Problem with installing alpine head unit.

[antheh]

So I bought a Alpine CDA-105E for my VT Commodore. Now I've never installed a aftermarket head unit before but I'm not a complete dunce when it comes to electrical stuff. So I looked up how to's sort of things and got as much info as possible before starting. I also went out and bought a wiring harness because I didn't want to cut the existing adapter out. So I hooked up all the wires and then plugged it in. All good, head unit is working and I'm getting sound. About two minutes later while I'm trying a CD and mucking around with the bass and treble settings. I get to the balance setting and turn it all the way to left and all good, then turn it all the way right and got no sound at all. So after a bit of fiddling I found out that the right front and rear speakers were not working. So I had a bad feeling I might have blown my right front and rear speakers so I turn off my car, unplug the head unit and put in my old stock one. Every speaker is working no problems. I figure I might have stuffed up the wiring on the speakers so I go over it again and rewire them, rejoin and stuff. Still no progress only left front and rear speakers working.

Now I've got a feeling it's either the Alpine head unit or the wiring harness that is dodgy. Anyone else have any other ideas on what could be wrong?

[Trayner]

most of the time the adaptor wiring harness' arn't allways correct and im thinking that the right channel may be in the wrong spot on the harness

[antheh]

So you mean the pin may be in the wrong spot?

[ephect]

yeap pinouts are wrong for the harness as meantioned or most likely the colors are off.

the other thing to try is sticking bits of wire in the end of both plugs (making the circuit) so u can fully test if the pinouts are wrong.

[Trayner]

have a look in the manual for the headunit to see where the right channel wire is , then just match it up with the standerd right channel holden wiring and should work

EDIT : heres the wiring for the holden speaker wires

All the negatives are joined together and are the light blue wire. Not many HU these days support the "common earth" system and as such require you to rewire the whole speaker set-up which in reality considering the age of the car isn't such a bad thing after all.

VN - VZ

Accesories - Yellow
Constant - Orange/White
Illumination - Brown/White
Earth - Black/White
12V OUTPUT - Yellow/Red
Radio Mute - Yellow/Black (VT onwards)
Antenna up - White (VR onwards)
Antenna down - Blue (VR onwards)
Illumination OUTPUT - Grey (VT onwards)

Speakers
Front Left (+) - Tan
Front Left (-) - Grey
Front Right (+) - Light/Green
Front Right (-) - Dark/Green
Rear Left (+) - Brown/Black
Rear Left (-) - Yellow/Blue
Rear Right (+) - Blue/Orange
Rear Right (-) - Blue/Black

[antheh]

Everything seems to be in the right position, I even switched the positive and negative cables around for the right front and rear and still nothing. It's really starting to annoy me. I'm thinking I might go out tomorrow and try to get it professionally installed or get rid of the wiring harness and just hook right into it.

[Cobez]

Are your speakers amped? Sometimes if the RCA's aren't in the correct spots on the amp it can cause loss of sound on one side of the car. It was a pain in the ass for me when i first started messing with car audio years ago. It drove me nuts lol.

[antheh]

Nah speakers are not amped. It's all stock except for the head unit and when I put the old head unit back in everything works fine again. Left right rear and front.

[antheh]

Ok now I have a different problem, stock head unit still works however after rewiring the harness and trying the Alpine head unit back in it won't start up. Is it possible I've blown the head unit?

[Vt-Brrrlina]

i doubt uve blown the head unit, think the vt;s have 2 fuses under the steering wheel bit for the stereo check those first..

[antheh]

The stock head unit is still working in it though.

[Trayner]

post up some pics of the wiring harness and the stock wiring harness

[Coxy2097]

im planning on putting an alpine headunit in my vt on the weekend... what harness did you use? and is it possible to get a harness that you can just plug in and everything should just work?

[holdenboy]

Unfortunately its not very common to use one of these harness adaptors and all the wiring is correct, usually you'll have to swap one or two wires around.

[Noonan]

i bought a new pioneer head unit for my commodore a few weeks ago.. there is only one power wire for it and no battery wire.. i had to put the battery wire and accessory wire both to that one wire and now the head unit resets every time the car is switched off. How do i run a power wire and do i need a fuse for it?
Cheers Noonan

[holdenboy]

Ahh the good old VB.....my favourite car of all time......the memories pics?

Right, back on topic (lol). You have two options here mate, one is to "tap" into you brakelight switch power and use that for your constant (yellow) wire (not the best idea but it does work). The other is as you say, you'll need to run a dedicated wire from the positive terminal to the head-unit, fused within 30cm of the battery.

You'll need the following:

* 3m of 12awg power cable
* 1x Inline fuseholder (the blade versions, not the glass ones)
* A ring terminal for the battery.

Ahh hell, just because youve got a VB heres some links of the gear

Power cable-
Red 25 Amp DC Auto Power Cable - Jaycar Electronics

Fuseholder-
30A InLine Stackable Blade Fuseholders - Jaycar Electronics

Ring terminal-
http://www.autotoys.com/pics/yellowringterminal1.jpg

As far as getting it through the firewall goes, is it an auto or manual? if its an auto then have a look for the clutch cable grommit, cut a small hole in that and feed it through there, if its manual just have a good look around on the firewall for a grommit, or where some wiring goes through into the cabin.

[VQXTC]

You can also pick up the constant power from behind the plug in the analog clock in the dash.... I use to use this for a constant source of power and you dont have to fuse it as it is already fused with the clock...

Try this and see how you go....

cheers

Simon

[holdenboy]

I think the main problem with "tapping" into exsisting constant power sources is the fact the stereo draws its current from this wire (10A), and this may overload the fuse, so the user replaces it with a higher rating one and ends up frying the stock wire. (Have witnessed this a few times now).

It does "work", but its not the proper way to obtain constant 12v, thats all.

[VQXTC]

QUOTE=holdenboy;1181413]I think the main problem with "tapping" into exsisting constant power sources is the fact the stereo draws its current from this wire (10A), and this may overload the fuse, so the user replaces it with a higher rating one and ends up frying the stock wire. (Have witnessed this a few times now).

It does "work", but its not the proper way to obtain constant 12v, thats all.[/QUOTE]

Yes you are right, but the constant power wire really only supplies the memory with power (clock, Radio Presets etc....)I have never seen a constant power wire draw 10A, however I have seen people pick up power from other sources and overload circuits and I think from memory the fuse on the clock circuit is rated at 10A. (It has been a while though....).

I have also witnessed people "tapping" into the brake switch wire and caused all sorts of problems..

cheers

Simon