In car entertainment (Description): Description and operation

Description

General

The in car entertainment (ICE) system allows the driver and passengers to listen to audio output from the speakers or optional headphones inside the vehicle. Buttons or knobs on the radio cassette allow changes of levels or selections during the various modes of operation. The system can be controlled from the fascia mounted radio cassette, or optional remote control switches on the left hand side of the steering wheel. High line systems may also have rear headphone amplifiers that have some control of the system via the radio cassette player.

One or two amplified aerials located in the rear side windows send radio signals to the radio cassette player. On high line systems a power amplifier and a CD-autochanger may be located under the front seats. Speakers are located in the lower door panels, additional speakers may be located in upper door trim, the A-post and the tail door. A display screen shows the user the current system status.

The ICE supplied varies with trim level and market. Vehicles may not have all of the speakers, amplified aerials, CD- autochanger, rear headphone amplifiers or power amplifier.

Base system radio cassette

The base radio cassette has buttons for LD (loudness) AM, FM, EJECT (tape), Reverse, Base/Balance, treble, MAN forward and reverse. The base radio cassette is located in the center of the fascia and contains the radio and tape player, four clips (accessible through holes in the front of the unit) secure the unit in the fascia. To remove the unit the four clips must be released with a special tool. The base system can be controlled from the fascia mounted radio cassette. A logic control circuit in the radio cassette player controls the operation in the various control modes.

The radio cassette has a display screen, the information shown can be the current radio frequency, tape operating, bass or loudness settings. Power for the illumination on the radio cassette is supplied from the passenger compartment fuse box. A main fuse is also located in the connector socket area on the back of the radio cassette.

Security code function A combination of buttons on the radio cassette are used to input and change security codes. Security codes make the unit unusable if the unit is disconnected from the vehicle without deactivating the security code. The radio cassette has an internal memory chip that stores the code information, if the power is removed from the unit the chip will activate the security code feature. For this reason the security code feature must be deactivated before the unit is removed or the vehicles battery is disconnected.

Audio functions The radio cassette has buttons for the following audio functions: LD (loudness), bass/balance, fader, treble and volume.

Cassette functions The radio cassette has buttons for the following cassette functions: eject, forward, reverse and tape reversal.

Multi function buttons The function of presets 1-6 and the MAN button depends on current mode of operation and allows selection of radio band, radio on, tape track and search/seek functions. The MAN button is mode dependent, when pressed the button allows manual operation or alternate mode selections such as manual tuning.

Internal memory An internal memory chip stores the station presets and security code, power is supplied internally to the chip via a permanent power feed, supplied from the passenger compartment fuse box.