Sanity check my FD stereo install

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Feb 28, 2020 | 03:30 PM

mkd

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Pretending it's 2001

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From: Santa Cruz, CA

Sanity check my FD stereo install

I've never done a car stereo install before, so I'd appreciate some sanity checking before I get started...

I'm putting a Pioneer MVH S120UBA head unit into my '93 FD ("Type 1" audio -- not Bose) along with a compact Pioneer GM-D1004 amp, and a front&rear set of 2-way speakers.

The front 5.25" speakers are already installed. I expect the rear 6x8"'s to bolt right in...

I got the head unit yesterday and was examining the harness -- it appears to not come with the solid blue wire for antenna power. I want to use the OEM antenna, but I also want to use this head unit since it has a relatively clean design and AMBER ILLUMINATION (!). I suppose I will compromise and replace the OEM antenna with a "modern" stubby antenna. I'm planning to use HalfSpec's base kit, along with a stubby .8 x M5 antenna:

https://halfspec.wixsite.com/enginee...ntenna-adapter
https://www.rx7club.com/group-buy-pr...hread-1091875/

So that covers the power antenna part.

I've read that there are actually two antennas on an FD: the main motorized one and one built into the hatch frame. Apparently the hatch frame one is used by the factory head unit for filtering signal noise and won't work/isn't needed by aftermarket units. The "main" motorized antenna cable has a female Motorola type connector on the end, so to connect it to most head units you need to make or buy a male-male adapter:

https://www.crutchfield.com/p_12040U...e-Coupler.html
https://www.rx7club.com/interior-ext...to-1-a-450022/

I looked at the factory wiring diagram and made myself a cheat sheet, and it mostly seems straight-forward:

Code:

FUNCTION                    POLARITY    CONNECTOR    COLOR CODE    COLOR DESCRIPTION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Front Left spk            +            1K            G            Green
Front Left spk            -            1L            L            Blue
Front Right spk            +            1M            R            Red
Front Right spk            -            1N            W            White

Rear Left spk            +            2A            Y/G            Yellow base/Green stripe
Rear Left spk            -            2B            Y/L            Yellow base/Blue stripe
Rear Right spk            +            2F            W/L            White base/Blue stripe
Rear Right spk            -            2H            L/Y            Blue base/Yellow stripe

System mute (output)(?)    n/a            2I            GY            Gray
ACC                        n/a            1A            L/B            Blue base/Black stripe
Backup power (Vb)(?)    n/a            1C            L/R            Blue base/Red stripe
Antenna switch            n/a            1B            G/O            Green base/Orange stripe
TNS (???)                n/a            1E            R/B            Red base/Black stripe
Illumination            input -?    1F            R/G            Red base/Green stripe
Amp control                n/a            1J            LG/B        Light Green base/Black stripe

Earth/ground            n/a            3A            ?

I still have some questions, though...

What is "TNS"?
What is "Backup power"?
Why is there a round "DIN" connector on the OEM receiver depicted on page J1-5 of the FSM? Is it just sitting there unused..?
What is the deal with the factory center-channel amp not just connecting to the center speaker, but also to the front speakers? I should just completely bypass it, right?
Am I going to have room to fit this 1.5" tall x 7" long compact amp under the center console?

Thanks for the help!!

Last edited by mkd; Feb 28, 2020 at 05:35 PM.

Mar 2, 2020 | 02:47 PM

b3delta

FD Wiring Guru

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From: Ft Drum, NY

TNS is your relay that controls Tail lights, Number plate, and Signal lights. It's located in the engine bay by the radiator.

Mar 5, 2020 | 09:45 PM

millyactual

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Mickey from Throtl did a good install on a double din unit for an FD. Had a good metal housing bracket from Pioneer they used. You can search that one.

You should be able to get a wiring harness for your aftermarket head unit that will plug and play with the FD wiring harness as it stands. Crutchfield has a bunch of these I believe (or point you in the right direction).

If you’re going to run an amp to power the speakers, then probably just wire it separately from the wiring harness. But you can use the aftermarket adapter harness for all the other connections. Basically plugs into the factory plugs and you wire it to the stereo from there.

Hope that helps.

-milly

Mar 5, 2020 | 10:51 PM

mkd

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Pretending it's 2001

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From: Santa Cruz, CA

Quote:

Originally Posted by b3delta

TNS is your relay that controls Tail lights, Number plate, and Signal lights. It's located in the engine bay by the radiator.

What a strange relay -- I can't seem to determine any rhyme or reason as to when it should be closed. Tail lights come on whenever you hit the brake, no matter what, number plate turns on when the head lights are on, and the signals work when IGN power is on. Why does the factory head unit care about any of this?

Quote:

Originally Posted by millyactual

Mickey from Throtl did a good install on a double din unit for an FD. Had a good metal housing bracket from Pioneer they used. You can search that one.

I found and watched it on YT. So it *sounds* like no metal housing adapter is needed if I'm only installing a standard single-din receiver into the top slot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by millyactual

You should be able to get a wiring harness for your aftermarket head unit that will plug and play with the FD wiring harness as it stands.

I actually have both a female and a male set of these, and they do indeed have all the "standard aftermarket" colors mapped into the factory harness. I guess I'm just being pedantic trying to understand the factory wires for their own sake.

Quote:

Originally Posted by millyactual

If you’re going to run an amp to power the speakers, then probably just wire it separately from the wiring harness. But you can use the aftermarket adapter harness for all the other connections. Basically plugs into the factory plugs and you wire it to the stereo from there.

I think I'll just run the speaker output from the head until straight into the input on the amp, then the output on the amp back into the factory harness where the old factory receiver connected. For amp power I already ran a separate ACC-relay switched 14AWG line from the battery -- it's just been hanging out behind the console for a couple months waiting to get used. From Mickey's video it looks like there should be room to shove the amp back behind the head unit in there

Thanks for the info.

Mar 5, 2020 | 11:51 PM

mkd

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Pretending it's 2001

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From: Santa Cruz, CA

I think I answered my own question about the DIN bracket -- it looks like the (non-Bose anyway) top slot has a standard 1-DIN metal cage. You need an adapter like Mickey in Throtl if you're installing a double-din head unit.