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Installing new head unit

Number47

CEG'er
Joined
Sep 12, 2005
Messages
74
Location
Mich USA
I'm trying to install my new head unit but i dont know what wires go to what connection on the factory plugs. i know where the wire on my head unit go but dont know where to hook it up to the plugs i bought that plug into the car. Any help would be nice.

Brad
 
buy an adaptor...its color coded to your stock wires and will make everything easy for ya...unless ur color blind...
 
actually i am color blind. What adapter are you talking about? i have an adapter you wire into the "pig tail" that the new head unit came with. i was kinda lookin for like pin one on the black plug goes to the left rear speaker type thing.
 
I dont remember 100% as I haven't had to do a deck install in some years...

Maybe someone else can chime in. All I remember is that it made all the connections easy to do...

Being CB is a B*tch when doing electrical...
 
make ur life a hell of alot easier like stated

go buy the adaptor specifically for ur car

the adaptor will plug right into ur "stock" harness the only thing u need to do is wire the harness from the new deck into the adaptor......like stated its usually color coded, if not the wires are labeled
 
I had to deal with some similar issues with the wiring lately, so perhaps I can explain a bit of this. I did not know much about these things but I am a quick learner.

What the guys are saying is at your local auto parts store, or even a stereo shop, sells an adaptor that plugs into the Ford plug that is in your car. This adaptor eliminates the need for you to cut off the stock plug and try to match up wires. This adaptor has the wires all marked as to what they go to and all you do is splice it to the plug that came with your head unit. That plug has matching wires and it is also marked with what each one is. Even if as in your case of being color blind they are marked in writing for you.

Several years ago there was a standardization in the stereo industry so all the wires of say for example; blue and white are aux power. Below is some info I received on the wiring, it is not the Ford wiring that was in my 95 but, I have one of those adaptors. I think I saw them for about $11 at an auto parts store.


Here are the aftermarket standard wiring codes since they were standardized in '99

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Yellow
Ignition (+12v Switched) Red
Ground (-) Black
Dimmer Pink/White (Alpine only)
Power Antenna Blue
Amplifier Turn-on Blue/White
Phone Mute Light Blue (Sony only)
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Gray
Right Front (-) Gray/Black
Left Front (+) White
Left Front (-) White/Black
Right Rear (+) Violet
Right Rear (-) Violet/Black
Left Rear (+) Green
Left Rear (-) Green/Black

Heres a helpfull link to the contours wire codes.
http://www.installdr.com/Harnesses/Ford-Wiring.pdf


Hope all this clears things up. Good Luck....... and thank you for your service from an o'l river rat.
 
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actually i am color blind. What adapter are you talking about? i have an adapter you wire into the "pig tail" that the new head unit came with. i was kinda lookin for like pin one on the black plug goes to the left rear speaker type thing.
Actually, if you are color blind, you should get the adapters. There are two and you need both so that you don't have to cut and splice. One from the head unit connector to a "standard" connector. And one from the "standard" connector to the connector from the car. Circuit City or Best Buy sells them (IIRC, $7 and $12). And it should take you all of 5 minutes to install if you have the adapters (the tech at Circuit City took a whopping 2 minutes to do it, about the time I took to fill out the work order and sign it). I will post part numbers if I find them. I started to install it myself and then I realized I was missing the connector from the "standard" to the car. When I returned to get the second adapter, I decided to let them install it as it was "free" installation with the purchase of the stereo anyway. It was pouring at that time and there was just one other truck waiting for stereo installation.

Edit. Metra wiring harness 80-1770 $19.99 from car to "standard" connector. Metra wiring harness SY1680A $6.99 from "standard" connector to Sony CDXGT310 Head Unit.
 
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I do have the aftermarket plugs that plug into my ford plugs, i still have to wire it to the pig tail of the new deckwith the help of my wife(who is not color blind)i got most of the wire connected, but i have a light blue and white wire, a light blue wire, and an orange wire that goes to the ford plugs from the ones i bought i wanna know where those go, if they do infact go some where. and the link i got said those are for up to late '90 models and none of my wire match what that link said. i have a diesel truck and now i know why i like it better, less electircal.

Brad
 
I do have the aftermarket plugs that plug into my ford plugs, i still have to wire it to the pig tail of the new deckwith the help of my wife(who is not color blind)i got most of the wire connected, but i have

a light blue and white wire - Amplifier Turn-on Blue/White

a light blue wire - Phone Mute Light Blue (Sony only)

and an orange wire - ?

that goes to the ford plugs from the ones i bought i wanna know where those go, if they do infact go some where. and the link i got said those are for up to late '90 models and none of my wire match what that link said. i have a diesel truck and now i know why i like it better, less electircal.

Brad

Guess the one thing that is missing in this disussion is the make of your head unit.
 
i have an Aiwa nothing great esp. being a gift. my new deck doesnt have any orange wire the plugs i bought do. i dont need the phone mute function now i know what wire to hook together for my amp that leave one wire from the factory that i dont know where it goes. i also want to add you guys have been a great help.

Brad
 
I edited my previous post with the part numbers for the adapters.

Car to "standard" connector, Metra 80-1770 $19.99. "Standard" connector to Sony CDXGT310 head unit, Metra SY1680A $6.99.
 
ok i found an issue. my ford head unit has a little square plug for the speakers not the long grey one. any one else run into this??? i'm gonna head to the local stero shop and see what i can learn or find
 
ok i found an issue. my ford head unit has a little square plug for the speakers not the long grey one. any one else run into this??? i'm gonna head to the local stero shop and see what i can learn or find
IIRC the orange wire is usually an "Illumination" wire

i dont think ive ever used it in any car ive hooked up a stereo in
 
you have an SVT... that means you have the premimum sound system with the factory amp... most of us just bypass it... If I remember correctly thats what your square black plug is which is confusing you - it leads directly to the stock amp which is located behind your glove box.

I bought some crazy harness from Crutchfield for that area which did the job and bypassed the amp completely so I could get sound from the speakers instead on their own with the new HU
 
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