2006 Altima Aux Input

2006 Altima Aux Input
Introduction
This mod describes how to add an aux input to the stock, non-Bose, AM/FM/CD head unit on
2006 Altimas (model number 28185 ZB10A, ref. number CQ-JN2461X). It may also work for
other head units on 2002-2006 Altimas.
The mod uses the CD mode of the head unit, so you’ll need to have a CD in and playing. If
nothing is plugged into the aux input, CD mode operates normally. If a device is plugged in, the
CD audio is disconnected and you hear the device. The volume control and equalizer still work
as before.
This mod is based on a mod on MP3Car.com by thanatos106 (see

http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/car-audio/68140-aux-oem-radio-nissan.html). His mod is for
a different head unit and requires more disassembly, but the soldering is a little easier.
The mod requires opening up the head unit, cutting circuit board traces, and soldering to small
pads. It will certainly void your warranty, so Nissan won’t help you if you damage your head
unit. Please read through all the instructions before beginning, and do not attempt the mod if you
aren’t comfortable with any step.
I chose to mount my aux input jack on my transmission finisher, between the hazard switch and
the power socket. If you want to use a different location, you may need to use longer cables and
remove more panels from the dashboard. Be aware that longer cables will be more susceptible to
noise. I only used 3 ½ feet, and I have not experienced problems.
Potential sources of noise are:

1. Ground loops – Possible if you use the power socket to charge or run your device while
listening to it.
2. The CD player – The sound from the CD player will bleed over a little into your aux input
because the signals run in the same cable. I can faintly hear the CD if I have a cable plugged
into the aux input, but no device on the other end. I don’t hear anything once I plug in a
device. If you have problems, just play a CD of silence when you want to use the aux input.
Legal
I cannot be held responsible for your use of these instructions, and make no warranty or
guarantee that the mod will work as described for your head unit.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0
United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171
Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA.
Finally, on with the mod.
Page 1 of 18
© 2009 Jarod Prosise. Some rights reserved. Revision 1/7/2009.
Tools and Parts
• 3 ½ feet of 4 conductor shielded audio cable
o For maximum noise immunity, the cable should have a layer of foil or a tightly-knit
braided shield
o If necessary, you can use a pair of 2 conductor shielded audio cables scavenged from
old headphones
• Wire strippers
• 3.5mm (1/8 inch) stereo audio jack (must be “closed circuit,” i.e. will pass through a signal if
nothing is plugged into it)
o DO NOT use a standard 3 pin “open circuit” stereo audio jack. It will not work. I
recommend you use Radio Shack part number 274-0246.
• Male-to-male 3.5mm stereo audio cable to connect your device to the jack
• Set of male and female connectors with at least 5 pins
o I used DB9s because I had them around
• Crimper for the connector pins, if necessary
o Needle-nose pliers will probably work in a pinch
• Philips screwdriver
• Small flathead screwdriver
• Electrical tape
• Heat shrink tubing (optional)
• Cable ties
• Duct tape or other strong, heat-resistant tape
• Hot glue (optional)
• Soldering iron and solder
• Ruler
Page 2 of 18
• Masking tape
• Drill and appropriate drill bit for the aux jack’s mounting hole
• Hobby knife, or small rotary tool grinding bit
• A multimeter will be handy for double-checking your work
Instructions
Some of the following pictures are small, but they’re high-resolution, so just zoom in if you need
more detail. I’ve highlighted screws you’ll need to remove with red circles.
1. Remove cluster lid C from the dashboard by pulling it straight out. Note that I left the
connector attached. If you don’t, you’ll need to clear an SRS trouble code.
Page 3 of 18
2. Remove the front air control by removing 4 screws.
3. Remove cluster lid D by pulling it straight out.
Page 4 of 18
4. Unplug the connectors on the back of the head unit using the flathead screwdriver to release
the clips (the antenna plug has no clip).
5. Remove the head unit by removing 4 screws.
Page 5 of 18
6. If you would like to mount the audio jack on the transmission finisher, remove the finisher by
pulling it up, starting at the cup holder end. I was able to move cluster lid C and the front air
control out of the way, but I had to put the Altima in first gear and set the parking brake to
pull the finisher back enough to get it out. I’m not sure how easy this would be with a
manual transmission.
7. Unplug the connectors for the hazard switch and the power socket.
8. Cut the 3 ½ feet of audio cable into a 6 inch section and a 3 foot section.
Page 6 of 18
9. Strip and solder the wires from one end of the 6 inch cable to the audio jack as follows,
making note of which wire color connects to which pin. Obviously your colors may vary
from mine.
If you’re using a pair of 2 conductor cables, run the left signals in one cable, the right signals
in the other, and solder both cables’ shields to the shield pin. Make sure you don’t mix up
the left and right signal cables at any point.
10. Crimp or solder the pins for the male connector to the wires on the other end of the 6 inch
cable. You should have something like this.
Page 7 of 18
11. Insert the male pins into the male connector housing.
12. Crimp or solder the pins for the female connector to the wires on one end of the 3 foot cable,
making sure to match the same order as the male side. When the cables are plugged together,
you should have something like this.
13. Wrap tape around the audio jack so there are no exposed connections. Use a cable tie to
make sure the tape does not unwrap when the car gets hot. If you have housings for your
male and female connectors, use them, otherwise, tape them up too.
Page 8 of 18
14. Time to disassemble the head unit. Start with the left and right mounting brackets.
15. Remove the side and top screws holding the heatsink. Then pull the heatsink straight up.
There is thermal paste on the right rear section where the heatsink touches the amplifier IC.
If you scrape off a lot of thermal paste, be sure to add more before reassembling.
Page 9 of 18
16. Remove the screws on the rear (as you can tell by the heatsink, I originally took the head unit
apart in a different order).
17. Unplug the ribbon cable going to the 16 pin connector on the back panel, then lift the panel
out and set it aside.
Page 10 of 18
18. Notice the ribbon cable in the front left section of the circuit board coming from the CD
player. Gently pull the cable out of the connector.
I’m saving you a bunch of disassembly by showing you the underside of the board, which
shows the functions of the pins. Pin 1 below is closest to the front of the head unit.
Page 11 of 18
We’re interested in pins 1 (right channel) and 3 (left channel). The traces from these pins
eventually lead to the top of the board in the locations shown below.
Page 12 of 18
If you have a multimeter, use it to make sure you have found the right traces by checking the
resistance between the pads at the ends of the traces and the pin 1 and pin 3 sockets on the
ribbon cable connector (pin 1 is at the top in the picture above).
Page 13 of 18
19. Cut the traces at the locations shown below with a hobby knife. Be careful not to cut any of
the adjacent traces.
I found that using a rotary tool grinding bit to slowly sand away the green coating and the
copper traces was faster than a knife. DO NOT put the bit in a rotary tool and turn it on,
because one small slip could cause a lot of damage. Just carefully move the bit by hand.
If you have a multimeter, use it to be sure there is no connection between the pads at opposite
Page 14 of 18
ends of the traces after they are cut. If you don’t, just look very carefully. Even the smallest
bit of uncut copper could cause you problems.
20. Route the unused end of the 3 foot cable through a hole in the back of the head unit, along
the side of the circuit board, and up.
21. Strip about 3 inches off the outer insulation of the cable. Strip just 1/16 to 1/8 inch of
insulation off the wires. Use heat shrink tubing or electrical tape to insulate the shield wire
so it resembles the signal wires.
Page 15 of 18
22. The wires need to be soldered to the pads at the ends of the traces cut above. If your cable’s
conductors are too large (mine were), you will need to solder smaller wires onto the ends of
your cable’s wires.
Solder the wires as follows. The shield can be soldered to any pad in the large ground traces
(they connect to the chassis ground), but the indicated spot works fine. If you want to use a
different pad, use a multimeter to make sure the pad is connected to ground.
Page 16 of 18
If you’re using a pair of 2 conductor cables, only solder one of the shields to ground and tape
the other one up to insulate it. If you were to connect both shields at each end, you would
make a ground loop.
23. Maneuver the cable inside the head unit until it curves around the front edge of the enclosure.
My route was basically like this.
24. Tape the wires and the cable securely with duct tape. They need to withstand years of
vibration. If you have hot glue, use it at the solder joints for extra strength.
25. Use a cable tie to secure the cable where it exits the head unit enclosure.
26. Reassemble the head unit. Don’t forget to plug the two ribbon cables back in. The hard part
is now over.
Page 17 of 18
27. Mask off the panel where you want to mount the audio jack, mark and drill a hole, and mount
the jack.
28. Reinstall the head unit, running the aux input cable down to the shifter area (or wherever
your jack is going to be).
29. Connect the 3 foot cable to the 6 inch cable. If you used connectors that don’t lock together,
use cable ties (or, for easier removal, twist ties) to hold the connectors together.
30. Reinstall all the panels, and enjoy your aux input.
Page 18 of 18

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2006 Altima Aux Input

This mod is based on a mod on MP3Car.com by thanatos106 (see

Potential sources of noise are:

Finally, on with the mod.

3. Remove cluster lid D by pulling it straight out.

5. Remove the head unit by removing 4 screws.

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