Stereo questions

[msggunny]

Seriously, i have searched and the general consensus seems that you have to gut or bypass the stock setup and run new wires for a successful radio set up.

Has anyone been able to use the stock set up with an aftermarket head unit?

Just deciding if i should quit wasting my time trying to get it to work and tear the sucker apart so i can rewire it.

Here is my problem:

I installed a new head unit and ran an OEM 2 interface that is supposed to allow the stereo to hook into the stock setup. It also has it running through the stock amp.

The radio works, but when i turn on the A/C, or run the wipers, you can hear the electrical interference coming through the speakers.

I have checked the ground that i have hooked into the radio, i can actually disconnect it and still hear the noise.

I do not have the rear factory subs hooked up yet though, could this be a problem?

Thanks.

[BogMonster]

Never had a problem with fitting aftermarket head units in any Discovery though admittedly not something fancy - just a normal head unit feeding standard speakers.

[Rodewaryer]

I've also heard that on a Disco II the sub didn't work right (with an aftermarket Head unit), like it was weak and lacked the original bass power.

There are 20 posts in the thread link below where this guy is trying to figure out his Discoverys issue, and not sure they target your problem specifically but you never know, part of the troubleshooting might spark an idea or touch on a similar resolution.

http://forums.focaljet.com/ice-car-enterta...-discovery.html

[wkw90]

I think the sub is run with its own amp and would need a low level input , so would not run from a aftermarket head unit . As for noise the best way to get shot of that is run power and earth to the battery .

Paul

[damian666]

Having just fitted an after market head into my Disco 1 ES, I can tell ya that the sub takes a line level feed from an dedicated output from the stock head, and a 12v+ from it too. I have piggy-backed the 12v+ feed from the post ignition switch feed so the sub power goes on and off with the ignition, and taken the audio line level feed from an aux out on the head. The amp in the rear door has a simple filter in it to try and keep low end only going to it so connecting it like this will work, but it isn't as good as the original. The stock head also filters and eq's the sub feed coming from it. I am going to fit a different aftermarket head in the near future that gives adjustment of the sub out so I can tune it better. All in all it took me an hour, and at the same time I added a USB power supply into the cavity in the console running via the switched power feed to power the phone/pda and an ipod holder, with the wires all buried and neat looking!

The main speaker connections are direct via the ISO connector and is directly interchangeable if your aftermarket head is 'standard' iso wiring.

Regarding the interference, the stock heads are actually very good, and well filtered (older and simpler IMHO!) so less reseptive to the interference. Nwere heads with 23956 different features are less filtered and more prone to rubbish, so running seperate line from battery will help. Be careful to only replace the constant feed, not the ignition feed.

WARNING

After the 1 series, landrover started going mad and having remote amps, and the heads just sent line feeds to the amps, so don't try it like this with a newer vehicle! To fit an aftermarket head you have to either find a head with enough line level outputs to run to the amps, or bypaww the amps altogether and use the head amps to power the speakers

HTH

D

[steve_a]

Don't know if this helps, I am taking the LR radio out (Japanese model, so wrong freq range) and on the back are these connectors

What I've figured out:

Pink plug - speakers, looks like 2 grounds (front and rear), and 4 +ves for FL,FR,RR,RL, though no idea which is which yet. The colors for those are blue, yellow, green, red. I haven't got a choccy block at the moment, so I am going to buzz them out and try it tomorrow.

Confirmed as speakers by removing the connector while running and sound disappeared.

Brown plug - Instrument cluster remote controls. 5 wires, so probably live switched to earth by console. (NOTE: this is an iso speaker plug!)

Gray plug - Powers. Confirmed via use with new stereo, fits correct ISO connector on new unit

On wide pic, big thick black wire centre is multi core CD head unit connector, the other end is visilbe in the cavity, and the CD unit end appears under a seat (drivers on mine). Another purple and white (IIRC) connector is also under the seat, probably a switched live.

Lower screen plug - back of radio says "sub", however I'm an pretty sure it is the aerial lead, as disconnecting it affects reception, but nothing else (other lead above also tested with no effect) helpfully labelled with a part number which on microcat shows as going to aerial. This needs altering to fit standard aerial connector.

Upper screened plug - back marked "main", but believe this is sub woofer to rear door due to part number on lead matching microcat entry for sub woofer connector. HBOL also agrees and it looks like a live should be coming from somewhere for sub.

If anyone happens to know which speaker wires are which on the pink plug then let me know, it'll just save me some time.

Model is a 1997 300Tdi Auto county spec, but a Japanese import. It doesn't look fiddled with, but there was a sat nav fitted (apparently I was in Tokyo on the way home) which may have resulted in modifications.

[steve_a]

Hmmm.

the blue, yellow, green, red are 'speakers'

blue - rear left

yellow - rear right

green - front left

red - front right

(I think that is right) - confirmed by moving fader on stereo.

However the 2 blacks are not rear/front earths, they are are connected to each other with about <10ohm resistance, so probably an actual speaker. They are NOT connected to speaker wires.

The stereo works, but has a background hiss, indicating I need an earth for the speakers. Looks like the speaker wires are inputs to an amp somewhere.

I may just have to live with hiss as I can't be jacked taking everything apart to run speaker wires and I can't see a way to make the earth for the speakers correct. But I am (literally) working in the dark, so maybe something will come to me.

Back to the HBOL to see if the wiring diagram sheds any light now

[NeilF]

When I bought my disco II, the factory-fitted unit had been replaced by a Tevion unit apparently bought from Aldi. It's not much use so I've just bought a much better unit from Lidl In my naivety, I thought I might just pull out the old one and connect up the two iso connectors to the new and I'd be laughing. My only concern was how to run the microphone wire from the rear to somewhere in front for the bluetooth. I just bought it this evening so I don't know what is behind the Tevion unit - probably some sort of rats nest. I've just read the above posts, and only made out 2 words out of 3.......I'm fairly handy, though I have no wiring diagram, and who knows what's been done behind the dash....

Any and all advice will be gratefully received.

p.s. aren't all these things (connections) standard at this stage?

Neil.

[NeilF]

I couldn't sit still, so went out in the dark to pull the old Tevion unit. It has a single iso conector, but this leads to an adapter holding a pair of iso connectors (and they look like the A and B of the new unit),

which in turn leads another multi connector..

it's crowded back there!

But. There is an unconnected pink and another unconnected white wire..any ideas?

And where can I lead the microphone wire to the outside?

[damian666]

There is a difference between the factory head units on the ES and other models, and this includes the connections on the back.

I can put together a wiring diagram and details for the ES "high line" stereo version when I am back at home, which I have got from the Rave manual and poking about with a meter! LR also changed the supplier of the heads around 96/97 so that adds issues.

There is a marked difference between the heads especially regarding the sub outs. The high line on mine has a 7pin linear connector providing line level to the sub and power taken from the ISO power connector via dedicated output from the head.

I beleive (i may be wrong) that the mid and low level heads/setups have a round 'sub' connection which provides power and signal in one. Again, I can have a look at the Rave manual to prove exactly.

I will also try and get some pics of the 96 ES 'high line' head rear.

As regards the pics below, I need to check the wiring map I have at home for the relevant stereo, but form memory,

Pink 10 pin is the remote controls

brown 8pin is for the speaker outputs, 2wires per speaker (no common negs)

grey 8pin is powers in and out (there is I seem to recall 2 grounds!)

Sorry it's all a bit vague but I am 200miles form the wiring diagrams, but will post them as soon as I can!

The confusions between the differnet models of vehicle and heads got me very puzzled for a while, but I have got there in the end!

The other one to mention is the CD multipin wiring. The different heads have different wiring on the 13pin din connector under the seat, so if anyone is planning on playing with it, be careful to pick the righ one or you can toast your ipod (trust me I know!) which I was trying to get to talk to the stock head via some clever wiring!

HTH

D

[steve_a]

Well,

I can't add much to this topic. I had a look on Rave last night and Japan had specific wiring......... So the speakers are set up in a common ground. There are 2 ways for me to deal with this, either rewire all the speakers (not a chance) or get hold of one of these PAC OEM-2, about £40 or slightly cheaper from Ebay US sellers.

Maybe this doofer will help someone else too, I'll put another post when I get it and fit it about how well it did(n't) work.

Damien, if you were referring to my photos, I can confirm that all the wiring is as I said, I even checked the dash remote buttons and got what I expected, the extra wire in the power (A? iso) is the illumination.

The only thing I am unsure about is the two black wires, on the pink block, sound is working without them, but don't know if sub is working.

[damian666]

Must admit hadn't perused Japan's wiring peculiarities! Many apologies steve!

have rumaged up some wiring maps (enclosed) which aren't either yours (the Japanese variant) or mine (the ES variant) but someone may find them helpful! I think they are for the remainder of the variations, if someone knows more accurately.

Haven't had a chance to record neatly and phot mine (ES) but will do shortly.

[steve_a]

Hmmm, revisiting an old topic.

Turns out that the outputs where signal level, I still needed the converter, and the grounds all run together. Sounds qualities good, and radio reception is great.