Help. I am trying to fit a Sony car stereo into my BX14 TGE and i am encountering some troubles.
There is no switched feed on the Bx so all I have is a pemanent live and an earth. This powered up the old blaupunct stereo fine but the new one just sits there looking blank. I thought it may be broken so I put it in my wifes 205 roland garros that has a switched feed and as if to taunt me it turned itself on and worked perfectly.
I then returned it to the bx and it once again sat there and did nothing.
So to cut a long ramble short..
How do you fit a switched feed to a car stereo in the BX?
Please don't let it be 'take the dash out and etc.' because that could push me over the edge of sanity.
Any helpful advice would be greatly appreciated.
ben.
fitting car stereo switched feed.
Firstly it sounds as though there is a problem with your existing feed. You should check the it is live (Book for BX 19 which had a six speaker kit states grey wire with red connector is live and yellow wire with black connector is earth.)
Your radio will need 2 feeds, one permanently on for the memory and another for the set itself which can be switched. You can actually take this supply from the existing one for convenience using a relay which is simply an electrically operated switch.
If you look at the diagram on the relay you will see that 2 of its terminals are joined by what looks like a coily bit of wire. There are the operating terminals, the other 2 are the switched. So car power to switched, other switched to radio power.
Now you have to operate your relay. One terminal is simple - earth to the radio earth. The supply is more interesting as you're going to have to tap something but it needn't be very powerful as the relay operates with a tiny current.
One to use could be the heater panel switched supply, which I think operates with the ignition in the standby position, or easier is to drop the panel under the steering wheel and find the approperiate wire from the switch and connect onto that using a Scotchlock connector - not neat or nice but it works.
You can get nice plugs to convert to the modern system from Maplins and others. This is nice if you think you may need to swap things round again and saves butchering everything to get it in and working.
Your radio probably has 4 outputs and the car is wired for 2 sets of speakers. In fact your radio may not appreciate 2 outputs not being connected and may need re-setting frequently. I have this problem at the moment with our ZX - the CD player that worked fine in the BX keeps needing to be re-set and I think the lack of load makes the thing unstable. Interestingly one of the BX back speakers wan't working and had actually blown - so the wire itself may be enough to stabilise the thing. (Inductance in parallel wires or something.)
Your radio will need 2 feeds, one permanently on for the memory and another for the set itself which can be switched. You can actually take this supply from the existing one for convenience using a relay which is simply an electrically operated switch.
If you look at the diagram on the relay you will see that 2 of its terminals are joined by what looks like a coily bit of wire. There are the operating terminals, the other 2 are the switched. So car power to switched, other switched to radio power.
Now you have to operate your relay. One terminal is simple - earth to the radio earth. The supply is more interesting as you're going to have to tap something but it needn't be very powerful as the relay operates with a tiny current.
One to use could be the heater panel switched supply, which I think operates with the ignition in the standby position, or easier is to drop the panel under the steering wheel and find the approperiate wire from the switch and connect onto that using a Scotchlock connector - not neat or nice but it works.
You can get nice plugs to convert to the modern system from Maplins and others. This is nice if you think you may need to swap things round again and saves butchering everything to get it in and working.
Your radio probably has 4 outputs and the car is wired for 2 sets of speakers. In fact your radio may not appreciate 2 outputs not being connected and may need re-setting frequently. I have this problem at the moment with our ZX - the CD player that worked fine in the BX keeps needing to be re-set and I think the lack of load makes the thing unstable. Interestingly one of the BX back speakers wan't working and had actually blown - so the wire itself may be enough to stabilise the thing. (Inductance in parallel wires or something.)
Hope Adrian E doesn't mind me posting this, he had a cunning idea for a switched live in a BX and PMd me the following...
"Basically all you need to do is pull the clock unit out the top of the dash, and the plug on the back of it has 4 terminals going to it. The plug can easily be opened up, and using a voltmeter identify which wires supply +12V either when the ignition is switched, or the lights are turned on. From memory it's the bottom 2 on the plug but I'd check to be safe.
You'll need help soldering it because it's a pig to work in such an enclosed space and you need to do it fairly tidy to be able to get the terminals back into the plug and close the plug back up again.
Once you've done that you just feed the new wires down the side of the heater unit on the passenger side and they'll come out down by the stereo. I've tried installing a stereo to a BX without removing the front half of the centre console and it's an absolute pain - you need to be able to get your hand behind the stereo to help route the wiring without it all bunching up."
So you can nick a switched live off the clock. Either that or just plug both the constant and switched live connectors on the head unit into the live supply on the car - this will mean that the head unit is not affected by the stereo. Word of warning though - make sure that the stereo doesn't draw enough current when off to flatten the battery. I had a JVC head unit in my 16v like this for some months and it was fine, but I've heard that Sony head units draw more current than most when on standby.
If you're going to do things properly I'd advise converting the wiring behind the dash to an ISO connector, this means you can change head units with minimal hassle.
"Basically all you need to do is pull the clock unit out the top of the dash, and the plug on the back of it has 4 terminals going to it. The plug can easily be opened up, and using a voltmeter identify which wires supply +12V either when the ignition is switched, or the lights are turned on. From memory it's the bottom 2 on the plug but I'd check to be safe.
You'll need help soldering it because it's a pig to work in such an enclosed space and you need to do it fairly tidy to be able to get the terminals back into the plug and close the plug back up again.
Once you've done that you just feed the new wires down the side of the heater unit on the passenger side and they'll come out down by the stereo. I've tried installing a stereo to a BX without removing the front half of the centre console and it's an absolute pain - you need to be able to get your hand behind the stereo to help route the wiring without it all bunching up."
So you can nick a switched live off the clock. Either that or just plug both the constant and switched live connectors on the head unit into the live supply on the car - this will mean that the head unit is not affected by the stereo. Word of warning though - make sure that the stereo doesn't draw enough current when off to flatten the battery. I had a JVC head unit in my 16v like this for some months and it was fine, but I've heard that Sony head units draw more current than most when on standby.
If you're going to do things properly I'd advise converting the wiring behind the dash to an ISO connector, this means you can change head units with minimal hassle.
I did wonder about using the clock as a source but thought that 14's had the clock in the binnacle next to the speedo and a plain tray in the top of the dash.
If you don't have the clock I don't think you will have the leads but they might be there.
Curiously my clock leads show signed of Scotchlocks being used on at least one of them!
If you don't have the clock I don't think you will have the leads but they might be there.
Curiously my clock leads show signed of Scotchlocks being used on at least one of them!
-
Mike E (uk)
- 1K Away
- Posts: 1115
- Joined: Sun Aug 14, 2005 9:10 am
- Location: High Wycombe, Bucks
- x 1
As it happens, I did this exact job today.
The grey wire on the back of the clock is switch +12V when the key is turned to 1st or 2nd position, so is ideal for switch radio feed.
2nd from the bpttom IIRC.
It is very easy to get the wire down from below the clock tray to the passenger footwell.
Simply scrape some insulation off the wire about 2 inches before the plug,
& solder on the new wire and insulate the join with tape.
My Pioneer used to flatten the car's battery in 2 weeks if undriven.
This problem should now be solved, plus it is very convenient having the stereo switch on and off with the key switch.
Mike
The grey wire on the back of the clock is switch +12V when the key is turned to 1st or 2nd position, so is ideal for switch radio feed.
2nd from the bpttom IIRC.
It is very easy to get the wire down from below the clock tray to the passenger footwell.
Simply scrape some insulation off the wire about 2 inches before the plug,
& solder on the new wire and insulate the join with tape.
My Pioneer used to flatten the car's battery in 2 weeks if undriven.
This problem should now be solved, plus it is very convenient having the stereo switch on and off with the key switch.
Mike
At last this evening I managed to get the stereo working.
I already had an ISO connector that I had used to fit the blaupunct model.
I looked closely at the two connectors for the blaupunct and the sony units and discovered that the reason that the blaupunct worked was because it had two wires coming off the permanent live feed one red one yellow whereas the sony only had the one. Rather than take another feed from the live on the car I just plugged the sony connector into the blaupunt one and hey presto the stereo came on.
I know this is a bit of a bodge and I will look into wiring it up with a switched live soon but for now this will do.
Thankyou to all who gave advice, the only fault with my bottom of the range BX14 is that it doesn't have a handy digital clock to steal a feed from so I may have to look elsewhere. I did note however that there was a wire behind the stereo hole that was connected to nothing, could this be a feed for a digital clock upgrade? I will let you know how I get on.
Ben.
I already had an ISO connector that I had used to fit the blaupunct model.
I looked closely at the two connectors for the blaupunct and the sony units and discovered that the reason that the blaupunct worked was because it had two wires coming off the permanent live feed one red one yellow whereas the sony only had the one. Rather than take another feed from the live on the car I just plugged the sony connector into the blaupunt one and hey presto the stereo came on.
I know this is a bit of a bodge and I will look into wiring it up with a switched live soon but for now this will do.
Thankyou to all who gave advice, the only fault with my bottom of the range BX14 is that it doesn't have a handy digital clock to steal a feed from so I may have to look elsewhere. I did note however that there was a wire behind the stereo hole that was connected to nothing, could this be a feed for a digital clock upgrade? I will let you know how I get on.
Ben.
Possibly - stick a meter or bulb on it and see what happens!
The clock has a number of connections - there is a supply which is permanently on, power for the illumination which is on the auxilliaries circuit, and a lead to the parking light circuit which operates the dimming mechanism, as well as of course an earth.
These cars were wired for a cassette tape player which would have had a click type switch on it. Your Sony set may have an electronic type switch which simply puts the set into standby mode. You will be surprised at the current that it takes - and I found that after about 10 days my TD wouldn't start. With a set with a proper switch it'll start after about 1 month.
The clock has a number of connections - there is a supply which is permanently on, power for the illumination which is on the auxilliaries circuit, and a lead to the parking light circuit which operates the dimming mechanism, as well as of course an earth.
These cars were wired for a cassette tape player which would have had a click type switch on it. Your Sony set may have an electronic type switch which simply puts the set into standby mode. You will be surprised at the current that it takes - and I found that after about 10 days my TD wouldn't start. With a set with a proper switch it'll start after about 1 month.