Parking break bypass aftermarket headunit

I just recently picked up an

$280 alpine ilx w650 digital multimedia receiver with carplay and android auto compatibility

alpine ilx w650

I'm not able to adjust any settings currently because there is a sensor that won't let me adjust anything unless the parking brake is on. The people at Crutchfield told me to tap into my parking brake wire located behind the dash.

Now I'm sketched out that there's a possibility I could damage the wire and lead to more expensive problems. Is there a way to bypass this or another way to wire to where id be able to have access to my settings without the parking brake on?

 

Look up TR-7 that’s what we used to use back when I worked at an audio shop

 

A really super easy way is to simply splice it into the headlight trigger. You can turn it on and off to trick the headunit.

Only caveat is you can't use some features when the headlights are on.

I do this to all my headunits.

 

where is the headlight trigger? I just simply want to adjust the time and set up BlueTooth, I'm not really looking to do any crazy stuff.

I have a stray wire that should be connected to my parking brake from my pre-done harness (paid extra to avoid wiring, and here I am)

would a connector like this work between the two lines.

$17 3M Electrical IDC 804-POUCH, Blue, 18-16 AWG(solid/stranded), 14 AWG (stranded), 25 per pouch

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Scotchlok...argid=aud-801381245258:pla-524116484073&psc=1

 

Are you primarily using Apple CarPlay or AndroidAuto

 

i use it for apple car play, which works fine without the parking brake, but id still like to adjust the time and possibly the display.

 

In that case, just splice the parking brake wire to the Alpine’s black ground wire (or any bare metal in the dash)

 

And that will bypass the parking brake engage disengage engage for setup?

 

Yes

that’s all the parking brake wire does. There’s a pin switch on the brake and it grounds the attached wire when the brake is triggered. So if you just ground the alpine brake wire it thinks the parking brake is engaged

 

Do you think the mounting bolts for the head unit would work fine as a ground?

 

The mounting bolts, the radio chassis, whatever you want really

 

Okay thank you, I’ll try that out tomorrow. The radio itself is being supported by plastic brackets so I’m not sure if that would work as a ground. I’m not too keen on electronics if you can’t tell.

 

Modern stereos reject a constant ground, so it needs to be a signal that can be cycled.

The illumination wire is the trigger that dims the headunit when the headlights are turned on, this is easier to simulate the handbrake action.

It's usually a yellow wire, but its best to check the manual of the unit.

 

The only time a cycled ground is needed is to enable video playback on DVD models. Since this alpine can’t play DVD’s, a constant ground works perfectly fine

 

so i just got off the phone with Crutchfield whose policy is to not disclose how to bypass the security system of a head unit. I'm going to strip the wire and try grounding it first if the settings work ill just do it that way if not i guess im going to have to tap into my main parking brake wire which sketches me out. I have separated all electronics from the main harness on this truck for years.

 

the harness is aparently pre wired to have a parking brake line in there but for some reason my truck does not have a wire on the male side that connects to that location.

 

i have a question on the bypass as well. I bought the same head unit as you did and i will hopefully install it the net few days. i have the yellow leg of the bypass hooked up to the yellow and blue wire coming off of the head unit. my questions is does it have to still be connected to the corresponding wire on the metra harness (i forget that wire color, maybe lime green?)

 

i have the crux harness which i have had prewired to save me a headache. Im also red green color blind so im probably not the best to ask. I know if it doesnt work that youll have to connect it directly to the main parking brake line which can be found here

 

those wires are only present on the trucks that had the factory screen. and even then, the tacoma's tend to be different from the tundra's

 

Would i be okay to unscrew one of these and ground to it? The settings work when it’s grounded