2 Attachment(s)
What about the connector for the head unit?
Q: You gave me the pinout of the amplifier connector, what about the head unit connector?
A: Ok, here it is.
Attachment 15730
Note that the low level signals between the AS1/AS2/AS3 head unit, the AS2/AS3 amplifier, and the CD changer are not the common single ended (signal & ground) used in ordinary consumer audio, instead it is a balanced (signal+ & signal-) used in pro audio.
Attachment 15731
The information the tables below were taken from the 95 workshop manual for model years 1999 and 2002. Unfortunately wire colours/colors may vary between model years. There were few wireing changes until model year 2001.
AS2/AS3 HEAD UNIT CONNECTOR
Function |
Direction |
Pin # |
Colour/color |
Power and Control Signals |
|
|
|
No connection |
- |
1 |
- |
Power supply (ignition) |
in |
2 |
orange MY 1998 - 2001
red/blue MY 2002 - 2005 |
No connection |
- |
3 |
- |
Ground |
- |
4 |
black |
Mute control Note |
out |
5 |
black/white |
Phone mute Note |
in |
6 |
yellow |
Remote on control for
amplifier (also antenna) Note |
out |
7 |
green |
Power supply (constant) |
in |
8 |
red |
Line Level Outputs |
|
|
|
Line out right rear - |
out |
9 |
brown/red |
Line out right rear + |
out |
13 |
gray |
Line out right front - |
out |
10 |
blue |
Line out right front + |
out |
14 |
red |
Line out left front - |
out |
11 |
red/white |
Line out left front + |
out |
15 |
blue/white |
Line out left rear - |
out |
12 |
orange/white |
Line out left rear + |
out |
16 |
yellow/white |
Line Level Inputs and I-BUS |
|
|
|
I-BUS - Note |
in/out |
17 |
white |
I-BUS + Note |
in/out |
18 |
green |
No connection |
- |
19 |
- |
CD changer line in right - |
in |
20 |
black |
CD changer line in right + |
in |
21 |
brown |
Phone line in, ground |
in |
22 |
black |
Phone line in, signal |
in |
23 |
gray/white |
No connection |
- |
24 |
- |
CD changer line in left - |
in |
25 |
red/white |
CD changer line in left + |
in |
26 |
blue/white |
AS1 HEAD UNIT CONNECTOR
Function |
Direction |
Pin # |
Colour/color |
Power and Control Signals |
|
|
|
No connection |
- |
1 |
- |
Power supply (ignition) |
in |
2 |
orange MY 1998 - 2001
red/blue MY 2002 - 2005 |
No connection |
- |
3 |
- |
Ground |
- |
4 |
black |
No connection |
- |
5 |
- |
Phone mute Note |
in |
6 |
yellow |
Remote on control (antenna) Note |
out |
7 |
green |
Power supply (constant) |
in |
8 |
red |
Speaker Outputs |
|
|
|
Speaker right rear - |
out |
9 |
blue/white |
Speaker right rear + |
out |
13 |
red/white |
Speaker right front - |
out |
10 |
grey |
Speaker right front + |
out |
14 |
brown/red |
Speaker left front - |
out |
11 |
brown |
Speaker left front + |
out |
15 |
brown/white |
Speaker left rear - |
out |
12 |
green/white |
Speaker left rear + |
out |
16 |
brown/white |
Line Level Inputs and I-BUS |
|
|
|
I-BUS - Note |
in/out |
17 |
white |
I-BUS + Note |
in/out |
18 |
green |
No connection |
- |
19 |
- |
CD changer line in right - |
in |
20 |
black |
CD changer line in right + |
in |
21 |
brown |
Phone line in, ground |
in |
22 |
black |
Phone line in, signal |
in |
23 |
gray/white |
No connection |
- |
24 |
- |
CD changer line in left - |
in |
25 |
red/white |
CD changer line in left + |
in |
26 |
blue/white |
Mute control
This pin is at 12V for 1s after the head unit has been turned on, and for 10s after the head unit has been turned off. At all other times it is at less than 1V.
Phone mute
This pin is normally floating free at 4V to 6V. A phone handsfree kit should pull down this pin to less than 1V during a phone call.
Remote on control (antenna)
This pin is at 12V when head unit is turned on.
I-BUS -/+
These pins are part of the vehicle communication network. Don't mess with these wires as doing so can cause problems, and perhaps damage, to many on-board computers!
1 Attachment(s)
Can I replace the speakers?
Q: I think that replacing the speakers will improve the sound. Can I do it?
A: Perhaps.
The sizes and impedances of the speakers are rather unusual. The amplifier may not like, or may not perform the way it should, if speakers of different impedances are used instead of the standard speakers.
Attachment 15732
The information the tables below were taken from the 95 workshop manual for model year 1999. The sum of all amplifier powers does not add up to the marketing power numbers. I do not know if this is due to realistic numbers in the workshop manual and optimistic numbers in marketing, or if the reason is an error in the workshop manual.
Speakers for AS2 / Premium made by Pioneer
Location |
Size |
Impedance |
Amplifier power |
Frequency range |
Instrument panel left/right |
3.5" |
4.1 ohm |
2 x 15W |
midrange/treble |
Instrument panel center |
2.5" |
4.8 ohm |
5W |
|
Front doors |
6.5" |
1.8 ohm |
2 x 25W |
bass |
Rear doors |
4.0" |
3.6 ohm |
2 x 15W |
midrange/treble |
Speakers for AS3 / Prestige (four door) made by Harman Kardon
Location |
Size |
Impedance |
Amplifier power |
Frequency range |
Instrument panel left/right |
2.5" |
2.5 ohm |
2 x 16W |
midrange/treble |
Instrument panel center |
2.5" |
5.9 ohm |
16W |
|
Front doors |
6.5" |
2.4 ohm |
2 x 22W |
bass/midrange |
Rear doors |
2.5" |
2.5 ohm |
2 x 16W |
midrange/treble |
Subwoofer |
6" x 9" |
2.0 ohm |
2 x 22W |
sub-bass |
Speakers for AS3 / Prestige (five door) made by Harman Kardon
Location |
Size |
Impedance |
Amplifier power |
Frequency range |
Instrument panel left/right |
2.5" |
2.5 ohm |
2 x 16W |
midrange/treble |
Instrument panel center |
2.5" |
5.9 ohm |
16W |
|
Front doors |
6.5" |
2.4 ohm |
2 x 22W |
bass/midrange |
Rear doors |
2.5" |
2.5 ohm |
2 x 16W |
midrange/treble |
Subwoofer |
6.5" |
2 x 2.0 ohm |
2 x 22W |
sub-bass |
Can I use the steering wheel buttons for a non-Saab audio unit?
MY 1998 - 2005
Q: I want to use the steering wheel buttons. How?
A: Pressing the buttons changes the voltage on one wire.
The buttons in the steering wheel is made from six/eight switches and seven/nine resistors connected in series. The switches connects the points between the resistors to a common wire. A seventh/tenth switch connects over all resistors and is used for the horn.
Note that four wires connect the steering wheel to the instrument panel wireing. Two of them are for the AIRBAG. Do NOT connect test instruments to the airbag wires!
The switch/resistor network is connected to the SID. The SID will measure the resistance of the network and either activate the horn relay or send a message to the audio system over the I-BUS.
The information the table below was taken from the 95 workshop manual for model year 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2004. Wire colours/colors may vary between model years. There were few wireing changes until model year 2001, but model year 2004 has a new SID with a different connector.
SID connections for steering wheel buttons MY 1998 - 2003
Function |
SID pin # |
Wire colour/color |
Reference ground |
9 |
yellow |
A/D converter input with pull up resistor to +5V |
22 |
blue |
SID connections for steering wheel buttons MY 2004 - 2005
Function |
SID pin # |
Wire colour/color |
Reference ground |
23 |
yellow |
A/D converter input with pull up resistor to +5V |
24 |
blue |
The airbag wires do not connect to the SID.
With the steering wheel buttons connected to the SID a voltage can be measured. With the steering wheel buttons disconnected from the SID a resistance can be measured.
Steering wheel control buttons MY 1998 - 2002
Button |
Voltage (V) |
Resistance (ohm) |
Resistors (ohm) |
Horn |
0.0 |
0 |
(none) |
VOL- |
0.7 |
82 |
82 |
VOL+ |
1.2 |
164 |
82 + 82 |
SRC |
1.8 |
284 |
82 + 82 + 120 |
SEEK>> |
2.4 |
464 |
82 + 82 + 120 + 180 |
<<SEEK |
3.0 |
794 |
82 + 82 + 120 + 180 + 330 |
NXT |
3.6 |
1474 |
82 + 82 + 120 + 180 + 330 + 680 |
(none) |
4.2 |
2474 |
82 + 82 + 120 + 180 + 330 + 680 + 1000 |
Steering wheel control buttons MY 2003 - 2005
Button |
Voltage (V) |
Resistance (ohm) |
Resistors (ohm) |
Horn |
0.0 |
0 |
(none) |
(+) Sentronic |
0.4 |
44 |
44 |
(-) Sentronic |
0.8 |
95 |
44 + 51 |
VOL- |
1.2 |
160 |
44 + 51 + 65 |
VOL+ |
1.7 |
242 |
44 + 51 + 65 + 82 |
SRC |
2.1 |
347 |
44 + 51 + 65 + 82 + 105 |
SEEK>> |
2.5 |
494 |
44 + 51 + 65 + 82 + 105 + 147 |
<<SEEK |
2.9 |
709 |
44 + 51 + 65 + 82 + 105 + 147 + 215 |
NXT |
3.3 |
1041 |
44 + 51 + 65 + 82 + 105 + 147 + 215 + 332 |
(none) |
4.0 |
2511 |
44 + 51 + 65 + 82 + 105 + 147 + 215 + 332 + 1470 |
Note that four wires connect the steering wheel to the instrument panel wireing. Two of them are for the AIRBAG. Do NOT connect test instruments to the airbag wires!
The sound alternates between the speakers. What happened?
MY 1998 - 2005
Q: The sound alternates between the speakers. What happened?
A: You put the AS2/AS3 head unit in test mode by accident.
The test mode is activated by holding the RADIO button and turning on power. The head unit now enters a test mode sending audio to the amplifier in the following repeating sequence:
- Front left
- Front right
- Rear right
- Rear left
- Front left+right
- Rear left+right
The head unit continues to function as normal, except for this sequencing of the audio outputs. Turning off the head unit will leave the test mode.
Can I connect a MP3 player?
MY 1998 - 2005
Q: Is it possible to connect a MP3 player to the Saab Audio system?
A: Perhaps
Only four audio inputs are available from the outside of a AS2/AS3 head unit.
- Input for phone (mono).
- Input for CD changer.
- Radio antenna.
- Playback head for tape deck.
Five possible audio inputs are available inside the AS2/AS3 head unit.
- Use the tape player audio path.
- Use the CD player audio path.
- Use the phone input audio path after it splits into a right and left signal.
- Use the weather band (US/CA models) audio path after it splits into a right and left signal.
- Add a new input to the electronic volume control.
Phone input
Using the mono input intended for a phone is probably not very interesting.
Edit by SaabWorld: Using the phone input does provide stereo input. See below for the link.
Radio antenna
The radio antenna can be used for MP3 audio by using a commonly available FM modulator. The MP3 player will be heard by tuning the radio to the frequency used by the modulator.
Tape deck playback head
The tape deck playback head can be used for MP3 audio by using a commonly available adapter. The adapter has the shape of a compact cassette tape. The MP3 player will be heard by inserting the adapter and playing the tape.
CD changer input
The input used by the CD changer can be used if:
- The MP3 player is connected to the I-BUS, and has been married to the car (i.e. has been accepted by the TWICE security computer).
- The AS2/AS3 head unit must know that a CD changes is connected so the input is activated.
- The MP3 player is able to talk to the AS2/AS3 head unit over the I-BUS.
I don't know of any hardware, except the original Saab CD changer, that is able to do this. How the communication with the CD changer is done is not available in public documentation that I know of.
It should be possible to reverse engineer the communication using available CAN bus software tools, but this is most likely not an easy job.
Tape player audio path
This method requires internal modifications to the head unit. The method is to steal the audio path from the tape player, replacing the tape player audio signal with the MP3 audio signal. A audio cassette has to be "played" to activate the MP3 audio.
Step-by-step instructions for this modification are available from the SAAB 95 MP3 player site.
CD player audio path
This method requires internal modifications to the head unit. The method is to steal the audio path from the CD player, replacing the CD player audio signal with the MP3 audio signal. A CD has to be "played" to activate the MP3 audio.
Phone input audio path
Instructions / tutorial: http://saabworld.net/showthread.php?t=28000
Weather band audio path
Electronic volume control
These methods require internal modifications to the head unit. The method is to steal the phone input or weather band audio path after it has been split into a left and right audio signal. This is just before the electronic volume control, so an alternative is to add a new input to the electronic volume control just for the MP3 signal.