PAC - PION/SONY RADIO INTERFACE (PACSWIPS)

I purchased this along with a new head unit for my car. Upon installation it worked intermittently for a short time, say a day or two, but then suddenly stopped responding to button pushes.

I contacted tech support and they walked through some troubleshooting but ultimately decided that I had a defective unit and we set up a replacement.

Upon receiving and installing the replacement the exact same thing happened- the device would work intermittently for a day or two before completely failing to respond.

I've installed just about every piece of car audio equipment I've ever owned, so I'm not a novice but I took it to a local installation, just in case the problem was me.

Want to know something funny? They refused to install it. They claimed they have had nothing but problems with the device and have completely stopped installing them as a result.

This is essentially a ~$45 paperweight, and an ugly one at that. I highly recommend against purchasing it.

I purchased the PAC SWI-PS controller to interface between the three buttons on my 2003 Honda Odyssey's steering wheel and a new Pioneer AVIC-F900BT nav/stereo system. If you have any basic wiring skills at all the install is quite simple and the programming is pretty easy as well. You just have to find a good hiding place for the control box behind the stereo where it won't rattle or interfere with cup holders, etc... The only cons are that the device is not 100% compatible with the new Pioneer. I can't get the "audio/ch" button programmed to scan up the saved station presets. However, I was able to configure it to switch between incoming audio sources like FM/AM/iPod etc... It will also turn off the stereo if you hold down the button for a second or two so I'm not too disappointed. My biggest gripe is the time it takes the control to send a signal to the stereo. If I push the volume up or down too quickly nothing happens at all. I have to hold down the volume button for about a second for it to work. And if you hold it down for more than a second it will ramp up/down the volume quickly. Once you're aware of these quirks the PAC SWI-PS control works fine. It doesn't work nearly as well as the original factory configuration but there aren't many options out there for after-market stereos unless you want to completely replace the built-in steering wheel controls.

I have an Acura CL TypeS, and I got this steering control when I got a Pioneer AVIC-D2. The unit wasn't too hard to setup, the manufacturer's website is pretty helpful. I did notice that it sometimes is pretty slow to process my steering wheel button presses. Rarely, it also completely ignores them, I have to let go of the button, pause, and press again.

Even with these little issues, I still like the unit, mostly because I can use my left hand to control the volume while my right hand is reaching for the phone, or whatever else.

I bought this unit to bridge my Pioneer AVIC-F700BT to the factory steering wheel controls in my 2008 Mazda MX-5 Sport. I will say that the unit shown in the pictures is old, I received the newest unit which is blue in color and adds new phone control (if your car's steering wheel controls support it) for Pioneer Bluetooth head units like mine. Here are my experiences installing and using this product:

- The unit works as advertised. There is a very slight delay between when you push a steering wheel button and when the head unit registers the push and acts upon it. Unlike what some others have said, you do not really need to "hold down" the buttons for a brief period on mine. All I need to do is tap the button and a half second later the command registers. If you hold the button (as in the volume or seek) it will dramatically scan or change volume. My head unit has an audible "beep" noise when it registers a key press and that helps you gauge how many times it "saw" you push the button.

- Installation is very complex if you make it hard on yourself. The included instructions are universal and try to cover every base possible... which makes for some very large fold out instructions that can be hard to follow. My advice, and the advice of Pac Audio (the makers) is to go to their website and search out your vehicle specific instructions and print them. It is much, much easier to install with tailored instructions.

- As to the installation, mine was not as smooth as I thought. This happened due to a typographical error in the instructions. Anyone else who has a 06-08 Mazda MX5 and is reading this review please take note... in the instructions it lists splicing connection 10 to ground as optional. It is not. You MUST splice connection 10 to ground for your steering wheel controls to transmit properly. I didn't do this the first time through and had to go online and do some searching before I found a message board discussing this very issue. Going back in and fixing it was easy, but had I known ahead of time it would have been easier.

- My personal advice is to wire the unit somewhere under your dash board where you can hold it in your hand when programming it but that also allows your head unit to be completely installed and working. I had mine loose so I could program it easily then I attached it under my dash with a piece of 3M double sided mounting tape so if I ever need to access it again it is easily within reach and I don't need to yank my dash apart again to get to it.

In summation, while the unit may not operate with the near instant speed of the factory head unit, it is more than adequate and intuitive. Do yourself a favor and do some research online before buying to see if there are any installation quirks for your particular model before pulling your dash apart. A few minutes of internet sleuthing will pay off when it comes to the install. I learned the "hard way" but I don't really hold that against this item. When you install it right and program it right, it works like a charm.

I was previously using a wireless remotes to control my IPOD in both my vehicles (Pioneer DEHP4100& Sony CDXGT610ui). Wireless remotes are AWESOME! Then I self installed entire new system in my 01 Maxima SE beginng w/ the AVIC-F700BT head unit. I needed a way to control the AVIC-F700BT so I scoured the net looking for a wireless remote. This SWI-PS steering control interface was all I could find. Hard to beleive Pioneer does not include or have a compatible wireless remote for the AVIC-F Series. I have to say - install of this interface was THE BIGGEST pain the a**. It got done but not without hassle and I'm an experienced installer. The instructions for my application actually state: "'put' wires to white interface wire". What does "put" mean? I called PAC and the tech clarified that "put" means to: strip the vehicle steering control wires, splice to the incl resistors and splice that to the white wire on the interface - essentially "however" way you see fit. Then, do it again for the other 4 wires. Try doing that inside your vehicle's dash. This unit is not for the un-mechanically savvy. Either way it works so-so. The new AVIC-F700 is touchscreen so I've been tapping the screen. Final verdict: if you can find a wireless remote OPT FOR THAT INSTEAD. The PAC SWI-PS was supposed to keep my eyes on the road but it's intermittent operation has destracted me from that.

I almost didn't buy this after reading all the poor reviews on Amazon and elsewhere. As it turns out, this device actually works, and so far seems to work very well.

Installation was not the nightmare I was imagining, and in fact was what I would expect from something like this. Each vehicle model has a different procedure, and I would advise reviewing the installation instructions on PAC's website before buying this. Some installations require resistors, while others are much simpler. My specific vehicle required the connection of three wires, two of which were power and ground. I used tap-in connectors for all three and had no problems.

The programming process is not as difficult as some reviewers would make it out to be. As has been stated, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO PROGRAM THE DEVICE. Programming involves pressing a button on the side of the device in a certain sequence and then pressing corresponding buttons on your steering wheel. The instructions literally tell you when to press and let go of each button, and how long to hold the buttons before letting go. If you make a mistake, fixing it is as easy as turning your vehicle's key to the off position and starting over. The entire programming process, when done correctly, takes less than 30 seconds.

From a functional standpoint, I'm very happy with this device. It recognizes all of my button presses as fast as my factory radio. My new headunit beeps when I press any button, so it's very easy to tell how quickly it recognizes input. So far, I've seen a quick response on every press, regardless of button. I'll be happy to update this review if I start to see different behavior, but so far, so good.

Overall, I'm very satisfied with the product. Installation was what I expected and it works just like it should.

This product is supposed to restore full functionality of steering wheel controls. How ever I noticed that it doesn't always work. Usually the next song button stops working or it magically changes into previous song for either of the buttons. The volume button always works that isn't an issue. The mode button also does crazy stuff where it sometimes turns the device on or off, other times it may just mute it while it is still on, other times it changes the function from USB to Radio etc... Strange! Not to pleased with this product when it isn't working (40% of the time) but happy when it is (60% of the time)

I bought this here after reading a post on the Pioneer forums that Amazon was shipping the 1.6.8 firmware version which is indeed the case. This is the same as the new "v1" unit, which sells for $80 at some higher end online car stereo stores.

The biggest change is for Pioneer Head Units - this device now supports VR (Voice Recognition) buttons in cars that have them, as well as call answer/hangup. So in my Nissan Titan, for example, I can now operate my steering controls exactly as they work for the OEM unit - Volume up/down, track up/down, input change, and VR/hang up. The way VR works (at least in the Titan, with a Pioneer HU) is, if you are not on a call, you push your VR button and it works just like pushing the Voice button on your Pioneer HU, ready to listen for commands. If you receive an incoming call, pushing the VR button answers it. If you are on a call, pushing the off hook/mode button hangs the call up, and if you aren't on a call, pushing the same button switches between inputs. That's exactly how the controls worked with my stock radio, so I'm pretty pleased.

It does lag slightly, though I haven't found it to be as bad as some of the reviews suggest - maybe a quarter-second pause when changing volume and tracks, with the other buttons I don't really notice at all. I suspect that is a combination of many things:

New unit/firmware 1.6.8 - bug fixes in addition to new features?
My particular Pioneer HU (the x920BT, the new one, may work better with PAC)
The Nissan Titan controls (honestly, the buttons with the stock unit were already slightly laggy in the case of VR and mode, so maybe that factored in to it for me)
And finally, and most importantly, the install. This wasn't hard to install, but it's a little tricky. For my Nissan, I needed to use the resistors included. I actually soldered the ohm resistors to two pieces of 18g hookup wire, covered that in heatshrink tubing, then soldered the other ends to the control wire and the two wires in my harness (specific to Nissan). I then soldered in the ground cable from the harness/unit to the ground for my HU, and soldered the power to my switched 12v also used by the HU. I took my time with it, used heatshrink on everything, and ended up with good, solid electrical connections that won't loosen or break over time, as can happen when you use taps/twist connectors/crimp (butt) connectors.

I suspect the latter has more to do with the problems these units have than anything else. Even if you take it to a "pro" shop for install you could end up with problems; a lot of those places (especially at big-box stores) just quick-crimp everything and call it a day. You don't have to have any soldering experience at all to do this yourself, on the scale of soldering jobs car stereo installs are on the low end, difficulty wise. Take your time, get the 1.6.8 or higher firmware unit, and you'll come out ahead. Granted, your particular vehicle controls, or the HU you are using, play a role in this as well and no doubt that's why reviews for this are all over the place, but that can't really be helped.

I installed this in a 2007 Nissan Altima with a Pioneer F90bt. This is not a product to be installed by a novice. The resistors are trickier than they have to be. Would have been great to have them labeled and even better if they were already wired into a connector for quicker install. The button response time is slow, and sometimes inconsistent. If you don't push long enough nothing happens. Push too long and the button gets carried away.

I added it to my Lincoln Navigator. It works my Pioneer Avic D2. It works as if I had a factory system. All the steering wheel controls work the same as when I had the original radio.