I'm going to try to probe further from Bogus' FAQ in some specific areas. Maybe this will be of benefit to others.

I am replacing the non-Bose tape deck in my 94 coupe with a Pioneer DEH-P7700MP and the Pioneer CD-IB100 iPod interface unit. I've fab'd some MDF 6.5" speaker mounts for the door (JL VR series) and will just grab some 6x9's of eBay for the time being for rears. Someday, when budget permits, I'll install amp(s) and likely a sub for low freq fill.

I've gathered as much information as I believe exists on this subject from this forum, so I think the following questions are valid. I am not an installer nor am I even an expert, but I do have the basics of this down, so I think I'm ready to jump in.

QUOTE from C4 Audio FAQ:
Thoughts regarding the '94-'96 reciever:

The reciever won't have to be removed, just disconnected. The harness on the reciever has all the wiring needed. However, you will need about 5' of wire, in 4 colours - power, ground, memory, antenna. It's best to take the four wires, then bind them at one end, take the other end and insert all wires into a drill and tighten a bit, then let the drill to the work! It will create a nice spun harness which will make running it up the console that much easier.


1. What is the best wire to use to create this new 4-wire harness?
2. Should I solder them to the old (clipped) harness wires or somehow try to make a new adapter?
3. I assume that I will need a coax antenna extension cable to run from the current receiver to the new head unit. The antenna wire in the 4-wire harness is for the antenna remote (to trigger antenna extension), right?
4. I assume that all new speaker wire will need to be run from the new head unit to the speaker locations. Is this accurate? Unfortunately, I don't have the money to install amps right now, the the HU amp will be it for this system.
5. Once this is all done, is there any reason to leave the old remote receiver in place behind the passenger seat? Will it even come out without having to take off the entire rear panel?
6. Can someone describe/confirm the real-world descriptions of the 4 wires that are being extended and how they will connect to my new HU? i.e. Power=Accessory power; ground=ground (duh), memory=battery power (always on) and antenna=remote accessory (triggers the antenna to extend).

I'm anxiously awaiting my mount from vrumvrum, so this is all info-gathering for my project which will begin next weekend, most likely.

Thanks in advance,
J.P. <vettenet>

 

Your on the right track man...
1. Simple 12-16 gauge wire is all you need, I used some speaker wire.
2. What do you mean? Youll have an aftermarket harness in place with the wires comming out that you need. If your talking about the speakers those old clips are useless.
3. Buy the gm antenna harness at walmart(like $7, i think)
4. HU amp will be suffecient, use large gauge speaker wire...
5. no need to leave the reciver in, but i dont know how hard it will be to get out.
6. Your new HU will have a harness comiing out of it requiring the 4 inputs, your insrtuction manual will tell you which are the waires you need, all your doing is putting a link between the HU harness and the aftermarket gm '88 and up harness.

hope this helps...

 

Your on the right track man...Thanks.

2. What do you mean? Youll have an aftermarket harness in place with the wires comming out that you need. If your talking about the speakers those old clips are useless.
I didn't think that an aftermarket harness was available. I expected to have to clip off the adapter and solder new wires to the old wires. I don't know if WalMart in Canada is going to carry this part, but I will certainly look tonight.

3. Buy the gm antenna harness at walmart(like $7, i think)
ditto #2.

6. Your new HU will have a harness comiing out of it requiring the 4 inputs, your insrtuction manual will tell you which are the waires you need, all your doing is putting a link between the HU harness and the aftermarket gm '88 and up harness.
I was more looking to make sure that I was clear on the Bogus-provided wire names (power, ground, memory, antenna) versus the names provided in the head unit manual (Ignition/Accessory, ground, Battery and Remote). I think these labels match up, but I was hoping someone could confirm.

 

Good call on the WalMart harness. I found the part that you were talking about (SCOSCHE part number GMDAF) and it should help out quite a bit.

 

Gotta love walley world... So follow the wire listing on the aftermarket harness and match up the correct wires with your new HU.

Good luck, plan at least a day if not more.

 

I mocked together the new HU, the iPod interface unit and the wiring harness adapter, and ran some speaker wire to the front speakers and everything worked as it should!

I did discover that the Pioneer iPod interface actually seems to slave the iPod with no control possible from the iPod itself. I had assumed that the iPod would be controllable from either the head unit (& remote control) or via the iPod click wheel. Not so, it would seem. The good news is that I discovered this before modding anything to mount the iPod in an accessible location. Now I'll probably just route the cable under the console and simply store the iPod inside the console when I have it hooked up to the car.

One more thing - any advice on the "Illumination" circuit? It is not included in the harness feeding the remote receiver, so I believe I'll need to tap into a source in the dash. Any tips on locating an appropriate place to get this circuit?

 

Your illumination or dimmer is on the harness, just plug both connectors from the remote reciver into the harness and run the wires, I dont have a wireing diagram from a '94 but mine works just fine. Make sure your pioneer is set to auto dimmer...

 

The 94 uses the 20-pin connector from Bogus's FAQ for the remote receiver hookup. The input (non-speaker) plug is supposed to have the following pinout (from the C4 FAQ diagrams):
10: BAT
9: IGN
8: ANT
7: DIM
6: PRKLITS
5: GRD

My vehicle harness connector, however, only has 4 wires coming in to it:
10: BAT
9: IGN
8: ANT
7: no wire
6: no wire
5: GRD

The aftermarket harness adapter does have an orange lead for ILLUM, but there is no vehicle plug wire to feed it. This makes sense, I suppose (the remote receiver unit behind the seat doesn't have anything to light up), and perhaps there is an orange or gray wire behind the dash connecting to the in-dash head unit, but I don't know yet...

Another follow-up question: What is the difference between illumination and dimmer?