mp3 installed
 

Well, I just finished installing the MP3 player. It was pretty easy. It came with good instructions. Well, let me clarify that. The "trim panel" came with the instructions. The trim panel itself is a total waste of money. I wouldn't pay $1 for it. All it is is a little piece of plastic that says "mp3" in the corner. Mazda conveniently includes the instructions with the trim panel to force you to buy it. The MP3 player is made by Pioneer. I guess just the speakers and amp are Bose????

Well, where's the rest of the info. :D

Did you have to remove all the molding around the shift-nob to get to the head console?

Is Yuhki's Japanese thread/pictures accurate regarding the procedure?

How long did it take you?

What tools did you need to get the job done?

Whenever you get board come back to rx8forum and let us in on the information. I also have my MP3 player in-hand (actually at the dealer) and wondering if I should just let them do it.

Thanks,
BV

What was the hardest part of the job? How long did it take you? Any "dangerous" or "scary" things to work through? Any tips to make sure it doesn't come out looking wrong?

I have a MP3 player on order. I was wondering what you are doing with your cd deck that you removed? I would like to sell mine, but I cant think of any demand for it.

You didn't happen to see a Pioneer part number on it did you?

.... so I can go down to the stereo place my friend works at and get the thing shipped from Pioneer for 1/2 the dealer price :p

can you scan and post the instructions, if feasible?

Now your thinking! ;)

Oooooh! Yeah! Good idea! C'mon brothervoodoo, what's the Pioneer number?

Sounds like the original trim panel will work with it, right? Just doesn't say MP3 on it, that's all. Am I right RXracer & brothervoodoo?

edit: Ah junk, I just noticed brothervoodoo saying his is at the dealer's. Anybody have the number?

The sticker on the bottom of the MP3 player says:

Pioneer
CDS-4077ZM

Dunno if that helps...

--SL01

installation
 

The installation is definitely something you can do yourself. The instructions that come with the trim panel are good. The scariest part of the procedure was pulling the entire radio assembly out of the dash without breaking it in half. Once you remove the 3 screws (2 screws and 1 bolt) holding the stereo in, you need to pull it fairly hard to overcome the retaining clips that hold it in. If you pull on the bottom where the ash tray was, you only break loose the bottom clips and the unit wants to flex. You need to get your hand in behind the stereo and give it a little shove from behind in a small hole just big enough for your hand when reaching in under the steering wheel. The other thing that was tight was the piece surrounding the shifter. This is the very first thing you remove. There are no screws in it. Just some very good clips.

The whole job took about an hour. I did not disconnect the battery and I was very careful not to damage any wiring or misconnect a wiring plug.

One more comment.....make sure you remove the CD from your stock unit before removing it from the car! :(

I'll try to post a picture of the "trim panel" if I can.

Here is a picture of the trim panel. What a waste of money!!! I will try to get the instructions scanned sometime soon so you do not have to buy the trim panel.

Re: installation
 

Ooooh, that must have made your day, huh? Did you have to hook it back up again just to eject the trapped CD?
Ouch!
Thank you so very much for this! I WILL be doing this in about 2 months from now - hopefully sooner. Very good descriptions!

Can you check your literature to see if you can confirm that yours was also a Pioneer CDS-4077ZM like our buddy SL01 has? Don't go out of your way here, just confirm that if its a piece of cake to.

(edit:deleted the question you just answered...)

Many thanks!!! I'm out of questions...:D

Yes, the part number on the unit was the same. The box also has another number on it. It is GJ6B-79-AGXB. I think the above number is a better number. It is also on the outside of the box.

Yes, I had to repower the unit to eject the cd. Only took a minute.

OK, I did a dumb & blind search on the internet for the GJ6B-79-AGXB number & got 2 whole results - both related to Mazda 6. Yep, it's the Mazda Part Number for this MP3 player, found the same number on an accessories list 12" away from my nose. He he.
Evidently, the Mazda 6 uses the same MP3 player. Got on a german forum site & waded thru the deutch talk, just looking for whatever numbers I might find. Sure enough, there was that Pioneer CDS-4077zm number. That forum led me to the NA forum & they're going thru this stuff too. No new news to really report from any of this unfortunately. Maybe somebody else can find something on where to buy this from, like a Circuit City or some audio electronics website. I gotta go to bed!
Thanks again so much for your info. It's really gonna help!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...................

I'm going to guess that because of the mounting of the unit, you will not be able to get it anywhere but Mazda. It does not seem to be standard like anything else I have ever installed. $250 isn't that bad for an OEM MP3 player if you install it yourself.

rx8racer, thanks for the information, I will go ahead and do the install myself.

Racer X-8, yep sorry, my MP3 player is sitting at the dealership, I will just pick-it up when I get the car.

Your most likely correct rx8racer. I haven't found anything yet on the web, including the Pioneer site & that's not a good sign. Usually I can find anything that's available to the general public pretty darn quickly.

Brothervoodoo, you sure you want that one? Leave it at the dealer's. Someone else will surely buy it, no doubt, so, like don't feel obligated. Buy one from www.TrussvilleMazda.com and save yourself a chunk of change.

I'm doing that with my dealer. He asked me to make a list of what optional stuff I found an interest in. He said he would price the stuff for me. Turns out, he told me a few days ago that he bought everything on my list for me or anyone else. I'm not buying jack from him cuz everything can be gotten from Trussville at a large discount. My money...will spend it the way I decide.

So apart from how easy it was to fit, what is the player itself like?

Does it read MP3 CDs quickly, change tracks/folders quickly? Does it read ID3 tags and give the titles/artist info etc on the display?


-andy-

There's a great description of how the MP3 player works in this thread:
http://www.rx8forum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5846

Thanks for the heads-up. Don't want to bore you with a long story but I approached my dealer about a bunch of accessories I wanted to buy. He came back with huge outrageous prices. I showed him trussvillle website, he changed his tune quick. So, I ended up getting the mp3 player from my dealer and also bought a bunch of stuff from trussville (like strakes, etc..) Since, the dealer had already ordered the mp3 player and knew I was not going to take delivery because of his bogus mark-up, he matched trussville's price.

Short of the audiopilot tuning and maybe some of the drivers, the Mazda6 BOSE system is the same as the RX8. So not only are the modules and other parts compatible, if anyone ever comes out with an aftermarket head unit mounting kit for the Mazda6, it will work with the RX8.

So if you are looking for a certain module or something, check a Mazda6 forum to see if someone is replacing their 6-CD changer with an MP3 unit.

---jps

It does, thanks.

Does anyone know the make and model number of the head unit? I'm hoping that information will make it possible for me to locate a compatible head unit with an AUX line in on the front. I want to use my iPod in the car.

I'll try to get ahold of my friend sometime next week. The installer he works at is very big on Pioneer so I'll see if he can do anything...