87 gl Stereo wiring disaster

[joebmx]

I know there is tons posted on this but I went for it with all the information in hand and all I amnged to do was short out my clock.

I am trying to out an eclipse stereo into an 87gl, the stereo has very clear i.d on all the wires and no harness in the soob, just really short cut wires whose colors don't seem to match up to what I have read here. I bought the car with no stereo

here they are:

yellow

yellow-white

white

White-Blue

Blue-Red

Blue-Green

Blue-Black

Green

Red

Black- 2 wires

 

White 2 sets

white-Black 2 sets

Grey

Grey black

blue-grey

 

I took a multi meter and found with the car off got a voltage reading from the green wire, and with the car on got a reading from the Blue-green wire. Not what I have at all read for this car. I don't even know what black wire to splice into seeing as there are 2. My first attempt at it all I went with yellow as a constant and red as the acc and one of the black wire for ground. The stereo wouldn't go on, neither did my clock until i disconnected the stereo now my clock goes bright and dim every few seconds. This isn't so self explanatory, why are there 18 wires when I only need 9 or 10, Help please!!!

[Cougar]

Here is a link to a thread that was posted in the past. Post #5 shows the colors.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=62239&highlight=radio+wiring

 

Edit: I see cd45 (who posted this reply) is online right now looking at this.

[mikeshoup]

Per that thread that was referenced earlier,

Here's the stock radio wiring diagram: http://mshoup.us/images/radio.jpeg

And here's the color key Subaru uses:

 

L = Blue

B = Black

Y = Yellow

G = Green

R = Red

W = White

Br = Brown

Lg = Light Green

Gr = Gray

 

As for what black to use as a ground, just use your multimeter and figure out which one goes to ground. Both of them probably do.

 

And it looks like you're well on your way to figuring it out. You sure that blue green wire isn't blue yellow? (As that's what the FSM shows)

 

Pay careful attention to the stock speaker wiring. Its a common ground system.

[Gloyale]

 

Pay careful attention to the stock speaker wiring. Its a common ground system.

 

This is the biggest issue.

 

You will need to run new speaker wire for the front speakers.

 

You don't need to run wire all the way to the doors, just to the kickpanel area on both sides.

 

Remove the kickpanels, and you will find a pink 2 pole connector, one on each side. The blue wire are the Negative, white or yellow is positive. Run you're new speaker wire to these connectors.

[Cougar]

The green wire with a constant 12 volts on it is for the memory. You will need to turn the key to ON to determine the power wire for the radio if the colors don't match to the reference given.

[MilesFox]

This is the biggest issue.

 

You will need to run new speaker wire for the front speakers.

 

You don't need to run wire all the way to the doors, just to the kickpanel area on both sides.

 

Remove the kickpanels, and you will find a pink 2 pole connector, one on each side. The blue wire are the Negative, white or yellow is positive. Run you're new speaker wire to these connectors.

 

this is not necessary. the factory radio is common ground for the speakers

 

of the wires on the car, you will have 3 for the front speakers and 3 for the rear. each has a left+, right+ and common ground

 

if you are connecting an aftermarket radio use one ground wire for the front channel and one for the rear. side doesnd matter. simply leave the unused wires disconnected on the back of the radio, dont even need to tape them off(just tuck them out of the way or twist them together

 

AND THIS FOLKS IS HOW YOU CONNECT A COMMON GROUND

[keppelk]

this is not necessary. the factory radio is common ground for the speakers

 

of the wires on the car, you will have 3 for the front speakers and 3 for the rear. each has a left+, right+ and common ground

 

if you are connecting an aftermarket radio use one ground wire for the front channel and one for the rear. side doesnd matter. simply leave the unused wires disconnected on the back of the radio, dont even need to tape them off(just tuck them out of the way or twist them together

 

AND THIS FOLKS IS HOW YOU CONNECT A COMMON GROUND

 

Not sure about all new stereos but my new Sony xplod head stated "DO NOT USE WITH COMMON GROUND SYSTEM. Can cause damage to headunit." I would be double checking in the manual for info re common grounding. Personally I think that its not that much more effort to run another wire. And you can never have to much grounding in an old subaru!

[Skip]

One thing to keep in mind here in reference to

the words "common ground"

 

Older radios the "common ground" was grounded

 

as in to the chassis of the vehicle.

 

Common ground wiring this way would damage many

new head units.

 

A common terminal (as we are speaking of here)

may not cause the problem.

 

One would need to check the wiring of the

so called "negitive" leads to the two front

and or the two rear speakers

to see if continuity exists.

[Cougar]

Most audio units built today use a "balanced or isolated output" circuit to drive the speakers. The audio PA output circuit to the speakers is designed to tie directly to the speakers and should not tie to chassis ground. Most folks that install new units in their car are aware of this I think.

 

There still may be some units made with a "single ended output" design that does use one of the leads to the speakers tied to ground but I haven't seen one in some time. But then, it has been some time since I have installed a new stereo system in a car.

[Skip]

Correct Cougar thus me saying older radios.

 

If the class A amplifers used have the NPN power transistors

wired with an emitter leg tied to the power supply,

the left and right channels would have a common terminal.

 

Thus the Subaru wiring can be used.

[Gloyale]

this is not necessary. the factory radio is common ground for the speakers

 

of the wires on the car, you will have 3 for the front speakers and 3 for the rear. each has a left+, right+ and common ground

 

if you are connecting an aftermarket radio use one ground wire for the front channel and one for the rear. side doesnd matter. simply leave the unused wires disconnected on the back of the radio, dont even need to tape them off(just tuck them out of the way or twist them together

 

AND THIS FOLKS IS HOW YOU CONNECT A COMMON GROUND

 

You will have shi**y sound and liklely wreck you're stereo if you do not seperate the grounds.

 

One way or another, you need top seperate the speakers. The most obvious and easy way is to run new wire to the kickpanel, and there tie into the factory wires.