Suparslinc

I thought the ground wire for the stereo was supposed to be black, but I can't find a black wire on the cars harness. The only lone wire I see is striped and has a female connector, should this be it?
How do I test for the live wire and accessory wire? I have a voltimeter but I'm not sure how to do the test.
I should be able to figure out the speaker wires. I just finished rewiring the speakers and installing 4 new Infiniti Kappa speakers, like a lot of people here recommended. All I need now is the head unit figured out.

Northern 7

iTrader: (3)

Sounds like you found the ground - they usually have a "screw through" type connector.
You don't need a volt/ohm meter to check for power - use a test light and look for a wire that lights your light with the ignition in the aux. position (with light off when key is off).

Suparslinc

Well I guess I should go buy a test light, since I don't have time to research on how to make one. Radio shack should have them, right?

About my speakers I had to wire in a cross-over with each speaker, they are 2-ways and I did not crimp the connectors on the speakers themselves. Although, I did solder the other wire connections.

I'm afraid to ask, but I probably should have crimped the speakers. I couldn't get the wire cutter in there easily so I just snapped them together.

Northern 7

iTrader: (3)

Test lights are a couple of bucks and you can get them at any auto shop or radio shack. Get the type with the pointy tip that you can poke through the wire insulation.
If the speaker connectors were push on type terminals, you should be OK

Suparslinc

Will do, thanks!

MyRxBad

If you have a voltmeter, it probably has a resistance setting or a continuity setting.

Either look for the connection with 0 ohms ( between any metal connected to the body and the wire)

Or if you have a continuity tester then make sure the wire - any ground has continuity

Suparslinc

I bought the current tester; things are not going well. I'm not sure if my ground is good or not, for starters. So I made a new one to a bolt by the shifter. Tell me if this sounds like a good idea I have no idea what I am doing.

I found one wire that will raise the antenna with the ignition on, so I'm guessing thats not my normally open or accessory wire.

The problem, I have one wire that lights the tester with the key in OFF. The same wire lights the tester in ACC. None of the other two wires do anything, except the antenna thing I mentioned.

Any suggestions? Am I that dumb and need to pay someone else to figure out 3 or 4 wires?

fatboy7

Honestly, I think I would have made my own ground too. Isolating the ground decreases the noise transmitted to the stereo from other car systems.

One wire should be direct from the battery. How else is your stereo supposed to remember settings, time, etc. So one wire will be live regardless.

Have you checked out the wiring diagram for your year?

unreality

the wire that lights the tester with the key in off and acc is unswitched power

the wire that raises the antenna actually goes to the relay that raises the antenna

creating your own ground is a good idea, and i think that you don't even really have to go as far as the shifer, but you should do what works best for you.

if I remember right, the ground wire was a lone wire with a brown endcap... I think it was yellow. It has been a while though, so don't rely on my advice on that. Instead, take that unswitched power wire that you found, and try to ground it out using other wires in there (or create your own ground)

Good luck!

FuLLsMoKe

well, in my case, i gave up trying to find the ground because it was confusing and screwy--plus i did not want a thin wire holding all the current...

thus i created my own ground--i think this is the best solution

MIKE-P-28

iTrader: (1)

There is no ground wire, the chassis of the radio is the ground, and since its screwed into the cars sub dash they dont add an extra wire to the car, not to mention the ant is a ground (not one to rely on, but its a ground)

Find a bolt that goes straight into the cars sub dash, and isnt surround by rubber like around the shift boot, there should be an obvious 60 choices or so, right by the radio

MIKE-P-28

iTrader: (1)

that sounds like great advise if you are a Buss stock holder, cause your gonna go through a shitload of fuses doing something dumm like that... use a DVM to test for power sources, NEVER go apply wires to other wires in an attempt to figure out the wiring, thats a recipe for frying fuses or worse the radio your trying to hook up

vipernicus42

iTrader: (4)

Didn't someone have a diagram of the wiring up at some point? a repost of that would be much appreciated

Jon

unreality

If you use a testlight, you're not gonna fry anything =\

I didn't mean touch random wires together or anything

MIKE-P-28

iTrader: (1)

not on this car you wont, but a DVM is the best tool for doing electronic work... You can acquire one for like $16 at autozone.