91-94 factory stereo wiring

[DjDom]

Hooking up a speaker backwards won't kill it. It just runs in reverse.

 

[Number4]

This seems to be the best thread for the first gen Ex's stereo questions, so I'll resurrect it.

Power wires :

ground = blk
12v ignition= yellow/blk stripe
12v constant= green/yellow stripe
dash dimmer= blue/red stripe
and the blue goes to power the factory amp...
red = unknown
yellow=unknown

Just to tidy this up,
Red wire is switched ignition
Yellow wire is 12v constant

Hey did you ever figure out what the black w/DK green stripe in the power harness do?

I find it interesting that nothing talks about this wire. None of the online sources, nor the instructions that came with my Metra harness.

From looking at F Series and Mustang diagrams, the Black w/Green (BK/GN) wire is listed as both 'Ground' and 'Amp Ground.' I've tested this wire and it is indeed a ground wire. The two ground wires attach at separate points on the Ex.

I bought the Metra 70-5511 adapter, the instructions are poor and don't match the actual harness wire colors. My '94 Black harness wire lines up with an Orange w/Black wire on the 70-5511. The instructions don't even list this Orange w/Black wire. I'll tie the Orange w/Black and Black wires to the stereo's Black ground wire. This will utilize the OE harnesses Black and Black w/Green wires.

There is no illumination wire listed on my Kenwood, so I won't use the OE illumination wire. I assume the stereo will illuminate via either the Red or Yellow wire.

I don't have the subwoofer, but I'm gathering I still have an amp, which powers the door speakers? So I'll connect the stereo's Blue w/White wire to the 70-5511 Blue w/White wire which plugs into the OE harnesses Blue wire.

 

[Matt 1994]

If you're using an aftermarket head unit, your install should go pretty smooth. Just do as you planned and rewire the speakers. If you get a sub amp, then run a separate RCA signal wire to the sub amp from your head.

Now, if you have a remote factory amp (behind the back right panel) and you want to use it, Crutchfield sells an adapter for aftermarket decks. The adapter comes with RCA ends for your new aftermarket signal cable and the factory amp molex connecter to go into the amp.

Let me know how it went. -PS

How does the factory amp hook up does it run the spekers do I half to bypass it or ? How do I test it and get power to it ?

 

[Ray f]

...i hope this might help the others who have a first gen X and someone had cut the stock stereo wiring harness's on their trucks as they did mine...
...on my 91 Project X, the wires were some what different than found on this link, but i suggest you look here also...
http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/stereodetail/855.html


...These are the factory wire colors on my X......mine is one of the first X's made (01/91), so yours might be different so as always, follow this at your own risk...


Power wires :

ground = blk
12v ignition= yellow/blk stripe
12v constant= green/yellow stripe
dash dimmer= blue/red stripe
and the blue goes to power the factory amp...
red = unknown
yellow=unknown


Speaker wires found in grey wire harness:

left frt = 1)green and 2)white w/orange stripe
rt frt= 1)white w/red stripe and 2)orange
rt rear = 1)violet w/white stripe and 2)lite blue
lft rear= 1)lite blue w/dk blue stripe and 2)yellow

What’s + and what’s -

 

[damnford]

i got the am/fm cd cassette player out of 2000? explorer at the wrecking yard and put it in my 95 ranger and it was plug and play then i was rear-ended at a stop light a few months later by someone talking on there cell phone. the truck was totaled. man, that stereo was nice.

 

[damnford]

what does the yellow wire go to? i don't like leaving extra wires out.

 

[mr cribb]

what does the yellow wire go to? i don't like leaving extra wires out.

12v constant power source, also known as radio memory

 

[mr cribb]

My question that I didn't see mentioned, is the harness adapter has four RCA style jacks, but my radio has only two preouts spots. So how do I make this work, can I just cut the RCA parts off and hard wire the speaker wires to the adapter?

 

[Mbrooks420]

Harness for what......

What kind of radio?

 

[mr cribb]

Harness for what......

What kind of radio?

The aftermarket adapter to factory “premium” harness. My radio has two preout positions, but the aftermarket adapter harness has four. Can I cut off the “jacks” and hard wire the wires?

 

[Mbrooks420]

I wouldn’t think so. Those are meant to be amplified if they are actually RCAs. They wouldn’t have enough power to drive the speakers.

 

[mr cribb]

Okay, well I kinda figured that, but I wasn’t sure. I already have a working aftermarket head unit to replace the dead one, so I was trying to see if it was possible.

So my next option is either a different head unit or a factory amp bypass?

 

[mr cribb]

Never mind, I found a splitter that solves all my questions. Thanks @Mbrooks420 for your help.

 

[Nok23]

I wish I had found this forum (this thread and others like it mainly) before I cut that gray bundle of speaker wires ... Went to bypass the factory amp and discovering that my hands are way too big to actually fit in there and splice and bypass that amp .. I don't have the patience or money to buy the harness, and I just want a larger gauge wire (also I'm gonna hook up my own amp and subs, eventually lol) .. But I want to thank everyone for all the information so, without further stalling, thank you!

 

[Nok23]

Quick question, when hooking up a amp for a subwoofer .. can I use the hooked up line in (blue wire) that goes to the factory amp can I use it for the new amp or should I run a new one?

 

[mr cribb]

Quick question, when hooking up a amp for a subwoofer .. can I use the hooked up line in (blue wire) that goes to the factory amp can I use it for the new amp or should I run a new one?

For ease of mind, I would run a separate wire and rca cables.

 

[Nok23]

Man .. now I can't get my HU back out to run a new remote on line! WTF?! ugh .. this project on a 92 explorer has been the most frustrating I've ever done!

 

[Nok23]

And I've run new RCA cables already

 

[mr cribb]

Yeah I had issues with mine, I need to just run separate lines to the aftermarket sub, it was replaced years ago but the sub doesn’t work well with the oem amp.

 

[Nok23]

Yeah, I have the factory amp completely unhooked .. so I crimped a wire from the blue (amp's remote on line) to the new amp .. from the new HU .. I thought that would work and save me some time .. but the amp isn't turning on with my new HU. It should be going straight from the new HU to the amp .. hell, maybe that's not the problem!