Friendan

Here's the scoop; I'm finally replacing my stock Blaupunkt cassette radio in my 86 944, with a CD/MP3 CD player! I'm really excited...the unit is a Prestige P-953, made by Audiovox. Sure it's not the best brand in the the world, but I got it for free from my gf's dead 86 VW Golf. It has a detachable faceplate and remote, and apparently it worked well when it was last used a year ago.

SO...
I pulled out the old stereo and noticed it had quite a different wiring setup than the 20 year newer stereo. My challenge now is connecting the wires up properly. I thought it would be more straight forward, but I'm a little confused.
I have gone thru the 944 stereo FAQ to get a better idea of what's happening.

First: Speakers
On the stock stereo there are just two DIN plugs for the speakers; I'm guessing in behind the dash the front and rear speakers are combined into one for each side, White for Left, Black for Right. The FAQ suggests to get some DIN sockets from Radio Shack and connect them directly to the new harness' + and - wires for each speaker. This sounds good to me, assuming I can get the sockets. Any better suggestions?

Second: Power
Okay, so this is the new harness:
1- Black: Ground
2- Blue: Power Antenna (not used)
3- Yellow: Constant 12V +
4- Red: Switching 12V +
(3+4 is one wire)

Easy enough. But the problem comes with the old system. Get this, the 6 pin plug into the BP goes as follows, as explained in the factory manual:
1- Ground
2- Positive connection 12V
3- Positive illumination control (via dash illum.)
4, 5- Prepared for positive connections
6- Permanent plus connection 12V

This is what I have in the slots:
1- 2(?) Brown wires
2- 2(?) Green wires
3- 1 red/black stripe
4- 2 red/black stripe ***one larger red wire (newer?) spliced off of one of them (alarm system?)
5- nothing
6- 1 red/white stripe

So do I need both brown grounds for the new harness? I understand that the illumination plug is not necessary because its a new unit that is always illuminated, and I think it's attached to pin #2, one of the green wires. So #3 and one of #2 can go I think. What's up with the red wire spliced off, any suggestions? I can't see where it goes under the dash, but I guess if I have to I can pull stuff apart. I'm guessing my new alarm system is spliced into the stereo power? And what's up with #6, where does it go?
Oh by the way, the red and yellow wires on the new harness go into one coupling. So I have 1 power cord and one ground for the new stereo. What I do with all these other ones on the old one????
Sorry for such a huge post, I know many of you have had to deal with replacing your old stereo before on your 944, I would prefer not ripping my dash apart to find out myself, any help is much appreciated!

Cheers,
Brendan

Charlotte944

Sounds to me like you have a Blaupunkt Reno SQR-26, which is a 2 channel (Right+Left) head unit. There should be a speaker fader control wheel in the center console, most likely in the far right "slot". That is how my '86 951 was originally set up.

If you have the fader control, you can canabalize the fader and fabricate an "adapter" for connecting the speakers to your "new" head unit.

The fader I have has 4 speaker out puts and two speaker inputs. The inputs are Green and Green with a Brown stripe (Left?), Blue and Blue with a Browm stripe (Right?). The "outputs" are White White/Brown, Red Red/Brown, Yellow Yellow/Brown, and Black Black/Brown.

For power to the "new" head unit, I would just use Male "spade" lugs. Looking at the back of the Blau, the power connector is on the lower right. The terminals are numbered from right to left, 7 through 10. #7 is ground and should connect to the Brown wire at the harness plug. #8 is +12 volts main power (switched by ignition) and "should" be Red. These two connections make up the main power supply. The next terminal inboard (#9) is for a power antenna. Termial #10 is +12 volts (constant) for tuner memory. With this you should be able to match the harness to your new unit.

BIG HINT #1: USE A METER! Get a Digital Volt Meter and use it to verify where power and ground are BEFORE you start, and WRITE IT DOWN! If necessary, use small pieces of masking tape to "tag" wires so you know what is what.

BIG HINT #2: DO NOT "HACK" the original harness, and KEEP the original radio.

My 951's radio harness was hacked, and I hate it because it keeps the car from being "oroginal". On the other hand, my '87 is original with a stock Reno SQR-46 (4 channel) and I have added a Blaupunkt BEA-80 Amp/Equalizer.

theedge

Actually youll want the decks illumination wired up. For most decks now, its actually a dimmer control so that when you turn your headlights on (say at night) it cuts down the decks backlighting. To do this, I think you can just hook the illumination wire from the cars harness up to the decks wire and it should work.

Now if I remember correctly the two green positive wires are switched, that is they get power when the key is turned. The red/white wire is constant. Your deck should have a wire that connects to each of those. The constant wire needs to be hooked up so your deck can retain is memory settings.

Best bet is to get a cheapo multimeter and test various wires with the key in various positions and thatll tell you for sure what is what. You dont even need a fancy digital meter, a cheap $12 analog one will work just fine.

Friendan

Thanks Brian and Cliff.
Cliff, I'm pretty sure my deck is a Monterey, I know it's not the one in your pic. So the power connector you describe seems a bit different...
Brian, so you think the greens are switched, should I just hook the other's up to the constant source? So going back to my original post, if #3 is hooked up to #2, then that just leaves the two wires in #4 and the one wire in #6.
So, hook the 2 wires in #2 to the switched source, and hook the 2 wires in #4 and the one in #6 to the constant?
And any clue what that spliced off wire is? It's sort of a clamp that's hooked on to one of the wires, leeching power off it.
Sorry if this seems like a crude way of discussing electrics.
And yes I will check with my multimeter to be sure.

EDIT: BTW how is your car coming Brian?

Friendan

Here's my old stereo (sorry I don't have a closer pic)
And my new one...
So I guess I'll do away with the fader on the console like Cliff said...

fezz

i just replaced the radio on mine.
I havent read the entire post, but hope this helps.

you should hace 3 harness groups as I remember.
one for headunit power
one for equilizer or prepped for one
one - I cant recall specifics

in the headunit (main) group

thin red/white = constant power from battery connect to red from HU
2 brown= ground - connect to black from HU
2 green= ignition power - connect to fused lead from HU
thin red/black + thin black from antenna booster - connect to blue power antenna lead from HU

if HU has balance and fade control - hook speakers directly to HU - i do not use the factory fader on
console.

speakers:
FL = brown/white(-) and white (+)
FR= brown/black(-) and black(+)
RL= brown/green(-) and green(+)
RR= Brown/red(-) and red(+)

Friendan

Thanks Joe, that seems about right...so you're saying I do want to use the blue power antenna wire? I don't have a thin black wire, but maybe mine is the other little red/black one...
And the illumination wire should be constant?

fezz

the thin black antenna booster wire should be running with the antenna cable - look again up under the dash.
my alpine got poor FM reception and no AM without the antenna booster. when I hooked up the booster the difference was remarkable.

the blue power antenna lead is used with the red/black power wire and the thin black booster wire.
there will be 2 thin red/black - one for the antenna booster and one for the HU illumination.

Friendan

Hmm, well I don't have any black wires hooked up, so does that mean my booster has never been used? That's odd...
I should add that I did wire in an amplified VW antenna on the roof.
Here is what I have so far, using my description in my first post:
1- 2 brown wires -> BLACK ground
2, 3- 2 green wires + 1 r/b wire -> RED switched power
4- 2 r/b wires -> BLUE antenna wire
5- nothing
6- 1 red/white wire -> YELLOW constant power

Es ist gut?

fezz

my alpine uses fused yellow for power from ignition - 2 green
red/black shown on factory wiring as non-usa cars
i guess your roof antenna would go to HU blue and red/black power
other red/black is for HU illumination
red/white is constant power - red lead on my alpine if i recall.

Friendan

Cool, I think the only difference is that my constant and switched colours are reversed from your Alpine. I think I have a good start on it now.

Micah

Cliff,

Sorry to interrupt - awesome all-leather option... bastard

Micah

Friendan

Who me?