I have a 2000 Prelude and need to install a pioneer deh-p8600 into it. The previous owner of this car had some custom audio system with amps, subs in the trunk, aftermarket front speakers. The problem is that the radio harness is cut, so I have no idea which wire is which and where do I have to connect my new head unit wires to.

Can anyone identify me each wire? I included a pic of the wires, just in case you have to take a look: http://www.imagestation.com/my...wires

Another question, would the acoustic feedback system do any harm to the aftermarket unit or would I encounter any other problems? Is it safe and all that?

Anything else I should know before installing the unit?

 

So stupid that someone would cut off the oem radio plug when for less then $10 they could get an adpt. harness. go to 12 volt.com

hope this helps. 94

 

Do you know how to use a 9 volt battery and a volt meter? That's all you have to do. Just make sure it's in phase. I can't access ccroadshop from my house, but i'll check on wire colors next time i goto work.

 

No, don't really know how to use a volt meter to find which wire is which. Hope you get back to work soon

 

You know, i just thought of this, why not goto your local audio shop and pick up a factory harness. They sell them where i live, they are to "factory radio" also known as the factory harness.

Same price as a normal harness, and they have the same color wires too.

 

But then I will also need a harness coming from the radio that plugs into the one on the wire side. I need both harnesses and if I can I'd rather save those 50 bucks or so. This is not a big problem for me connecting this thing, I'm only not sure about the colors here. Is there a chance I fry anything if I connect wrong wires together, especially the ignition and battery wires? And do you know where to connect the blue remote wire to?? I was searching last night and found that it must be connected in order for the rear speakers to work. But I don't really see where that blue thing would go...

 

Yes, there is a chance of frying a fuse, but that's no biggie. Are you hooking up subs and an amp and stuff right now? If you are, the blue remote wire goes to the amp, under remote turn on. If you have power antenna, the blue/white one gets hooked up also. I'd get the car side anyway, so when you goto sell the car, you can disconnect the harness, and sell the car, or else you'll have to leave the Pioneer harness in there, or chop it off again.

As far as being connected for the rear speakers to work, it does not unless you are amplifying your speakers.

 

Oh good, if it's only a fuse. Don't want to fry the whole new player

I'm not putting anything else besides this Pioneer player. When I sell this car, I'll let the player go with the car and buy myself a newer one, as there should be newer models on the market by that time.

And that blue wire, I thought it has something to do with the remote control, no? So I can just leave it unhooked and everything will be fine?

 

The blue wire is a trigger wire, if there are 2 blue wires, one with a white tracer on it, the one with the white tracer is the amp trigger and the solid blue is the power antenna trigger, if your car has a power ant. and you are useing the OEM amp and rear speakers,you will have to use the the blue lead with white tracer as there is only one wire in OEM radio harness for the ant. and amp.

There is a [I forgot my DVM at home] way to find out what wires are what, you will need a battery [ AA,AAA,C or 9 volt]

1- disconnect car batt. cut all the wires on OEM radio harness to same lenth and strip off the last 3/8" of insulation off all the wires and spread them apart so they can't short to each other or to ground, hook up car batt.
2- black is ground, move it off to the side
3- there should be 2 gray wires and 2 brown wires they are speaker grounds move them to the side.
4- white with blue should be unswitched power, test by touching it, one at a time, to the wires left over, watch your dash lights and power ant. ,when dash lights come on or ant. gos up, keep going till you have both. you now have light lead [you may not need for aftermarket HU ] cap off, and you have power ant./OEM amp trigger lead, and you have unswitched power[put a piece of tape over end to keep it from shorting out]
5- turn on ign., using the power ant.lead or light lead touch it one at a time to wires left over till lights come on or ant. gos up, you now have switched power,turn off ign.
6 -now to find speaker wires, using the small batt. [ I like the 9volt ,pos and neg on same end] touching one of the gray or brown wires to th neg. of batt. touch one at a time the wires left over [should be 4 not counting the grays and browns] when you hear a speaker "pop" you have the pos and neg for that speaker keep going till you find all the speaker wires,[ if the rear speakers are amplified,you will need to trigger the amp] twist together the unswitched power wire and the power ant. wire, this should turn amp on and you will be able to "pop" rear speakers, remember the browns and grays are speaker neg.

You have now found all the wires you need using the most expesive test light, your car

hope this helps. 94

 

Thanks for the explanation. I'm sure it will come in handy sometime. But I got it installed already, finally found the color chart somewhere on the net. However, I think I messed up my right front speaker just moments ago. I was testing out the player and both of my front speakers were unmounted and weren't isolated. They sat on the floor mat hooked up to their wires. I don't know what happened, but when I tried to move the right speaker, one of the wires touched the metal on the door and sparks went flying. Well, I of course moved the naked wires away from the metal and everything seemed to work fine. After a few minutes I turned off the ignition and turned it back on...and the right speaker didn't play this time. Couldn't do anything about it..I tried switching it with the left side speaker, but the right front still didn't give me any signs of life. I tried touching the same wire with the metal and no sparks this time. I also tried the second wire and it gave sparks. Didn't really wanna test it for too long So what did I do here? Did I damage something or the problem is elsewhere?

 

well that sucks , you have sent your your right front channel west , the speaker outputs of high power decks can't take a short, not evan for a second, they pack up and go west now .

You will have to pull HU ang have it repaird 94

 

No dude! You mean I screwed the HU's right channel for good??????? Nothing I can do about it??? Damn, will the warranty cover that????

 

Can you please tell me which part is exactly damaged inside the unit? May be it is a cheap, easy fix? If not, I will have to get it fixed through the warranty, which would be my last resort

 

Hey fcm!! The unbeliveable and the unheard has happened!!! The output came back from its western trip!! I don't know how, may be you can explain this phenomen? I come back from work today and right away go to the garage to give it another try. I turn on the unit and same story as yesterday, nothing is coming out from front-right. Then, I disconnect the right-front wires near the unit, and connect my speaker right into the wires that are coming from the plug connected to the unit. To my surprise the sound came back!!! So I thought my wire was bad or something. Anyway, I connect the wires back again and connect the speaker where it supposed to be connected and it starts to play!!! Wow, what a relief!!! I'm happy the trouble is over Now, I'll be more careful next time.

 

Well **** , so good things do happen must be karma,you were a monk or something in your last life right? thats good news, it would not have been a cheep fix

94

 

Not all monks go to heaven