).

As you point out, having the track forward/back buttons on the steering wheel mapped to the empeg, or intercepting the CANbus signals to mute the system during a bluetooth call would be nirvana. I looked into options for the steering wheel controls, but haven't found a product that will work just right. I'm not willing to give up the connection from the track buttons to the main head unit.

I took a bunch of pictures during my install that may be helpful to you, but the whole process was very straightfoward. You will need to carefully trim the dash panel, and it does look terrific behind the smoked flip door. I use a smoke lens, but wish I had a clear one for a little extra brightness in the daylight. I had to dremel off some metal pins in the DIN bracket that are used to hold the existing pocket in place, and I used Charles' suggestion of riveting the empeg cage into the bracket. Getting the alignment right is critical, so take your time. Signal wires are all easily available for power, headlight sense, etc.

If I can answer any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

--Dan.