Radio Wiring ALL messed up!

[usaf-lt-g]

Well today finally came, the day I decided to take on replace the crappy JVC the previous :censored: owner decided to put in my Boxster S. So I was all excited to see my long awaited Alpine IVA-W203 with Navigation and XM and all the cables and installation kits galore arive today on my front porch....

That was until I actually began dissassembling the center dash pieces to take out the JVC unit... So let's get RIGHT to the pictures shall we? :lol:

So here we have the crappy JVC head unit the last numbskull decided "was a good idea" to put in a Porsche.

And now the fun begins.... After removing ALL of this (Please note the fine job of duck tape, exposed wires and... WTF is that??

Oh on closer inspection, it's an exposed transformer.... how thoughtful!

And then of course I had to remove all of this...

Just so I could discover this..... An original Black Porsche radio plug, and wait a minute.... WHERE'S THE YELLOW ONE???

Oh and this fine outstanding job of cutting the brown wire close to the plug and splicing in some green cable... Now I have to reconnect this to the harness somehow.

Here's where the yellow plug SHOULD be... but it's not, instead it's just chopped wires now.

So then I take off the left trim piece, where the Traction Control, Rear Spoiler, and Rain Delay Timer all sit, I find the "Yellow" connector for the Traction Control is fine... but for the spoiler, it's just a bunch of crimped spade connectors spliced together to some other wires, Isn't there supossed to be an actual plug for this?

I also found this in that same compartment, it's a blue and brown wire by itself, and it wasn't hooked up to anything...

Alright so now that all that is out of the way... :soapbox: I need some serious help to get this out of control wire situation a bit more "hassle free."

#1) The Yellow Radio Power plug, that SHOULD be present, but isn't... is now 6 unconnected wires. I'd like to get a hold of the original factory plug that I can attach these back to. Does anyone have a clue where I could get that and those special snap in wire clips porsche uses to put their wires into these plugs? Part #'s?

#2) Those 5 wires for the spolier, is that the way those really came or can I get a plug for this guy too? If so where can I get that plug. Part #'s?

#3) What is that brown / blue wire / plug for that I said wasn't connected to anything?

In my particular setup, I have the HAES amp

The Nokia DSP module

which is hooked up via this guy...

So question #4) Does this need to hook up to anything in my setup if I plan to throw out the DSP module in order to get sound or anything? I figured with the Alpine unit I'm installing, and the Imprint Module, I should have enough tuning where I don't need to hook anything up to that anymore and I can just not worry about it.

Question #5) is a routing question... I've purchased both navigation and XM which both have antennae that need to be placed in "preferably" inconspicuous places. Which can I place in the "security alarm light" area? The XM or the NAV? Where's a good place for the other?

I know this is a pretty lengthy post... but I want to make sure my car has "GOOD" wiring #1 and isn't all hacked up. and #2 I just can't stand it when people don't take the time to do it right the first time around and then leave it for me to clean up! :cursing:

I REALLY appreciate everyone's input and help here, my garage is basically "waiting" with parts and wires all over the place right now until I can order the right parts to fix the beast ;) Please let me know!

:renntech:

[Beelzy]

I am of no help here, however I have seen some wiring hack jobs in my day and fixed my

fair share, but your enigma is the Primo of hacks!

Whomever did that wiring "job" should be flogged!

Help will arrive soon. :renntech:

[usaf-lt-g]

I am of no help here, however I have seen some wiring hack jobs in my day and fixed my

fair share, but your enigma is the Primo of hacks!

Whomever did that wiring "job" should be flogged!

Help will arrive soon. :renntech:

Oh believe you me Beelzy... if I knew the joker who did this... I would SOOOooooo be in the mood for some serious beat downs.... what a mess...

[koendp]

For #3: What is that brown / blue wire / plug for that I said wasn't connected to anything?

I believe this is the alarm connector, as soon as it gets to ground it will trigger. It should be connected to the metal holder which guides the radio. On the original becker there is a non conducting patch on that spot, on other radio's there's nothing, that's why it's disconnected.

[usaf-lt-g]

...It should be connected to the metal holder which guides the radio. On the original becker there is a non conducting patch on that spot, on other radio's there's nothing, that's why it's disconnected...

Thanks Koen, although I'm not sure I follow... is there somewhere I need to hook this up on my new radio then? Or can I just leave it hanging?

[usaf-lt-g]

Well, I completed all the wire arrangements... got some connectors and made my own harness, tested the new Alpine 203 Unit, and at first I didn't get any sound... so I thought maybe it was the alpine audio processor I got. Checked that it was all good.... turns out, there's a dependancy where you HAVE to have the factory Nokia Porsche DSP module hooked up.

Has anyone been able to get around this? Reason I ask is because I'm re-locating the A/C unit to the upper bottom tier, and I'd like to put in a storage compartment in place of the factory DSP module. Is there anyway I can possible force it to think it's connected and have it operate in the "off" mode? Please let me know if you can. Otherwise, it looks like i won't be able to have a storage compartment and will have to keep it hooked up.

[Cassiebox]

You could just wire it in and tuck it back up behind the dash? Unfortunately in order for it to work, you need it connected unless you bypass the DSP amp completely and replace it w/ either an aftermarket one or a M490 amp. Sorry about your bowl of spaghetti...

Good luck :)

[usaf-lt-g]

You could just wire it in and tuck it back up behind the dash? Unfortunately in order for it to work, you need it connected unless you bypass the DSP amp completely and replace it w/ either an aftermarket one or a M490 amp. Sorry about your bowl of spaghetti...

Good luck :)

Good point Cassiebox... I plan to replace the factory amp eventually... I actually have the amps, but I'm taking one project at a time ;) As for that then, is there a write-up somewhere on exactly "what to hack up" on the lower tray console to make A/C Control fit in the upper deck so I can just place the dsp module on the bottom where it originall was to begin with? I haven't found anything on this yet, and I'm not sure exactly what areas i need to chop off to make it fit. I've already re-located the wire harnes for it though.

[koendp]

...It should be connected to the metal holder which guides the radio. On the original becker there is a non conducting patch on that spot, on other radio's there's nothing, that's why it's disconnected...

Thanks Koen, although I'm not sure I follow... is there somewhere I need to hook this up on my new radio then? Or can I just leave it hanging?

Unless you want some kind of burglary protection, I guess you can leave it hanging. I replaced my CDR220 by a Traffic Pro and I had to leave it hanging as well to avoid the horn beeping when engaging the alarm.

[usaf-lt-g]

Alright, so new problem.... I got everything working, however It seemed I couldn't access any of the "setup menu" functions on my new Alpine W-203. After a quick phone call, they said the reason is because there's a special sequence to unlock the setup features (and I just grounded out the e-brake and foot-brake lines in an attempt to "ovverride" the forced braking playback of navigation and dvds)... turns out that doesn't work so well ;)

So there's a special "sequence" you have to do every time according to the book after you've turned the car off, to unlock the console from "general" mode and get into "setup" mode. And that is:

1. Brung the vehicle to a complete stop and engage the parking brake.

2. Keep pushing the foot brake and release the parking brake once, and then re-engage it.

3. When the parking brake is engaged the second time, release the foot brake.

IMHO... Alpine sure did do a # on this sequence.... is there anything I can do to try and "by-pass" this somehow, or hook these wires up someplace else? There's a Blue/Yellow wire for the parking brake, and Black/Yellow for the foot brake.

????? Help! lol

:renntech:

[usaf-lt-g]

Alright...

Well for those who have "PURCHASED" Alpine units, there's a special "switching" device you need to buy in order to eliminate the "Menu Locks" and "Video while driving locks"... Personally.... I just wanted all the setup menus unlocked and could care less about video while I drive. HOWEVER! I found the product. it's called the PAC TR-7. You hook it to both the foot brake leads and parking brake leads on the Receiver itself, and it does the rest. Now Everything's unlocked and working like a Champ! I got mine from Direct Source in case anyone else is interested. The AVIC D3 installation worked like a champ with a few minor tweaks. I'll take pictures later tonight, but as of right now, XM, NAV, Bluetooth, Radio, DVD, and everything else are working perfectly! :)

:drive:

[usaf-lt-g]

As promised... the completed installation of the Alpine IVA-W203 with NVE1/P1 Navigation, bluetooth, and XM. :)

[Beelzy]

Nice job! B)

[juniinc]

looks good USAF.

I believe there is a by-pass kit for your Alpine,,, so U could watch DVDs while driving.

[usaf-lt-g]

looks good USAF.

I believe there is a by-pass kit for your Alpine,,, so U could watch DVDs while driving.

Lol, Yep... I already installed that ;) The PAC-TR7. Works like a champ.

[usaf-lt-g]

Hmmm... ok, so I was giving my installation a little more thought today, and I'm a bit confused on how to run the speakers / rca's to my amp(s) and Head Unit.

The IVA-W203 has 3 sets of RCA inputs which are labeled:

Front

Rear

and Subwoofer.

What I was originally hoping to do was to split out the front dash speakers, door speakers, and rear speakers on their own channels... 6 channels. And then add in the sub as an extra channel on a separate amp. But with having only inputs on the Alpine Head Unit for Front and Rear speakers, this makes things a bit more complicated in my head.

The crossovers, which are hooked currently to the front dash speakers (Tweeter / 4" woofer) and door speakers (6.5" Woofers) both support High / Low inputs. In otherwords, you can hook up and separate highs and lows for each.

Given the circumstance would it make more sense to run the front dashe speakers in their current configuration and then run the rear speakers to the same cross over as the door speakers? Or is there a better way for me to do this? Just curious what everyone's thoughts are....

[usaf-lt-g]

bump

Hmmm... ok, so I was giving my installation a little more thought today, and I'm a bit confused on how to run the speakers / rca's to my amp(s) and Head Unit.

The IVA-W203 has 3 sets of RCA inputs which are labeled:

Front

Rear

and Subwoofer.

What I was originally hoping to do was to split out the front dash speakers, door speakers, and rear speakers on their own channels... 6 channels. And then add in the sub as an extra channel on a separate amp. But with having only inputs on the Alpine Head Unit for Front and Rear speakers, this makes things a bit more complicated in my head.

The crossovers, which are hooked currently to the front dash speakers (Tweeter / 4" woofer) and door speakers (6.5" Woofers) both support High / Low inputs. In otherwords, you can hook up and separate highs and lows for each.

Given the circumstance would it make more sense to run the front dashe speakers in their current configuration and then run the rear speakers to the same cross over as the door speakers? Or is there a better way for me to do this? Just curious what everyone's thoughts are....

[usaf-lt-g]

bump

Hmmm... ok, so I was giving my installation a little more thought today, and I'm a bit confused on how to run the speakers / rca's to my amp(s) and Head Unit.

The IVA-W203 has 3 sets of RCA inputs which are labeled:

Front

Rear

and Subwoofer.

What I was originally hoping to do was to split out the front dash speakers, door speakers, and rear speakers on their own channels... 6 channels. And then add in the sub as an extra channel on a separate amp. But with having only inputs on the Alpine Head Unit for Front and Rear speakers, this makes things a bit more complicated in my head.

The crossovers, which are hooked currently to the front dash speakers (Tweeter / 4" woofer) and door speakers (6.5" Woofers) both support High / Low inputs. In otherwords, you can hook up and separate highs and lows for each.

Given the circumstance would it make more sense to run the front dashe speakers in their current configuration and then run the rear speakers to the same cross over as the door speakers? Or is there a better way for me to do this? Just curious what everyone's thoughts are....

[usaf-lt-g]

Well for those of you debating tackling on the challenge of A) Replacing your Head Unit B) Replacing Your Factory amp with aftermarket amp(s) C) Changing out all the factory speakers with High-Grade Speakers and D) adding in Sub-Woofer........ perhaps this will help.

In an effort to "visualize" how I was going to obtain optimal sound from all the upgrading I've been doing lately, it helped me to draw out an electrical conceptual diagram of my layout so that I could:

1) Visualize which inputs / outputs went to which connection on the amp / receiver / cross-over etc.

2) Understand what all my impedence levels would be

3) Determine Watt Distribution per Channel / Cross-over / and Speaker so that I could visualize where the bulk of sound would be coming from

4) Determine all the frequency ranges so that I can properly tune the input gain sensitivity levels on the amps correctly

5) Give me the big picture :)

So here's the diagram I drew up of my particular planned install (only items that haven't been installed on this diagram yet, are the 2 amps, and the subwoofer thus far).

[usaf-lt-g]

Well today began Part 2 of this project! Installing the 2 JL Amps.... after trying to figure out where to mount them given their size, I decided the floor of the front trunk was the best spot. I can still get to the spare tire and access what I need to. So here's day 1 of the project which was mostly wire runs.

On a side note, today was my lucky day. A store called "Tweeter" which is by me, and carries high end car audio equipment like JL Audio, is going out of business. I picked up all of the following for less than $100!

JL Audio XC-PCS4-2B - 4 AWG 12-Volt Power Connection System for Two Amplifiers

JL Audio XC-BCSC16-25 - 25 ft. / 7.6 m Blue/Clear 16 AWG, Parallel Conductor Speaker Cable

XB-BLUAIC4-18 - 4 Channel Twisted-Pair Audio Interconnect RCA Cable with Machined Connectors 18 ft.

XB-BLUAIC2-18 - 2 Channel Twisted-Pair Audio Interconnect RCA Cable with Machined Connectors 18 ft.

Keep in mind these are all JL Audio's "High End Cables" which typically run a lot more.

Above, you can see the 2 JL Audio Amps (300/4 and 300/2) that will be installed. Along with some of the JL Audio Cable, and front trunk carpeting taken out of of the car. There's also some dynomat extreme that I plan to use to finish off the doors.

Above is the wiring which I started today. I spliced into the factory harness, making sure to cap off each wire for a good connection. I also used the black/red remote wire. Anyone know if the "Brown" wire is a ground or not? I'm guessing it is... which if that's the case I'll need to splice that into the master ground lug as well to ensure a consistant ground is used throughout. From this picture you can see I have wires hanging down the left side. I also have wires hanging down the right side. This is because I chose to re-locate my Crossovers (which will be used to combine the Door and Rear Speakers as my "Rear Channels") to the front for display, and split out the highs and lows properly.

Here's the new master lug nut. Although this picture show's I'm using the top right Hole... I quickly decided to use the bottom right hole after realizing the factory carpet molding has a plug that goes in that hole ;) The wires you see here are power, ground, speaker, and remote (some of the others I haven't finished routing yet).

More to come tomorrow... stay tuned.

[1schoir]

Well today began Part 2 of this project! Installing the 2 JL Amps.... after trying to figure out where to mount them given their size, I decided the floor of the front trunk was the best spot. I can still get to the spare tire and access what I need to. So here's day 1 of the project which was mostly wire runs.

On a side note, today was my lucky day. A store called "Tweeter" which is by me, and carries high end car audio equipment like JL Audio, is going out of business. I picked up all of the following for less than $100!

JL Audio XC-PCS4-2B - 4 AWG 12-Volt Power Connection System for Two Amplifiers

JL Audio XC-BCSC16-25 - 25 ft. / 7.6 m Blue/Clear 16 AWG, Parallel Conductor Speaker Cable

XB-BLUAIC4-18 - 4 Channel Twisted-Pair Audio Interconnect RCA Cable with Machined Connectors 18 ft.

XB-BLUAIC2-18 - 2 Channel Twisted-Pair Audio Interconnect RCA Cable with Machined Connectors 18 ft.

Keep in mind these are all JL Audio's "High End Cables" which typically run a lot more.

Above, you can see the 2 JL Audio Amps (300/4 and 300/2) that will be installed. Along with some of the JL Audio Cable, and front trunk carpeting taken out of of the car. There's also some dynomat extreme that I plan to use to finish off the doors.

Above is the wiring which I started today. I spliced into the factory harness, making sure to cap off each wire for a good connection. I also used the black/red remote wire. Anyone know if the "Brown" wire is a ground or not? I'm guessing it is... which if that's the case I'll need to splice that into the master ground lug as well to ensure a consistant ground is used throughout. From this picture you can see I have wires hanging down the left side. I also have wires hanging down the right side. This is because I chose to re-locate my Crossovers (which will be used to combine the Door and Rear Speakers as my "Rear Channels") to the front for display, and split out the highs and lows properly.

Here's the new master lug nut. Although this picture show's I'm using the top right Hole... I quickly decided to use the bottom right hole after realizing the factory carpet molding has a plug that goes in that hole ;) The wires you see here are power, ground, speaker, and remote (some of the others I haven't finished routing yet).

More to come tomorrow... stay tuned.

It looks like you are making some major progress on your project. And it looks really promising.

From my experience, a solid brown wire is always used as a ground wire on german cars.

Regards, Maurice.

Edited November 14, 2008 by 1schoir

[drem914]

Where do you plan on locating the sub-woofer listed in your diagram?

[usaf-lt-g]

Where do you plan on locating the sub-woofer listed in your diagram?

I'm going with Juniinc's design. Placing the sub between the 2 seats, although I'm going to modify the lower portion a bit to allow me to still use the center console cup holders.

[juniinc]

Hey USAF are u copying my blue cabling job? LOL

great choice by going with JL 4AWG.

what a garage floor! very nice

[usaf-lt-g]

Hey USAF are u copying my blue cabling job? LOL

great choice by going with JL 4AWG.

what a garage floor! very nice

Lol Thanks! You should see the custom cabinetry, workbench, and Slatwall I had installed as well. Makes it MUCH more convenient to work on the cars :) K back to work now... lol. more pictures to come later... I'm working on finishing off the driver's side door dynomat right now.