Power to stereo

Drexel · 07-07-2013 7:20pm #1

Hey, the girlfriend got a opel corsa recently but it had no stereo with it. She is mad to get one in but isnt sure what the story is with the connection in the car.
There is speakers that the previous owner wired in and i dunno if the wiring is correct.

I have tried two different stereos and nothin happened. Was no sign of life at all. Im not too sure what im doin tho so would appreciate a bit of help. I have pictures of the connecter in the car currently.

is there any way I can check if there is power to that connection? If I stick a multimeter on it? What pins are the power? Any info would be great really. Thanks

Drexel · 07-07-2013 7:21pm

wooo. Apologies for the size of the pictures!

colm_mcm · 07-07-2013 7:30pm

From looking at it (first pic) the wire just over the number 1 on the bottom plug is the ground.
The one just above it is the ignition, the red one 2 to the left of the ground should be the permanent live for memory.

Its a right dodgy job done there and is bound to cause issues with bad connections.

I'd say the speakers are grand, they should be paired where the pin on the top row corresponds with the pin on the bottom row. That top plug is for speakers only.

Starting at the clip on the left you'd have RR RF LF LR, + on top, - on bottom.

Drexel · 07-07-2013 7:41pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

From looking at it (first pic) the wire just over the number 1 on the bottom plug is the ground.
The one just above it is the ignition, the red one 2 to the left of the ground should be the permanent live for memory.

Its a right dodgy job done there and is bound to cause issues with bad connections.

Ya it's a bit of a mess alright. Would it be a huge job to take out that connector and wire a new one in? If I put multi meter on the plus and minus will that tell me
If there is power getting to it. If there is power should the stereo come on or am I missing something?

colm_mcm · 07-07-2013 7:58pm

Shouldn't be too difficult.

Now the thing is to find the actual wires coming from the car, and match them up. That's where they go on the plugs.

Is there a bunch of cables taped up there? the red/black ones are speaker cables, but where are the others gone?

There's obviously no power going to that block at the moment.

Drexel · 07-07-2013 8:20pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

Shouldn't be too difficult.

Now the thing is to find the actual wires coming from the car, and match them up. That's where they go on the plugs.

Is there a bunch of cables taped up there? the red/black ones are speaker cables, but where are the others gone?

There's obviously no power going to that block at the moment.

LOL so there is no power or nothin connected! Just the speakers?

this is a picture of the inside. I did find a bunch of cables alright. I hadnt spotted them before. They are fairly short but I can make some up in work tomorrow.

Its never just a matter of matching colour for colour is it?

colm_mcm · 07-07-2013 9:06pm

have you a match for each wire there?

seems like you might have, i'd be double checking all the ones there as you'd never know what sort of butchery went on.

Am I right in thinking those red cables run from that place to the plug in the previous picture?

Drexel · 07-07-2013 9:10pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

have you a match for each wire there?

seems like you might have, i'd be double checking all the ones there as you'd never know what sort of butchery went on.

Am I right in thinking those red cables run from that place to the plug in the previous picture?

Correct. The red and black cables with the green tape are the other end of the ones going into the connector

colm_mcm · 07-07-2013 9:18pm

Do the colours of the wires already connected match up?

Drexel · 07-07-2013 9:24pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

Do the colours of the wires already connected match up?

The only cables that are actually wired into the car are the red and black ones in the picture

colm_mcm · 07-07-2013 9:28pm

yeah, but pick a cable on the plug, note the colour of the wire before its joined to the red/black wire, follow it down and see if the wire that its connected to on the car is the same colour.

If the ones cabled in all match, then there's a good chance the others will too.

Drexel · 07-07-2013 9:38pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

yeah, but pick a cable on the plug, note the colour of the wire before its joined to the red/black wire, follow it down and see if the wire that its connected to on the car is the same colour.

If the ones cabled in all match, then there's a good chance the others will too.

Nope! They dont match up! Nightmare. How will I know what is what?

I appreciate the help you have given me. Thanks!

colm_mcm · 07-07-2013 9:49pm

If it was me I'd give the previous fella the benefit of the doubt and assume that he got the speakers right.

But to be honest, you're better off buying a stereo and cutting the loom that comes with it rather than using that one. cut too close to the plugs.

Or ideally you could get a loom from another corsa and just join up the matching colours.

Where in the car is the last picture taken from?

Drexel · 07-07-2013 9:56pm

colm_mcm wrote: »

If it was me I'd give the previous fella the benefit of the doubt and assume that he got the speakers right.

But to be honest, you're better off buying a stereo and cutting the loom that comes with it rather than using that one. cut too close to the plugs.

Or ideally you could get a loom from another corsa and just join up the matching colours.

Where in the car is the last picture taken from?

I have a stereo which has the opposite side of that connector.

The last picture is inside the dash. Where the stereo fits in

Chimaera · 08-07-2013 3:08pm

I'd get a new ISO connector and start with that. Ideally, try and get a wiring diagram for the car then - that should be some help in finding out what the original wire colours are on the car side.

Another thing to check is what colours the wires are at the speaker end and if they match what's at the bundle in the dash. Sometimes colours change along the way though, which is where that wiring diagram can be useful.

For power, you need +12 V and ground. Ground in most cars is brown or black with no trace, and +12 V will usually be red, again with no trace. Optionally you then need +12 V switched (referred to as ignition). So in all that lot, use a multimeter to find a wire that's permanently on +12 V (and ideally connected to the stereo fuse at the fuse panel - continuity tester is useful here). Then find another in that bunch that's only got +12 V when you switch on the ignition.

Optionally, there should be another wire there that'll be +12 V when the lights are switched on - that's the Illumination terminal. It usually dims the display on the radio a little when the lights are switched on.

Drexel · 08-07-2013 7:34pm

I've managed to get the stereo up and running anyways. Thanks to everyone who helped.

I seem to have knocke the horn out tho! Don't know how. The only thing I can think of is

There was no ignition 12v. I had the always on one but in the bunch Of wires there was no ignition one. I cut the one going to the lighter ad used that. Could that have knocked out the horn?

iamthemanwork · 08-07-2013 10:36pm

Give the wiring job to someone who knows what they are doing.. It will be done in 30 mins and your problem solved.

Drexel · 08-07-2013 11:18pm

iamthemanwork wrote: »

Give the wiring job to someone who knows what they are doing.. It will be done in 30 mins and your problem solved.

If i get someone else to do it this time Ill have to get someone to do it everytime. Cant learn if ya dont try.

Wanna offer some useful advice instead?

Ronnie Beck · 09-07-2013 12:49am

jonny666 wrote: »

I've managed to get the stereo up and running anyways. Thanks to everyone who helped.

I seem to have knocke the horn out tho! Don't know how. The only thing I can think of is

There was no ignition 12v. I had the always on one but in the bunch Of wires there was no ignition one. I cut the one going to the lighter ad used that. Could that have knocked out the horn?

Might be on the same fuse.

Drexel · 09-07-2013 10:29am

Ronnie Beck wrote: »

Might be on the same fuse.

Ya im goina wire the lighter back up when it cools down a bit this evening and see does that sort it

colm_mcm · 09-07-2013 10:34am

Standard corsa wiring is ISO so getting one from a scrap car would save a lot of hassle.

Drexel · 09-07-2013 7:00pm

Ya was a fuse. Must have crossed a wire or something. All ok now. Cheers to everyone who helped!

Power to stereo

Comments