Freelander Head Unit Installation

Installing an aftermarket head unit in your hippo doesn't have to be hard. While I ran into plenty complications during the process, I've completed it, and now you can use this easy step by step guide and painlessly install your new head unit. Also included in these directions is how to install a NEO car jukebox. Basically those directions can be used to install anything under the driver seat, like a CD changer.

Step 1. Go to your local Best Buy/Circuit City/Tweeter store, and pick up a Passat wiring harness, and a coaxial to standard antenna adaptor. I told him I needed the harness for a 2002 Passat with the single din. I got a Metra Turbowire, part 70-1784, for Volkswagen 1987-Up. You also need stereo removers. The didn't sell them at Tweeter, but I was able to pick them up at Western Auto. You also need wire crimpers and blue butt connectors, or a soldering iron.

The wiring harness I used. Call your local Tweeter store to order.

Step 2. Remove the factory head unit. Using the stereo removers. When you pull out the stereo, you will see 4 connectors. A pink, brown, and gray connector on the left, and the antenna on the right. Unplug all this from the back. (you can skip this part if you want.) using a power tester, test the power wires. You will find that the constant power wire, and the ignition wire are backward when compared to the Passat harness. This is very important, because you could probably mess something up if you don't switch these wires.

The factory unit after being removed from the dash.

Step 3. Using your aftermarket stereo, begin matching the wires to the harness by matching the colors. This can be done with blue butt connectors (my method) or you can solder the wires. Make sure when you are doing this, you don't forget to switch the yellow and the red wires. You will notice that one connector is used solely for the speaker wires, and the other is used for power. Currently on the harness is yellow, black, red, and orange wires. There are also 4 open holes. The factory harness has one hole open as well. Two of these open holes are for steering wheel controls, which you will lose. The last open hole directly under the orange wire is very important. If you have the HK upgrade, you will need to run the blue and white wire (included in the wire harness kit) into the open spot directly under the orange wire. This is the amplifier turn on switch. Without this, the amp doesn't know to turn on, and you won't get any sound.

Here are the 2 wires that need to be switched, the red and the yellow and where to add the blue and white wire.

Step 4. Remove the factory cage from the dash, and install your aftermarket cage. This is pretty easy. You just have to put the cage in, and fold the tabs to hold it in place.

Step 5. After the entire harness is wired to the back of your new head unit, plug the harness in with the factory plugs. The pink plug isn't used, and I believe that this is the spot for the CD changer. If you have that option. I did not. Also plug the coaxial plug into the antenna adaptor. Now your head unit is installed.

Final product!

To see directions on how to install a CD changer or MP3 player under your seat, keep reading...

I really like the idea of listening to my entire collection of MP3s while on the road. Especially when taking long trips, this definitely comes in handy. I consider it, my own XM radio, except I like every song it plays, I don't have a monthly fee, and if I feel like it, I can skip to another song. I purchased the NEO car jukebox from Ebay, but it is also for sale at http://www.ssiamerica.com. I have the 20 GB version. I put it on my computer, I pull my entire MP3 collection onto it, I slide it into the bay in the car, and I am ready to go. The best part is, the computer module has stereo out cables, so I can use this thing in my home stereo as well. All I do is slide it out of the car, and slide it into the home bay. Also the newer car
jukeboxes can interact with different head units so you don't have to have the wired remote. This works with Kenwood, Pioneer, and a few others. This will take care of the problem of finding a place to put the remote.


	Step 1. Find a place to get power. I used the rear cigarette lighter for power since I have the unit installed under the driver seat. To get behind the cigarette lighter, open the ashtray, and pull it out. Now you can reach your hand in, and pull the whole piece out. I used tap-in squeeze connectors (radio shack) because I still wanted use of my lighter to charge my cell phone if I need to. If you don't need this lighter, you can just cut the wires right from it.		This photo is of the back seat ashtray, cigarette lighter.

	Step 2. Find a place for the wired remote. This was difficult because I needed a place that I can fit it, have access to it, and have little or no glare. Originally I was going to put it up on the roof in that opening up there. I have no idea what it is for. But I couldn't really get it to sit how I wanted it, and the power cord came out of the little hole, and ran across the ceiling, and I thought this looked dumb. I finally velcroed it under my air vent on the left side. It's a tight fit with the glovebox. In fact, the remote fits fine without the velcro, but I didn't wanna have to fool with it every time I went in my glovebox. I ran the wire under the door panel, and it is completely concealed except for the little wire showing on the left of the unit. The only issue now, is when I close the glovebox, I have to push it kinda hard and listen to it to click twice. This way I know that it is shut. The remote makes it harder to shut it.		Here is the location of the wired remote.

	Step 3. Run the Aux. wires into the back of the head unit. This was pretty easy. If you have the old factory head unit, you will have to use an FM modulator. but you can run the wires the same place I did. Pull the stereo out, and plug it in to the stereo first. Then dangle it down till you can reach it under the driver side. Then run the wires under the ceter console, and then under the seat to plug into the unit. This conceals 99% of the wires.

	Here is the unit under the driver seat, with a nice picture of the butt connectors in the way.		Step 4. It is all installed now. I didn't bolt the hard drive down, I just used the big pieces of velcro it came with, and I feel it works better. That way, if I ever need to, I can easily remove it.

			Step 5. Another good part of installing the wired remote where I did is that if I am in a bad part of town, I can open the glovebox, remove the wired remote, and put it in the glovebox, and close it again. Now the wired remote is completely hidden from view, and no one has any idea it's there.