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Stereo install issues.

Cidious

New Member
Joined
February 1, 2009
Messages
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City, State
WI
Year, Model & Trim Level
'01 XLT
Howdy all,
I'm trying to install an aftermarket Stereo: VRCD400-SDU.
I'm having wiring issues is what I think it comes down to. Based off of my new stereo's manual (http://www.roadmasterusa.com/manuals/VRCD400SDU_eng.pdf) and a wiring diagram (http://www.modifiedlife.com/car-stereo-radio-wiring-diagram-2001-ford-explorer/) I just matched up what wire should go where and connected them up.

However, when I connect my battery back up and plug in my new Stereo it doesn't come on. When I turn my lights on, the backlighting of the stereo will illuminate. I've pressed the reset button on the unit and ensured my wiring is correct (to what I believe) and solidly connected (spliced and tapped wires).

What wires should be connected to what?
What else should I try?

Thanks,
Cidious
 



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didn't wanna buy a harness? could've taken the guess work out.

from Audiovox:
_________________________________________________________________________
Battery LIGHT GREEN (+) RADIO HARNESS
Accesory YELLOW/BLACK (+) RADIO HARNESS
Ground BLACK (-) RADIO HARNESS
Illumination LIGHT BLUE/RED (+) RADIO HARNESS
Power Antenna AMP=BLUE
LF Speaker (+) ORANGE/LIGHT GREEN
LF Speaker (-) LIGHT BLUE/WHITE
RF Speaker (+) DARK GREEN/ORANGE
RF Speaker (-) WHITE/LIGHT GREEN
LR Speaker (+) GRAY/LIGHT BLUE
LR Speaker (-) TAN/YELLOW
RR Speaker (+) ORANGE/RED
RR Speaker (-) BROWN/PINK
Amp Location RIGHT REAR QUARTER (if equipped)
 






Kelly2, your diagram is slightly different from the one I found and used
Some speakers + and – are switched along with slight color difference
_______________________________________
Radio Constant 12V+ Wire: Light Green/Purple
Radio Switched 12V+ Wire: Yellow/Black
Radio Ground Wire: Black
Radio Illumination Wire: Red/Black
Radio Dimmer Wire: N/A
Radio Antenna Trigger Wire: N/A
Radio Amp Trigger Wire: N/A
Front Speakers Size: N/A
Front Speakers Location: N/A
Left Front Speaker Wire (+): Orange/Light Green
Left Front Speaker Wire (-): Light Blue/White
Right Front Speaker Wire (+): White/Light Green
Right Front Speaker Wire (-): Green/Orange
Rear Speakers Size: N/A
Rear Speakers Location: N/A
Left Rear Speaker Wire (+): Tan/Yellow
Left Rear Speaker Wire (-): Gray/Light Blue
Right Rear Speaker Wire (+): Orange/Red
Right Rear Speaker Wire (-): Brown/Pink
___________________________________

Now the speakers are obvious, but here are the wires from my stereo I have hooked up with on my Explorer:

-
Dashboard Light Dimmer Switch (Battery Icon) wire
Radio Illumination Wire: Red/Black
Mostly obvious, it is the only one that seems to work, backlights come on when I turn my lights on
-
Amplifier Remote Or Power Antenna wire
Don’t have either, so I don’t connect this
-
Yellow Memory + wire
Radio Constant 12V+ Wire: Light Green/Purple
-
Black Ground – wire
Radio Ground Wire: Black
-
Red 12v + (Key Icon) wire

Radio Switched 12V+ Wire: Yellow/Black
_________________________________________
The color Diagram I used seemed to match all the wires properly, I looked a different diagrams and it seemed like there was too much of a difference…
Did I go wrong somewhere (besides not using a harness) or should I try using a different diagram?
 






did you look through this post yet?
 



















Haha, yes, I have looked at that post. Can you read it for 98-02? I have trouble making complete heads and tails of it. If I had an Associates in Electronics maybe I could use it. I see the parts of my car, but what does 1002 c245m c245f mean to you, lol, not much to me.

Your post of the picture is readable and I can understand, but for my vehicle year it is not.
Is Audiovox where you bought the diagram for your vehicle? I might check that out, that would help me, or just give me another Idea for my vechile year.
 






Well, it turns out it was a Blow Fuse... I'm happy to report I have a fully working stereo, not happy to report I spent a lot of time and frustration on this when everything I had was correct!

Special thanks to Kelly2 for helping me out.
 












thanks!

hi. been trying to get my new stereo/cd player to work. (VFCD400-SDU) very frustrating trying to find info. but, after following this thread, I've gathered enough info to "make-it-go"... ;-]

I could see that the stereo worked (display on player) but no sound. yet when I attached a 4-ohm speaker, external of car, I would get sound. From looking at the wiring diagram kelly2 supplied the link for, I now see that there is an AMP... opps. I connected the wire for "antenna up&down/amp" and ... sound. way cool.

It is nice to find a source of info that actually "helps". Thanks to all in this thread.
 






im having the same problem everything works but sound... where do you connect the blue amp wire?
 












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