Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community - FT86CLUB - View Single Post - Using OEM Mic for Aftermarket Radio AND/OR Replacing OEM Mic with Aftermarket Mic

ecko04 · 05-09-2013, 11:16 PM

So basically this DIY will accomplish 2 things

1) Retain your BT mic with an aftermarket radio (i.e. eliminate the need to run a new mic)

or

2) Replace your factory BT mic with an aftermarket mic for improved sound quality

Here's the factory mic, pulled down.

The wires you see are the left audio channel, right audio channel and ground. Yes, the OEM configuration is a stereo mic, not a mono mic...none of this matters.

1) Retain your BT mic with an aftermarket radio (i.e. eliminate the need to run a new mic)

In order to use the factory mic with an aftermarket unit you'll need an auxiliary cable, such as this one.

You'll want to cut one end off to reveal something that looks like this:

You'll want to solder the ends to some wire, I used wire that was the same color as the factory mic. The ground is the shielding and as far as getting the left and right channel correct, well it's a mic so it doesn't matter. Make sure you shrink wrap the wires and wrap them in electrical tape. It's not so much about electrical safety as it is preventing noise.

Now, here's where I don't have pics and it gets a little tricky.

Somewhere along the path from the mic, to behind the radio, where you'll ultimately connect the wires, the white wire from the mic, turns into black and the black wire turns into white. You will want to have your digital multi meter set to continuity so make sure you're tapping into the correct wires. The red/white/black wires you'll want to tap into are in the same plug as the vehicle speed sense wire, which is pink with a green stripe.

Once you have those tapped, you'll plug your auxiliary cable into your aftermarket head unit or if your bluetooth mic input on your aftermarket headunit needs a 2.5mm connection, use an adapter to take the 3.5 down to 2.5.

That's it! Your OEM mic is now your aftermarket mic.

After using the factory mic with my aftermarket unit, I realized how much the factory mic really sucks. I saw some posts on the forum discussing how the OEM mic was superior due to it being sealed in it's location, which is rubbish. Pull down your OEM mic and look at your headliner. There's no cushion or insulation, it's bare metal. So while using the OEM mic may work well for some, I ultimately decided to replace it. However, I have extreme OCD and I like the factory look. So I did not want another mic mounter anywhere other than the factory location. Here's how I accomplished that...

2) Replace your factory BT mic with an aftermarket mic for improved sound quality

Once you pull down the factory bluetooth mic you'll notice 2 tabs on each side, securing it to the housing. Simply push those tabs and the factory mic will release (no pics of this). You'll then take the OEM mic and push it up into the headliner. Afterall, if you ever go back to your OEM radio, you may want to use that mic, I don't know why but you might.

Now that you have your housing out, you'll want to position your aftermarket mic. I decided to go with a Pioneer mono aftermarket mic for mine.

Next, I took the mic housing and lined it with some thin pieces of weather stripping. The reason why is that the factory mic is square, but the aftermarket mics are circular. I wanted to give the mic some type of gasket and provide a clear channel to the mic.

I lined two sides with weather stripping. I placed the mic in the middle of the housing. I then lined the remaining sides with weather stripping. I then carefully placed a few dabs of hot glue on the sides of the housing to hold the mic securely but not to enter any of the noise canceling openings of the mic.

I then ran the wire for the mic down the passenger side and behind the radio to be plugged in.

The end result looks like this:

If you wanted to use an aftermarket mic for the factory head unit, then you'd purchase an aftermarket mic, cut the adapter off, do the same type of fitment as above and wire the mic (ground, left & right) directly into the factory mic connections either behind the radio or at the mic.

Voila! Done!

As an added bonus, not only does it look completely factory but it's completely reversible. If you want to go back to the OEM mic in the OEM housing, simply take a metal pick tool to pry away the glue, lift the mic out of the housing and press the OEM mic back in place.

05-09-2013, 11:16 PM	#1
ecko04 Seems Legit Join Date: Mar 2013 Drives: Toyota Location: Here & There Posts: 855 Thanks: 187 Thanked 438 Times in 250 Posts Mentioned: 24 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Using OEM Mic for Aftermarket Radio AND/OR Replacing OEM Mic with Aftermarket Mic So basically this DIY will accomplish 2 things 1) Retain your BT mic with an aftermarket radio (i.e. eliminate the need to run a new mic) or 2) Replace your factory BT mic with an aftermarket mic for improved sound quality Here's the factory mic, pulled down. The wires you see are the left audio channel, right audio channel and ground. Yes, the OEM configuration is a stereo mic, not a mono mic...none of this matters. 1) Retain your BT mic with an aftermarket radio (i.e. eliminate the need to run a new mic) In order to use the factory mic with an aftermarket unit you'll need an auxiliary cable, such as this one. You'll want to cut one end off to reveal something that looks like this: You'll want to solder the ends to some wire, I used wire that was the same color as the factory mic. The ground is the shielding and as far as getting the left and right channel correct, well it's a mic so it doesn't matter. Make sure you shrink wrap the wires and wrap them in electrical tape. It's not so much about electrical safety as it is preventing noise. Now, here's where I don't have pics and it gets a little tricky. Somewhere along the path from the mic, to behind the radio, where you'll ultimately connect the wires, the white wire from the mic, turns into black and the black wire turns into white. You will want to have your digital multi meter set to continuity so make sure you're tapping into the correct wires. The red/white/black wires you'll want to tap into are in the same plug as the vehicle speed sense wire, which is pink with a green stripe. Once you have those tapped, you'll plug your auxiliary cable into your aftermarket head unit or if your bluetooth mic input on your aftermarket headunit needs a 2.5mm connection, use an adapter to take the 3.5 down to 2.5. That's it! Your OEM mic is now your aftermarket mic. After using the factory mic with my aftermarket unit, I realized how much the factory mic really sucks. I saw some posts on the forum discussing how the OEM mic was superior due to it being sealed in it's location, which is rubbish. Pull down your OEM mic and look at your headliner. There's no cushion or insulation, it's bare metal. So while using the OEM mic may work well for some, I ultimately decided to replace it. However, I have extreme OCD and I like the factory look. So I did not want another mic mounter anywhere other than the factory location. Here's how I accomplished that... 2) Replace your factory BT mic with an aftermarket mic for improved sound quality Once you pull down the factory bluetooth mic you'll notice 2 tabs on each side, securing it to the housing. Simply push those tabs and the factory mic will release (no pics of this). You'll then take the OEM mic and push it up into the headliner. Afterall, if you ever go back to your OEM radio, you may want to use that mic, I don't know why but you might. Now that you have your housing out, you'll want to position your aftermarket mic. I decided to go with a Pioneer mono aftermarket mic for mine. Next, I took the mic housing and lined it with some thin pieces of weather stripping. The reason why is that the factory mic is square, but the aftermarket mics are circular. I wanted to give the mic some type of gasket and provide a clear channel to the mic. I lined two sides with weather stripping. I placed the mic in the middle of the housing. I then lined the remaining sides with weather stripping. I then carefully placed a few dabs of hot glue on the sides of the housing to hold the mic securely but not to enter any of the noise canceling openings of the mic. I then ran the wire for the mic down the passenger side and behind the radio to be plugged in. The end result looks like this: If you wanted to use an aftermarket mic for the factory head unit, then you'd purchase an aftermarket mic, cut the adapter off, do the same type of fitment as above and wire the mic (ground, left & right) directly into the factory mic connections either behind the radio or at the mic. Voila! Done! As an added bonus, not only does it look completely factory but it's completely reversible. If you want to go back to the OEM mic in the OEM housing, simply take a metal pick tool to pry away the glue, lift the mic out of the housing and press the OEM mic back in place.