Wires for the car radio: what they are. Secrets of the correct connection of the radio in the car

To begin with, it is worth noting that improper connection of the car radio can lead to low-quality sound of low power or damage to the speaker system. If such a warning does not scare you and there is a great desire to do everything yourself, then let's try to understand this issue together and understand how to properly install the car radio. To complete the work, you will need electrical tape, a tester and a screwdriver. In time, the entire installation process can take from 5 minutes to several hours. The following recommendations are applicable in 85% of radio assembly cases.

Standard ISO connector of modern radio tape recorders

The car has several configuration options with special connectors and conductors for installing an audio system:

1. The conductors in the car are routed to the rear and front speakers, while the power wires come from the battery, and the positive cable is equipped with a separate fuse. The wires are connected to a special connector, which is identical to the socket in the radio. The cord from the antenna is also brought out and fits the installed audio system.
2. All the necessary wires for installation are brought and connected to the connector, however, the plug does not fit into the car radio socket.
3. There are no speaker wires in the car, and power wires are not routed out. Also, wires may be present, however, incorrectly connected.

We will not dwell on the first option in detail, since everything is clear here and you only need to connect the existing power wires and insert the connector. In any case, it is imperative to check whether everything is ready for the new audio system and make sure that the wiring and speakers correspond to the power output of the radio.

Consider in detail the second option, when the car wiring connector does not match the audio system socket. The problem is that almost every company installs individual types of connectors for connection on their radio tape recorders. Various Models one manufacturer can have completely different outputs. In this case, most often the car radio comes with a separate adapter for the ISO standard.

Before performing any troubleshooting steps, you must finally make sure that the adapter is not included in the kit or it does not fit. From such difficult situation You can exit in two ways:

To prevent confusion, the connector must be connected to the radio and bite off the rest. The connection of the wires of the audio system and the car is carried out in accordance with the color coding. The connections are best soldered and then insulated with heat shrink tubing.

In the event that the colors of the wires differ and do not match, they will need to be dialed, and also, most likely, the missing wires will need to be laid. To perform this action, you should arm yourself with a tester or a special multimeter with a squeaker and a separate 9 volt battery.

Attention! Any manipulations with the wiring are carried out only with the battery disconnected!

We will not dwell on the process of dialing with a multimeter in detail. Consider why a battery is needed and how it is used.

If you ring the loudspeakers and do not disconnect the wires from them, two wires should ring. It will be a pair for a specific speaker. It is to determine their polarity that you need a battery. It is connected to a pair of wires, and then you need to monitor the movement of the speaker cone.

If the diffuser moves outward, then the polarity is correct. The wire that was connected to the plus of the battery is marked as "+", and to the minus - "-". If the diffuser is retracted, then the polarity is chosen incorrectly and the wires must be marked the other way around. The battery connects to the speaker for only one second.

Marking and color coding of wires

Do-it-yourself installation of a car radio will require knowledge of wire marking:

• Black (denoted by GROUND or GND). Minus battery;
• Red (marking ACC or A +). Plus the ignition lock;
• Yellow (indicated by BAT or B+). Plus from the battery;
• White with stripe (FL- marking). Minus the front left speaker;
• White without a stripe (indicated by FL+). Plus front left speaker;
• Gray with a stripe (marking FR-). Minus the right front speaker;
• Gray without stripe (denoted by FR+). Plus right front speaker;
• Green with a stripe (marking RL-). Minus the left rear speaker;
• Green without stripe (designation RL+). Plus left rear speaker;
• Violet with a stripe (marking RR-). Minus the right rear speaker;
• Violet without stripe (designation RR +). Plus the right rear speaker.

In addition to the main wires, the audio system may have additional ones, say blue with or without a white stripe, which is designed to connect the antenna, orange - to turn on the backlight, and others.

How to connect a car radio

Consider in detail the option when you need to install and connect the audio system from scratch. The first step is to buy full set wires for connecting speakers and power. The length of the wires depends on the features of the car and the chosen method of installation. It is best when they are as short as possible and do not have additional twists. good decision there will be a purchase of copper stranded wires with silicone insulation. Their thickness should be sufficient to provide maximum effective work audio systems. Power wires with a cross section of 4 mm. sq. suitable for car radios up to 120 watts. In this case, the wires to the speakers with a cross section of 1-2 mm. sq. quite enough.

The positive power cable must be at least 4 mm2 thick. and be equipped with a fuse

Often in one set with loudspeakers there are connecting wires that do not meet the required thickness.

Connecting speakers

Modern audio systems are most often designed to serve 4 speakers. These are two rear speakers and two front speakers. Radio tape recorders delivering power of 30 W or more per channel have four pairs of wires. Each couple has its own color coding. Also in each bundle there is a wire without a strip (plus) and with a strip (minus).

Do not confuse the polarity, although this is not so scary. It is strictly forbidden to ground to ground a wire with a strip (minus) that comes from the radio, since it has absolutely nothing to do with total mass car. The speakers themselves are equipped with two terminals (one narrow, the other wide). Low power radios can have only one positive wire for each speaker. In such a situation, the minus of the speakers must be connected to the common minus of the audio system. The positive wire coming from the car radio is attached to the wide terminal, and the negative wire to the narrow one.

Pay attention to the polarity when connecting the speakers to get the best sound.

Correct phasing should be given Special attention. If the pluses and minuses are connected correctly, then you can expect that there will be no problems, and the audio system will work properly. In this case, a situation may arise when the sound quality does not meet the required expectations. There is sound, the volume is excellent, however, low frequencies are practically not felt, and the increase in bass changes absolutely nothing.

The described circumstances are a sign of incorrect phasing. It will be necessary to check the connecting wires very carefully, and reconnect them where necessary.

There is another easier way to track the correctness of phasing:

1. The sound needs to be transferred completely to the front speakers, and then set the balance to one speaker, for example, to the right one. The volume should be increased to maximum levels or until noticeable distortion appears.
2. Next, the balance should be moved to the middle position, thereby distributing the volume evenly between the left and right speakers. If the phasing is done correctly, then the overall volume will increase significantly. A slight increase in volume, the absence of an increase in it, or the complete disappearance of low frequencies indicates incorrect phasing. Then you need to swap the wires on one speaker. The same procedure should be repeated on the rear row of speakers.

Almost all modern cars mobile radios use three wires of yellow, red and black to supply power. The negative of the battery corresponds to the black wire. Yellow is a plus of the battery and feeds power consumers of energy. If for some reason the yellow wire has deteriorated, it must be completely replaced with a new one of the appropriate section. The red wire is the plus of the ignition switch.

Detailed car radio connection diagram

First you need to figure out how to connect the black and yellow wires. Many motorists connect the black wire to the first free ground bolt, and the yellow wire is connected from the ignition or cigarette lighter. Actually this way is wrong.

By connecting these wires to the battery, you can get high-quality sound. high power. The wires themselves are best taken stranded, copper with a thickness of 4 square meters. mm. Stepping back 30-40 cm, a 10-20 A fuse with good insulation is installed on the yellow wire. The red wire also has a positive value, however, it must be connected to the ignition switch. And to be extremely precise, it connects to a circuit that is energized in the ACC key position.

It happens that motorists connect the yellow and red wires together. The advantage of such actions is that the audio system is constantly working and does not depend on turning the ignition on or off. Of course, the downside in this case is that the radio is in standby mode all the time. This will affect battery performance. The battery discharge rate will increase. This indicator depends on each individual radio, so it is rather problematic to specifically calculate how quickly the battery will be planted.

Antenna connection

Appearance of an active interior car antenna

The antenna is passive and active view. Connecting a passive antenna is very simple. To do this, you just need to insert the plug into the appropriate socket. But with the installation of an active antenna, you need to work a little, because you need to supply power to it. Most modern car radios have a special output. It is a blue wire with or without a white stripe and is labeled REM, ANT, or AMP. Sometimes there are two such wires. They are responsible for turning on devices that work only when the audio system is in use. In our example, it is the antenna that is such a device.

The question raised, how to connect the radio, and the direction of car audio is not just the topic of a separate article. In fact, this is a whole science, for the study of which there are a huge number of manuals, information and books. In the proposed article, we tried to focus only on the most important aspects and details of installing an audio system.

Almost all modern cars are equipped with audio systems. Thanks to the presence of a car radio, the process of driving a car becomes more comfortable. Installing a radio is a procedure that many motorists face, which is usually associated with the desire of the motorist to install a better audio system.

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Radio format

Before you get a new head unit, you need to consider that there are two types of radio tape recorders - 1 DIN and 2 DIN. This format is determined by the size of the device, corresponding seat for the installation of which is located in the center console of the car. That is, the system can be either single-block or two-block.

If we compare the functionality, then of course, 1 DIN type devices are significantly inferior in this matter to 2 DIN car radios. Today, the first options are more popular in Europe, while in America and Japan, motorists use 2 DIN receivers everywhere. Recently, our compatriots also increasingly prefer the latter, this is due to the desire to get a more functional device. With the help of the 2 DIN system, the driver can not only improve the basic parameters in general, but also get the opportunity to broadcast television channels, as well as watch movies on the screen.

Photo gallery "Types of audio systems"

ISO plugs

Connecting speakers

Not less than important aspect is to connect speakers, for this it is important not to mix up the phases. How to connect the speakers after installing the radio? It's very simple - the terminals of the speakers are marked, a wider output is a plus, and a narrower one is a minus. If you have an older car and there is no marking on the terminals, then it can be determined using a conventional battery. To do this, the column terminals must be connected to the positive and negative terminals of the battery. If the connection was correct, then the diffuser will move outward, if not, then inward.

If you make mistakes when connecting the speaker phases, you can lose about 90% of the sound quality. Ultimately, such a connection can cause failure not only of the speakers, but also of the head unit.

In the event that you do not have batteries, then there is another option:

• activate the audio system at full power;
• output sound to one of the speakers;
• then the sound must be distributed to two speakers, 50% each, so you can bring the balance to zero;
• if in the end you notice that the sound power, as well as the bass, has become higher, then you did everything right, but if there are no changes, then most likely you need to change the polarity (the author of the video about connecting the audio system on its own is the Pro Auto32 channel).

Wire selection

As for the wiring, it also has a marking. The positive wires are painted in a solid color, and the negative wires have the same color, only with a black stripe. That is, a solid cable must be connected to the wide output on the speaker, and a cable with a strip to the narrow contact. The negative output for a pair of speakers that are on the sides or rear can be common when it comes to an audio system with a power of up to 20 watts.

If the power of the system is higher, for example, 30 W per channel, then the polarity must be observed. In no case is it allowed to tangle the wires in places, as well as to bring a negative contact to the body vehicle for grounding. This can cause a significant loss of power in the sound, as well as distortion. In the event that you have purchased a low-power audio system, then it may have two or four speaker cables with a positive terminal and none with a negative one. IN this case n the negative contact of the column should be connected to the main negative, it should be brought to the car body or to the corresponding battery terminal (the author of the video is the AutoAndElectronics channel).

It should also be borne in mind that almost all audio systems in the kit have connecting wiring, which is a test, not an installation one. Due to the fact that the cross section of such cables is too small, usually no more than 0.5 mm2, such a wire simply cannot transmit all the necessary power without loss. The use of such wiring is relevant with speakers whose power is not more than 20 W, and the diameter of the devices itself is not more than 13 cm. If we are talking about more powerful speakers from 40 W and above, and their diameter is more than 16 cm, then in this case only special speaker cables should be used for connection.

Insulation on wires

Remember that the contact insulation must be at highest level, as this will ensure the most efficient and smooth operation audio systems in general. It is necessary that the insulation on the connection cables be silicone, since this material, unlike electrical tape, does not undergo changes due to exposure to low negative temperatures.

To ensure the highest quality sound, in addition to high-quality insulation, a few more points should be taken into account:

• the wires must not be twisted, as they must be as short as possible;
• it is not allowed to lay cables near other voltage consumers so as not to cause interference;
• also when laying, please note that the cables should not rub against each other, as this will lead to deterioration of the insulation;
• when laying wires in the doors, the cables should be laid through a special cambric.

Video "Visual instructions for installing a car radio with your own hands"

What nuances should be taken into account during installation and what mistakes should not be made - visual instruction installation is described in the video (the author of the video is the Maxim Sakulevich channel - About something else and about different things).

A car radio is a tape recorder or CD player with a radio in one housing, designed to be installed in a car. It does not have a built-in power supply from the 220 volt network and is designed for remote Acustic systems(speakers). It differs from conventional radio tape recorders in smaller sizes and higher output power.

Connecting a car radio at home

Many of us at home or in the garage can find old car radios that are gathering dust around. All of them can be given a "second life" as an ordinary receiver or music center. The sound quality and power of such devices is higher than that of portable or stationary ones.

How to connect a car radio at home

The main thing in connecting is the manufacture of a power supply or the use of a ready-made one (or a battery instead). Connection options are shown below:

1. Through the power supply. You can use a ready-made from a stationary computer with a power of at least 400 watts. To use it, you need to give a signal to turn on (we connect the only green wire of the largest connector to any black one), check output voltage on the yellow wire. It should be 12 volts.

As a power supply, you can use a charger for car batteries (only transformer, new impulse ones will not work). Turn it on minimum current and check the output voltage (12 volts) with a multimeter. The disadvantage of this option is that there is no filter inside charger that protects against interference. Possible extraneous noise in speakers.

There is a way using a homemade step-down transformer, but for this you need to have minimal knowledge of radio engineering.

We need a transformer with two or more windings. Usually, the input and output voltage for which it is designed are marked on the transformer. If there are no symbols, we measure the resistance of all windings with a multimeter. The input will have a resistance of 100-300 ohms, the output 1-30 ohms. According to the above diagram, we assemble the simplest rectifier and check the output voltage (12–14 volts).

As diode bridge you can use a ready-made element.

2. The easiest way is to use a car battery. Two wires with clamps are enough for connection.

We have decided on the power source. Now let's make the connection itself, it is performed according to the scheme:

Antenna power and backlight control wires are not connected. We connect the battery and the ignition switch together and connect to positive, ground to negative.

Speakers will fit from any music center with an internal impedance of 4-16 ohms, or car speakers with custom boxes.

Tools and materials

For work you will need:

• side cutters (nippers);
• soldering iron with tin and rosin;
• multimeter with the ability to measure AC and D.C. up to 300 volts and resistance up to 1000 ohms;
• wires with a cross section of 1–3 mm 2 and a length of 2–3 meters (depending on the placement of the speakers);
• insulating tape.

When performing all work, be sure to follow the rules of electrical safety! De-energize any devices before disassembling and assembling, plug in through a fuse, ground sockets and power tools.

A complete list of safety measures can be found in the provisions of the law on labor protection.

Video: an example of connecting a car radio through a computer power supply

Example external design radio is shown below.

After spending several hours, we will get a music center that is not inferior in sound quality to store car radios.

If you are a real car enthusiast, then a car is not only a way for you to quickly move from point A to point B, but also a second home, where it is always pleasant to be. One of the reasons that makes young people ride around the city without any specific goal or destination is music. Just riding the roads of a night city, enjoying the sounds of your favorite music, is quite common for those who have a really high-quality sound system installed in their car. It does not matter if you are the same lover of quality music, but the budget for the purchase and installation of a car radio is not too large. In this article, you will learn how to properly connect a car radio in your car without the help of specialized services.

Choosing a car radio

To date, the problem of choosing a car radio does not seem to be such a big task as it was a few years ago. IN last years there have been a huge number worthy companies, which offer really high-quality radio tape recorders for acceptable price. Pick up interesting option the price-quality ratio is really not a problem, so the only question that remains is to decide which car radio will be in your car.

As a rule, modern radio tape recorders are divided into two parts. These are single din, or as they are also called, single block, and double din. The first option is most common in our country and in Europe. Two-block radios are most popular in countries such as Japan, America and Korea. The main difference between each type is only their size. Double-din radios are twice as large as single-din radios, which allows manufacturers to make models with a larger touch screen, as well as implement large quantity multimedia features.

You don’t have to choose the size of the car radio for a long time, because if you are the owner of a car with a 1-DIN radio, then you simply won’t be able to put the two-din option. However, some motorists manage to reorganize the space so that the 2-DIN type option still fits on the front panel. But this is already a topic for a separate article, and now let's talk about how it is possible to install a car radio with your own hands.

How to connect the car radio

After choosing a car radio, you can proceed to the process of its installation. As a rule, there are no problems during installation, if you have purchased a radio tape recorder of the size you need, which is ideal for your car. In order to mount the car radio in its rightful place, it is enough to insert it into the socket provided for this and fix it, depending on the characteristics of the device. Majority modern models fixed with metal petals located around the perimeter. They bend and securely fix the car radio. However, it’s not worth talking about how to put a radio tape recorder in a car for a long time, because most often an instruction is attached to the device.

The fun begins when you connect a new device. This is where most of the questions arise. The main thing is not to be afraid, because installing a car radio with your own hands is not difficult if you know what and how to do. That is why we turn to theory.

As a rule, most modern car radios are equipped with a standard ISO connector. New cars are equipped with exactly the same connector, so big problems connection should not occur. All connection ends with the fact that connect these two plugs together and enjoy the music.

But how to properly connect the car radio in a car that does not have an ISO type plug? Unfortunately, there are also older models where a different way to connect the car radio is really provided. But do not be upset, because to install and connect the car radio you need to find the right connector in the store and use the instructions to connect the radio to the car.

Connecting car radio typeISO

When all necessary tools ready to go, you can start connecting. Next, we will look at how to properly connect a car radio with an ISO connector. A special diagram will help us with this, on which you can see which wires are responsible for what and where they go. So, for example, on the left side of the diagram, the power connection of the car radio is shown, and on the right, the output to the speakers.

Let's start with connecting the power, since it is at this stage that most mistakes are made. Three wires are responsible for powering the car radio, each of which performs a specific function.

Yellow wire for 12V

It is this wire that is the main one, since it is responsible not only for powering the built-in amplifier, but also for saving the settings of the car radio. When connecting it, you must use a 10 amp fuse, and the approximate length of the wire should be 30 cm. In addition, yellow wires marked B +, BU or BATT are very common. They can also be used.

red wireACC

This wire is responsible for power management of the car radio. Simply put, power will be supplied to the radio only when the key in the ignition has taken the desired position. Surely you have noticed more than once that when you turn the key to the ACC position in the car, the stove, cigarette lighter, radio and other devices start up.

black wireGND

The wire marked GND is connected to the negative terminal. car battery. Some car enthusiasts prefer to connect it to the car body, but this is only true in cases where the car radio has little power. It is also very important when connecting the GND wire to the car body to thoroughly clean the connection, thus ensuring good contact.

When the car radio is provided with power, you can proceed to the output to the speakers. For this, there are also special wires that are laid to a particular column:

1. Front Left (FL) - front left speaker
2. Front Right (FR) - front right speaker
3. Rear Left (RL) - rear left
4. Rear Right (RR) - rear right

It is worth noting that some car radios have not only wires such as FL, FR, and so on, but also the so-called tulip connectors. If your speakers are equipped with these types of connectors, you can use them to connect. In another case, you need to know which other wires are responsible for what.

white wireANT

The wire with this marking is responsible for controlling the car radio antenna. Depending on the signal quality, it supplies power to the internal active antenna or to turn on the external antenna.

Wire with markingILL (Illumination)

The color of this wire may vary depending on the manufacturer. Most often it is a light pink or yellow version of its execution. The wire marked ILL is connected to parking lights, plus. It is easy to guess that he is responsible for the backlight of the car radio.

MUTE

Responsible for turning off the sound when the button is pressed.

Parking line

Connects to hand brake. It is necessary in order to prevent the driver from turning on the film while the car is in motion.

If everything was done correctly, then when you turn on the car radio, everything should work. We hope that we were able to answer the question of how to properly connect the car radio.

Music ... How much in this word. Today, dear readers, we will add this music to our driving life, we will install a radio tape recorder.

Do-it-yourself radio installation

We will not hide, installing a radio is a rather laborious process that requires certain skills and craftsmanship, so most often car owners trust this business to professionals, paying hundreds, and sometimes thousands of rubles, for the service. However, do not rush to get upset, with the help of our advice, you will cope with this task yourself.

Modern radio tape recorders come in two sizes: 1 DIN (standard) and, becoming more and more popular due to the development of multimedia technologies, 2 DIN. Whatever you purchase for your car, its installation does not have any special differences.

Most important issue during installation of the radio is what connector the car is equipped with. There are 3 options here: ISO; a plug specially designed by the car manufacturer or a connector along with wiring is completely absent. In the latter case, you will have to lay the wiring yourself, it is this installation of the radio that is the most problematic and time-consuming.

The best option for self installation radio is a car equipped with an ISO connector. In this case, installation will take a couple of minutes. All that is required of you is to connect the connector of the car and the head unit, and then insert the antenna plug into the socket. By the way, we advise you to pay due attention to and, because the quality of radio wave reception depends on it. Ready! Let's enjoy the music!

Unfortunately, cars with ISO connectors are less common than those with non-standard plugs. There are several options for the outcome of the event - you can purchase an adapter from one connector to another (at the same time, it is worth noting that each brand of car has its own plugs), or suffer a little - bite off the connectors on the car and the head unit, and then connect with electrical tape wires. All! Car radio installation completed!

During the installation of the radio, it may be difficult to mechanically fasten it and further remove it. Therefore, frames are usually included with which you can attach the radio to the console panel. To achieve this goal, we remove the frame from the radio body, after which we install it in the intended place. To securely fix the frame in the nest, you need to bend its petals. And after that, using one of the above methods, we connect the radio to the power supply. By the way, experts recommend that it be powered by a separate wiring that comes directly from the battery. Please note that the diameter of the supply wires must be either greater than or equal to the diameter of the wires that are located at the output of the radio.

Installing the radio requires increased attention and accuracy, any carelessness can lead to sad consequences, up to short circuit wiring. Therefore, if you are still not confident in your abilities, then entrust the installation of the car radio to professionals who have sufficient experience in this area, just first make sure that you have certificates and licenses for this work, and also ask about the guarantees provided by the service station .

Naturally, only those who choose music only as a background for driving life will be limited to the radio and speakers. Those who prefer to hear the car first, and only then see the car, and to literally throw it up from the bass, are not limited to installing the radio. They are a must and an amplifier. After that, you can enjoy your favorite tunes, organize outdoor discos and attract everyone's attention with high-quality music coming from the radio of your car!