Urgent help with wiring up headunit please - wires are different colours WTF?!

[sooby]

Hi guys,

I need help with wiring up headunit please, as the factory wiring colours don't match the new headunit wire colour.

I've wired up a headunit before and it was easy because all the wire colours were the same, not this time tho & I'm confused.

I've had a go connecting the few wires that match colour 100%, like solid green and the thicker yellow & black wires. Problem is the coloured wires from the car are colurs like: red/yellow stripe, red/black stripe, green/white stripe, white/brown stripe etc...

Should I also provide an earth of the thicker black wire???

Here are some shots of the wiring:

Here is a photo of the instructions:

Also, while disconnecting the factory headunit - I found it had wires to a white connector that I'm unfamiliar with as this is not on the new headunit - can anyone identify this:

Any help is much appreciated!

[wrx_lou]

Do you have a test light?

[sooby]

nope, have a multimeter tho if that helps?

[gazzy2000]

use one of those 9v batteries to find the speaker wires, you will already have an ideas what ones are the spkers so just confirm it with this method.

The speaker will crackel with the voltage briefly applied and can easily identify the wires/speakers.

Plus with the door cards off you can get the polarity around the right way i.e. when you apply positive of the battery to the postive of the speaker wire and negative batt to the negative on the speaker.. teh speaker will pull in which is correct, if its wrong the speaker will pop out. Just do this for all four speakers to ensure the polarity is correct.

(whether the speaker cone pops in or out these days i am unsure with batt voltage applied, you may have to remove one speaker to view the -ve and +ve terminals. But using the 9v batt with +ve to +ve and -ve to -ve with one speaker out you will see what they are doing)

As for ign and battery power you are better to use a test light really

here is the concept

[wrx_lou]

Use an old bulb and a piece of wire. Something like an interior light or similar.

To find the constant live turn off the ignition and connect the peice to somewhere suitable as a ground and tape the other end to the bulb. Now its just a matter of testing each wire until you find the one thats live.

Connect that up and do the same again with the ignition on and to find your ign wire.

I usualy run my own fresh ground.

[gazzy2000]

make your own test light link http://www.ehow.com/how_7185940_make-12-volt-test-light.html

how to use one http://www.howtodothings.com/automotive/how-to-use-a-test-light

[sooby]

thanks guys,

found wiring diagram that may help:

http://www.oocities.com/svxdc/Legacy-pinout.htm

will go give it a bash

[zarnah]

hahahahahahahahaha thats so funny, did you expect the wires to be the same colour? lol

[Guest]

the guy has a multi meter, why would he want to make a test light when he has a multimeter?

-smurff

[zarnah]

looks like the way you have it wired in the pic it will lose its memory settings every time you turn the car off, basically if you use a tester there will be a red(ussually) wire from the car that has power even with the key right off, this is a direct feed to the battery that lets the headunit use a tiny amount of power to keep settings etc, this red wire goes to the red wire from your headunit you have currently with the big fat yellow wire, the big fat yellow wire is correct, it goes to the big fat yellow one from the head unit. There will be a black earth wire from the car, allthough I usually run a decent earth straight from the headunit and bolt it to some metal behid the dash somewhere anyhow.

Then speakers are relatively easy to do, the grey and white wires are front speakers, and the purple and green wires are rear speakers, to find out what wire from the car to wire them too, its easy enough to pop the boot and look at your rear speakers from underneath (or pop the covers off and have a look if its a wagon) and you will see what colour wires are running to them, then the leftover pairs will be fronts, hope that helps a bit

[gazzy2000]

 smurff said:

the guy has a multi meter, why would he want to make a test light when he has a multimeter?

-smurff

i will take the bait, how about the fact that if he dosent know how to find out which speaker wire is which (or any wire for that matter) he is going to struggle with a multi meter, test lights are way easier for what he is doing

[sooby]

ok, had a go from that wiring diagram and got some interesting results:

the good:

-wired the speakers fine, all operational & sounding 100%!

the bad:

-now the door-ajar beep now beeps whenever the key is in the ignition, even when door is shut, even when car is moving WTF?!

-interior light no longer works.

-'door open' lights on dash no longer work.

any ideas? I'm guessing its related to whatever that plug is in the last photo, question is what is it & how do I adapt it to this new stereo??

[slystiguy]

???

[Drunkenmonkey]

where did you put the black from the head unit to?

[sooby]

factory ground, plus wired up a new ground too

[Drunkenmonkey]

sure it was the factory ground not the dim wire?

[sooby]

hrmm, will go check

[Drunkenmonkey]

just ground it to chassie much easier

[Guest]

 gazzy2000']

[quote name='smurff said:

the guy has a multi meter, why would he want to make a test light when he has a multimeter?

-smurff

/quote]

i will take the bait, how about the fact that if he dosent know how to find out which speaker wire is which (or any wire for that matter) he is going to struggle with a multi meter, test lights are way easier for what he is doing

a test light wont help you find a speaker, but a multi meter, with your ohm setting will tell you which it is

i use my multi meter for stereos, very easy.

a multimeter is a test light, just much better if you know how to use it. if you own one, i assume you would know how to use it?

but i guess this depends if you know how to use your meter.

how ever the 9v batter trick sounds very good for finding out which speaker is which for setting up your front/rear left/right

-smurff

[sooby]

cheers for the multimeter & test light ideas,

any ideas what the cable connection is that seems to be causing all the problems??

[Guest]

you in taupo aye?

maybe someone local from here may be able to give you a hand

-smurff

[sooby]

 smurff said:

you in taupo aye?

maybe someone local from here may be able to give you a hand

that would much appreciated if anyone is able to help

otherwise I'm off to the auto electrician with wallet in hand

[gazzy2000]

 sooby said:

cheers for the multimeter & test light ideas,

any ideas what the cable connection is that seems to be causing all the problems??

to trouble shoot I would have just the very basics wired up i.e. speakers, 12v power + ignition feed and earth.

SOmething like this...

- remove all wires from the stereo,

- check if evrything starts working normally again

- if not check all fuses, replace blown fuse(s)

- wire up the basics speakers, power, ignition earth

- for the earth wire go stright form the head unit to the body of the car, alot of ppl get the earth wire wrong and end up causing loads of problems.

- test electrics again

- if any other wires are added in check to see if the electrical probs start happening again

[gazzy2000]

 gazzy2000']

[quote name='sooby said:

cheers for the multimeter & test light ideas,

any ideas what the cable connection is that seems to be causing all the problems??

/quote]

to trouble shoot I would have just the very basics wired up i.e. speakers, 12v power + ignition feed and earth.

SOmething like this...

- remove all wires from the stereo,

- check if evrything starts working normally again

- if not check all fuses, replace blown fuse(s)

- wire up the basics speakers, power, ignition earth

- for the earth wire go stright form the head unit to the body of the car, alot of ppl get the earth wire wrong and end up causing loads of problems.

- test electrics again

- if any other wires are added in check to see if the electrical probs start happening again

as you wire in each wire (pwr ign and earth) after each one check the electrics are still working normally, thats a good way to tell you if you have it right or not

[sooby]

cheers gazzy, will give it a shot