Shadix

Thanks ! The USB is supposed to charge iPhone or just read music on USB stick ?

wi54545

I tapped the clock light.

968sin

Hello wi54545
I am having a lot of trouble with the radio on my 1994-968 lately and might have to replace it just like you did.
I have learned from your pics and descriptions and it is very helpful. However, I have never done a radio swap and worried for the following:
1) how to remove the stock radio, I am worried silly that I will break the trims
2) do I need special tool?
3) your second pis shown a lot of wires. Do I have to reworked all of them
4) does the radio has a balance and fader control?
Please advise
Thanks

V2Rocket

thanks for posting this, i've been thinking about finding a more 'classic looking' modern radio for my 944, but critically it has to match the yellow/orange of my early 944 gauges

then i could put my 10 year old Sony CD player into my Subaru...

jsheiry

Put in the VDO version this past week. Same thing as the Continental except for Blue backlight. Apparently Continental bought out VDO?? They have the same three radios only blue backlight instead.

On the newer harness Cr-1 's there is already an ISO connector, you only need to switch pins 4 & 7 to work properly in the Conti or VDO. Batt and Ign

jsheiry

I think these radios do not charge phones and the USB only usable for USB stick music storage device playback. Seems odd but true

jsheiry

1 Stock CR-1 does have small catches on each side. You will see that can be lifted up with small screw driver readily. You must lift each side approx 1/8" up as by default and gravity they drop down to a locked position into the metal cage that holds head unit in dash

2 There is a special tool but hardly needed on this radio if CR-1. You can even do one side at a time and slightly angle radio out of cage

3A Depending on your year car the wiring gets a little more straightforward if newer as it already has ISO connectors that can plug in to Conti/VDO unit. Only pins 4 & 7 need swapped and add one to the connector for dash light input as suggested above from clock or ash tray light ***Some of this also depends on whether you have the Advanced audio package with independant AMP vs standard setup with speaker level outputs. If you have the factory Advanced Audio package then you will do yourself a favor by purchasing the wiring harness offered by Tore at Bergeville FX It has the speaker to line level converters built in to the harness and needed as the Conti/VDO radios do not offer line level out.
https://www.bergvillfx.com/index.php...-928-cr-1.html

3B (Edit July 2021 Installed another VDO in late cab 1994 with factory Amp)
Could not find speaker wire ISO connector......until I found the connection coming from the factory amps back up to the normal speaker plug. I removed the factory amp under the seat and unplugged the connection behind radio from amp to ISO speaker level plug. The speaker level plug snaps in to the Conti or VDO directly without modification. This is if you want to delete the factory amp under the seat as I did and use only the amp in the Conti/VDO radio. (I just did not trust the amp with age and then also having to buy the harness in 3A with line level to speaker level conversion) As in the first install for illumination I just grab the little light out of the ashtray and if you pull it back it actually begins from a harness behind the radio so a very easy connection.....and I dont really need a heated ashtray or a lit ashtray.

4 These radios have balance and fader controls, you have to access from a setup menu. There is no direct **** for these but control does exist.

Ultimately these Conti/VDO radios are nice little upgrades to the Porsche factory units and have a great simplistic look. They sound really good as well but DO NOT confuse them with HiFi serious audio upgrades. Power is adequate but not big, features adequate but no line level outs, no sub outs. etc...

Hope that helps.

I have one of the harnesses listed at the link above. Paid $85 and will take $75 for it with free shipping. Long story but thought the car had the Advanced audio amp but in fact it had a factory Porsche Cellular dealer installed kit and when I saw all the connectors assumed I needed the harness from Tore. He will take it back from me but prefer to sell here in the US and avoid the shipping hassles.

dionphaneuf

Anyone ever installed one of these in a 944 with the M490 option? My 90 944 S2 had the M490 (10 speakers, BEA 80 equalizer) installed from the factory but the previous owner had the Blaupunkt head unit removed in favor of a gaudy Alpine CD player, the CDM 7874, and removed the BEA-80 in the process. This also removed the BEA-80s built in amp, and now the stereo sounds pretty ****ty - it get's distorted on CDs, FM, or line in at anything resembling reasonable volume on any genre of music. I want to install the Conti 7412, but I'm worried just putting it in without adding an AMP will make it sound ****ty. Two challenges:
1. The 7412 doesn't have any line level outs for an AMP. I looked into it, and when Porsche set up the BEA-80 with the old Blaupunkt head (Reno?) They'd just use the two front speaker outputs as the line ins to the BEA 80. Some people say that while this isn't kosher normally, you probably can't tell the difference in car audio (and on a system like this) so it's probably fine.
2. The previous owner left the wiring as a bit of a jungle - they spliced into the old harness so I might have to get/make a little ISO harness jumper.
Any advice would be appreciated.

Derekwh

I have installed a Conti TR7412UB-OR in my CLK55 AMG (currently in a Benz phase) and trying to access the system settings. The manual says to hold the DISP button and press the >>> button to cycle through the settings, all I am getting is radio and clock. Am I missing something? Other than that the radio and BT work great.

zerokreap

So, if I understand this, I will not need to purchase a new harness? I can simply change pins 4 and 7 in the factory iso setup and the unit is plug & play at that point? In looking at the schematics for this Conti unit, that does seem to be the case. However, I thought it would be worth getting some clarification from those who have gone before me.

Also, can anyone tell me if the factory wiring harness is the same, whether it was a premium stereo option or standard? I'm just wondering if I want to expand my 4-speaker system to 6 speakers, are the lines already run?

Yogii

I have a CR-2 in my 1994 coupe. thinking about replacing with the megga $$ Porsche Classic unit.
Sounds like half my speakers are blown of have faulty connections.
Following this carefully to see what you guys come up with...

-Yogii
AKA 968 Novice

DSMblue

Yogii,

I'm pretty sure I posted about speaker repair in the doors. Normally, the woofer units are fine, but the mids have foam surrounds that crumble away. Speakerworks.com has refoam kits that run about $10 and some of your time, will restore the mids fine. Tweeters I sourced from Sunset since they are integral with the grills. They run about $30-35 each IIRC. Haven't pulled things apart to look at the rears.

zerokreap

Bump...Anyone?

ilovemaui

The continental radios are nice. I installed one in one of my Mercedes E500's. It was plug and play. It has a thumb drive so I was able to load music on it.

spark1

Although I can't confirm it as I have not done it...If jsheiry said it, I believe it. He is a wizard with AV stuff. Truly