How to properly install the head unit with your own hands and the wiring diagram for the colors of the wires in the car. The secrets of the correct connection of the radio in the car

Cars have firmly entered our lives and today it is not just a means of transportation, but a place where we spend a lot of time. On the way from work to work, during vacations and fishing trips, all motorists are faced with such a common phenomenon as traffic jams. During grueling standing in hours of traffic jams, there is nothing better than listening to music or watching a movie. Modern radios have everything you need for a comfortable pastime. The cost of such units can range from several thousand rubles to hundreds, and here the choice depends on your financial capabilities. You can save a lot on installing the device if you have at least the slightest knowledge of electrical engineering.

Before installing the equipment, first of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the standard dimensions of the radio, which may differ depending on the selected model of the audio installation.

On the box with the radio, many motorists notice hitherto unseen symbols and designations. For example, a 2 DIN car radio with Android navigation. What is navigation and androyd is well known to everyone, but 2 DIN is less common in life. In fact, there are two sizes of sockets for car radios, namely:

• 1 DIN - has dimensions of 178 x 52 mm;
• 2 DIN - has dimensions of 178 x 100 mm.

In addition, there are now 1 DIN devices on the market with a smaller size of 178 x 52 x 159 mm. Such models are much cheaper due to the fact that they do not have a CD drive, instead of which USB ports are installed on the front panel.

If we talk about the differences in the main sizes, then 2 DIN - products are equipped with a large display and large buttons. Thanks to this, such radio recorders are distinguished by convenient control. In addition, such devices often have a large number of functions, turning into full-fledged media receivers.

If you are the owner of a car radio with a retractable display, then most likely the overall dimensions of the device will correspond to 1 DIN standard. Such devices are distinguished by their compactness, and thanks to the large display, you can watch DVDs in the car, use the Internet or a navigator. Car radios 1 DIN with a retractable screen are installed in the same way as other tape recorders. The main thing is that everything be done in accordance with the recommendations given below in the article.

If your car has a 1 DIN car radio socket, but you want to use a more versatile device, there are special adapter frames for 2 DIN car radios on sale.

If we talk about the depth of radio tape recorders, then usually this value is 160 mm, regardless of the size. After you have decided that your radio tape recorder corresponds to the socket provided by the manufacturer, or you have purchased an adapter frame or made it yourself, you can proceed to install the device.

Installation Features

Before starting work, you need to pay attention to the connectors of the car radio and the car. If they don't match, no big deal. Now on the market you can purchase any necessary adapter that allows you to switch from the original speakers to the generally accepted ISO standard. The best car radio connector is ISO 10487, so if your vehicle has one, the installation process will be much easier.

Before installation, you must purchase a set of all the necessary wires for connecting power and speakers. It is better to choose a shorter wiring without unnecessary twists. Stranded wires with silicone insulation are by far the most reliable. In addition, check if you need an adapter frame for a 2 DIN car radio.

Healthy! The diameter of the wiring should be 1.5-2 times thicker than on the car radio connector. Experts recommend using special acoustic wires with a cross section of 1.5-4 mm2.

After that, you can proceed to the connection.

Wire marking and wiring diagram

Almost all manufacturers of car radios adhere to the same standard for marking wires for input:

• BAT/B+ - yellow wire to battery positive. When connected, a 10-20A fuse is used;
• ACC / A + - red wire to the ignition lock terminal;
• GROUND / GND - black wire, indicating minus or ground;
• REM - blue or white-blue control wire responsible for turning on a car amplifier or antenna;
• ILL - orange wire to the lighting switch terminal;
• MUTE - yellow-black wire responsible for remote muting or complete mute. If it is not included, then there is no need to buy such a wire.

There is another connection scheme when the red wire is connected together with the red one. This allows the audio system to work regardless of whether the ignition key is on or off. The only disadvantage of such a scheme is that the tape recorder will always be in standby mode, which adversely affects the battery. Its discharge rate can increase significantly.

To output the radio, the following wires go to the speakers. They always come in pairs:

• FL- and FL + - minus and plus of the rear speaker (white wires);
• FR- and FR + - minus and plus of the front speaker (gray wires);
• RL- and RL + - minus and plus of the left rear speaker (green wires);
• RR- and RR+ - minus and plus of the right rear speaker (purple wires).

In each pair, one wire will be solid, and the second with a black stripe. Striped means minus. Carefully read the color scheme of your radio and follow the sequence of wires.

Connecting speakers

The process of connecting speakers requires special attention, so be sure to check the instructions. Typically, there are plus and minus markings on the speaker terminals. Most often, the wide terminal is positive, and the narrow terminal is negative. If your car does not have such markings, use the simplest tester - a battery. Connect it + and - to the speaker terminals and if the cone moves outward, then you have determined the phasing correctly.

There is another way to determine phasing. To do this, transfer all the sound to one of the front speakers and turn up the volume to maximum until there is noticeable sound distortion. Balance the sound by evenly distributing the volume to the left and right speakers. If the phasing is done correctly, then the overall volume will increase noticeably. If the sound does not get louder or the changes are barely noticeable, this indicates incorrect phasing and the need to swap the wires on one of the speakers. You can check the rear speakers in the same way.

Important! Be sure to conduct a test, because if you connect it incorrectly, you risk losing up to 80% of the sound quality or completely disable the radio over time.

If your radio has low power, then it will only be equipped with positive wires for each speaker. In this case, the minus of the speakers is connected to the common minus of the audio installation.

You will find out that the radio is connected incorrectly or in an “undesirable” way by the following signs:

• during parking, the battery will be discharged very quickly, and to such a state that it will be impossible to start the car;
• while listening to music, you will notice that the tape recorder constantly "stutters", and when the volume is increased, the car radio "turns off";
• when the power is turned off, all settings disappear.

If you notice such problems, then it is better to check that all wires are connected correctly.

Antenna connection

To connect a passive type antenna, just plug its plug into the appropriate socket. If you install an active device, then things are a little more complicated with it. The fact is that in this case, power must be supplied to the antenna. Usually you can provide it with the blue REM wire, which either comes with the radio or prepared by you in advance.

Other possible contacts

You may come across other markings on the product, so it will be useful to know them:

• AMP - contact responsible for turning on the power of an external amplifier;
• DATA IN/OUT - data input/output;
• LINE IN/OUT - line input/output;
• ACP +/- - bus lines (most often used in Ford cars);
• AUDIO/R/L COM - common wire (ground) responsible for input/output for preamplifiers;
• SEC IN - additional input;
• ALARM - used to connect an alarm (very often present in PIONEER radios);
• D2B-/D2B+ - optical communication lines.

In custody

If for some reason you need to remove the radio, this can be done very simply. First, press the RELEASE button and release the front control panel. Next, using two flat keys, pull the radio out. As you can see, installing a car radio with your own hands, the video of which you will find below, does not require much time and effort, the main thing is to do everything according to the appropriate connection scheme.

If you are a real car enthusiast, then a car is not only a way for you to quickly move from point A to point B, but also a second home, where it is always pleasant to be. One of the reasons that makes young people ride around the city without any specific goal or destination is music. Just riding the roads of a night city, enjoying the sounds of your favorite music, is quite common for those who have a really high-quality sound system installed in their car. It does not matter if you are also a lover of quality music, but the budget for the purchase and installation of a car radio is not too large. In this article, you will learn how to properly connect a car radio in your car without the help of specialized services.

Choosing a car radio

To date, the problem of choosing a car radio does not seem to be such a big task as it was a few years ago. In recent years, a huge number of worthy companies have appeared that offer really high-quality radio tape recorders at an affordable price. Finding an interesting option in terms of price-quality ratio is really not a problem, so the only question that remains is to decide which car radio will be in your car.

As a rule, modern radio tape recorders are divided into two parts. These are single din, or as they are also called, single block, and double din. The first option is most common in our country and in Europe. Two-block radios are most popular in countries such as Japan, America and Korea. The main difference between each type is only their size. Double-din radios are twice the size of single-din radios, which allows manufacturers to make models with a larger touch screen, as well as introduce more multimedia features.

You don’t have to choose the size of the car radio for a long time, because if you are the owner of a car with a 1-DIN radio, then you simply won’t be able to put the two-din option. However, some motorists manage to reorganize the space so that the 2-DIN type option still fits on the front panel. But this is already a topic for a separate article, and now let's talk about how it is possible to install a car radio with your own hands.

How to connect the car radio

After choosing a car radio, you can proceed to the process of its installation. As a rule, there are no problems during installation, if you have purchased a radio tape recorder of the size you need, which is ideal for your car. In order to mount the car radio in its rightful place, it is enough to insert it into the socket provided for this and fix it, depending on the characteristics of the device. Most modern models are fixed with metal petals located around the perimeter. They bend and securely fix the car radio. However, it’s not worth talking about how to put a radio tape recorder in a car for a long time, because most often an instruction is attached to the device.

The fun begins when you connect a new device. This is where most of the questions arise. The main thing is not to be afraid, because installing a car radio with your own hands is not difficult if you know what and how to do. That is why we turn to theory.

As a rule, most modern car radios are equipped with a standard ISO connector. New cars are equipped with exactly the same connector, so there should not be any big problems with the connection. All connection ends with the fact that connect these two plugs together and enjoy the music.

But how to properly connect the car radio in a car that does not have an ISO type plug? Unfortunately, there are also older models where a different way to connect the car radio is really provided. But do not be upset, because to install and connect the car radio you need to find the right connector in the store and use the instructions to connect the radio to the car.

Connecting car radio typeISO

When all the necessary tools are ready to work, you can start connecting. Next, we will look at how to properly connect a car radio with an ISO connector. A special diagram will help us with this, on which you can see which wires are responsible for what and where they go. So, for example, on the left side of the diagram, the power connection of the car radio is shown, and on the right, the output to the speakers.

Let's start with connecting the power, since it is at this stage that most mistakes are made. Three wires are responsible for powering the car radio, each of which performs a specific function.

Yellow wire for 12V

It is this wire that is the main one, since it is responsible not only for powering the built-in amplifier, but also for saving the settings of the car radio. When connecting it, you must use a 10 amp fuse, and the approximate length of the wire should be 30 cm. In addition, yellow wires marked B +, BU or BATT are very common. They can also be used.

red wireACC

This wire is responsible for power management of the car radio. Simply put, power will be supplied to the radio only when the key in the ignition has taken the desired position. Surely you have noticed more than once that when you turn the key to the ACC position in the car, the stove, cigarette lighter, radio and other devices start up.

black wireGND

The wire marked GND is connected to the negative terminal of the car battery. Some car enthusiasts prefer to connect it to the car body, but this is only true in cases where the car radio has little power. It is also very important when connecting the GND wire to the car body to thoroughly clean the connection, thus ensuring good contact.

When the car radio is provided with power, you can proceed to the output to the speakers. For this, there are also special wires that are laid to a particular column:

1. Front Left (FL) - front left speaker
2. Front Right (FR) - front right speaker
3. Rear Left (RL) - rear left
4. Rear Right (RR) - rear right

It is worth noting that some car radios have not only wires such as FL, FR, and so on, but also the so-called tulip connectors. If your speakers are equipped with these types of connectors, you can use them to connect. In another case, you need to know which other wires are responsible for what.

white wireANT

The wire with this marking is responsible for controlling the car radio antenna. Depending on the signal quality, it supplies power to the internal active antenna or to turn on the external antenna.

Wire with markingILL (Illumination)

The color of this wire may vary depending on the manufacturer. Most often it is a light pink or yellow version of its execution. The wire marked ILL is connected to the parking lights, to the plus. It is easy to guess that he is responsible for the backlight of the car radio.

MUTE

Responsible for turning off the sound when the button is pressed.

Parking line

Connected to the handbrake. It is necessary in order to prevent the driver from turning on the film while the car is in motion.

If everything was done correctly, then when you turn on the car radio, everything should work. We hope that we were able to answer the question of how to properly connect the car radio.

Installing a radio in a car is a creative procedure, but not at all complicated. An experienced car owner who has at least basic knowledge of the basics of electrical engineering can easily connect the car radio on his own. More on this later in the article.

Incorrect connection, which is caused by errors when connecting the car radio

Improper installation or connection of the car radio can cause the following problems:

1. When the power is turned off, the car radio settings are lost.
2. If you listen to music at high volume, significant distortion of the sound signal occurs, the radio starts to "stutter" or turns off spontaneously.
3. When parking, the radio consumes a large amount of electricity, as a result of which the battery is discharged all the time, and when the car is parked for a long time, there is a risk of not starting the engine at all.

All of the above problems in 90 percent of cases result from incorrect connection. Remember that improper connection of the car radio can lead not only to the above troubles, but also to a fire in the car.

Car radios, classification by installation method

Modern car radios are of the following types (according to the installation method) - stationary and built-in.

1. Typically, stationary car radios are mounted by car manufacturers on the assembly line. Non-standard sizes and original shape effectively protect them from theft.
2. Built-in car radios, as a rule, are equipped with a special shutter or a removable front panel - the devices are simple, but no less effective.

Connectors, connection, marking

When installing the car radio yourself, you must consider the following features:

1. Connect the radio only in accordance with the instructions. Failure to comply with this rule can lead to its failure or even to a fire. At the same time, you should not use the installation manual for another car radio, since even one manufacturer may have different wire markings and plugs, depending on the model.
2. Remember that the wiring of many domestic vehicles since the Soviet era has been designed for the installation of radios and radios with mechanical tuning - this can create additional inconvenience.

For example, in Zhiguli, voltage is constantly supplied to the power wire of the radio, regardless of how the key is located in the ignition. However, when the key is turned, the electrical circuit opens for a fraction of a second, which is sometimes enough to erase all settings from the radio's memory.

The procedure for installing radio tape recorders of various manufacturers and types is actually the same. The container without a car radio is mounted in a regular socket, after which it is fixed by bending the metal petals outward along its perimeter.

1. To connect the car radio in modern cars, an ISO connector is provided. To connect in this case, it is necessary to insert the connecting block of the radio into the corresponding ISO connector of your car.
2. In most domestic cars and older vehicles, the ISO connector is not provided by the design. In this case, to install the radio, you need to buy the appropriate connector and connect it yourself. As a rule, the wires on these connectors are signed and marked.

The following wires are responsible for connecting the speakers:

1. RR - Rear right.
2. RL - Rear left.
3. FR - Front right.
4. FL - Front left.

When connecting the speakers to the car radio, it is necessary to observe the correct polarity, otherwise the sound will be poor, since the acoustics in this situation will work in antiphase.

To connect the speakers, you must use special speaker wires, which, as a rule, are included with the car radio.

It is impossible to connect the conclusions intended for connecting acoustics to the "mass" of the car, otherwise the failure of the radio tape recorder will be guaranteed.

Wiring, speaker wires and their marking

The main stage of connecting the car radio is connecting the power supply. This is where most mistakes are made.

The radio is powered by three wires - black, red and yellow.

GND (black) - ideally connected to the negative terminal of the battery. However, its connection with the car body is allowed, as a result of the low power of the car radio. It is first necessary to ensure good contact by cleaning the junction from oxides and dirt. You can also apply grease to the contacts to protect them from oxidation.

ACC (red) - control of the car radio from the ignition switch. The ignition locks on many vehicles have an ACC position. When the key is turned to this position, power is supplied to the cigarette lighter socket, interior heater and car radio, however, the vehicle ignition system is de-energized.

12 V (yellow) - main power wire. The built-in amplifier is powered from it, and it is also designed to save the radio settings. This wire is connected via a fuse directly to the battery. The length of the wire from the battery to the fuse must not exceed 30 centimeters.

How to choose wiring depending on power

In systems that have a power of 30 watts per channel or more, each channel has its own plus and minus. It is forbidden to interchange or confuse them. It is also impossible to ground the speaker, while outputting a minus to the car body. This may cause sound distortion. In low-power radio tape recorders with manual radio tuning, there may be two or four colored wires, and paired ones with a black stripe may be absent. In this case, for all speakers, the “minus” is switched with the main negative wire of the radio, which must be brought to the car body.

Connecting wires are included with virtually all acoustic systems. However, these are test wires, not mounting wires. They are included to test the speakers upon purchase, not for use. Their cross section usually does not exceed 0.25 - 0.5 m²m. These wires can only be used for auxiliary acoustics, when the diameter of the installed speaker is 10-13 centimeters, and its power is 15-20 watts.

For the main 40-100 W speakers, which have a diameter of 16 centimeters or more, special acoustic wires are needed, the cross section of which is from 1 to 4 m²m, depending on the power of the radio and speakers.

High-quality insulation - electrical and fire safety

All wiring must be well insulated. It is better to choose a silicone layer, as it is resistant to temperature extremes and does not crack in frosty times. Properly lay the wires around the car interior, avoiding power sources and other energy consumers. Do not twist them or bend them at an acute angle. Remember, they should not come into contact with foreign objects (cargo in the trunk, legs, and so on) in the cabin or bend over.

Speakers, installation, locations for good acoustics

Before installing the speaker system and before connecting it, the speakers should be installed so that the rear left axle is directed towards the passenger, and the right axle is directed towards the driver. Do not cover the membranes with bags, boxes or other foreign objects. In order for the speakers to fully sound, they must “breathe”. It is advisable to place different “tweeters” and tweeters on the windshield away from low-frequency interference in order to give the cabin a greater quadra effect.

Reminder for installing a car radio

Two-component systems are becoming more and more common. Their buffers are preferably placed in the doors or rear ceilings, and not in the instrument panel. And it is desirable to place the tweeters away and in front.

During the entire period of operation of the car, the owner changes a lot in it. It can be both different small accessories, and more serious purchases. The most important purchase is the purchase of a car radio. Probably now it is difficult to imagine a car without an audio system. It especially helps when traveling long distances, it helps drivers at night not to fall asleep at the wheel.

Connections and installation of the car radio

Even when buying a new car, a budget version of the audio system is already installed from the factory, but there are also cars that are not installed on. And if you purchased a used car 10 years old, then there is probably an old radio tape recorder that does not meet your requirements. In a new modern car radio, you can not only listen to music from such media as:

• optical discs CD/DVD;
• SD drives;
• USB flash drives;
• support for synchronization and connection of the phone as a player;
• aux input.

Also in more expensive models there is an LCD display, support for watching videos, watching TV channels, a navigation system and many more interesting features. Of course, such audio systems are expensive and you will need the help of specialists to make the connection. But many motorists can not afford to buy such radio models and choose a more budget option. If you have an idea about the electrical equipment of the car, connecting wires and a little accuracy in work, then you are able to make the connection yourself.

How to connect the radio in the car or replace it with a new one?

To carry out this type of work, you will need a screwdriver, pliers, a multimeter, electrical tape and accuracy when dismantling decorative panels and installing the radio itself. When replacing an old car radio with a new one, there should be no difficulties. The speakers are already installed in the appropriate places, the wires are stretched and connected. You just have to check all the wires for integrity, connect the audio speakers and replace the radio itself in the car panel.

When replacing Difficulties may arise when connecting a new radio, since the connectors can be different, you will have to buy a special adapter. Today there is a wide variety of all kinds of adapters in the market, so you will not have problems with this. In most cases, you can buy an adapter in the same place where you bought the car radio itself. Also comes with some models. After you have connected the radio, you should check everything again and carry out the first power-up to check if everything works.

When connecting the radio from scratch, you should prepare more carefully. First of all, you should decide on the wiring. It should be specifically for acoustics with oxygen-free copper with a cross section of 2 - 4 mm kV. Install the speakers in the specially designated places provided by the manufacturer. If there are no such places, you will have to make holes for the speakers yourself. And in the end, install the car radio in the car panel and connect it itself.

Connecting a car radio: connection diagram

Let's consider the main connection schemes for the car radio:

• connection method with ignition lock;
• connection method directly from the battery;
• radio connection diagram when using a button instead of a lock;
• connection diagram through the alarm control unit.

Practically Every radio has two positive wires., they most often come in two colors of red and yellow. The first wire is a yellow “memory wire”, which is responsible for the settings and memory of the radio. Usually it is connected to the negative terminal of the battery directly. Red - "power wire" is used to turn on and off the power of the radio. There is also a negative wire, usually it is black, it is connected to the negative, the easiest way is to the body of the car.

Wiring diagram with ignition switch

This method is recommended in the instructions for the car radio, it is more secure according to experts. But there is also a drawback in it, you can listen to music only when the ignition is turned on or the engine is running. To connect according to this scheme, you need to connect the yellow wire (positive) directly to the positive terminal of the battery. Connect the black wire responsible for turning on the radio to the ignition switch, and connect the negative wire to the vehicle ground. With this method, the car radio does not drain the battery in standby mode during long-term parking.

Wiring diagram directly to the battery

Such the most commonly used method when connecting the car radio. We connect the black wire to the mass of the car, and connect the yellow and red wires together and connect to the positive terminal of the battery. With this connection, you can listen to music even when the ignition is off. But this method leads to the discharge of the battery even when the car radio is turned off. The radio tape recorder consumes in standby mode from 0.2 to 1 A / h. Therefore, if you are not a music lover or you have an old battery, then it is better to refrain from this connection method.

Connection method using a button instead of an ignition switch

With this method, we make the connection, as by the method using the ignition switch. The difference is that we connect the red wire not to the ignition switch, but to the button, which is connected to the battery plus. The advantage of this method is that you can turn off the power from the radio during long-term parking to prevent battery leakage. And you can listen to music when the ignition is off.

Connection method with alarm

Often the driver thinks if I turned off the music in the car or not in the parking lot. The principle is that the radio turns off and on from the alarm. This method also reduces current leakage, since the radio is turned off when the alarm is on. To connect, you need two five contact relays and a pair of diodes. A more detailed diagram can be found on the Internet specifically for your car, alarm and radio, since different cars have their own color scheme of wires.

In any of the above ways it is necessary to connect a fuse in the circuit 10-20 And if, of course, it is not already provided when buying a radio.

Connecting speakers

Such a procedure should be treated responsibly and carefully. After all, if the connection is incorrect, the sound of the music will deteriorate. At best, the speaker may fail, at worst, the radio itself will fail.

To connect the speakers, you should choose a special stranded acoustic wire with a diameter of 2-4 mm 2. As a rule, there are two terminals on the speakers: one is wider, the other is narrower. The one that is wider goes to the plus, the one that is already going to the minus. Make the wires as short as possible, as they have resistance that distorts the sound. Be sure to connect according to the instructions that came with the car radio. Don't twist the wires too much use special connectors to connect wires to speakers. Basically, 2x2 acoustics are often used. That is, two large speakers in the back and two small ones on the sides in the doors. When properly connected, you can enjoy the pleasant sound of music.

Antenna connection

Of course, now the range of music is large and some people simply do not use the radio. But there are motorists who like to listen to their favorite radio station in the car.

If your car does not have a standard antenna, then the best option is to buy an active antenna, since installing a passive antenna will cost you a pretty penny. Installing an active antenna is quite simple. It just needs to be glued to the windshield of the car. Also, it must be connected to a special wire at the output in the radio, usually it is white and has the designation AMP or REM. The active antenna also has a button to turn on and off the power to the amplifier. This means that there will be no problems with signals in the city and outside the city.

When buying a car, in most cases, we immediately receive an installed audio system, whether it is a standard one or a pre-installed by car dealership masters. An exception may be a car in the most budgetary configuration or a used one, from which a caring seller successfully dismantled it. In general, there may come a time when it may be useful for you to know how to connect 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 already 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 Connection errors are not the responsibility of the author of the article.

1. Selecting the location of 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 the console there is a place provided for it, you can even install it in a sideboard or fix it on a bracket under the panel, in general, it all depends on your desire and on the design of the car. It is necessary to take into account the mounting dimensions of the radio, such as the installation depth, it is calculated taking into account the length of the device body and connectors with wires at the back. There must be enough space for the wires, given 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 tape recorder is already 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 obsolete - 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 wires of the radio tape recorder by soldering or twisting; 3 - connection via ISO connector.

The first and second options are to connect the radio's conductors to the speakers and power by soldering or twisting, in which case it will be problematic to dismantle or replace the radio, you will have to cut the wires and reconnect. With this connection, it is recommended to use soldering, but this is difficult in a car. When connecting with a twist, the wires must be carefully cleaned of oxides and twisted securely. In the case of soldering and twisting, it is necessary to insulate the joints well, a heat shrink tube is perfect for this, but it can also be done in the old fashioned way - with electrical tape.

The connection option via the ISO connector is the most versatile, because. Most car radios are sold with this connector. The pinout of the connector is standardized and practically does not differ from different manufacturers. But even if any contact is not installed there, it can be easily rearranged. Contacts with wires in the connector can be removed by squeezing the plastic retainer with a needle. In the case of connection via the ISO connector, it is once installed in the car's wiring by soldering or twisting, and then the car radio is connected only using this connector. Anyway how to connect radio you choose yourself.

3. Types of car radios.

Car radios are standard in size and do not change for different companies, the only exception is the installation depth, it may differ. The dimension of the radio is designated as DIN (this is one standard seat), there are 1DIN, and there are 2DIN. The latter are twice as high in height, usually these are multimedia centers with a large screen.

Regular 2DIN differs from the usual 2DIN in the design of the front panel, it is made in the style of the car panel on which it is installed to fit into the interior. Also, the standard 2DIN connectors and their pinouts may differ, so if you have a standard car radio from some car and you want to install it yourself, then some problems may arise. For example, regular Hyundai / KIA radios may not have a built-in sound amplifier and they work only 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.

Dimensions 1DIN devices (HxW) - 50x180mm, and 2DIN - 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 radio, namely, what to connect where. In a conventional 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 to be confused with each other. The colors of these wires are also more or less standardized, but still, they 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 a minimum of 12 wires: three for connecting the power of the radio, 8 for the speakers, a wire for supplying power to the antenna. In some models, there may be more wires, sometimes a wire is added to control the backlight of the display. 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 is no instruction or sticker, you can figure out the purpose of the wires by their color. To begin with, we find power - these are three wires, thick black, yellow and red. Black is connected to the ground of the car, red is connected to the ignition switch to the Acc contact (Accessories, accessories), yellow is connected to the battery positive. The speaker wires are divided into 4 pairs, white, grey, 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 receiver, but the same reason can be used to remotely turn on an external amplifier by connecting it to the Remote terminal 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 work without a key in the ignition, the red and yellow wires must be connected together and connected to + 12V battery.

If the car has "audio preparation", ie. The ISO connector and the wires are already present, connected to the car's on-board network, 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 match of the power wires.

To connect to the vehicle wiring, you must have a wiring diagram of this vehicle in order to find the connection points to the ignition switch, battery positive terminal and ground. Everything is simple with the mass - you can connect to any place, to the metal on the body using a bolt with a nut or a mass terminal block. If there is no electrical circuit of the car, then armed with a voltmeter, you will have to look for the right wire yourself. But you can greatly simplify the task, the positive wire from the battery is always present on the terminal block of the BPR (fuse and relay box), you can poke a voltmeter into all thick wires in it. Or, run a separate wire directly to the positive battery terminal. Using a voltmeter, we find a positive on the ignition switch in the Acc position.

Important! When connecting the radio to the wiring, use wires of the appropriate section, put fuses on the positive wires!

The wires must be taken 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 the insulation of the connections, any unreliable contact, bare wire can lead to a short circuit or even a fire.

After power is supplied to the radio, you can proceed to connect the speakers. Their location may vary, usually regular places are provided either in the dashboard or in the niches of the doors, in the rear shelf. When choosing speakers, pay attention to their size, it must match the seat in the car. If regular places are not provided, then you will have to do them yourself, for this, you may need to disassemble part of the skin in order to determine the places suitable for installation.

In the photo above, for example, I showed regular speaker installation locations in the dashboard, doors and rear 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 installation site of the radio, if not, you will have to stretch it yourself. It is always better to take wires with a larger cross section (1.5 - 2 sq. Mm.), Of course, they are more expensive, but the current and voltage losses in such wires will be less. Always choose a stranded wire, they are more resistant to kinks at the bends. It is better to strengthen the wiring in the doors, in the places of transition 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 it up, nothing bad will happen. It is easy to check the correct polarity connection in the wiring, we take a regular 1.5 volt battery and connect it to the wires coming from the speaker, if the diffuser has risen up, then the wires are connected correctly, if the diffuser goes in, 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 apply 12V to the car's electrical system, as this can quickly burn the speaker coil.

After powering up the radio and connecting the speakers, you can already turn it on and listen to music, but there is also a radio. If there is an 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 which one is more to our liking, but do not forget that it will need to be attached to the body. There are many varieties of antenna mounts and you need to choose the one that is more suitable for the design of your car, while not damaging the body. Or, you can buy a Velcro antenna, it is glued to the inside of the windshield. Very often, such antennas have a small amplifier box, for such an antenna you just need the blue wiring from the ISO connector, which I wrote about earlier. Whichever antenna we choose, it will be connected to the radio tape recorder in a special antenna connector, 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 ignorant people call it "television". 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 sold already with such a wire, but there are exceptions.

After we 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, but about how to make a subwoofer yourself -.

I hope the article how to connect radio will be useful to you, good luck in connecting!!!

When copying this article, be sure to include a link to the source.