How to connect the car radio in the car with your own hands? Step by step instructions

In just a few steps, guided by simple instructions, the driver of the house can correctly connect a new stereo headset to enjoy clear sound while driving. Before you connect a car radio, you need to familiarize yourself with its capabilities. Modern car stereo systems allow you to connect, control and play music from a large number of devices, including USB, iPhone and Android.

Standard car radio connection

Installing a new car radio is not a difficult task. Before connecting the car radio, you need to make sure that all connections match the 1-DIN or 2-DIN form factor. If this is not the case, you need to choose the right adapter.

Installation sequence:

1. Insert a new mounting frame. This is necessary because new versions of the car radio are usually incompatible with old cases.
2. Bend the metal tabs so that the frame is firmly fixed in the car. This is important, especially for the future, so that later no one can pull the radio out of the car.
3. Now you need to connect the unit to turn on the car radio, then carefully insert the cables back into the compartment and put the radio back in place. You should not install it to the end, since at this stage you need to do a little health test.
4. Connect the control panel of the new audio system and turn on the radio.
5. If everything works fine, you can completely install it in place.
6. If this is not the case, possibly a wrong connection, you need to reconnect the cables and check everything again.

Stereo connection

The stereo system is always sold with the connection diagram specified in the user manual. Before you connect the car radio in the car, you need to study the color schemes to confirm the colors of the wired stereo system that will connect to the adapter wiring harness. If there is no special wire for the car, then you will need to identify each of the car cables and connect them to the corresponding wires of the new stereo.

You can connect the speaker wires to the terminals in different ways depending on the number of speakers and the wiring diagram (parallel or serial). If a capacitor is needed in the circuit, it is connected between the battery and the amplifier. Next, you need to follow the diagram attached to the capacitor, while the wiring will vary depending on the number of capacitors that need to be connected.

Amplifier circuit

Before you connect the car radio correctly, you need to select a circuit. If it has a remote wire, it basically controls the system when the amplifier is turned on. If you are using an audio system with a remote wired output on the wiring harness, you need to connect it through an adapter, which can be purchased at the radio store. You can also configure the switch, find a 12-way connection, for example, one that is already on the amplifier, and connect the wire to the switch, and the switch to the remote connector on the amplifier.

If the user has a modern audio system, then she has an RCA output. In this case, you just need to connect the RCA cable from the amplifier to its output on the back of the system. If there is no RCA output, you need to buy a linear converter, connect it to existing speakers, and an RCA cable to it.

Wiring Options

After the system connection diagram is assembled and tested for operability, you need to fix the bare wires. There are several ways to do this:

1. Soldering is a permanent professional connection that provides maximum current transfer. Complete with soldering, use a heat shrink tube and a heat gun to isolate the solder joint. This is the safest and highest quality wiring connection.
2. Special connectors provide fast and reliable twisting of wires, and they can be reused. It will not be superfluous to have a pair of Posi-Tap connectors on hand for various tasks. This is the favorite way for motorists to quickly make strong connections.
3. There are several types of crimp connectors, including butt connectors or crimp caps.

It is best to connect all the wires for the stereo system through the wire harness, but if you need to connect direct power, you need to know the difference between “switched” and “constant” power. To switch the source power after ignition with the key, the main (switchable) stereo power cable (usually the red wire) is connected to the switched power source to turn on the receiver when the car is turned off and not to discharge the car battery.

For a constant source power, a stereo signal memory cable, usually a yellow wire, is connected to a constant power source so as not to lose the system preset when the car is turned off. Sometimes powerful stereo systems require a constant power supply at the positive terminal of the car battery.

Before connecting the car radio to a 12 V network, you need to choose a heavier power wire, an integrated fuse (usually included) and a ring contact for connecting the power cable to the battery terminal.

To do this, you will need to lay the power wire to the battery through the car's firewall in the engine compartment to establish a connection with the battery. Car stereo systems have eight wires for a traditional 4-speaker system - a positive wire and a negative wire for the front left, front right, rear left and rear right speakers. Depending on the vehicle wiring configuration and the wiring harness adapter, some may not be used.

Audio Grounding

Before connecting the car radio, you must first check the grounding well. It is essential for the proper operation of the stereo system. If the car enthusiast does not use a special wiring harness, you need to pay attention to the unpainted bolt or screw that comes in contact with the protected metal chassis of the car.

To connect the ground, you will need to loosen the bolt, stretch the ground wire under it (it is almost always a black wire), then tighten the bolt. If the ground wire does not touch pure metal, the stereo system will not work. Loose or weak grounding can cause signal noise to interfere with music.

If the system has a built-in video monitor, you will need to connect the wire to the emergency brake system. This wire serves as a switch to turn on the video monitor when the parking brake is applied. It can be in different places depending on the configuration of the brake. Often it is located at the base of the parking brake handle on many cars. Usually you need to remove the center console to get to it. It is not too difficult, just do not rush.

Hiding wiring in the cabin

The best and most prestigious car audio installations have completely hidden wiring. Therefore, when installing wiring diagrams, you need to remove or hide all unnecessary, visible wires and distribution blocks. Even if for this you need to remove the seats, raise the mats, it is advisable to lay the wiring through the side panels. Installation Order:

1. Remove side panels.
2. Partially remove the dashboard, as far as it will be convenient to work.
3. Running RCA and Power cables on opposite sides of the car will help prevent them from breaking.
4. Run cables under the carpet, not above it. If the cables should be visible, then you can cover them with a plastic wire wrapper from the car shop, most often in red, blue and black colors.
5. Connect all trimmers, but leave the ends of the speaker wires necessary to connect the speaker output systems .
6. After the wires fall into place, you need to connect them to the speakers.

Installing stereo in the dashboard

To do this, you need to have a mounting kit and follow the instructions that came with the kit. Attach the mounting kit to the new stereo system first, then fasten both in the panel with screws. If your car has an updated version of the sound system or an integrated stereo climate control panel, you probably need a special adapter to connect to the factory system.

The adapter allows you to use a new stereo system with an existing speaker. This integration package allows you to keep the factory LCD screen and touch climate control. As soon as the hole in the panel is ready, you need to connect the stereo wiring adapter to the car wiring harness and the antenna cable.

Depending on the selected stereo system, you will also need to connect various devices to the rear of the stereo, such as a microphone, Bluetooth, USB cable, steering wheel control interface or an optional input cable. Before connecting USB to the car radio, you need to make sure that the head unit already has a USB port and is able to play digital music files through it.

If the car does not have this opportunity? The easiest option is to use an FM transmitter, which includes both a USB port and related equipment for reading and playing music files.

Connecting amplifiers to the system

First you need to disconnect the negative wire from the battery. If there are serious subwoofers in the circuit, a capacitor may be needed to compensate for them during heavy shock. Place amplifiers in places:

• the back of the subwoofer enclosure;
• under the driver / passenger seat;
• behind the control panel (smaller amplifiers);
• under the boot near the spare tire.

You need to remember if the amplifier is in a limited space, you need a fan, small computer fans in this case work well. Connection should be started by supplying a positive wire from the inside of the car to the engine compartment, for this, find the rubber hole in which the other wires are placed.

After the power has been put in the engine compartment, attach it to the fuse box, then attach the other positive wire box to the fuse box and clamp the other end, and the crimped end to the battery. The negative wire can be attached to any metal on the car frame, and then connect the power to the car radio.

System Health Check

Insert the stereo into the hole in the dashboard, but do not twist it yet. Check your stereo first to make sure everything is working properly. It’s easier to fix the problem while everything remains open.

To do this, you will need to connect the battery cable to check the stereo, so if all the airbag warning plugs have been disconnected, be sure to reconnect them before reconnecting the battery. Turn on the power and try each source (AM, FM, CD, USB, etc.).

Before connecting USB to the car radio, you need to determine the type of file system that your head unit can read, and then select the correct disk for formatting.

Then you need to adjust the balance and fader settings to check the operation of each speaker. As soon as the user is convinced that the stereo is connected and working correctly, he only needs to fix the car radio in the dashboard and reinstall all previously removed devices.

Modern car radio pioneer

Before connecting the Pioneer car radio, you need to study the technical documentation of the device. Although modern "Pioneers" have almost all the innovations, such as, for example, controlling iPod and other compatible smartphones directly to play music and much more.

In addition, you can connect many other sources to the USB input or front AUX input. In addition to popular audio formats, they also support high-resolution FLAC files for musical enjoyment of the highest quality.

You can also insert a CD, stream music from your phone via Bluetooth, or watch your favorite shows with the built-in DAB + digital radio amplifier and thanks to the powerful MOSFET amplifier with 4 x 50 watts in crystal clear quality. If the user wants even more power, he just needs to connect additional amplifiers for speakers or subwoofers to 3 RCA outputs.

Connecting the car radio "Pioneer"

Wiring a new stereo head is straightforward; a home user can correctly plug in a new Pioneer stereo headset to enjoy crisp sound while driving. Necessary materials: socket wrench, screwdriver, crimping tool, materials included in the set of instruments for a particular car.

Car circuits are needed to identify the hardware in which the stereo head is installed. It is important that users first disconnect the negative battery terminal before doing any work on the car’s electrical system. They can identify the negative terminal with a black cap and remove it with the main socket wrench.

It is very important not to work with the electrical components of any vehicle with the vehicle ignition on or the battery connected. Installing a new radio begins with laying out two wire harnesses that connect to the crimp connector. Although the layout and number of connectors may vary depending on the Pioneer car model and stereo headphone, a 12-pin wired harness is one of the most common.

The following steps:

1. Find two crimp connectors that connect to the harnesses on the back of the device. Remove the pre-cleaned insulation of the start of the harnesses and the threads of each wire in the scroll harness slightly to a tight point so that it is easier to connect.
2. Once the wires are correctly oriented and the threads are twisted, they must be inserted into the crimp connectors that enter the speakers.
3. After connecting the speakers, connect a new radio to the antenna output. After all wiring is completed, the device should easily slide onto the chassis of the new stereo system.
4. When a new stereo system is inserted into place in the cage, the chassis and cage should click together to indicate that the stereo is docked.
5. The entire assembly should then be inserted into place in the vehicle panel, with the mounting screws inserted to hold the structure in place.
6. Before connecting the car radio, you need to connect the battery.
7. After the stereo is fixed, the next step will be to reconnect the car’s battery, and then check the new system by adjusting and balancing to make sure that all the speakers respond correctly.
8. If everything works correctly, reinstall the frame.

Connect your phone to the system

Before you connect the phone to the car radio, you need to determine whether it has Bluetooth capabilities.

The easiest way is to connect your iPhone to the car radio via Bluetooth. A prerequisite for this method is that the car audio system supports Bluetooth connectivity. Setting sequence:

1. You need to activate Bluetooth on your device.
2. Open settings on iPhone and press Bluetooth.
3. Follow the instructions on the radio and iPhone display to connect devices.
4. After that, music from the iPhone will automatically play through the car speakers.

If your radio does not support Bluetooth but has a 3.5 mm jack port, you can connect your iPhone as follows:

1. Connect one end of the cable to the iPhone and the other end to the radio.
2. Choose a connector cable as the input source on the radio, and you can enjoy iPhone music through the car speakers.
3. Playback using the connector is especially reliable and at the same time ensures high sound quality. In addition, it does not require an extra battery.

How to connect a car radio to 220 V?

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