Hi,
I am owner of 2016 Fiat Qubo. Unfortunately the radio didn't have any other option but CD. No bluetooth, no AUX minijack cable - nothing. I've been using up till now radio transmitter. It's a device that connects via bluetooth to audio source (my phone) and broadcasts it on FM radio waves. It is flawed solution, since no matter what frequency are you using, sometimes there will be another source that disturbs the signal. And all electrical signals in car (e.g. spark plugs firing) create very noticeable static noise.
So I wanted to discover any way to upgrade the radio without buying a new one. I don't know if it is possible to get easily a radio that will fit my Qubo in 2025. I started by pulling out the radio. It needs two particular wires (it is best to buy it online) as shown on this video. But of course the mini ISO connector in this video is not the right one for my radio. My radio has this label (I;m showing only fragment), and nothing else:
Full description in attachment. It is Bosch 2250 REB SB12N. There are no manuals on the Internet. No listings. Nothing. After intensive searching on the Internet I found pin guide for similar radio. Most important information is in this picture:
Now we are getting somewhere. It looks like we are interested in C-3 part of back connection. It's a blue mini ISO connector. And theoretically I need to connect minijack to C3:18 (ground), C3:19 (audio left), C3:20 (audio right). I bought one that was wired exactly like this. Plugged it in and pushed the button "CD" and... "No source available". It does not recognise what I plugged in. So I searched in Internet again and found this video. It shows to short circuit pins C3:13 ("data in") and C3:14 ("data out"). But they use wrong (for me) mini ISO connector. I need to use the blue one. So I prepared blue mini ISO connector with minijack connected as explained before and pins 13 and 14 shorted. It worked! I was finally able to listen to acceptable quality audio in my damn car!
But it is not enough. I bought online a generic bluetooth aux device, as below:
But of course, it was wired for another radio unit. Qubo is so niche that nothing is made for it. So I had to rewire it. Unfortunately pulling pins out of connector is really hard and I destroyed all of them, so I had to put new pins on cables. Soldered them too just for good measure. Three cables in one bundle must be audio. I am concerned only about which one is ground, because otherwise I don't care that much about switching left channel with right channel. But if I mess up ground connection it won't work. But fortunately I got it right - black was ground, red and white were left of right channels (don't care which one is which). Next thing is power supply - two cables in bundle. It is possible that it does not matter which is +12V and which is ground, but if the bluetooth device I bought was cheap enough it may matter. But let's follow suggestion - red is hot (+12V) and black is ground. I connected red to C3:16 (switch voltage) and black to C3:17 (data ground). C3:15 is permanently connected to battery, so the bluetooth device would just drain my battery. But the switch voltage is unlocked when the car key is turned. I don't know if pin 17 in my case is data ground, on my label it is just ground symbol. After connecting the stupid mini ISO connector (I don't have delicate or steady hands) I ran to my car with hope. But of course - it does not work. I forgot about shorting pins C3:13 ("data in") and C3:14 ("data out"). After some more tinkering and cursing I adjusted the mini ISO connector.
And it works. Dammit, it was long way, but I got it. Maybe someone else will use that knowledge.
I am owner of 2016 Fiat Qubo. Unfortunately the radio didn't have any other option but CD. No bluetooth, no AUX minijack cable - nothing. I've been using up till now radio transmitter. It's a device that connects via bluetooth to audio source (my phone) and broadcasts it on FM radio waves. It is flawed solution, since no matter what frequency are you using, sometimes there will be another source that disturbs the signal. And all electrical signals in car (e.g. spark plugs firing) create very noticeable static noise.
So I wanted to discover any way to upgrade the radio without buying a new one. I don't know if it is possible to get easily a radio that will fit my Qubo in 2025. I started by pulling out the radio. It needs two particular wires (it is best to buy it online) as shown on this video. But of course the mini ISO connector in this video is not the right one for my radio. My radio has this label (I;m showing only fragment), and nothing else:
Full description in attachment. It is Bosch 2250 REB SB12N. There are no manuals on the Internet. No listings. Nothing. After intensive searching on the Internet I found pin guide for similar radio. Most important information is in this picture:
Now we are getting somewhere. It looks like we are interested in C-3 part of back connection. It's a blue mini ISO connector. And theoretically I need to connect minijack to C3:18 (ground), C3:19 (audio left), C3:20 (audio right). I bought one that was wired exactly like this. Plugged it in and pushed the button "CD" and... "No source available". It does not recognise what I plugged in. So I searched in Internet again and found this video. It shows to short circuit pins C3:13 ("data in") and C3:14 ("data out"). But they use wrong (for me) mini ISO connector. I need to use the blue one. So I prepared blue mini ISO connector with minijack connected as explained before and pins 13 and 14 shorted. It worked! I was finally able to listen to acceptable quality audio in my damn car!
But it is not enough. I bought online a generic bluetooth aux device, as below:
But of course, it was wired for another radio unit. Qubo is so niche that nothing is made for it. So I had to rewire it. Unfortunately pulling pins out of connector is really hard and I destroyed all of them, so I had to put new pins on cables. Soldered them too just for good measure. Three cables in one bundle must be audio. I am concerned only about which one is ground, because otherwise I don't care that much about switching left channel with right channel. But if I mess up ground connection it won't work. But fortunately I got it right - black was ground, red and white were left of right channels (don't care which one is which). Next thing is power supply - two cables in bundle. It is possible that it does not matter which is +12V and which is ground, but if the bluetooth device I bought was cheap enough it may matter. But let's follow suggestion - red is hot (+12V) and black is ground. I connected red to C3:16 (switch voltage) and black to C3:17 (data ground). C3:15 is permanently connected to battery, so the bluetooth device would just drain my battery. But the switch voltage is unlocked when the car key is turned. I don't know if pin 17 in my case is data ground, on my label it is just ground symbol. After connecting the stupid mini ISO connector (I don't have delicate or steady hands) I ran to my car with hope. But of course - it does not work. I forgot about shorting pins C3:13 ("data in") and C3:14 ("data out"). After some more tinkering and cursing I adjusted the mini ISO connector.
And it works. Dammit, it was long way, but I got it. Maybe someone else will use that knowledge.
- Model
- Fiat Qubo 225 AXC1A 03H
- Year
- 2016
- Mileage
- 100000
