is it possible to bypass that audio "joystick" thing in the SE? it's totally redundant, mine doesn't work all that well, and i think i'd rather have a change tray there.

 

If I'm not mistaken, the joystick hooks up with two round, multi-conductor plugs, right? When I installed power windows in my GS, there were those plugs with a jumper cable between them, which I imagine is the way to bypass the joystick. I've attached a pic of the wiring in my car.

 

Whoops. Here's the pic.

 

cool i'll have to look into that...

seems like an odd feature to add since there are balance and fade ***** on the radio itself...

 

I told the most gulible person at my high school I could drive the car with it once....

And yeah I'd like to get rid of it. I agree it's completely useless (except for tricking gulible people). On the rare occasion that I use the radio, my arm will bump it and make it crackle and startle the daylights outta my passanger. Bad juju!

 

ya you can bypass it by installing a whole new soundsystem that doesnt suck, like i did. most of my stuff is alpine. i also built a custom sub box where the storage compartments used to be. now i have some extreme bass coming from my 2-12inch alpine type r's

 

I have a spare bypass cable and insert for the center console. It came out of the wife's S model. I installed the -SE sound system in it, so let me know if you're interested.

Incidentally, the stock system does't "suck". Right now I'm running a JVC unit, but I'm working on an upgrade to the stock system that will (hopefully) go in the car before summer.
It will keep the stock tuner and EQ, but replace the cassette deck with a CD/DVD player. I'm also wiring up the "rear" output of the stock system for a sub, and running the "front" channel through a splitter to the little joystick. I'm also looking at replacing the stock amps down the road
Then all I have to do is install a screen in the back for my daughter, and I'm all set.

 

The people who owned my car before me, took everything, I mean EVERYTHING that perteained to to speakers and udio and **** and redid it all. New wires, speakers, cd player, etc. So now my little joystick is annoying and I'm trying to find a coin pocket to go there.

 

Thats not an audio joystick. Its a missile command center, and you can actually pilot the car thru it.

 

Wha wha wha?? HuH?? Maybe not in 1985, but compared to current standards the stock system is lacking at best.
Much props to mazda for creating a 1985 car with amps, equalizer, and attempts to create speaker specific volume control (the joystick which is really just a nuisance when you bump it), however it just doesn't compare to 20 years of innovation of car audio.

As for the joystick... i pulled the thing out, disconnected the joystick and put it in the junk parts bin and am currently getting my fog lights switch fitted in its place.

Zachstylez

 

A modern MP3 player is the best replacement to me. The stupid joy-stick thing is pretty bump sensitive to big passengers and is stupid compared to adjusting audio fade on the radio itself were it should be in the first place. Theres almost no need to center sound from side to side in a car this small, maybe front to back for more bass and less treble or opposite. Just my opinion.

 

My 85 GSL had the speakers upgraded (well- Kenwood if you want to call it an upgrade) and a 6 cd changer installed in the drivers storage bin. The stock receiver and EQ are still intact (yes- with the missle control device).
It actually sounds pretty good. It's a lot better than the stock stereo in my 96 Subaru and my old 97 Dodge 1500.
I don't know if I'll ever upgrade the receiver or not, but if I do, I'd go with Alpine receiver, amp, CD and Boston Accoustics speakers (if BA is still around)..

If I remove the joystick, I may put in a switch for driving lights or something like that..

 

I have a 1985 GSL with the stock Clarion tuner and equalizer, but no cassette deck.

Question #1:
Should there be an adapter to hook up the 8 pin cable( which runs to the joy stick) to the 6 pin DIN amplifier output jack on the tuner?

I don't have one, so I made my own 6 pin cables to connect the amplifier outputs to the two amplifiers.

Question #2:
Will the tuner work without the cassette deck hookup?

Mine doesn't, although
the antenna raises when I push the "on" **** and the controls illuminate when I turn on the headlights. I don't get a digital display or any sound from the speakers when I turn it on, so either it's bad or the voltage is supplied through the cassette deck cable, or maybe the tuner needs some sort of signal from the cassette deck in order to turn on.

Thanks for anything you can tell me about this system. I'm eager to hear it because it looks like a good system.

 

MazdaMax - I have a spare unit if you are interested, it is the digital stereo, not the analog unit along with the cassette deck & eq - pm me if you are interested.

jeff

 

You revived a thread thats 3 years old!!!!!!! My god, go get the AED unit. It's alive!!!

 

go easy on him tiger....