Ronin GTO

Okay, just to give everyone a little insight on this topic, it was something that was brought up in another forum. A few of the technical folks started reading the chip schematics and messing around with the main board. After some trial and error from quite a few people, they pretty much collaborated and came up with the final product. There are a lot of Goat owners who are using this mod and even doing it for others. I for one did the mod myself and found that, even though I hadn't soldered in quite some time, it was pretty simple.

As for the jack, you want a 1/8” Normally Closed Stereo Phono Jack (Radio Shack part number 274-246). You can mount the jack anywhere you want to. I drilled a small hole in my center console right next to my cup holders. Then I used a small counter-sink bit so that the jack would be flush when it was mounted. All the wire is run under the center console so you never see it. As for any sort of display, since the Aux. source is being fed directly into the chip, there will be no display showing Aux-in. Whatever you are playing at the time of connection (AM/FM/CD) will remain displayed. The jack will just "switch" the chip and bypass the circuit, feeding the signal from your Aux. source, thus allowing the signal to be heard. Right now I'm working on getting 2 Aux-inputs to work. One will be for my Sirius and the other will be in the center console for my MP3 player. This will require some sort of switch that will allow A (Sirius) to be the default while it is powered on. Once it is powered off, it would switch to B (MP3). If B is not connected, then the H/U would play. I'll let you know how it works once I get the bugs worked out.

Here is the actual write-up from one of the guys who figured this mod out. As I said, I take no credit for this and am just re-posting it for everyones info:

Tools needed:

Soldering Iron with a small tip
Phillips screw driver
Stubby phillips screw driver
T-9 torx driver
T-10 torx driver
Small pick or pocket screw driver
Helping Hands (holding device) optional but very helpful
I think thats about it. I found a small torx bit driver at Home Depot with interchanging bits, starts at 15 and goes down to 4.

1. Remove center console top (cup holder). Remove the screw in the front under the ashtray. Pull up starting at the rear and work forward. Use care and pull close to the clips.

2. Remove the top center dash cover (black piece over the A/C vents)

3. Remove 4 scews from the top trim piece above the A/C vents. Stubby screw driver needed for the 2 top ones. I found that if you pull the trim piece and release the radio retainer springs at the same time the radio pops out easily.

Note: The radio holds the trim in place.

Radio disassembly:

1. Remove the four T-9 face plate scews. Use care, the wire pig tail is short, disconnect it.

2. Remove the 4 T-10 screws holding the C/D changer portion of the radio. With the front of the radio facing away, lift off the changer and tilt it to the left and set it on it's side. Push the locking tab on the wire tape connector to the left and carefully remove the wire tape.

3. Turn the receiver over and remove the 2 T-10 screws from the bottom cover and remove it. The circuit board will now be exposed, use caution not to scratch it. Also use care not to shock the board with static electricity.

4. From the top side locate the capacitors C1528 and C1529. Note the position of the stripe, this indicates polarity. Positive towards prossesor.

5. Set the radio on it's side and heat the capacitor wires enough to soften the solder and straighten the wires, use caution not to over heat anything. You may have to repeat several times to get them straight. Now heat them and pull 'em out. I used a piece of wire to suck up the excess solder.

6. Solder caps to the wire using flux to insure a good clean connection, the replacements I got had wires at each end and marked with an arrow indicating polarity. Use different color wire or mark them someway so you can determine which goes where ie. left and right and polarity. Trim the wire on the caps. down to about an inch. Solder 2wires to the positive end of 2 caps and 2 to the neg. end of 2 caps. You should now have 4 wires soldered to 4 caps.
* Wires should be aprox. 18" long, if you are going to use the 5 pin connector. If you are not using the connector make them as long as needed and feed enough through the radio holes, slots in the back of the radio, to allow you to work away from the radio internals.

7. Solder in the new caps. I don't recommend using flux on the board because the solder could run and cause a short. Work on one area at a time ie. C1528 or C1529.
*If you are not using the 5 pin connector slide enough shrink wrap over the wires to completely cover the caps. and the solder connections now.
Place one cap. in the hole closest to the prossesor with the arrow pointing down, pos. to board. The caps. should be about 1/2 inch off the board. Carefully solder it in place, remember to move the shrink wrap away from the heat. Place another in the other hole furthest from the prossesor with the arrow pointing up, neg. to board. Repeat for the other caps. If you have the front of the radio facing away from you the pos. will be on the left. After all 4 caps are in place, slide the shink wrap over the caps. and all the way down to the board and carefully heat it starting from the board and working up. This should ensure no wires short out after intall.

*If you are not using 5 pin connector skip step 8.

*8. Install connector. You should have all 4 caps. installed with shrink wrap insulating the caps/wires/connections. Feed the wires through the holes (slots) in the back of the radio. Cut wires equal length, aprox. 10-12 inches out of the back of the radio. install the terminals and slide them into the connector, I crimped and soldered them. Remember to note which wire is where.

9. Installing the 1/8" jack. Pin 5 goes to the positive side of the board, side closest to the prossesor C1529 via's. Pin 4 to neg C1529. Pin 2 to pos. C1528 via's. Pin 3 to neg. C1528. Pin 1 to ground. See post 191, but ignore the polarity of the caps.

10. Install the stereo jack and run the wire harness up and behind the A/C controls. Slide the radio into the center dash trim, feed the Aux in harness up through the hole in the top of the radio carrier and behind the A/C controls. Connect the Aux in harness and the hazard switch plug. Pull up lightly on the Aux in harness as you push the radio in so it doesn't get bunched up behind the radio. Fully seat the radio and check the fuction of the Aux in. If it doesn't work YOUR SCREWED. No seriously everything should be fine, if not recheck to make sure the I-pod plug is fully seated and the radio is set to tuner (AM FM).

11. Renstall trim pieces making sure everthing is connected properly.

NOTE: Your turn signals will not work unless the haz. switch is connected.
NOTE: The TC and door lock connectors are the same, I plugged mine in wrong and the doors locked when I pushed the TC switch.
NOTE: Remove the rubber tray liner in the front, under the ashtray, it makes it easier to reinstall the center console cover
NOTE: Don't forget to turn off the I-pod, it will not shut off automatically

*If for some reason you don't feel comfortable doing this mod yourself, I can put you in touch with a guy who has done this many times for other Goat owners. He has 2 different ways of doing it. One is to install the connector in one of the holes that you use to remove the H/U. It's flush mounted and looks pretty good if you want to connect your MP3 player that way. The other way is with about a 3ft cable that you can install in your center console as I mentioned above. I believe he charges about $45 for the cable and $50 for the jack in the removal hole, and all that is required is that you ship your H/U to him and pay for return postage. He usually does it and ships it back to you the same day. Everyone who has had him do this mod for them has been pleased and I have yet to hear any negative comments. Just another alternative.*

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