jw.design,
thanx for the trail blazing! encouraged by your experiences, and armed with instructions on pulling the head unit (http://www.cureline.net/lex/audio/howto_radio_removal.htm), plus the connector and wiring diagrams (http://www.cureline.net/lex/audio/howto_wiring_daigrams.htm), i cut the audio signal wires from the changer and spliced in a 1/8" stereo jack (standard portable audio headphone jack). i don't leave the changer door open, but just let it cycle through the CDs that are loaded. since the changer continues to operate normally (door closed), i will add a switch somewhere near the head unit for switching between the changer and the portable player and plan on using both.
you mentioned adding a line driver -- what make and model did you use?
clearly, the player's headphone and line-out outputs are not well matched to the head's input for the changer. the head and changer are normally connected with a shielded pair for each channel (R+, R-, L+, L-). for this first pass, the jack's common is tied to both R- and L-, +R goes to the right jack wire, +L goes to the left jack wire. did you ever make any measurements of the stock changer to head signals?
thanx again!
