Captain_Slow

As always a task like servicing the CE panel leads to other WYIT tasks. I've got a new Alpine head unit and researching how to connect it has lead me to discover this perfect adapter on Crutchfield...



The factory harness connector is of course for the Blaupunkt head unit. The installers of at least two different head units relied on these clasp type connectors. I'd like to remove them, bandage the wires and use the above connector to clean up the installation and do away with the "powered antenna" wire because there is no powered antenna on the S4.




I searched for info on each of the wires and found a labeled picture that matches how the wires were connected in my car - with the thin and fat red wires being most interesting. Based on the labeled picture I found on a forum and the wiring in my car shown above, it seems the fat red wire of the original factory connector is switched through the ignition, and the thin red wire is to the battery.





This is a bit odd because the Alpine connector (below) provides a thick black wire for ground and an adjacent thick yellow wire for the battery connection. These two appear to be perfect mates for the fat brown ground wire and fat red wire in the factory connector - except the fat red wire in the factory connector is switched (yes/no?), and the thin red wire goes to the battery (yes/no?).




The result is visually counter-intuitive, and if correct might make using the adapter connector a bad idea.

Or..maybe, based on the 11 FIVE star reviews on the Crutchfield site, the head unit doesn't really care how the battery and switched wires (using the adapter connector or not) are connected when RCA cables run output to an external amp (no speakers being powered by the head unit).

Can anyone clear up this wiring confusion? Feeling more confused after reading this post? I hope the pictures are all an experienced person needed to see.

Captain_Slow

Found and added the labeled connector pic. The factory harness connector in my 88 S4 doesn't have the green/brown wires, but the rest of it is the same.

Captain_Slow

Just contacted Crutchfield and the tech assist chat person said the connector posted at the top of this thread won't work. I don't agree. I think their system simply no longer associates that connector with the 928. There's still the matter of identifying the switched 12V and constant 12V wires - I may have to wait until the CE panel is back in the car and battery connected to use a multimeter to identify these wires. Hoping someone has been here before.