Club G40 Forum
Technical => Electrical => Topic started by: The Transporter on August 11, 2008, 03:21:11 pm
-
Hey guys,
Can anyone help me. I want to install a radio into my sisters MK3 Polo.
This is all I have. No speakers or any other wiring.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230/2753623744_f2b411a26c.jpg)
Does anyone know the best way to go about it?
I have tried plugging in another headunit to see if there is power but there is not.
I thought this was strange as I thought the first two wires were power and ground.
Oh well.....any advice?
-
you need not do a thing to the std iso block. on the loom supplied with the stereo, you will need to swap the red wire and the yellow wire around. if the car has speaker in it (lift the speaker covers up and see, then there should be another iso block behind the dash with speaker wires on it, its probably just fallen off the back of the blank panel)
-
[quote pid=3264 author=jonboy date=1218646772]you need not do a thing to the std iso block. on the loom supplied with the stereo, you will need to swap the red wire and the yellow wire around. if the car has speaker in it (lift the speaker covers up and see, then there should be another iso block behind the dash with speaker wires on it, its probably just fallen off the back of the blank panel)[/quote]
Thanks for the reply jonboy,
I dont have speakers so sadly there is no wires for them. But I have no problem wiring them in myself.
I just want to get power to the headunit for a start! :D
I tested the wires with a multimeter and yes there is a 12v supply. Yet when plugged in it doesnt work. Tried a couple of different head units too just to make sure the one headunit I tried was working!
I thought I might have to change a few wires as on one of the CD headunits I want to put in there is a sticker that says
''If installing into a VW, Audi, please refer to the manual''
Sadly I dont have the manual anymore.....
:(
So I need to swap the yellow and red wires on the back of the headunit? Could you explain a little more about how this works?
-
does it power on if you have the ignition turned on?
There are two power supplies to a radio: one is permanent live which is just so the radio keeps settings etc... when the car is turned off. The other is the actual power supply which makes it work which is normally switched with the ignition. The wires are red and yellow, I forget which way round they normally are on VWs one will be permanent 12v and t'other will be 12v with ignition on. People quite often connect both the ignition wire and the permanent wire on the radio to the permanent on the car so the headunit is on even when the ignition is off. They then normally need to be turned off or turn off when the face is removed.
-
[quote pid=3274 author=hayesey date=1218657854]does it power on if you have the ignition turned on?
There are two power supplies to a radio: one is permanent live which is just so the radio keeps settings etc... when the car is turned off. The other is the actual power supply which makes it work which is normally switched with the ignition. The wires are red and yellow, I forget which way round they normally are on VWs one will be permanent 12v and t'other will be 12v with ignition on. People quite often connect both the ignition wire and the permanent wire on the radio to the permanent on the car so the headunit is on even when the ignition is off. They then normally need to be turned off or turn off when the face is removed.[/quote]
No power even if ignition is on.
-
[quote pid=3275 author=The Transporter date=1218658400][quote pid=3274 author=hayesey date=1218657854]does it power on if you have the ignition turned on?
There are two power supplies to a radio: one is permanent live which is just so the radio keeps settings etc... when the car is turned off. The other is the actual power supply which makes it work which is normally switched with the ignition. The wires are red and yellow, I forget which way round they normally are on VWs one will be permanent 12v and t'other will be 12v with ignition on. People quite often connect both the ignition wire and the permanent wire on the radio to the permanent on the car so the headunit is on even when the ignition is off. They then normally need to be turned off or turn off when the face is removed.[/quote]
12v is always present but the radio will not turn on no matter what position the key is in. i.e. ignition on or not
-
do you know for sure the radio actually works?
-
Yes radio 100% works.
Like I said I have tried 3 different ones just to make sure.
Does anyone have that information on changing over the red and yellow wires on the head unit. I cant see why this would help.
Can anyone expand on it?
-
It's not a case of changing them over, it's a case of connecting them both up to permanent 12v supply so the radio still works even if the ignition if off. Every radio I've ever fitted (albeit, that's not a large number!) has had red and yellow wires on the wiring between the radio and the ISO plugs and most have bullet connectors to allow you to connect them both up to permanent live.
What headunit are you trying to install? Do you have the correct wiring adaptor for it?
-
The headunit does not look like it needs any adapters as the iso connector fits straight in, of course leaving me with another block for the speakers. Il give it a try tonight as the car is not here right now!
Thanks for your input hayeseymuch appreciated :thumb:
-
what is the radio you are trying to fit?
-
i dont know any other way of explaining this! most headunits come with a loom. the loom will have a red wire and a yellow wire. chop them both in half and connect one end of the red wire to one end of the yellow wire, repeat the process for the remaining 2 wires. your stereo should now power up. if it doesnt your either doing it wrong or the radio is buggered.
the reason it works is that there are 2 different standards of iso wiring. vw and vauxhall seem to wire theres different to everyone else, i.e. they swap the position of perminant and ignition live around, hence why i said to swap the wires on your radio loom as it saves you wrecking the car loom, you can mod it on a bench away from the car so is easier and there normally tends to be a good amount of wire on aftermarket radios. in fact most replacement units have bullit connectors on the red and yellow wires so you can change them with minimum effort
-
[quote pid=3315 author=jonboy date=1218718147]i dont know any other way of explaining this! most headunits come with a loom. the loom will have a red wire and a yellow wire. chop them both in half and connect one end of the red wire to one end of the yellow wire, repeat the process for the remaining 2 wires. your stereo should now power up. if it doesnt your either doing it wrong or the radio is buggered.
the reason it works is that there are 2 different standards of iso wiring. vw and vauxhall seem to wire theres different to everyone else, i.e. they swap the position of perminant and ignition live around, hence why i said to swap the wires on your radio loom as it saves you wrecking the car loom, you can mod it on a bench away from the car so is easier and there normally tends to be a good amount of wire on aftermarket radios. in fact most replacement units have bullit connectors on the red and yellow wires so you can change them with minimum effort[/quote]
Thanks alot jon boy.
I will give it a go tonight.
Il let you know how i go.
when the red and yellow are connected. Which hole do they BOTH plug into. RED or YELLOW?
If you get me?
-
I have changed the wires on the radio, il give it a try tonight when my sis comes home with it.
-
YESSSS! I have power..... everything should be ok now!
I have some speakers from an old Escort, will be putting them in the back for a start.
Thanks very much for your help guys! Will let you know if I come across any difficulties. I doubt it though.!
-
Ok we have power, and I have wired the speakers in very nicely under the carpets, behind the dash etc.
Now one finakl point I wonder if anyone can help. The radio wont fit in the dash board. :(
Its not short enough, does any one have any solutions?
-
make sure you tuck the loom down towards the heater dials, most stereos should fit, but they all tend to be a very tight fit. nothing else i can think of that will help you other than a shorter radio!
-
The wires are definately out of the way. Its that black plastic shelf at the back that gets in the way.
-
[quote pid=3442 author=The Transporter date=1219225647]The wires are definately out of the way. Its that black plastic shelf at the back that gets in the way.[/quote]
i had this problem. on some head units there is like a rubber nipple that screws in the back. Some cars have a cut out for this to sit in to stop the HU moving about. If you have already taken this out and it still doesn't fit then you need to cut the black shelf out.
There really is no pretty way to do this without taking the dash out. I took the clocks out and then went at it with a air saw. Although a hacksaw/dremel or any other cutty tool will work
-
[quote pid=3443 author=giorgio date=1219232967][quote pid=3442 author=The Transporter date=1219225647]The wires are definately out of the way. Its that black plastic shelf at the back that gets in the way.[/quote]
i had this problem. on some head units there is like a rubber nipple that screws in the back. Some cars have a cut out for this to sit in to stop the HU moving about. If you have already taken this out and it still doesn't fit then you need to cut the black shelf out.
There really is no pretty way to do this without taking the dash out. I took the clocks out and then went at it with a air saw. Although a hacksaw/dremel or any other cutty tool will work[/quote]
No need for that matey, today i went out and bought a shallow headunit. Fits beautifully. Now Im just trying to work out which of the 3 sets of speakers (rears only) sound best!
BIG THANKS again to everyone who helped on this situation. :) :)