Aftermarket Stereo for 2006 S40

Swede40 · Jul 6, 2022

Hi Friends, new owner here with a 2006 S40 T5 with Dolby premium sound and 6 CD changer. Like many before me, I want Bluetooth and modern features without paying a fortune.

What are my options?

I read through a lot of threads but they were quite old so I'm wondering if anyone has modern knowledge of a good solution. So far all the usual car stereo websites say that no new head unit is compatible. I see the Bluepower BLP-990A is available but looks expensive unless I can find a used one.

I'd love to be able to install a cheap but modern Bluetooth head unit that works with the OEM controls. I would settle for just being able to get a 3.5mm AUX jack which seems to be absent from the vehicle. In a perfect world I have Bluetooth, XM radio, and Navigation or Android Auto. But I'll settle for whatever I can get.

Thanks for any advice you can offer. Thanks!

Brendan1228 · Jul 6, 2022

P1 Volvos have an unfortunately small number of options for the sound system. New speakers are hard, amps are hard, subs are hard and aftermarket head units are scarce if any are even still on the market. It's unfortunate. The bright side is that there are tons of options to modify the stock head unit.

One option is to add the factory aux option. There's a how to here on swedespeed:

Adding VOLVO FACTORY AUX to your 2005+ S40/V50

Due to image upload limitations on the forum, the complete image gallery and write up is found here: https://www.importsauce.com/adding-volvo-factory-aux-to-your-2005-s40-v50/ A big shout out to muppetman342 who got our juices going, and his shout out was to 3r1k, who originally got this sorted...

www.swedespeed.com

Another option is the ebay Bluetooth adapters. They are like $20 but the tend to disable the CD player or other functionally.

I can't speak for the quality of these, but some people are fine with it. There was a post I saw a few months ago about a higher quality one that some guy is making by himself. It's a really cool project and honestly looks like the best option for that route.

Lastly the most popular option from what I can tell. A cigarette to Bluetooth adapter. I use this on my 2005 S40 and honestly it works really well. The only downside is when my rear defroster is on there is a quiet but noticable whine.

Slam3d · Jul 6, 2022

Unfortunately one of the only options if you want most of what you have said above is to do a lot of custom work. I have done this mod to my V50, I've added a double din headunit. Someone else has done a very similar mod too and someone else has done a single din headunit too. Another good place to look would be on the UK C30 facebook group. If im correct someone has done a pdf to help with this mod.

Swede40 · Jul 6, 2022

Thank you all for the great ideas! I am going to weigh the options of a new head unit versus the aux adapter to the OEM head unit to see how I can get the most features for a low cost. The car has 176,000 miles on it so I don't think it's prudent to go crazy on it with a fancy head unit, and I want to retain the original functions (showing the fan power, etc). It seems like adding the aux jack, and then adding a Bluetooth to 3.5mm adapter might be the best balance of cost and quality.

Has anyone added the aux jack and then hardwired a Bluetooth adapter to it so the Bluetooth adapter gets power from the car instead of relying on the cigarette lighter outlet?

I bought the classic cigarette outlet FM Bluetooth adapter yesterday and it sounds terrible. I got the Anker Roav which seems nice, but the airwaves are too saturated where I live.

AutoGeek · Jul 7, 2022

First off, consider yourself fortunate to have the Premium Sound system. The sound isn't too bad and can be improved with decent aftermarket speakers. The much lesser Performance sound is horrid.

For adding aux-in and/or bluetooth there are a few options. When I had a V50 with Premium Sound, I added a Denison Gateway 500. The UI is a cluge but it directly interfaces with the optical MOST bus and has very good sound quality. It gives Aux-in, iPhone in, and USB. GROM is a similar option.

Another option is this: Bluetooth module VOLVO V50, S40, C30, C70, XC90 by JustTech on Tindie for bluetooth or there is an Aux-in version AUX input VOLVO V50, S40, C30, C70, XC90 by JustTech on Tindie. I have the Aux-in version and it works very well and sounds at least as good as the CD player. For Bluetooth, I plug in a little bluetooth receiver device.

Of course there are more ambitious ways.

Swede40 · Jul 7, 2022

AutoGeek said:
First off, consider yourself fortunate to have the Premium Sound system. The sound isn't too bad and can be improved with decent aftermarket speakers. The much lesser Performance sound is horrid.

For adding aux-in and/or bluetooth there are a few options. When I had a V50 with Premium Sound, I added a Denison Gateway 500. The UI is a cluge but it directly interfaces with the optical MOST bus. It gives Aux-in, iPhone in, and USB. GROM is a similar option.

Another option is this: Bluetooth module VOLVO V50, S40, C30, C70, XC90 by JustTech on Tindie for bluetooth or there is an Aux-in version AUX input VOLVO V50, S40, C30, C70, XC90 by JustTech on Tindie. I have the Aux-in version and it works very well and sounds at least as good as the CD player. For Bluetooth, I plug in a little bluetooth receiver device.

Of course there are more ambitious ways.

Thanks! I really got lucky.. I was in the market for a fairly reliable car under $5,000 and a local dealer picked up this S40 T5 AWD with a manual transmission and premium sound. It was really a steal and a blast to drive. Now I'm just working on the little tweaks.

This little module on Tindie is brilliant. It seems like a very simple way to make it work. The instructions weren't super clear on how to install the chip but it's compact and looks simple.

I already ended up getting the aux jack kit from Joel at importsauce and that looks like a solid option. I bought a hardwired Bluetooth unit on Amazon and we will see if I can get that all put together and working well. Look pretty straightforward.

Swede40 · Jul 16, 2022

I thought I would add some details on how this went. Not only did the kit from @joelkennethsmith work great, I did some extra accessory upgrades while I was working on it. A huge thanks to Joel for both the awesome kit and for walking me through some steps when I got stuck. Awesome guy.

It looks bad at first so keep scrolling to get to the nice finished product. And I'm restoring this old car, so it's not quite clean yet..

I decided that I wanted to hide all the wires and not use up my lighter socket for things that would always be in use. I also figured why not have a charger hard wired.. Or even two, one wireless with a holder and one fast charger with a cord.

All accessories are switched so that they turn off with the car and don't drain the battery. They are also all on a fuse to prevent any mishaps.

Here is the mess of everything before it I organized and stowed it. I'll describe what you're looking at in the notes under the photo.

1. On the left side is a 12V lighter socket that is hardwired to the car power. I taped a car charger into the socket to hold in it and then ran one cord to the wireless phone holder on my dash, and one USB-C charger to the storage behind the waterfall for faster wired charging. All wires are run under the console and dash. It took some wire fishing.

2. Next in the middle you see a black square which is a Bluebird Bluetooth unit which is fantastic if you want it hardwired and not using a USB cable. It's available on eBay, but I ordered directly from Transfer Multisort Elektronik in Poland. It's part BL-AUX-IN.02 for $12.93 plus $10 shipping. I first tried the Aisidra unit from Amazon for $38 that uses a USB charger and it was glitchy. I like the Bluebird because it turns on with the car, has no buttons on anything to mess with, and works every time.

3. I wired the cigarette lighter so it still works also in case it's ever needed, but more important to me it will be clean and not cluttered with wires.

Next.. Here is after I started storing the wires. Most went under the cupholder. I continued to stow them so when I was done they were all safely tucked away from any moving parts like the shifter. This would look different if you have an automatic.

Finally, the finished product with the Pro Clip wireless charger mounted, Bluetooth completely hidden, and I added a new shift knob for good measure. Joel is sending a new screen since the current one ended up with dead pixels in transport but that's easy fix.

Here is the USB-C cord that is hardwired into the power

It can be pulled out about 3-4 feet and then just stows back underneath the storage when it's not needed.

tflarsen · Jul 17, 2022

Looking very neat and tidy

Swede40 · Jul 23, 2022

For posterity in case someone attempts this, I should share that I earned myself a "POWER SYSTEM SERVICE URGENT" warning that looked scary. Then I realized I had my Bluetooth and phone charger going. Looks like the Volvo doesn't like me pulling more than the expected amount of power from the cigarette lighter. I don't have a solution. I might just have to undo my wire splicing and leave it at one connection to the lighter. Or just use one thing at a time 🙄

tflarsen · Jul 23, 2022

Well, don't give up yet.

The 12v outlet (cigarette lighter) should handle a draw of 15 amps. To me it sounds highly unlikely that you've reached that limit just with having both the bluetooth unit and the phone charger connected at the same time. I can't find any info on how much the bluetooth unit uses but I'd be amazed if it uses more than 2 amps. Even the most powerful of phone chargers should not consume more than 6 amps at 12 volts, which means the total power consumption is still only around half of what you can draw from the outlet.

I'd advice you to meticulously go through your wiring again and check that every connection is 100% solid, that all the wires are intact and that there are no shorts. A small short might not burn the fuse but could trigger the warning. Also, reduce the length of the wires to what is necessary, this isn't just for looks, but also safety. A bird's nest of power wires can run pretty hot and may also play tricks on the CEM. Finally, I'd replace all the crimped wire connectors (cable shoes and whatnot) for soldering, but that's not for everyone and crimped connections can be just as good if done properly.

Swede40 · Jul 23, 2022

tflarsen said:
Well, don't give up yet.

The 12v outlet (cigarette lighter) should handle a draw of 15 amps. To me it sounds highly unlikely that you've reached that limit just with having both the bluetooth unit and the phone charger connected at the same time. I can't find any info on how much the bluetooth unit uses but I'd be amazed if it uses more than 2 amps. Even the most powerful of phone chargers should not consume more than 6 amps at 12 volts, which means the total power consumption is still only around half of what you can draw from the outlet.

I'd advice you to meticulously go through your wiring again and check that every connection is 100% solid, that all the wires are intact and that there are no shorts. A small short might not burn the fuse but could trigger the warning. Also, reduce the length of the wires to what is necessary, this isn't just for looks, but also safety. A bird's nest of power wires can run pretty hot and may also play tricks on the CEM. Finally, I'd replace all the crimped wire connectors (cable shoes and whatnot) for soldering, but that's not for everyone and crimped connections can be just as good if done properly.

My connections were good, but I'll check again. I do have solder and can do that. Just seemed overkill at the time. Now that I know where everything is going to be stored and exact l wire lengths I can cut any excess wire out of the system.

Here are the specs of the the connected devices on the lighter's power. Reminding myself that the higher the volts the lower the amps (when watts remain constant).. amps = watts / volts.

ProClip Mighty Mount Wireless Charging Phone Holder:
Input: 12-24 Volt
Output: 3.6-6.5V/3A | 6.5-9V/2A | 9-12V/1.5A

Bluetooth module:
12V in to 3.5mm out
Current: <25mA

Wired charger:
Anker USB 49.5W PowerDrive Speed+ 2 Car Adapter with One 30W PD Port and One 19.5W Fast Charge Port
Wattage: 30 watts
5.0V⎓3.0A (15W)
9.0V⎓3.0A (27W)
15.0V⎓2.0A (30W)
20.0V⎓1.5A (30W)

I got the warning while using the Bluetooth and ProClip wireless charger, the Anker charger was plugged in and powered on, but not in use charging anything.

To complicate things, I also added LED headlights this week which I understand can cause issues because of a lower than expected voltage draw.

Any recommendations?

tflarsen · Jul 23, 2022

Okay, so the MAX power consumption should be somewhere around:
Pro-Clip: 25 watts
Bluetooth: 0,5 watts
Anker A2229: 60 watts (found on their web site)
That's approximately 7 amps at 12 volts and 6 amps at 14,4 volts, so well within the limits of what the 12 volt outlet will provide.

If you find the wiring loom that you made is okay, then I'd disregard that as the cause for the fault message and look at those LED headlights. Unfortunately, I have no experience with aftermarket headlights at all.

It is also possible that the message is completely unrelated to both of these recent changes. I just googled "POWER SYSTEM SERVICE URGENT" and lots of forum posts point to a failing alternator.

Swede40 · Jul 24, 2022

Turns out the power system service urgent error was unrelated to my work. The accessory / drive belt, which I planned to replace next week, gave out. So good news is that it wasn't the alternator.

A new power mystery has been introduced which I'll post about in a new post. The 12V power socket is no longer working, I replaced the fuse and it's still not working. Oddly enough, I was testing with a multimeter on the socket and it sparked and shorted the fuse, so it somehow getting power incorrectly. I replaced the fuse and I continue to not be able to get it to work. It's a weird one.

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