When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My car came with a pioneer aftermarket radio pictured below. If I were to swap it for another aftermarket radio, would I have to splice any new wires or can I use the connections that were in the pioneer?
Also did my car come with the Bose system originally or not? It's an 89 zf6 coupe. How can I tell?
If you have speakers in the doors then you "had" a Bose. I would look up the Pioneer model on the Net to see if you can find it's electrical connections and use that information to hook-up your new Head unit. There's no telling how the Pioneer was wired by the pervious owner. You'll know when you inspect behind the radio.
If you have speakers in the doors then you "had" a Bose. I would look up the Pioneer model on the Net to see if you can find it's electrical connections and use that information to hook-up your new Head unit. There's no telling how the Pioneer was wired by the pervious owner. You'll know when you inspect behind the radio.
This is how it looks in the back, there are two blue plugs that plug into the blue colored outlets in the back. There is also an antenna lead that plugs into the hole on the left.
Also no door speakers so no bose for me. And to my original question, are the two blue plugs common to most aftermarket radios?
Those blue plugs may be a common style, but the difference would be in the pin-out. Different brands would more than likely have different functions for each of the individual wires. Some aftermarket units may not even use some of the individual wires in those plugs.
Wiring instructions that come with new aftermarket radios should have a schematic that identifies the purpose of each wire. You may have to remove the wire harness from the car side of the old radio and splice the new harness in. That means identifying what each of the wires on the car side does. Do you have the install instructions from the existing radio?
It might be a good idea to post you question in the Audio and Electronics section of the Forum. There are some very knowledgeable member there and they would be a big help. Also post the pics you have posted here.
get on the net and find the wiring diagram to the head unit you have. this will tell you all you need to know about which wires are power, switched, LF, RF speakers and so on. tag the wires with tape labeling them so you know which is which and cut the plug off of it. then when you get your new head unit, it will have a wiring diagram and the wires will be labeled for power, switch, etc. match the tags on the new wires from the new head unit up with the wire tags you put on from your old unit and connect.
this of course assumes that the old unit works properly and all the speakers work properly
Ok, thanks everyone. That makes perfect sense. I found this diagram of the radio wiring online. I really want to avoid splicing anything so maybe I'll look for another Pioneer radio and hope most of the wires match.
Has anyone had experience with swapping one brand radio for the same brand? Did the wires match?
good luck with that. manufactures change so many things every model, you might, but I doubt it. it is so simple to tag and connect why limit yourself to TRYING to find a perfect fit?
I would think that unless you buy an older Pioneer HU you will have to splice in a new harness. The second plug is for an add on CD player, which will be even harder to match up. I would pull the existing radio out and see if the factory plugs are still there. If so, you can get an aftermarket adapter harness that will work with most radios. If you do not want to splice in a new harness yourself, most audio shops will do it if you buy a new HU from them.
Ok, thanks everyone. That makes perfect sense. I found this diagram of the radio wiring online. I really want to avoid splicing anything so maybe I'll look for another Pioneer radio and hope most of the wires match.
Has anyone had experience with swapping one brand radio for the same brand? Did the wires match?
Agree with above.
IMO, don't limit yourself. You have the diagram, just solder the wires in place and call it a learning experience.
If they have a aftermarket/stock harness connector in place there, it is even better.. You don't have to hack the stock wiring. You can just reuse the connector.
10-22-2016, 10:57 PM
Aftermarket radio questions.
