Problem With Third-party Stereo Installation

[Gryzor]

Hello everybody...

First of all, thanks for this nice community. I've been lurking about for a few months now, reading all sorts of interesting things, and it has helped me in a couple of occasions...

This time I'm posting with a question I haven't found an answer to. yesterday I removed the built-in stereo and installed the one I had in my previous car - the quite nice Sony CDX-GT700. All went well, sound is clearly superior (especially with BPE and equaliser enabled), however when I went back into my car in the afternoon after work, I found it had lost all its settings - radio memories, clock, everything... It turns out that when I switch the engine off it loses everything. Never had this before, so I was wondering if there's something I should take care while installing? I did see that the power connector of the stereo had an extra live (=wired) 'thingy' (what do you call the small sockets/pin receptors?) than the power connector coming out of the car, but I'm not sure what that one does.

Anyone has had such an experience or could give me some advice?

Thanks in advance!

Themis, Greece

[bradburyss]

Hello. It is quite a common thing. Basically what's happening is that the permanent feed isn't connected to the right wire for the radio so as soon as the power goes off in your car the memory goes. Have a look on the wiring diagram you got with the stereo. There should be permanent and switched wires, if my memory serves me correctly they should be red and yellow and have bullet type connectors somewhere along the wire. You just need to swap those round and it should work.

If you don't have that then you will probably need to get an adapter cable that switches the wires for you.

[Gryzor]

Hello. It is quite a common thing. Basically what's happening is that the permanent feed isn't connected to the right wire for the radio so as soon as the power goes off in your car the memory goes. Have a look on the wiring diagram you got with the stereo. There should be permanent and switched wires, if my memory serves me correctly they should be red and yellow and have bullet type connectors somewhere along the wire. You just need to swap those round and it should work.

If you don't have that then you will probably need to get an adapter cable that switches the wires for you.

Ah... there you have it. Most annoying! Maybe this is beyond my stereo expertise, so maybe I'll consult a specialist (darn I hate spending money on that). Can I ask you what are the switched wires, and what are the bullet type connectors? I'll have to download the schematics and manual, will try and take a look at it myself...

Thanks so much for the (really prompt!!!) reply... :)

Cheers

Themis

[bradburyss]

If you managed to install the stereo you will be able to do it :) The wires will be on the loom you got with the stereo so on the bunch that comes out of the back of the stereo and connects into the connector from the car.

Have a look at the red and yellow wires, they should have some type of connector part way down them which will allow you to separate them (I apologise if I'm not making total sense). Disconnect and plug the red wire into the yellow and the yellow into the red.

[Gryzor]

Hello. It is quite a common thing. <snip>

Ok... I found the schematics and going over them I thing I understood what you were saying. It might be a very simple task after all, so I'm giving it a try tonight :)

Cheers

Themis

[noose01]

I had same problem yesterday.

I tested the wires and find out that ignition power wire had power all the time. While constant power had only when i turned the key.

So i just switched those wires. Now its working great. (if you don't count that player's front panel got mad and its like goddam disco, gotta return it to dealer)

[Gryzor]

I had same problem yesterday.

I tested the wires and find out that ignition power wire had power all the time. While constant power had only when i turned the key.

So i just switched those wires. Now its working great. (if you don't count that player's front panel got mad and its like goddam disco, gotta return it to dealer)

My stereo has a cable with a double plug (sorry, don't know how to better phrase it) and you can choose how to wire it... I suspect that might be the one. I will post here tomorrow on the specific model (and most Sony stereos, as their wiring is very similar) just in case anyone else is having problems :)

[Jan van de Wouw]

In the wiring from the radio to the connectors there should be a red and a yellow wire.

Both probably have a means of separating them built into the wire.

Disconnect and plug yellow into red and red into yellow. Re-install and all should work.

Else look in the manual for you new radio under the installation-chapter,

there probably is a reference to VW's, Audi, Skoda and Seat (cars from VAG)

having the wires swapped. The Aygo does to, so if you follow the

instructions in that chapter you should be able to sort it out...

[Gryzor]

In the wiring from the radio to the connectors there should be a red and a yellow wire.

Both probably have a means of separating them built into the wire.

Disconnect and plug yellow into red and red into yellow. Re-install and all should work.

Exactly that. The installation chart does mention three different types of cars, vis-a-vis stereo wiring. And indeed, there's a red one which has a connection in the middle. I couldn't pry it open in the car (didn't have the right toold with me), but just by touching the yellow edge on the red connector had the desired effect. I have the stereo by me right now and I'm going to separate the wires after lunch (yum), so thanks once more for the help...

Cheers

Themis

[Rolla_SR]

i had this problem at first as i installed the new headunit for my car myself, i took it to Halfords when i went to upgrade my Speakers and mentioned it to the man i was dealing with and he just took a look at it fiddled with a few wires and walah it was done. Good stuff really :)

[Gryzor]

Piece of cake, after all; indeed, connecting yellow to red did the trick (actually, when the unit/wires cooled down it was doable by hand). Thanks all for your help, learn something new each day...

[Gryzor]

I forgot to write about the end result. All went well, however a word of caution: a couple of days after I installed my Sony stereo, I got the new facia in the mail. I went to install it and found out that you actually have to fit the stereo *inside* the facia and then install the entire set into the board. Nothing serious, a 5-min job, but I thought I'd let people know.

Thanks again,

Themis