Self-installation of a radio in a car: useful to know and be able to do. Car radio diagrams and connector pinouts Connection diagram for a car radio
Car multimedia system (car radio) is a universal radio-electronic digital device designed for listening to radio broadcasts, music, video surveillance, navigation and communication.
In modern cars, audio preparation is carried out during assembly - an antenna and speakers are installed in the doors, electrical wiring is laid, and there is a compartment in the beard with a connector for connecting the radio. To install the radio, if the connector standards meet, you just need to dock them and insert the radio into the compartment.
Structural and color
wiring diagram for car radio in car
Before the initial installation or replacement of an obsolete car radio with your own hands, you need to study the principle of its operation and the connection diagram to the car's electrical wiring.
Radios of any manufacturer and standard size are connected according to the same electrical circuit, only it happens that the connecting connector in the car differs in design from the connector on the radio.
The color scheme of the wires in this block diagram corresponds to the European ISO standard. Please note that car manufacturers, especially in Asian countries, often use their own color coding for wires.
How is power supplied to the car radio?
For the car radio to operate, it must be supplied with a 12 V DC supply voltage from the battery. Usually it is supplied through three wires; in the diagram these are wires insulated in black (minus ground), yellow and red (+) colors.
The radio is connected with a yellow wire directly to the battery terminal through a fuse. This is necessary so that when the key is removed from the ignition switch, the set settings are saved in the radio; in this case, it is impossible to turn on the car radio. In standby mode, the current consumption of the radio is only a few milliamps, which is comparable to the self-discharge current of the battery and practically does not lead to its discharge.
The main supply voltage is supplied through the ignition switch via a red wire. If the ignition key is turned to the ACC position, even when the engine is not running, the car radio can be turned on.
The red wire can be connected to the yellow wire, and then the radio will work regardless of the ignition switch. But such a connection reduces operational safety and the battery will constantly discharge, especially if you forget to turn off the radio. Therefore, connecting the radio in this way is not recommended.
Antenna connection color scheme
A car antenna is a metal tube or rod of a given length. This antenna is connected using a coaxial cable using a connector directly to the antenna socket of the radio
The photo on the left shows the connector coming from the antenna, and on the right is the mating part of the socket, usually located on the back wall of the car radio.
To be able to receive radio transmissions at a greater distance from the radio signal source, active antennas are sometimes used, in which a high-frequency amplifier is additionally installed in the immediate vicinity of the antenna itself. For its operation, a supply voltage of 12 V is required, which is supplied via a blue wire with a white stripe.
In some car models, the antenna is hidden in the shaft and moves outward using an electric motor and mechanical gearbox only when the radio is turned on. The engine operates when a 12 V supply voltage is supplied through the blue wire.
Color scheme for connecting and checking car speakers
The vehicle's sound system, as shown in the color wiring diagram below, typically consists of four full-range speakers, one installed in each of the side doors.
Speakers have polarity and must be connected correctly. The speaker is not a battery, so if the polarity of the connection is reversed, this will not lead to irreparable consequences. The phasing will only be disrupted, as a result of which the speakers will work in antiphase and the sound waves emitted by one speaker will be absorbed by the opposite one. The sound volume will be low, even with high power input, not to mention the quality.
Usually there is a polarity marking next to the terminals on the speaker. On the loudspeaker shown in the photo, in addition to the markings, in addition, the terminals have different widths, the positive terminal is wider.
ISO speakers are connected to the car radio using two wires of the same color. The wire connected to the positive terminal is painted a solid color, and the insulation of the wire going to the negative terminal has a black stripe along its entire length.
Checking the correct phasing of car speakers by ear
Checking the phasing of the speakers may be necessary if the audio preparation was carried out independently, when replacing the radio connector with a connector of a different standard, or after replacing a failed speaker.
If the radio is installed in the car and is working, then you can check the correct phasing of the speakers without instruments, by ear. Any car radio has a function for adjusting the balance - adjusting the volume level of the right and left speakers. The driver of the car sits on the left, and is closer to the left speakers. In order for the sound from both sides to be perceived at the same volume, you can use balancing to increase the sound volume of the right speakers.
This function allows you not only to balance the sound, but also to check the correct phasing of the speakers. If you use balance to increase the volume of the left or right speakers, the overall playback volume, especially at low frequencies, should decrease. If it does not decrease, but increases, then the polarity of connecting one of the speakers is not correct.
If the polarity of the connection of one of the speakers is incorrect, then it is enough to swap the wires in the pair going to it. To determine an incorrectly connected speaker, you will have to sequentially swap the wires in a pair of each speaker and check the phasing using the method described above.
Installation and testing of car speakers with an ohmmeter
A car loudspeaker (speaker) is a conical diffuser fixed in a housing (basket) using a suspension and a centering washer with a coil of copper wire placed in the gap of a permanent magnet.
The photo shows a cross-section of a classic low-frequency electromagnetic loudspeaker. When electric current is applied to the coil, an electromagnetic field appears around the turns, which, interacting with the field of a permanent magnet, pulls in or pushes out the diffuser. The result is a sound wave, which we hear in the form of speech or music.
This photo shows a mid-tweeter consisting of three drivers. One of them, on the right in the photo, is a piezoelectric emitter, therefore it has a high resistance and cannot be read with an ohmmeter.
Mid- and high-frequency speakers are often connected through filters, which are a capacitor. Therefore, you need to check such a speaker by connecting the ohmmeter probes directly to its terminals.
The active resistance of electrodynamic speakers lies in the range of 1-16 Ohms, so you can check the integrity of the coil by ringing it with a multimeter turned on in resistance measurement mode.
The multimeter showed a resistance of 5.1 ohms, therefore the speaker coil is working. But it happens that coils of wires from the supply of high power fly off the coil or begin to cling to the core. This can be easily checked by pressing the diffuser evenly and very lightly with your fingers. It should retract easily and silently and return to its original position without making any extraneous sounds.
If the speaker registers with an ohmmeter and does not make a rustling sound when you press the diffuser, then it is working.
Checking and determining speaker polarity using a battery
If you don’t have a multimeter, you can check the speaker and at the same time determine the polarity of its terminals (if there is no marking) using any battery or accumulator. It is enough to connect the battery terminals to the speaker terminals for a second.
If the polarity of the battery connection matches, when the “+” is connected to the positive terminal of the speaker, its diffuser will rise upward, as shown in the photo.
Otherwise, the diffuser will be pulled into the speaker basket. When the battery is connected, the speaker will make a characteristic rustling sound.
Any battery or accumulator with a voltage of no more than 4.5 V is suitable for testing, even a dead one. With a higher voltage and a large battery capacity, you can burn the speaker coil. A Krona battery, although the voltage at its terminals is 9 V, can be used because it has a low capacity. If you don’t have a battery at hand, then any DC mains source, for example, a mobile phone charger, will do.
About choosing an speaker cable for speakers
When doing your own audio preparation, when installing a radio or replacing an obsolete radio with a more powerful amplifier, you need to select or check the cross-section of the wires going to the speakers. The procedure for selecting speaker cable differs from the selection rules for electrical wiring. The site is dedicated to choosing an acoustic cable.
Radio sizes – 1DIN and 2DIN
In European and Russian cars there is a standard window for installing a 1DIN or 2DIN radio. The designation corresponds to the international standard ISO 7736 (Car head units), developed in Germany in 1984. DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung) translates as German Standardization Institute.
As can be seen in the drawing, the dimensions 1DIN (180×50×160) and 2DIN (180×100×160) differ only in height. For 2DIN it is twice as large as for 1DIN. It should be noted that the seating depth of 160 mm is not fixed in the standard, but in fact all cars correspond to this size.
When choosing a car radio for initial installation or when replacing an obsolete one, you need to make sure that the size of the radio you intend to purchase matches the size of the window in your beard. If the size of the car radio is several millimeters smaller than the compartment window, then this issue can be easily resolved. An example of installing a radio tape recorder smaller than the shaft window is given in the article below.
If the size of the radio is smaller by a centimeter or more, then you will need to purchase an adapter frame, and if the larger one does not fit into the compartment, then you will have to remove the beard and expand the window. This is labor-intensive work and it is better to immediately choose a radio that is suitable in size for installation in your car.
Connectors for connecting a car radio
to the vehicle's on-board network
Many manufacturers, when preparing cars for audio, install a connector for connecting a car radio of an internal standard, since there is no international one. In Europe and Russia, preference is given to the German standard ISO 10487, which regulates the design and geometric dimensions of the connector, but does not regulate the color marking of wires. But many manufacturers adhere to the same color coding, which has practically become a standard.
The photograph shows an ISO 10487 connector. It consists of two separate terminals - “A” and “B”, which can be easily identified by the location of the latch. In block “B” it is located in the center, and in block “A” it is shifted to the side from the center.
| ISO standard for pinout of blocks for connecting a radio tape recorder | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Block | Number contact | Purpose | Color coding |
| "A" nutrition | 1 | Changing volume at speed | Not standardized |
| 2 | Off sound when calling | Not standardized | |
| 3 | Reserve | Not standardized | |
| 4 | +12 V constant (memory) | yellow | |
| 5 | +12 V external devices (antenna) | blue | 6 | Radio backlight | orange | 7 | +12 V ACC from ignition | red | 8 | Minus (mass) | black |
| "IN" audio | 1 | Right rear (+) | violet |
| 2 | Right rear (-) | purple with black stripe | |
| 3 | Right front (+) | grey | |
| 4 | Right front (-) | gray with black stripe | |
| 5 | Left front (+) | white | 6 | Left front (-) | white with black stripe | 7 | Left rear (+) | green | 8 | Left rear (-) | green with black stripe |
If the connector in the existing radio differs from the connector installed in the car, then you can purchase an adapter or, as I did, cut the wires from the standard connector and solder them to a new one.
As an example, the photo shows an adapter for connecting a car radio with an ISO connector in Hyundai and Kia cars of some years of manufacture. When choosing an adapter, you should take into account that the block that is inserted into the car connector always has pins (the male type in the photo on the right), and that connects to the radio - sockets (the female type, in the photo on the left).
The type and color marking of the standard connector can be found in the car's electrical diagram, and the color marking for connecting the radio is usually present on its body or is available in the documentation.
Selecting a car radio
Almost all modern car radios, regardless of the brand, are made in China and have approximately the same technical characteristics. They differ only in height dimensions (50 or 100 mm), appearance, number of channels and additional switching capabilities.
Therefore, when choosing a car radio, first of all you need to find out the size of the seat for it in the car and decide on the list of additional communication capabilities you need.
| Technical characteristics of modern radio tape recorders | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Function | Note |
| FM radio (87.5-108 MHz) | modern range | |
| AM radio (66-74 MHz) | Reception of radio broadcasts in the VHF range | Soviet band |
| USB playback | ||
| Playback from SD flash | Listening to audio and watching video clips | MKV, MP4, DIVX, Lossless Audio, JPEG, MP3 and WMA |
| Remote control | Controlling the operating mode of the radio remotely | |
| Touch screen | Controlling the radio by touching the screen | Unstable operation at low temperatures |
| GPS navigation | Determining the location and the ability to plot a travel route | |
| Bluetooth speakerphone | Wireless connection to external devices to the radio | The ability to communicate via cellular communication with your hands free |
| 3G internet | Wireless connection of the radio to the Internet system | Opportunity to work on the Internet |
| WiFi | Wireless connection of external devices to the radio via IP | |
| Number of channels for connecting speakers | 2, 4, 6 | Optimally four |
| Subwoofer output | Possibility of connecting a subwoofer | For music lovers |
After determining the list of desired technical characteristics, you can begin to select the appropriate model. Almost all modern radio tape recorders provide sufficient sound power and a low level of nonlinear distortion, providing sufficiently high-quality sound reproduction for listening, and all arguments on this topic are groundless.
The naturalness of sound reproduction depends not only on the signal source, the parameters of the radio or other sound-reproducing device and their acoustic systems, but also on the acoustic characteristics of the room. It is in principle impossible to achieve natural sound in a car interior with a volume of several cubic meters, and even half of it has a coating that does not absorb sound waves (glass, plastic).
The sound waves emitted by the speaker are repeatedly reflected from glass and plastic panels, forming damped standing waves in the form of an echo. The reflected waves are added to the newly emitted speakers and distort them. You can only enjoy natural sound in a concert hall.
Thus, the main criteria when choosing a car radio are: the height of the case, the presence of the necessary functions and appearance. The remaining technical characteristics of modern radio tape recorders, as a rule, provide high quality sound reproduction.
Therefore, when choosing to install it in my car, I purchased on Aliexpress at a discount for only $12 a car radio SJ-T10446-93 model 2033, which I liked for the price, appearance and technical characteristics, which are given below in the table. You can see its appearance in the photograph.
| Main characteristics of the radio SJ-T10446-93 model 2033 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Characteristic | Note |
| Standard size | 1DIN | 180mm×50mm×160mm |
| Supply voltage | 12 V | Minus on the case |
| FM channel | 87.5-108 MHz | Sensitivity 22 db |
| Playback | USB, SD flash, with Audio input | Format MP3, MP4, WMA |
| Sound system | Stereo | Separation >25 db |
| frequency range | 20-20000 Hz | Nonlinear distortion |
| Load resistance | 4-8 Ohm | Speaker impedance |
| output power | 4×50 W | Four channels |
| Display | LED LCD | ID3 format |
| Volume control | Round handle | Electronic |
| Equalizer | Step adjustment with button | Classical, jazz, pops, rock |
| Operating temperature | minus 20 - 60 C° | |
| Type of connection block | Any | Resoldering was planned |
Before searching for a suitable car radio model, I wrote down all the necessary technical characteristics and requirements, which I put into a table and used to make a choice. Other functions, such as remembering settings, remote control and others, are usually present by default.
An example of installing a car radio in a car
Before choosing a car radio, you need to measure the dimensions of the compartment in the beard and find out what type of pad is installed during audio preparation. To do this, you need to remove the installed car radio, and if installed for the first time, remove the decorative plug.
To remove the standard radio from the compartment, you must use a special key, which is usually included with the car. There is no standard, and therefore each manufacturer comes up with its own type of key. To remove the radio, simply insert the key into the slots on its panel.
To remove the plug, use a flat-blade screwdriver to pry it in the middle. To prevent scratches on the plastic of the beard, you need to place a soft pad, for example, a piece of leather, under the screwdriver.
The plug in the compartment is secured with four latches, two on each of the long sides. They are highlighted in brown in the photo.
As expected, the connector block turned out to be a Hyundai ATOS, which fit a very small range of car radios.
This photo shows the Hyundai ATOS pad from the side of the contact petals. It immediately became obvious that it would be almost impossible to find an inexpensive radio for installation with this type of connector.
The antenna plug was standard; almost all car radios, including branded ones, have a counterpart for it.
In terms of dimensions, taking into account the slide, the selected Chinese car radio SJ-T10446-93 model 2033 corresponded to the dimensions of the compartment in the beard. But to replace the standard sled, I would have to remove my beard, which I didn’t want to do. The dimensions of the radio cassette were three millimeters smaller in height and width, which made it possible to install it in a standard slide using rubber strips.
The radio included a connector with wires and a table with color codes for the wires. The yellow wire had a 10 A fuse installed in an insulated housing.
To connect, it was possible to purchase an adapter for half the cost of the radio, but having a ready-made block with wires, I decided to solder it directly to the standard wires. Excessive connections in electrical wiring negatively affect its reliability, and correct connection of wires by soldering is the most reliable that exists. If soldering is impossible, you can get by by simply twisting the wires of the same name.
To eliminate errors when connecting wires, a color table was compiled. Next, the wires were cut sequentially one by one with wire cutters at the entrance to the standard block, twisted with the wires of the new one and soldered with solder. While the soldering did not have time to cool down, an insulating polyvinyl chloride tube was pulled over the joint, which, after the solder cooled, was itself tightly fixed to the wires.
Ultimately, all the necessary conductors were connected, except for two intended to supply power to the backlight. In this receiver model, the backlight turned on when voltage was applied to the radio via the ACC wire.
The cassette player body was three millimeters smaller than the dimensions of the slide. Therefore, rubber strips one millimeter thick were glued in advance to all four sides of its body with Moment glue. This ensured its easy installation into the compartment and a fairly tight fit.
The check showed that there were no errors during installation and after setting up the radio, the car interior was filled with the sound of a radio broadcast. All that remains is to insert it into the compartment and enjoy the result achieved.
It took about an hour to install the car radio, including preparation and soldering of wires. Of course, there is no need to talk about the naturalness of the sound, but for listening to news and music at a sufficient level of quality, an inexpensive Chinese radio is quite enough.
The choice met expectations; after installing it yourself, the car radio has been working flawlessly during year-round use of the car for several years with sufficiently high sound quality.
The connection diagram for a Sony car radio implies the correctness of actions, knowledge of the purpose of the connectors and much more. This article will tell you how to install and connect car radios from this company. Sony car radios and a connector connection diagram are all that is needed to carry out the process correctly.
Connection
First of all, the important components when connecting are connectors or connectors. They can be individual or ISO, that is, made according to an international standard.
The differences between them are as follows:
- If the connectors (see) are individual, then you need to select an ISO adapter for them or cut the wires, and then connect them to the block of the individual connector according to the diagram.
Note. On the other hand, cutting the wires and making connections in the manner described above is highly not recommended. It will be better to use shrink sleeves and other precautions.
- As for the ISO connectors, they are much more convenient. If the Sony car radio is equipped with them, then connecting it will be a matter of minutes.
Wires
Correctly connecting the positive wire is also very important. If you connect directly from the battery, you definitely need a fuse. In this case, the diameter of the wiring is also extremely important, which should not be smaller than the head unit connector.
Note. As a last resort, the car radio can also be connected through the cigarette lighter.
To reduce energy leakage from the battery, the connection is made according to the following scheme:
In this case:
- The black cable coming from the battery is ground;
- The yellow cable coming from the battery is 12 V power or positive;
- The red cable is responsible for the signal to turn on the head unit from the 3Z*;
- Finally, the blue wire is the antenna or other devices.
Note. As for diodes, you can install any type KD522B.
*ЗЗ – ignition switch
The wires when connecting the car radio should be located according to the following diagram:
- The yellow power wire is always responsible for powering the head unit and its memory. First of all, it should be presented as a plus;
- The red wire is also a power wire, but it turns off the head unit. It must also be submitted.
Note. The instructions state that the red wire must be connected through the ignition switch so that the head unit turns off after the ignition key is turned.
The positive wires are often connected together. They are twisted and connected to direct current, but this is not recommended.
The fact is that in this case the head unit will work constantly, regardless of whether the key is turned in the ignition or not. In turn, this threatens to de-energize the battery in a matter of time, especially when the car is stationary.
If the Sony car radio is connected to VAZ models, then the process can be carried out as follows:
- Connect the red wire not to the ignition switch, but to the 5th contact of the BSK block.
This scheme is original, but has disadvantages. So, if a passenger remains in the car for a while, then you have to leave the ignition key with him so that he listens to music. In addition, such a circuit consumes much more electricity.
Three connection scenarios
So, it often happens that a Sony car radio is connected “without a key”. In other words, the connection was made directly from the battery, without an ACC wire.
In addition, the confusion of wires in the circuit can lead to a situation where one of the front speakers plays and one of the rear speakers plays. All this is corrected like this.
Removing the radio:
- The mass is removed from the battery so that while digging in the wiring it is not accidentally shorted;
- The insert on the center panel box is pulled out and pulled up from the front;
- The screws located above the climate control control console are turned out (at least this is the case on many foreign car sedans);
- The ashtray is removed;
- The front panel of the Sony car radio is removed from the mounts and then moved to the side;
- 4 screws fixing the central blocks are removed;
- The car radio is removed.
- There are a bunch of wires behind the radio that need to be studied according to the connection diagram for the control unit with ACC (see above);
Wiring
- In addition, you need to study which wire goes where;
- If you believe this wiring diagram, then just swap the green and white wires to solve the problem with the speakers;
- In the photo below you can see that the small chip on the left is responsible for the rear acoustics, and the large chip with 8 wires (on the right) is for power and front;
- You should also pay attention to the fact that the radio is connected with 2 positive wires: one of the wires is yellow and the other is red. They are connected together and connected to DC current, bypassing the ignition switch, as here;
Note. As a rule, the black wire is responsible for ground, brown or yellow for constant power, pink with a blue stripe for power from the lock. The remaining wires go to the front speakers.
- The red wire breaks, and the insulation from the wire with the blue stripe is unscrewed. The two wires are twisted together and insulated;
- All wires are wound back. Don't forget to swap the white and green wires going to the speakers;
- The GU is connected and everything is checked like this: if the key in the lock is in position 1, the radio is turned off, if the key in the lock is in the ACC position, the radio is on.
Note. The wires must be cut using heat shrinks. During this operation, you can at the same time adjust the control panel to the woofer at the rear. It will be enough to pull out the cup holder and run the wire to the subwoofer under it. That's it.
Now, dear reader, you know what all the intricacies of connecting a radio mean, at least in theory. As for practice, there is no need to rush to start it until you have watched a video review on the topic, studied the diagrams and photo materials in detail.
When working with your own hands, you must not forget that the wires must be well insulated. Independent troubleshooting and the ability to connect a car radio is a valuable thing.
Now you can save on expenses that are inevitable when calling a specialist, the price of whose services sometimes causes confusion among most Russians.
When buying a car, in most cases we immediately receive an installed audio system, be it standard or pre-installed by the car dealership. An exception may be a car in the most budget configuration or a used one from which a caring seller has successfully dismantled it. In general, there may come a time when it may be useful for you to know how to connect a radio in the car.
The article is both a guide and a set of tips, but it does not reflect all possible installation options; it depends on your imagination and on the design of a particular car. I also want to warn you that self-installation is carried out by you and for equipment breakdowns and The author of the article is not responsible for connection errors.
1. Selecting a location for installing the radio.
The radio in the car can be installed anywhere, as long as there is a suitable place. Usually in the design of the front panel and console there is a place provided for it, you can even install it in the dashboard or attach it to a bracket under the panel, in general, it all depends on your desire and on the design of the car. You should take into account the installation dimensions of the radio, such as the installation depth; it is calculated by taking into account the length of the device body and the connectors with wires on the back. There should be enough space for the wires, taking into account their length, sufficient for easy access when removing the radio. The radio tape recorder is installed in the seat using a metal basket (sled). It is attached to the panel with metal petals, and the radio is inserted into this basket and fixed.
2. Options for connecting the radio in the car.
There are three types of connection: 1 - old and almost out of use - through the mounting basket of the radio (this is from those times when there were no removable panels and the radio was removed entirely); 2 - connecting the radio wires by soldering or twisting; 3 - connection via ISO connector.
The first and second options are to connect the conductors of the radio to the speakers and power supply by soldering or twisting; in this case, it will be difficult to dismantle or replace the radio; you will have to cut the wires and reconnect them. It is recommended to use soldering for this connection, but this is difficult in a car. When connecting by twisting, the wires must be thoroughly cleaned of oxides and twisted securely. In the case of soldering and twisting, it is necessary to well insulate the joints; heat-shrink tubing is perfect for this, but you can also do it the old fashioned way - with electrical tape.
The connection option via an ISO connector is the most universal, because... Most car radios are sold with this connector. The pinout of the connector is standardized and practically does not differ between different manufacturers. But even if any contact is installed in the wrong place, it can be easily rearranged. The contacts with wires in the connector can be removed by squeezing the plastic lock with a needle. In the case of connection via an ISO connector, it is installed once into the car wiring using soldering or twisting, and then the car radio is connected only using this connector. Anyway how to connect a radio you choose for yourself.
3. Types of car radios.
Car radios are standard in size and do not vary from company to company, the only exception being the installation depth, which may vary. The size of the radio is designated as DIN (this is one standard seat), there is 1DIN, and there is also 2DIN. The latter are twice as tall and are usually multimedia centers with a large screen.
Standard 2DIN differs from regular 2DIN in the design of the front panel; it is made in the style of a car panel on which it is installed to fit into the interior. Also, the standard 2DIN may have different connectors and their pinouts, so if you have a standard car radio from a car and you want to install it for yourself, some problems may arise. For example, standard Hyundai/KIA radios may not have a built-in sound amplifier and they only work with an external one. The fact is that such devices are designed for use with a specific car, a specific brand, and therefore the manufacturer can use the types of connectors that he wants.
The dimensions of 1DIN devices (HxW) are 50x180mm, and 2DIN devices are 100x180mm; in depth, as I wrote earlier, they may vary.
4. What to connect where.
So, we are slowly approaching the main question, how to connect a radio, namely, what to connect where. In a regular radio, the main ISO connector contains at least 12 wires, this is enough to connect 4 speakers, power the radio and power the antenna. Each wire has its own color and this helps to determine their purpose and not be confused with each other. The colors of these wires are also more or less standardized, but still often differ. Also, on the rear panel you can find other connectors for connecting an antenna, CD changers, USB devices, remote control, microphone (if Hands Free is available), as well as line outputs for connecting an external amplifier.
The main connector contains at least 12 wires: three for connecting power to the radio, 8 for speakers, and a wire for supplying power to the antenna. Some models may have more wires; sometimes a wire is added to control the display backlight. The purpose of each wire can be found in the installation instructions for the radio; sometimes there is a sticker on the case with the purpose of the wires. If there are neither instructions nor stickers, you can figure out the purpose of the wires by their color. First, we find the power supply - these are three wires, thick black, yellow and red. Black is connected to the vehicle ground, red is connected to the ignition switch to the Acc (Accesories) contact, yellow is connected to the battery positive. The speaker wires are divided into 4 pairs, white, gray, green and purple. Each pair has two wires, solid color and alternating with black. A solid color wire is connected to the plus of the speaker, and the second, respectively, to the minus of the speaker. The white pair of wires is for the front left speaker, the gray pair is for the front right, the green pair is for the rear left, and the purple pair is for the rear right. There is also a blue wire in the connector, +12V appears on it when the radio is turned on, it is needed to supply power to the active antenna of the radio, but the same reason can be used to remotely turn on an external amplifier by connecting it to the Remote contact of the amplifier terminal block.
In the connection option shown in the figure above, the red wire is connected to the ignition switch; in this case, the radio turns on only when the key is in the ignition switch and turned to the Acc position. In order for the radio to operate without a key in the ignition, the red and yellow wires must be connected together and connected to the +12V battery.
If the car has “audio preparation”, i.e. The ISO connector and wires are already present, connected to the car's electrical system, then before connecting the radio, you need to check the wires on the connector of the car and the radio; it is especially important to check the coincidence of the supply wires.
To connect to a vehicle's wiring, you must have a wiring diagram for that vehicle to locate the connection points to the ignition switch, battery positive terminal, and ground. With the ground, everything is simple - you can connect to any place, to the metal on the body using a bolt with a nut or a ground terminal block. If there is no wiring diagram for the car, then armed with a voltmeter you will have to look for the right wire yourself. But you can significantly simplify the task, the positive wire from the battery is always present on the BPR terminal block (fuse and relay block), you can poke a voltmeter into all the thick wires in it. Or, run a separate wire directly to the positive terminal of the battery. Using a voltmeter, find the positive on the ignition switch in the Acc position.
Important! When connecting the radio to the wiring, use wires of the appropriate cross-section, and install fuses on the positive wires!
The wires must be of the same cross-section as those coming out of the car radio; you can take a larger cross-section, but not less. When connecting to wiring, do not forget about insulating the connections; any unreliable contact or exposed wire can lead to a short circuit or even a fire.
After power is supplied to the radio, you can proceed to connecting the speakers. Their location may vary, usually standard places are provided either in the dashboard, or in door niches, in the rear parcel shelf. When choosing speakers, pay attention to their size; it must match the seat in the car. If standard places are not provided, then you will have to make them yourself; for this, you may need to disassemble part of the casing in order to determine the places suitable for installation.
In the photo above, I showed, as an example, the standard installation locations for the speakers in the dashboard, doors and rear parcel shelf. It is possible that during audio preparation, speakers are already installed there at the factory. If there is already wiring, it must be brought to the place where the radio is installed; if not, you will have to install it yourself. It is always better to take wires with a larger cross-section (1.5 - 2 sq. mm), they are of course more expensive, but the current and voltage losses in such wires will be less. Always choose stranded wire; they are more resistant to kinks at bends. It is better to strengthen the wiring in the doors, in the places where it transitions to the body, by putting a corrugated tube on it (if it is not in the design of the car). So, when the wiring is connected from the speakers to the radio, you can connect everything. You need to observe + and - when connecting speakers, but if you mix them up, nothing bad will happen. It is easy to check the correct polarity connection in the wiring, take a regular 1.5 volt battery and connect it to the wires coming from the speaker, if the diffuser goes up, then the wires are connected correctly, if the diffuser goes inward, the polarity is reversed. If the speakers are of high power, the movement of the diffuser from a 1.5 volt battery may not be enough and you can apply more voltage, but you should not supply 12V to the car's electrical system, as this can quickly burn the speaker coil.
After supplying power to the radio and connecting the speakers, you can already turn it on and listen to music, but there is also a radio left. If there is audio preparation, that is, there is also a plug from the antenna, it can be installed on the fenders of the car or on the roof. If there is no standard antenna, we run to the store and choose the one we like best, but do not forget that it will need to be attached to the body. There are many types of antenna mounts, and you need to choose the one that best suits the design of your car without damaging the body. Or, you can buy a Velcro antenna that sticks to the inside of the windshield. Very often such antennas have a small amplifier box; for such an antenna you will need the blue wire from the ISO connector, which I wrote about earlier. Whatever antenna we choose, it will be connected to the radio into a special connector for the antenna, and the wire between the antenna and this plug should only be coaxial, it is also called a “radio cable” or a shielded cable, and sometimes unknowing people call it a “television cable”. A coaxial cable should be chosen only because there are many sources of radio interference in the car and this may affect the quality of radio reception.
The photo shows an example of an antenna plug for a car radio and a coaxial cable. Most antennas are already sold with such a wire, but there are exceptions.
After we have installed the radio and speakers, stretched and connected all the wires, all that remains is to set up your radio and enjoy the work done!
You can read about connecting an external power amplifier to the radio, and about how to make a subwoofer yourself.
I hope and article how to connect a radio It will be useful to you, good luck in connecting!!!
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Car radio circuits
Car radio circuits are needed not only for proper installation, but also for a number of other reasons. For example, if you need to repair the head unit, then you can’t do it without a circuit diagram.
The circuit diagram of the car radio 302 and others like it is always necessary to be specific, since today most models are assembled according to certain rules that do not repeat or copy systems from competitors. In other words, each car radio model needs its own circuit, even if the models are from the same manufacturer.
Why do we need diagrams?
The schematic diagram of the control unit will help a beginner understand the purpose and operation of electronic components, and a professional will help clarify the rating and marking of a burnt radio component. The diagrams provide, without which it is simply impossible to carry out the installation correctly.
Circuits are also needed when it is necessary to create an audio system in a car that would reproduce music of all genres equally well. Although this is an ideal, we must strive for it, and the scheme helps with this like nothing else.
Note. For example, to competently reproduce classical music, the acoustics must produce good detail, transparency and natural sound not only of instruments, but also of a live voice. To reproduce natural electronic music, other tasks are set, such as high sound pressure and the presence of components with good output.
All of the above indicates that first you need to decide on the most preferred direction of music for the user, and only then build a scheme.
Options for connecting car radios and acoustics
First, let's look at the connection diagrams for the speakers and car radio in the car.
As mentioned above, first you will need to decide which musical direction is preferable to the listener:
- Classical, Jazz, Blues;
- Disco music, Pop, electronic;
- Rock music.
Depending on the specific direction, a specific scheme is built.
Ready solutions
Below we present several ready-made solutions that could help in constructing the circuit.
First scheme
As you can see, the system is an almost perfect combination of a Japanese car radio (Alpine), an Italian amplifier (Audison) and French acoustics (Focal). Some other option, for example, or something like that, can be selected as the head unit.
What will the first ready-made scheme give:
- High-quality and accurate sound reproduction with high detail (the Alpine of this model is ideal for this role);
- Compliance with the musical direction of Jazz, Blues and even Rock.
Note. However, if you configure the equalizer correctly, the capabilities of the equipment will not be limited to this and you can use it to play popular music.
The choice of Alpine car radio is based on the following advantages of this head unit:
- Pleasant and unpretentious design of the head unit;
- Availability of a built-in interface for connecting buttons on the steering wheel of a car;
- Possibility of connecting smartphones.
Note. The amplifier and acoustics are also selected taking into account the advantages and compliance with the head unit. Thus, an amplifier from an Italian company will provide low distortion, a clear crossover part and power, while French acoustics will provide high sound quality. As for the subwoofer in this circuit, it is also a Focal, providing powerful bass with stunning clarity.
Second scheme
This scheme involves the use (can be Redpower or standard), a Dimension amplifier and Hertz acoustics.
Gives the following:
- Ideal for playing complex music genres;
- Not a bad option for electronic music;
- Reliable and natural sound.
The Kenwood KIV-700 car radio is a digital media receiver, although it does not have space for inserting discs or cassettes. But there are excellent connectors for connecting smartphones and USB devices.
Note. The car radio can perfectly reproduce not only audio, but also video files in Mpeg4 format. The sound quality produced by the device, the operation of the sound processor, as many as three line outputs and much more are at the highest level.
As for the amplifier and acoustics, they have the same high performance as a car radio. The Japanese Dimension Pro amplifier is distinguished by its reliability, high power and sound authenticity, and the 2-component Hertz acoustics can withstand high power loads, provide unobtrusive sound and dense midbass.
Note. The circuit also uses a Hertz FI type subwoofer. Pleasant and soft bass in the cabin is guaranteed.
Finally, the third scheme involves a budget option for improving the audio system in a car. Used for this, but a cheaper model.
The scheme is capable of producing the following results:
- Opportunity to save a lot on components;
- Create a very good audio system with good sound, which will significantly exceed the standard one.
You can connect smartphones and iPods to the Alpine CDE-114 without any problems. The car radio has a USB connector on the front panel, built-in Bluetooth and much more.
As for acoustics, in this case we use 2-component Hertz ESK acoustics, which are most suitable for this circuit. This option is inexpensive, but providing a good sound stage and confident reproduction of the low-frequency component is guaranteed.
Note. The third scheme does not imply the use of an external amplifier.
Car radio connector diagrams
In the process of connecting a car radio, you can’t do without pinout diagrams. Moreover, each model has its own separate connection option.
List of abbreviations:
*KP – red
*KRP - brown
*ZhP – yellow
*ChP – black
*ZP – green
*SP – blue
*PSA – gray
*ЗЗ – ignition switch
Regular Toyota
Let's look at the diagrams of standard car radios for a Toyota car below:
- PSA is responsible in this case for plus ACC (ЗЗ). When the key is turned in the 3rd position to the ACC position, power is supplied to the radio and it turns on;
- No connection is complete without a mass (minus) and in this case it is a PDC;
- To provide direct current (power), you will need to use a joint venture with a yellow outline. Connecting this wire will give the following results: even when the ignition switch is turned off, current will be supplied to the head unit, but the radio will not turn on;
- Lighting is also necessary. In this case, the ZP wire is responsible for it.
Note. We remind you that the above diagram does not mean that all standard Toyota car radios should be connected in accordance with it. Each car radio has instructions, which contain its pinout.
Standard Daewoo Nexia
Below is a tentative pinout diagram for standard Daewoo Nexia radios:
- In this case, the LC wire is responsible for powering the ACC;
- To provide mass, it is necessary to use a state of emergency;
- The main power is supplied through the gearbox;
- The joint venture is responsible for the antenna.
As for the wires for acoustics, the pinout is shown in detail in the diagram above.
Note. Again, this is not the only pinout of standard car radios for Nexia. There may be other options.
Important points in car radio connection diagrams
So:
- As a rule, the main mistake when connecting a car radio is connecting the positive to the cigarette lighter. This is not worth doing, because the power of the head unit drops significantly.
It’s easy to determine that the car radio’s power has been reduced; just look at the flashing backlight that appears if you turn up the volume to a level close to the maximum.
Note. As a result of the drop in power, distortion appears in the sound.
- The correct option for connecting a car radio is through the battery, always using a high-quality wire and a fuse, which you should try to place as close to the battery as possible;
- As it was easy to understand, a modern car radio has two wires for power supply. As a rule, these are ZhP and KP. One of them is responsible for the car radio memory, and the other is for control;
- It is recommended to connect the negative wire of the car radio to the car body, or even better to the negative terminal of the battery, which will avoid the appearance of interference;
- The antenna wire, or REM as it is labeled in English, is designed to turn on the amplifier or antenna automatically as soon as the car radio receives power;
- Speaker wires (usually tulips) have paired colors to ensure correct connection to a specific speaker;
- It is useful to know that each pair of speaker wires also has a monotonic wire, as well as a ground wire;
- It is important to connect the speaker wires correctly.
Note. If you do not follow the color scheme rules, the balance adjustment will be incorrect. If you ignore polarity, the rear speakers will play out of phase, which will affect bass reproduction.
For example, consider one of the connection diagrams:
- The plus wires in this case are the housing and gearbox. They are connected to each other, and only then go to the battery. This simple car radio connection diagram is recommended if low current consumption is expected in sleep mode.
Note. If the radio is powerful and consumes a large amount of electricity, then it is advisable to use the following scheme, otherwise the battery will be completely discharged in a matter of time.
The following diagram looks a little different:
- In this case, the power supply to the radio is controlled manually; no settings are lost. The user who makes the connection according to this scheme only needs to find a place to install the on/off button.
In addition to the above diagrams, the car radio can be connected via a remote control, although this is extremely inconvenient, because without a key the user will not be able to enjoy listening to music.
Note. Let's say a child gets into your car. You won't leave the key in the lock, but you'd like to turn on the car radio.
You can implement the connection scheme through an alarm system, but this option is not suitable for everyone.
Advice. It is important to remember that when installing a car radio, you often have to cut the wires. It’s better not to do this, but to use ISO connectors and adapters. If you still cannot do without trimming, it is highly recommended to use heat-shrinkable casings.
Videos and thematic photos will help you learn the material from a practical point of view. When working with your own hands, it is highly recommended to take the advice of experienced people. As for the services of specialists, the price of their work is in most cases quite high, which forces them to act independently.
Quite a lot of car enthusiasts have repeatedly changed their car radio during the time they have been using their car. There can be many reasons for this. Some people follow fashion trends and equip their cars with new equipment and gadgets, others are not satisfied with the sound quality of the old radio, and sometimes it simply breaks down.
Connecting a car radio to a service center costs, albeit small, but still money. But if you understand the design of the radio, find out the purpose of the plugs and wires, then connecting the device yourself will not be difficult.
To connect a radio, you need to clearly know some things: the brand of the device, the format and type of plug (international or individual).
Car radios: types of connections
There are only two main formats in the world - single-block and double-block (1DIN - single-din and 2DIN - double-din). In European countries, single-din radios are common, while in America, Japan and Korea, exclusively double-din devices are preferred.
It is worth noting that recently the instrument panel of modern cars has increased significantly, and to connect additional multimedia functions there is increasingly a need for double-din radios. It is also worth noting and taking into account for the future that the format of the radio you like must correspond to the make of the car.
ISO marking
ISO marking is an international standard that makes it easier to connect your car radio. This format was specifically developed to standardize vehicle wiring and for radio manufacturers. Almost all major concerns that produce audio equipment equip their devices with an adapter to the ISO standard, which allows you to “painlessly” switch from the original pads to the international connector.
Some manufacturers of car audio devices may supply their gadgets with individual plugs without taking into account international standards, which causes many problems when connecting the car radio. The instructions for the device should clearly indicate that it has a non-standard connector, so when choosing the model you like, try to pay attention to this.
But, nevertheless, any self-respecting brand will never release a radio to the market without an additional adapter to the ISO standard.
Connecting a car radio with your own hands
There is a rather “barbaric”, but at the same time simple way to connect a purchased radio. You take the old device out of the standard hole, cut off the plug wires from the gadget or from the car wiring, and then use electrical tape to connect the new wires relative to the gamut pinout of the bundle.
Connecting a car radio in this way has its drawbacks. It is far from aesthetically pleasing, and electrical tape is not as reliable a retainer as we would like, so in the winter cold, when the insulation hardens, a short circuit may occur. You can, of course, play it safe by including clamp terminals or heat-shrink tubing in the circuit, but this still will not provide any guarantee of protection against possible problems.
But if you spend a little more time on connecting and establish international ISO contacts, this will more than pay off in the absence of headaches both in winter and in hot weather, and will also greatly simplify the task during the next replacement of the radio. You just need to pull the old device out of the niche, reconnect the ISO plugs and insert the gadget into place.
Car Radio Connection Basics
The battery is a source of electricity to power the entire car and the radio in particular. At the same time, it can be considered a risk factor for the audio device and connected speakers. Under no circumstances should the plus and minus of the gadget come into contact with one of the speaker terminals. In this case, the connection of the Pioneer, Sony or JVC car radio must be powered directly from the battery without any gaps.
For many car enthusiasts, it is much easier to “feed” from the ignition switch or from the cigarette lighter, bypassing a direct connection, so very often they get all kinds of interference and interference in the speakers.
Fuse
To connect the “plus” of the radio, you will need a stranded copper wire with a cross-section of at least 4 mm 2. Its length should be as short as possible - without unnecessary zigzags and other things. Connecting a Sony car radio always implies the presence of a fuse on this wire with a rating of 10-20 amperes with good insulation.
It is usually installed at a distance of 50 cm from the battery terminal. Sometimes such a fuse is already provided by the manufacturer, and some of the hassle is eliminated. The negative wire should also be as short as possible.
The wires must be laid extremely carefully, without any twisting and as far as possible from third-party energy consumers such as an alarm system or a trip computer. It is important to note that these wires need to be connected only after all speakers are completely connected and insulated. Never allow the exposed “plus” to touch other devices. It must be “tightly” insulated.
Connecting speakers
One of the most important points is the correct connection of the car radio and speakers according to the phases and the diagram included in the instructions. As a rule, speaker terminals are marked, and it is not difficult to figure out where the “plus” is and where the “minus” is, especially since the positive terminal is made a little wider than the negative one.
If it is necessary, in addition to speakers, to equip the car with additional devices, but when connecting the car radio, the camera or other gadget does not have terminals with markings, then you can use an ampere-voltmeter to determine the poles. This device is quite easy to learn and can easily determine where the “plus” is and where the “minus” is.
If the phases on the speakers were reversed, you will lose about 80% of the sound quality. An incorrect connection can damage not only the speakers, but also the radio. Mixed-up phases on speakers is the most common mistake made by car enthusiasts. There seems to be sound, but there is no power or quality, and the culprit is the usual confusion.
In order to determine the phasing of speakers without an ampere-voltmeter, you can resort to one method. Turn on the radio at maximum volume and direct the sound, for example, to the left front speaker. Then distribute the sound level equally to both front speakers (balance = 0). If the power of the sound itself, together with the level of low frequencies, has noticeably increased, then the connection of the Pioneer car radio was successful. Otherwise, if suspicious noises are heard on one of the speakers, this means that the polarity has been reversed (provided the speakers are working properly). The same procedure must be done with other columns.
Wiring Layout
The speaker wires from the radio may also have their own separate markings. As a rule, there are an even number of them - two or four pairs. Connecting a JVC car radio, for example, can be accompanied by some confusion, so it is worth noting that a solid wire without a black stripe is a “plus”, and a wire with a black mark is, accordingly, a “minus”. In other types of radios, the black strip is always connected to the narrow speaker terminal.
Phase spread
The negative phase of the front or side speakers in speaker systems up to 25 W can be common, and radio tape recorders whose power per channel exceeds 30 W are 100% likely to have their own “plus” and “minus”. It is highly undesirable to swap them or accidentally confuse them. It is also not recommended to ground the speakers on the car body. This can lead to loss of power and distortion of sound.
Connecting a Pioneer car radio or any other low-power speaker system is accompanied by some nuances. There may be two or four acoustic pluses, i.e., colored wires without black stripes, and not a single pair with a black mark. In this case, the speakers are connected to the main negative wire of the car radio, which is connected to the battery terminal or to the car body.
Equipment
A good speaker system always comes with connecting wires. The only thing worth clarifying is that these are not mounting wires, but test ones, i.e. they are included only to test the speakers upon purchase, and not for laying them along the car body.
The cross-section of such wires, as a rule, does not exceed 0.3 - 0.5 mm 2, and it is too small for full operation of the radio. In addition, wires have very little bandwidth, losing approximately 40-60% of the sound. They can only be used if the power of the selected speaker is no more than 20 W, and the diameter is about 13 cm. Roughly speaking, they are suitable for auxiliary acoustics, and not for the main one.
Speakers with a power of 40 to 100 W and a diameter of more than 14 cm must be equipped with speaker wires specially designed for them. These are directional wires with oxygen-free copper. Depending on the power of the speakers, a cross section from 1 to 5 mm 2 is selected.
Such acoustic wires, in addition to differences in cross-section, can also have their own direction - from the speaker to the radio or vice versa, which is indicated by arrows on the transparent insulation, therefore, for more perfect sound, it is necessary to correctly direct the coil of the copper bundle.
Insulation requirements
Many serious services will never undertake to connect a Sony car radio or any other famous gadget if the insulation does not meet certain requirements, so it is worth paying special attention to this point.
All wires must be well insulated; it is better to give preference to a silicone layer: it does not crack in the cold and is generally resistant to temperature changes. Together with high-quality insulation, the wire must have a cross-section for the power for which it is designed.
It is important to correctly lay the wires around the car interior, avoiding power sources from other energy consumers. Try not to twist them or bend them at an acute angle. They should not fray or come into contact with any foreign objects in the cabin (legs, cargo in the trunk, etc.).
Speaker placement
As an example, let’s take standard oval speakers for the rear of a car measuring 16x23 cm. Before installing the speaker system and immediately before connecting it, the speakers must be installed so that the axis of the membrane faces diagonally across the cabin, i.e. the rear right axle is directed towards the driver, and the left one is for the passenger.
Try not to cover the membranes with boxes, bags or other foreign objects. For full sound, the speakers must “breathe”, and in a fairly significant volume.
It is best to place various tweeters and tweeters on the windshield as far as possible from low-frequency interference to give the cabin a greater quad effect. Direct the sound from the passenger tweeter to the driver, and from the driver to the passenger.
Summarizing
Recently, two-component acoustic stereo systems have begun to come into fashion. It is better to place woofers from them not on the instrument panel, but on the rear shelves or doors. It is recommended to install tweeters as far forward as possible. “Tweeters” do not need crossovers; they can be connected in parallel with the rear or front speakers to your liking, especially since tweeters have different powers: from a barely audible squeak to real support for the entire quad effect.
Service or independent connection
As for the full range of work on installing an acoustic system, then, probably, the best option would be to turn to smart specialists, especially since car acoustics today are very expensive and can be completely damaged if connected incorrectly.
Well, the professionals know their business and will carry out the installation in a short time, and in the conditions of growing competition - also inexpensively. Therefore, during complex or global installation, it is best not to take risks and spend money on a car service, avoiding hassle, wasting effort and time.