new head unit porblems-please help
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: kansas
new head unit porblems-please help
can someone PLEASE help me out with installing a new head unit? i dont know what wires go to what, i took out the amps and wired the speakers right to the head unit...anyone got any ideas?
Joined: Dec 1999
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From: Behind a workbench, repairing FC Electronics.
Have multimeter or at least a test light?
Here's how I wired my car, as the DSPO had his stereo stolen or removed it like a jackass, all I had were a bundle of wire ends.. No connector, nothing...
Hook your test light or one end of your multimeter to a good ground... The bracket below where the stereo goes is a good choice...
Key OFF, probe all wires till you find 12Volts... Good. This is your memory backup wire... Label it and set it aside.
Now turn key to ACC position, first click... Test all remaining wires till you find 12volts again... This is your Switched 12 Volts wire... Label it as such and set it aside...
Optionally, you can find another wire that has 12 volts when the headlights are on... This is the illumination wire. Label it or tape it off if you're not gonna use it.
Now you should have a few wires left...
Dependant on model, you'll have to bypass the amps. Apparantly you have done that... First be sure you have power to the head unit, then come back to us if you need more help finding speaker wires.
Here's how I wired my car, as the DSPO had his stereo stolen or removed it like a jackass, all I had were a bundle of wire ends.. No connector, nothing...
Hook your test light or one end of your multimeter to a good ground... The bracket below where the stereo goes is a good choice...
Key OFF, probe all wires till you find 12Volts... Good. This is your memory backup wire... Label it and set it aside.
Now turn key to ACC position, first click... Test all remaining wires till you find 12volts again... This is your Switched 12 Volts wire... Label it as such and set it aside...
Optionally, you can find another wire that has 12 volts when the headlights are on... This is the illumination wire. Label it or tape it off if you're not gonna use it.
Now you should have a few wires left...
Dependant on model, you'll have to bypass the amps. Apparantly you have done that... First be sure you have power to the head unit, then come back to us if you need more help finding speaker wires.
Test lights are actually better than multimeters for testing this type of thing , you can get some funny readings on multimeters as they don't require any current to flow through them so you can get phantom readings on wires that are not really live ( been caught out by this before!)
but with a test light you know theres volts and current to back it up
but with a test light you know theres volts and current to back it up
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 6,444
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From: Fort Branch, Indiana
For this kinda cars, go probing a new car with a test light, and start replacing computer stuff, test lights shunt quite a bit to ground, and are dangerous, but since we got old cars, why not then
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