Removal of Monsoon for Parrot RK8200

[mdntblu]

In a few weeks I'm going to be getting the new Parrot RK-8200 Head unit for my wifes beetle. http://www.parrot.com/usa/products/c...s/parrotrk8200

It comes out this next month - they are showcasing it at SEMA in Las Vegas.

Looks like the perfect solution for us. Ipod, Bluetooth, SD, USB, etc. I love the concept. We never use CD's so our 6 disc changer in the back just sits there collecting dust.

But one question I have is I have heard when you replace the stereo from the stock one this causes the security system to be screwed up and will make the alarm go off at random times.

Does anyone know what you have to do in order to not have this happen?

[_goREDgo_]

oh i hope someone knows how to correct this if possible. i got my beetle used almost 2 years ago and the panic button on the remote has never worked. sometimes when i unlock the doors and sit in the car with the doors open the alarm goes off without warning. one time i was detailing the console and got the scare of my life! i assume that someone messed this up for me since when i replaced the factory head unit (monsoon tape deck) someone had removed those torque screws and taken them with.

[mdntblu]

I used search and couldn't find anything.

[FarrisK]

Originally Posted by mdntblu

Wow, is this board dead now? No one knows the answer to this? Come on someone has to know. Are you telling me no one has an aftermarket stereo. You guys are all lying if that's true.

It's only been 4 days...

At any rate, from what I understand, the main problem is with the "K-wire." If you plug it into +12VDC, it can fry OBDII code readers. Try Googling "K-wire VW Stereo" to find out more. I haven't heard anything about security systems going haywire with the stereo replacements, but I don't know much about car stereos.

[marvins_dad]

...or try the Search feature on this site...
It has been discussed before. I have no personal knowledge other than reading posts and hearing stories from fellow club members. One girl had to change out her head unit every time she took it in to the shop...but I'm sure there is a solution.

[hestersu]

Read this page: http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/aftermarket-radio.html

This is the best explanation of the K-line or K-wire. The security system is not affected by a radio swap but the K-Line can be. The best course of action is to make sure the secondary radio has a plug to allow the K-line to still provide the signal the VW expects. You might want to contact Crutchfield to see if they will have this radio and the proper connectors. Whatever you do, don't cut the K-Line and keep your original radio and related equipment. If you have a monsoon system, leave it in the car. It can be disconnected and left alone and won't hurt anything. It is tempting to rip everything out of the car, cut the wire and go for broke but I would advise you not to do this.

Some day, you may decide to sell your car and keep the fancy radio. You will want to put the car back to stock so the next owner can make their own choices. They may need to take it in for service and they may not realize the wire was cut. After VW screams loudly over there blown VAG computer, somebody is going to be upset.

I personally had a really nice system installed in my 2003 beetle and left everything in place. When I sold the car, I put it back to stock on the radio and related items (monsoon, speakers, wiring) and the car worked beautifully. The stereo shop didn't charge me much to put it back either.

Again the key thing here is the proper wiring harness to mate the Parrot system to the existing harness and not cut anything. See if Crutchfield is going to have the unit. If they won't, see if they have a harness that will work or contact Parrot and make sure they have a harness that will work correctly.

[marvins_dad]

Originally Posted by _goREDgo_

oh i hope someone knows how to correct this if possible. i got my beetle used almost 2 years ago and the panic button on the remote has never worked. sometimes when i unlock the doors and sit in the car with the doors open the alarm goes off without warning. one time i was detailing the console and got the scare of my life! i assume that someone messed this up for me since when i replaced the factory head unit (monsoon tape deck) someone had removed those torque screws and taken them with.

Dude - please do something about your signature...I believe you are limited to 4 lines.

[mdntblu]

First of all I did use the search before posting. I typed in phrases like "security alarm aftermarket stereo", "alarm stereo replacement", etc. and couldn't find anything about it. So that's why I posted.

Secondly, Crutchfield will be selling this unit when it is released. And I had a 1999 Beetle in which I went to Crutchfield and bought a Sony Head unit and installed it exactly as it was supposed to be. And then randomly on some nights at like 1am or 3am the horn would be honking and I'd have to get out of bed and go shut it off. It did this for like 2 weeks before I decided to just not set the alarm anymore when it was in my driveway behind 2 other cars.

Then I sold the car and the new owner told me about something they had to have fixed regarding the security alarm and stereo but they didn't go into detail.

So I am at this same point as I was before because I want a bluetooth stereo and want to make sure I'm not going to be woken up at 3am anymore once I install it.

The kwire is something I will do a search on and figure it out. And I will talk to Crutchfield as well.

Thank you guys for all your help and I will post whatever I find out.

[kawaiijewel]

I had a 2000 beetle until recently (upgraded to an 09) but one of the problems I had a couple of years ago was that the alarm would go off--this was because my door would be open and the car would lock itself again. Sound familiar? Before selling, I had to get a new battery (which also meant I had to redo my keys) and since then it did not do that. I'm not sure if it was my battery slowly dying (cause it was pretty dead by the time I changed it) or what.. But you may want to get that checked. Wouldn't hurt!

Also... another hint that it may be the battery if the immobilizer starts acting up when you try to start the car (and it dies right away.. but after 10-30 secs can be turned on again no prob).

[sean_fabanich]

just another thought.

im sure with the monsoon system there is some type of amp. this amp will have low level inputs in the form of typical +/- wires....the parrot will only have rca outs...so not quite compatible. you can hook it up like normal...but in time you will burn up your original amp because the input source will be to powerful....the outputs of the radio are meant to be hooked directly the speakers...

to solve that problem the best thing to do is just bypass the amp....basically run four sets of speaker wires back from the output of the new radio to the original amp. and then figure out which are the output wires of the amp....disconnect that harness and then splice into the wires... problem here is:

1. that the speakers for the monsoon system could very well be a lower impedance than what the radio is rated for....the radio has a minimum impedance value of 4 ohms...ive seen many systems will 3 ohm impedance.

2. when you do this you will only be able to run four zones...i think the monsoon system has multiple speakers....(more than four) so you may lose some speakers depending on if they are wired as four speakers then split using a cross over or if they are all seperate right from the amp.

good luck...the unit looks sweet

[macdave]

The monsoon amp runs off speaker level outputs from the radio. If you are going to use the monsoon amp, you just have to hook up the front and rear speaker outputs to the harness.

[sean_fabanich]

you can do that....but youll be putting an amplified signal into an amplifier...in time youll blow out the speakers or the amp...or both...and youll get much less quality that you would otherwise....again you can do that...itll work....but not as well as it could.