Wiring a Car Stereo into a car without an adapter plug
Wiring a Car Stereo into a car without an adapter plug
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Court Jester

Original Poster:

176 posts

207 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
quotequote all
We are doing a banger rally across Europe in September. The rules are that you buy a car for less than £333 or that is over 20 years old. We have opted for the 20 years plus option and purchased a Porsche 944.

The 944 had a Sony CD player but it isn't great. I assumed it would have some sort of plug and as a modernish system was already installed I would just need to plug the ISO block into an adapter lead. I took the stereo out today and it is a multitude of wires into some fairly knackered connectors (which is probably why the sound is so poor). The previous owner has hacked the ISO plug off the back of the stereo and connected the wires from the stereo into a block connector then from the connector into the original Porsche cable through the knackered connectors.

So my question is this - what is the best way to fit the new stereo? I don't really want to hack the ISO plug off as the last guy did as I will probably sell the Porsche post rally and may take this stereo out. So I am thinking that if I buy an adapter cable with an ISO block on one end and cut off the plug at the other, cut the old connectors out of the Porsche, and crimp the adapter cable to the wiring in the car then effectively I will wire in an ISO socket for easy swapping of the stereo.

I assume this will work??!? Or is there a better way please?

Impasse

15,099 posts

270 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
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Sounds like the perfect solution.

Hooli

32,278 posts

229 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
quotequote all
Court Jester said:
So my question is this - what is the best way to fit the new stereo? I don't really want to hack the ISO plug off as the last guy did as I will probably sell the Porsche post rally and may take this stereo out. So I am thinking that if I buy an adapter cable with an ISO block on one end and cut off the plug at the other, cut the old connectors out of the Porsche, and crimp the adapter cable to the wiring in the car then effectively I will wire in an ISO socket for easy swapping of the stereo.

I assume this will work??!? Or is there a better way please?
I'd solder not crimp & use heat shrink to insulate them. But that's personal preference as I've had wires break due to the weight of connectors hanging on them. I know plenty of people why say aircraft use crimps not solder so crimps are better.

s p a c e m a n

12,067 posts

177 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
quotequote all
If you're really lucky and it's already been hacked about with bullet connectors, squished female connectors slide onto iso plug pins biggrin

Court Jester

Original Poster:

176 posts

207 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
quotequote all
Great, thanks for your advice Impasse and Hooli. I will let you know how I get on.

GC8

19,910 posts

219 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
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What year 944?

Court Jester

Original Poster:

176 posts

207 months

Saturday 29th March 2014
quotequote all
GC8 said:
What year 944?
1985 2.5 lux

GC8

19,910 posts

219 months

Sunday 30th March 2014
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924 type dash?

GC8

19,910 posts

219 months

Sunday 30th March 2014
quotequote all
1985 was a changeover year. They started building the 1986 model year car in September 1985 and it is virtually a whole new car. The wiring loom is completely different.

I have wiring diagrams for both somewhere, I think. It should help you make sense of the wires/colours, at least.

LeeThr

3,122 posts

200 months

Sunday 30th March 2014
quotequote all
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

This is what you need, gives you some clean connections to join up to the existing wiring & gives you the standard ISO plugs. Used one of these on my old mans Evo a few years ago and it worked a charm.

Court Jester

Original Poster:

176 posts

207 months

Sunday 30th March 2014
quotequote all
GC8 said:
1985 was a changeover year. They started building the 1986 model year car in September 1985 and it is virtually a whole new car. The wiring loom is completely different.

I have wiring diagrams for both somewhere, I think. It should help you make sense of the wires/colours, at least.
That is fantastic GC8, thank you! It is the revised (Oval dash) model. If you have a diagram that would help, otherwise I was going to draw the existing connections, cross ref to the new one and connect that way.

Court Jester

Original Poster:

176 posts

207 months

Sunday 30th March 2014
quotequote all
LeeThr said:
http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/...

This is what you need, gives you some clean connections to join up to the existing wiring & gives you the standard ISO plugs. Used one of these on my old mans Evo a few years ago and it worked a charm.
Perfect Lee, thanks. Saves me getting a lead with a connector on one end and chopping it off.

GC8

19,910 posts

219 months

Sunday 30th March 2014
quotequote all
Court Jester said:
GC8 said:
1985 was a changeover year. They started building the 1986 model year car in September 1985 and it is virtually a whole new car. The wiring loom is completely different.

I have wiring diagrams for both somewhere, I think. It should help you make sense of the wires/colours, at least.
That is fantastic GC8, thank you! It is the revised (Oval dash) model. If you have a diagram that would help, otherwise I was going to draw the existing connections, cross ref to the new one and connect that way.
Technically its a 1986MY then. Im going to have to dig around for the series two colours, but I will update this thread when I find them.

Buy a new DME relay! If your car runs well now then keep it in the glove box. Itll cost about £25 from your local OPC or EuroCarParts. Never deal with Porscheshop unless you have exhausted every other possibility.

Id strongly suggest joining the PCGB 944 forum and the TIPOC 924-944-968 forum.