Fitting a headunit

[Podie]

I need to fit a headunit to the S, and happen to have a Pioneer MiniDisc unit lying around that still works.

Last night I had a quick butchers at the wires... to find that there is no ISO connector. Nuts.

Is it just a case of buying a ISO connector block (to fit the back of the head unit) and matching the wires up (colour wise) or is this going to be a headache...?

Thoughts / suggestions on a postcard to the usual address...

[Podie]

Wiring seems to be of normal quality, as provided by the OEM - whether a Ford, Audi, Beemer, Fiat or whatever... best described as "doorbell wire".

I know that ISO connectors are availble from Halfords, but was wondering if there was anything I needed to watch out for...

[Podie]

I've got a wiring block (looks a bit 80's at that!) in there at the moment, wich seems to be connected up to a load of wires... so I'm assuming that I just wire in an ISO jobbie to this block... and match the colour of the wires...

[Podie]

I was afraid I was going to have to do it the long way round... damn.

[Podie]

Nuts. Ah well... multimeter will have to be dusted off it seems.

[Podie]

JSG - It's a Pioneer of a 1999 vintage... has a socket at the back for a standard ISO connector.

Connectors... er an old manky white-ish wiring block, that the wires go into... and nothing comes out from!

Any diagram would be of use though - something to go on! If you wouldn't mind, could you ping it over to [e-mail]

Cheers!

>> Edited by Podie on Wednesday 4th December 14:16

[Podie]

RedTeg said: Is this whitish wiring block an actual OEM type connecter or just simply a screw terminal block.

If its an OEM connector what did TVR base their wiring/parts on in 1991? I assume if it was ford wiring you'd recognise it. Could it be Rover wiring?

Halford do have a good range of OEM to ISO pre made adaptor kits. One of their useful guides should be there but if it lists TVR S3C 1991 I'd be suprised.

Halfords never list TVRs... unsurprisingly. I didn't recognise it as a Ford part.. and even back in 1991 the Blue Oval was using standardised parts (according to the my information). It looks like a wiring block as it has two sets of screws opposite eachother and there are around ten or so wires going into it...

I'll have a dig around at the weekend (when it's light!) take a photo or two for reference and post them up.

[Podie]

S2 Giles said: I use the old stereo to help identify which wires perform which function & then manually wire those onto the new units wiring....

All very well... but if you don't have the headunit in the first place...

[Podie]

To wrap thi sone up, thought I'd just post what happened.

On closer inspection, the connector in place was from an old Metro (so Rover wiring then!)... funny little wiring block that looked like bullet connectors would fit inside it.

Out came the multimeter... a friend of mine (who used to work at Halfords on the audio section), the Pioneer headunit, 3 tonnes of wires and a dictonary (for potential swearing).

Located the speakers with ease... nicely left in pairs for front and rears...

Found three live wires (?) including one with a brown cover on it! (you'd expect it to be earthed!).

Anyway, with a bit of investigation, we located all the relevant wires, including the one for the elctric aerial, and even managed to wire up the accessory (ACC) position on the ingnition. Nice.

So Pioneer MD installed... bugger getting it in place (I was being a bit anal about knocking wires and stuff), but all seems to work (windows, fogs, dials the lot, oh and the headunit).

Just got to sort out the electric aerial now... and get a working one! - or am I best just getting a static one? - thoughts?