GJC3322

My roommate's Acura TL-S and my brother's Accord EX both have audio controls on the steering wheel - I'm jealous that my 5G, 1998 Prelude does not. I have noticed that the previous generation Aura CL uses a similar steering wheel, with these audio controls and the head unit, although labeled "Bose" instead of "AFBS" looks to be identical. Anyone experimented with using these audio controls on a 5G Prelude head unit?

axion68

where would you plug it? It looks like you could put it on the other side of the cruise control buttons, or maybe not?

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GJC3322

Bear in mind that I'm probably not technically able enough to pull this off myself, but I know a technician at the cell phone company that I work for that could do the install.

I imagine that there must be some sort of purpose-built plug in the back of the head unit. The wire should run right through the steering column, just like the cruise and horn wiring, and in through the dash

As for where the control itself would go, the other cars have their controls on the left hand side of the steering wheel, opposite where the cruise control buttons are on the right hand side.

LastLude

don't do it!
you would have to take the airbag out to run the wires and create some sort of connection that could spin with the wheel
just go out and buy a pioneer head unit with the steering wheel remote if you want steering wheel controls that bad
and besides which you would have to swap your radio for an accord radio which would also entail getting rid of your amp and swapping your rears

GJC3322

OK, but...

If the headunit appears to be the same as the old CL, there must be a built-in connection, so the head unit, in theory, should be OK. Therefore, I would be able to keep my rear speakers and AFBS. Regardless, the rears should still function, just without AFBS, which, honestly, doesn't seem to be the godsend that it claims to be. If you're a true audiophile, you're either going to replace the speakers/headunit anyway and/or you're going to buy a car that is quieter than the Prelude in the first place...

There are lots of Hondas and Acuras that already use steering wheel audio controls, so there has to be a way to do this, and the Prelude must have some built in accomidation for controls like this, because it already has the cruise control buttons on the steering wheel. Yes, there would be some removal of the airbag/steering wheel to run the wires, but nothing more radical than if the cruise control buttons went bad and had to be replaced.

Again, all of this gets blown out of the water if someone has already tried this or has prior knowledge about the head unit in the Prelude and/or the head unit in the CL just looks like the one in the Prelude, but it has entirely different internals.

LastLude

the radio is different most of the acura's i've worked on have a spare 3 or 4 pin plug for the stearing wheel/ dash controls.. but than again my accord had the same plug just an extra wire in it
give me a few days and i will get you a definate answer
the cruise buttons unplug at the steering wheel so i doubt that air bag removal is necessary to fix any problems with them

jgprelude

The Bose system in the Acura is a lot more complicated than the system in your prelude. The radio is not designed to power speakers, it only sends a signal a seperate amp. Bose also uses different impedances on their speakers(2 ohm or 10 ohm depending on the car), so you cant use your stock speakers.
If you want the radio to work in your prelude you will need the steering wheel, bose radio, the bose amp, and all the speakers from the CL. I dont think you will be able to use the steering wheel controls without extensive(read expensive) mods to your cable reel in your steering coulmn.
It will be cheaper, less time consuming, and probably sound much better, if you just buy an aftermarket radio with a steering wheel remote.