CD Player wiring Questions

barkboy6 · 11-06-2009, 01:54 PM

Ok when I bought my 85 it already had a CD player in it, a Pioneer DEH-P6500. I'm going to try to sell it because when I do get around to a sound system I'm gonna start from scratch. Anyway, I took it out and the wiring is all messed up, or it seems that way. There are just so many wires going everywhere, I'm thinking it's mostly speaker wires accumulated over the years thru different owners and they didn't bother to trim or organize when installing.

Ok, so my first question is basically how to wire it back up, not so much this CD player but for future reference. I mean the speaker wires and ground aren't the problem, but where do I wire the red and yellow (labeled "battery")? I know I can wire those straight to the battery and make it work, but then the stereo won't shut off when I turn the truck off, I'll have to turn the CD player off everytime. The guy who had it before had it all rigged up to an on/off switch to where he controled the power, but that shit looked bootleg as hell and now theres a ****ed up little hole in my panel where the switch was "mounted". So where can I hook the red and yellow wires to make it operate with the ignition? I'm thinking the yellow can go straight to the battery and maybe the red spliced into the iginition wiring somewhere, but I want to see if anyone else knows the proper way (well, without re-wiring the whole truck!) And one more question, do I even need the orange 'illumination' wire hooked up on this? My cousin had a 95 Thunderbird at one time and it is the only car I've dealt with that needed it.

crux131 · 11-06-2009, 09:38 PM

Here are the factory color codes( stolen off of www.the12volt.com ):

Constant 12V+Orange
Switched 12V+Yellow
GroundBlack
IlluminationGray
DimmerBrown
Left Front (+)Tan
Left Front (-)Gray
Right Front (+)Light Green
Right Front (-)Dark Green
Left Rear (+)Brown
Left Rear (-)Yellow
Right Rear (+)Dark Blue
Right Rear (-)Light Blue

I see the information list yellow as switched 12 volt and yellow as left rear(-). Use a test light or multimeter to check these wires for +12 volt with the switch in the "on" position if you are unsure which is the speaker lead vs. the power lead....I believe the speaker lead has a brown stripe however, maybe another member can verify this for you?

On your aftermarket radio, the yellow wire is constant 12 volt+. It is used to maintain the memory.
The red is switched 12volt+. this is the wire that allows the radio to turn off with the car.

tyhodge07 · 11-06-2009, 09:57 PM

on the info posted above, the yellow for the constant is larger (in my truck) than the yellow for the speaker. Also the yellow and brown wires should be insullated together so if they were pulled apart you may have a brown color marking on your yellow speaker wire.

in my truck i reran all new speaker wires to the speakers from t he head unit. it is easiest if your not using the stock plugs than a wiring harness to just label each wire or sets of wire's. being my truck is an 88, i rather have newer speaker wire in there for better sound.

if you got a wire clutter going on, it would probably be best to just pull out all of the wiring and rerun your own wire's, if its sloppy there than it could be sloppy else where, like wires being reattached towards the back speaker and not tapped up and grounding the the body or something. just find your neg, +12v and constant 12v and pull the rest is what id do myself and go from there.

barkboy6 · 11-06-2009, 09:58 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by crux131

On your aftermarket radio, the yellow wire is constant 12 volt+. It is used to maintain the memory.
The red is switched 12volt+. this is the wire that allows the radio to turn off with the car.

Thanks. So all I have to do is find the truck's switched 12+ as well as its constant 12+ and match them up with the aftermarket stereo's?

tyhodge07 · 11-06-2009, 10:32 PM

yes, constant 12v from the truck goes to your yellow of he head unit, switched 12v from the truck goes to your yellow of the head unit. the orange wire as you asked above will not be used in the truck.

crux131 · 11-07-2009, 01:17 AM

Thanks Tyhodge07, I haven't had any s-series earlier than an 87 and the wiring was so far gone I had to rerun most of it like you described.

Also on the ground, you can run a new ground wire as well. Just make sure it makes a good connection and that you scrape away any paint from the body/firewall where you attach it. Crimp a ring terminal onto the new ground wire and try to find a star washer to help lock the connector down.

tyhodge07 · 11-07-2009, 10:20 PM

yea, mine actually wasnt to bad. its just being 21 year old wiring, i wanted better and new wiring for the sound of it. also instead of putting another hole into your truck, on the drivers side right above the kick panel you will see a bolt with a black ground wire already bolted there. the ground is for your cluster and the rest in your dash, you could re run a wire there as its a good enough ground and originally where your radio is grounded at (i think, but not 100% on that), but non the less a good ground. and as crux said, use a ring terminal, dont just wrap the wire around the bolt and screw if down lol

11-06-2009, 01:54 PM	#1
barkboy6 "Future" '85 Pussy Wagon Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 74 Location: Cherokee, NC User is: OffLine	CD Player wiring Questions Ok when I bought my 85 it already had a CD player in it, a Pioneer DEH-P6500. I'm going to try to sell it because when I do get around to a sound system I'm gonna start from scratch. Anyway, I took it out and the wiring is all messed up, or it seems that way. There are just so many wires going everywhere, I'm thinking it's mostly speaker wires accumulated over the years thru different owners and they didn't bother to trim or organize when installing. Ok, so my first question is basically how to wire it back up, not so much this CD player but for future reference. I mean the speaker wires and ground aren't the problem, but where do I wire the red and yellow (labeled "battery")? I know I can wire those straight to the battery and make it work, but then the stereo won't shut off when I turn the truck off, I'll have to turn the CD player off everytime. The guy who had it before had it all rigged up to an on/off switch to where he controled the power, but that shit looked bootleg as hell and now theres a ****ed up little hole in my panel where the switch was "mounted". So where can I hook the red and yellow wires to make it operate with the ignition? I'm thinking the yellow can go straight to the battery and maybe the red spliced into the iginition wiring somewhere, but I want to see if anyone else knows the proper way (well, without re-wiring the whole truck!) And one more question, do I even need the orange 'illumination' wire hooked up on this? My cousin had a 95 Thunderbird at one time and it is the only car I've dealt with that needed it.
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-06-2009, 09:38 PM	#2
crux131 insomniac Age: 33 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 354 Location: Birmingham, Alabama User is: OffLine	Re: CD Player wiring Questions Here are the factory color codes( stolen off of www.the12volt.com ): Constant 12V+Orange Switched 12V+Yellow GroundBlack IlluminationGray DimmerBrown Left Front (+)Tan Left Front (-)Gray Right Front (+)Light Green Right Front (-)Dark Green Left Rear (+)Brown Left Rear (-)Yellow Right Rear (+)Dark Blue Right Rear (-)Light Blue I see the information list yellow as switched 12 volt and yellow as left rear(-). Use a test light or multimeter to check these wires for +12 volt with the switch in the "on" position if you are unsure which is the speaker lead vs. the power lead....I believe the speaker lead has a brown stripe however, maybe another member can verify this for you? On your aftermarket radio, the yellow wire is constant 12 volt+. It is used to maintain the memory. The red is switched 12volt+. this is the wire that allows the radio to turn off with the car. Last edited by crux131 : 11-06-2009 at 09:47 PM.
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-06-2009, 09:57 PM	#3
tyhodge07 88 S10 Owner Age: 24 Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 289 Location: Indianapolis, IN User is: OffLine	Re: CD Player wiring Questions on the info posted above, the yellow for the constant is larger (in my truck) than the yellow for the speaker. Also the yellow and brown wires should be insullated together so if they were pulled apart you may have a brown color marking on your yellow speaker wire. in my truck i reran all new speaker wires to the speakers from t he head unit. it is easiest if your not using the stock plugs than a wiring harness to just label each wire or sets of wire's. being my truck is an 88, i rather have newer speaker wire in there for better sound. if you got a wire clutter going on, it would probably be best to just pull out all of the wiring and rerun your own wire's, if its sloppy there than it could be sloppy else where, like wires being reattached towards the back speaker and not tapped up and grounding the the body or something. just find your neg, +12v and constant 12v and pull the rest is what id do myself and go from there.
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-06-2009, 09:58 PM	#4
barkboy6 "Future" '85 Pussy Wagon Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 74 Location: Cherokee, NC User is: OffLine	Re: CD Player wiring Questions Quote: Originally Posted by crux131 On your aftermarket radio, the yellow wire is constant 12 volt+. It is used to maintain the memory. The red is switched 12volt+. this is the wire that allows the radio to turn off with the car. Thanks. So all I have to do is find the truck's switched 12+ as well as its constant 12+ and match them up with the aftermarket stereo's?
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-06-2009, 10:32 PM	#5
tyhodge07 88 S10 Owner Age: 24 Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 289 Location: Indianapolis, IN User is: OffLine	Re: CD Player wiring Questions yes, constant 12v from the truck goes to your yellow of he head unit, switched 12v from the truck goes to your yellow of the head unit. the orange wire as you asked above will not be used in the truck.
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-07-2009, 01:17 AM	#6
crux131 insomniac Age: 33 Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 354 Location: Birmingham, Alabama User is: OffLine	Re: CD Player wiring Questions Thanks Tyhodge07, I haven't had any s-series earlier than an 87 and the wiring was so far gone I had to rerun most of it like you described. Also on the ground, you can run a new ground wire as well. Just make sure it makes a good connection and that you scrape away any paint from the body/firewall where you attach it. Crimp a ring terminal onto the new ground wire and try to find a star washer to help lock the connector down.
	[Reply w/Quote]

11-07-2009, 10:20 PM	#7
tyhodge07 88 S10 Owner Age: 24 Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 289 Location: Indianapolis, IN User is: OffLine	Re: CD Player wiring Questions yea, mine actually wasnt to bad. its just being 21 year old wiring, i wanted better and new wiring for the sound of it. also instead of putting another hole into your truck, on the drivers side right above the kick panel you will see a bolt with a black ground wire already bolted there. the ground is for your cluster and the rest in your dash, you could re run a wire there as its a good enough ground and originally where your radio is grounded at (i think, but not 100% on that), but non the less a good ground. and as crux said, use a ring terminal, dont just wrap the wire around the bolt and screw if down lol
	[Reply w/Quote]