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Hi-Fi System Question -- White covered cable

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Old Jun 15, 2016 | 01:13 AM
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Default Hi-Fi System Question -- White covered cable

Getting into the Hi-Fi system on my new(!) 1996 993 Targa. I took out the Kenwood head unit put in by the PO -- looked out of place IMHO and seemed too complicated to work that I didn't even try to use it. Have a Porsche Classic NAV Radio waiting to go into that space once I get the speakers upgraded (Focal PS 165F3) -- that will be another post as that looks to be a fun project once they come in.

Back to the issue/question I have : After removing the Kenwood, the original radio wires in the back had been butchered to make it work -- ugh! I've already restored the ISO A plug to factory (nice when you have all the tools, yet I still went through 5 connector pins as it was a PIA to crimp given how short the wires had become with little room to work).

Now I have this white cable with 8(?) wires inside of it (looks to also be wrapped by a ground wire?) and so far have not found a post that speaks to this White cable in particular -- please point me to the post(s) if there is. As you can see in the images below, these were spliced and diced to connect the speakers to the head unit custom wire set. Oh what a mess. On a separate note I had to fix the antenna cable as well -- had two adaptors (someone was clueless) connected to it and then the cable snapped at the original plug end! Had to recut the antenna cable and solder a new plug end. Got my daughter with good eyes to thread the fine center cable through the new plug! Terrible sodering job, but it works!

If anyone has some information on this White cable and how this should be properly wired as it would have come from the factory (including any parts I need) that would be appreciated. Also a wire diagram would be great.

In the end I will bypass the Nokia amp, but want to first get it to the correct factory spec. in the dash.

Many thanks in advance.




White cable goes to the back and into this bigger bundle of wires -- seems to go to the right behind the passenger (r) air bag... hmmmm where is it going?




This is how the connection was done by the PO -- wow!




Another closer look at the cable and wires. Note in the photo that I have already restored the ISO A connector to factory.
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Old Jun 15, 2016 | 08:52 AM
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I don't think that's an oem cable. My hifi car had a black cable running the radio outputs to the amp.
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Old Jun 15, 2016 | 12:01 PM
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That's what I was afraid of... Would you happen to have a photo of the black cable with the connector attached?

Anyone else have a thought? Looks like I need to do some unwrapping of the cables in the back to see what is what.
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Old Jun 15, 2016 | 12:27 PM
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The white cable is a factory cable, and runs from the (upper) C block of the Becker head unit to the Nokia amp under the passenger seat. It contains the wires for the line-outs from the head unit to the amp. It appears the original connectors were removed from yours and wires were spliced on for the after-market head unit. This thread may assist in identifying wires: https://rennlist.com/forums/993-foru...-or-radio.html
This is an example of why many of us used connector adapters, rather than cutting and splicing wires, so that we could revert to the original equipment easily if desired. Good luck with your conversion to a more suitable head unit.
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Old Jun 15, 2016 | 01:57 PM
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Yep. What KeninBlaine said!
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Old Jun 15, 2016 | 03:22 PM
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As stated 2X above, your white-wrapped cable bundle took speaker line-out and 12 V power from the mini-ISO C socket of the factory head unit to a DIN plug that was inserted into the Nokia power amplifier. My bundle was black-wrapped however. Frankly, I wouldn't try to restore the original plug for the C socket unless you plan to convert back to a Becker head unit and Nokia amplifier in the far-off future.

I assume that you are only going to run Focal PS165F3 front speakers? No rears? Please confirm this and I will elaborate further. Going through all the options with the information now available will take a lot of time and band-width.
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Old Jun 15, 2016 | 05:29 PM
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hi jansan946 --

thanks for your input -- I've read your thread on your install that was referenced above. Happy to chat off-line when convenient. Here are some thoughts back to you:

1. White cable
a. glad to hear it is the original that went into the mini-ISO C socket
b. yes agree not really worth bringing back to factory as I will be using the Porsche Classic Radio
c. but would be nice to bring back to factory spec just for the fun(!) of it -- do you have a photo of the mini-ISO C socket with the wires running into it?

2. Speakers
a. Plan to install the Focals PS165F3 in the front doors
b. will have to make a new housing for the speakers in the lower half
c. not sure if I will mount the crossovers on the door or ??? -- recommendations
d. keep current rears for now, but plan to upgrade in future -- recommedations

3. Amp
a. was planning to use a 5 channel Alpine amp to run everything and have 1 channel available if I ever plan to add subwoofers(!)

4. Anything else I am missing?
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Old Jun 15, 2016 | 05:55 PM
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A couple of more questions:

1. Were your speakers powered from the Kenwood head unit with "speaker out" connections or "line out" connections?

2. Was that white-wrapped cable connected for speaker signals from your head unit? Either "speaker out" or "line out" connections.

3. Have you pulled the passenger seat to see what's left (if anything) of the factory original cables that ran to and from the Nokia power amplifier?
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Old Jun 16, 2016 | 12:22 PM
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Originally Posted by jansan946
A couple of more questions:

1. Were your speakers powered from the Kenwood head unit with "speaker out" connections or "line out" connections?

2. Was that white-wrapped cable connected for speaker signals from your head unit? Either "speaker out" or "line out" connections.

3. Have you pulled the passenger seat to see what's left (if anything) of the factory original cables that ran to and from the Nokia power amplifier?

Well not, sure about #1 or #2...can't remember how it was all plugged in. I think where the wires spliced into the DIN cable they had RCA jacks spliced in as well that plugged into the rear of the Kenwood HU. The Nokia amp is still there and all plugged in. Must have connected through that.

I looked closer at the wires coming out of the DIN cable at the HU location and noticed that there are two WHITE wires which gives a total of 7 wires vs. the 6 you talked about in your earlier post -- only one was used, the other was cut and left alone. I have a mini ISO connector coming and will make it back to stock. Should I leave the extra white wire off or connect it with the other white wire. The brown wire and outer wrapping bare copper wire are to be connected together per your schematic. Is that correct?

Last edited by will007; Jun 16, 2016 at 12:23 PM. Reason: spelling, grammar errors
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Old Jun 16, 2016 | 01:23 PM
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OK, if the Nokia amp is under the passenger seat and still plugged-in, that simplifies things.

The fastest way to music is to forego the Alpine power amp for now. Unplug the rectangular and round DIN plugs from the Nokia amp and pull the amp.

Get this patch cable harness from BergvillFX here: http://www.bergvillfx.com/index.php/...fi-bypass.html

Note that it has a B block plug at the head unit end and a rectangular pin-out connector at the other that mates with the Nokia plug and interfaces the factory harness going to the speakers. This harness has to be strung inside the console as I described in my original post or passed from behind the dash under the passenger-side carpeting to the underseat area... which I now think may be a better way to do it.

The B block plugs into the corresponding socket on the back of the Porsche Classic Radio to provide speaker level signals to the door and rear speakers. Your radio should now operate four channels rather than the Nokia's six.

As for...
Should I leave the extra white wire off or connect it with the other white wire. The brown wire and outer wrapping bare copper wire are to be connected together per your schematic. Is that correct?
...I haven't a clue. Here's the diagram of the DIN plug inputs to the Nokia power amplifier and outputs from the Becker mini-ISO C pinout connector:


You will have to match colors and test continuity with a multimeter to learn which is what.

Hope this helps!
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Old Jun 16, 2016 | 01:35 PM
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Thanks -- I'm already going with your flow -- the BergvillFX was ordered last week. Will follow your suggestion on the new way to route the cable. Nice and simple!

Will do a test when I get all the new cables about that stray white wire... all the other wires are per your schematic that you attached.

Will do a follow up post next week when I get all the connectors in the mail and install the radio.

Many thanks!
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Old Jun 16, 2016 | 01:50 PM
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Looked a little closer at that stray wire -- it's not really white, more like an off white, gray tone. Has a wire in it... I wonder if it was there just to give structure to the cable?
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Old Jun 16, 2016 | 04:22 PM
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Mine was the light grey as well, to the Nokia amp.




There is also a factory plug conversion if you are switching out the amp. You should be able to source the factory end to clean up that mess if needed.

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Old Jun 16, 2016 | 04:24 PM
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Isn't the white wire the remote turn on wire for the amp, and the guy was probably just using deck power for the speakers?
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Old Jun 17, 2016 | 10:39 PM
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srbean -- not sure about what was the set up by the PO. Yes, your cable is the same color as mine. Does it still have the original factory connector -- mini ISO C -- on the HU end of the cable? If so, is it easy for you to take a few photo of the cable connected to the mini ISO C connector? Like to see the back end where the wires from inside the cable come out and go into the rear (?) of the connector. I wonder what that "stray" #7 wire (off-white) does. Thanks!
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