Ford In Car Wireless - Help Needed!

[laser wheels]

So I bought a new radiogram for the Sierra, but can't fathom how to wire the thing up, mainly because the current wiring is like nothing I have seen before.

 

Here is a picture of what the back of the current unit looks like:

 

 

And this gives you an idea of what the cabling looks like:

 

 

What I find most odd is what appears to be the power lead, which is big thick electrical cable with a push-on spade connector. Completely different to what I would normally expect.

 

And these are what carry the sound to the speakers, simple enough but I've never seen connectors like these before. The last time I needed to use something like these it was to keep the back of an Argos wardrobe on:

 

 

So, who here has experience of putting radios in old Fords? Can adaptors be bought, or does it need rewiring? Is this going to be difficult?

 

Sadly, the webs have not been my friend and so far I have turned up nothing.

[overrun]

Ah. I have been here.

 

Got a multimeter? If so, test the large spades to see which is the earth.

Ground the other MM lead to the radio case.

Iirc, it is the far right pin in your picture.

 

The others are obviously the permanent and switched live/possible remote live for electric aerial, if the radio is a push-button type.

 

The wiring on the car looks original, I guess. Test those and see what does what.

 

The top two plugs on the radio are DIN connectors for the speakers.

 

I have a Ford workshop manual for my Escort and it has diagrams of the connections on all of the radio range, so if you are stuck, it should help.

[gdhaydock]

The speaker connectors are the same as used on some home stereo systems in the 70's and 80's but can't remember what they were called. I know Maplins used to sell them in the day.

 

The big black wire in the centre of the hole looks to be an earth, but check with a meter first. Then looking at the back of the radio there are 2 other connections, one should be a live feed, the other may be a permanent live or an electric aerial trigger. Was the existing radio a digital display type? and is the aerial either electric or integrated into the rear window glass?

[overrun]

Looking at your pics, I can see the ground cable on the car loom, dangling out out of the centre of the radio hole in your first pic.

 

Connect that and then try the other two to see which is perm and which is switched live.

Also check the fuse is present and correct.

 

Or does the radio only have two spade connectors? Hard to tell in pics.

If so, I guess it just needs earth and permanent live connections and the other cable in your car loom will go unused, with this radio.

[castros_bro]

Yo Mon!  So that's the old radio and the old radio's wiring where each connector has a corresponding end,

 

spade -ve power,

spade +ve power,

2 x DIN speakers L + R,

aerial

the small switched power spade.  

 

Could you post a a piccie of the back of the new radiogram?

[laser wheels]

Thanks, chaps, will get up photos of the new unit when I get back from work tonight. Earth lead, eh? Didn't think it would be earth but that makes things a bit clearer.

 

I actually did buy an adaptor off ebay when I got the car, but sadly it looks to be for a much later (more modern) model with the ISO block connectors. I'm guessing these units like the one I have are left overs from the Cortina.

[oldford]

The large black spade is for the earth, Yellow wire will be the switched supply wire and the thinner white wire would be for the electric aerial.  That radio wouldn't have a non switched live as the tuning is manual and the presets are mechanical.

 

If you're adding a more modern radio, you'll need to add some more wires, one would be for a non switched 12 volt supply and another for a supply that is live when the lights are switched on.

[laser wheels]

^^^^ That is great thanks!

 

That was the main thing I was worried about as I am used to seeing much more wiring in there, so it's now clear there is quite a bit of work to be done.

[Stixy]

Unlug the fader and you will have a plug with six wires  all + speaker wires  , 2  0f them will go to the little plugs on the back of the set the other 4 go off to the speakers   

[Stixy]

all speaker -  are connected together in the car speaker loom  and go to the little plugs 

 

check your new set can cope with joined speaker neg's   if it cant you will have to follow the speaker loom to the point before they all join  and this will be aprox 12 inch from the fader plug 

[Stixy]

You can take a permanant positive off the fag lighter feed