AM/FM Car Stereo (120-1991) Connections Faxback Doc. # 7838 Before you mount the stereo or install any speakers, temporarily connect the speakers, power wires, antenna, and any other audio accessory as described in this section. Warning: If the vehicle or sound component you are connecting the stereo to does not have compatible connectors, contact your local Radio Shack store. Radio Shack stores sell adapter harnesses for many vehicles. Do not modify the stereo's wiring. This voids its warranty. USING AN ADAPTER HARNESS If you are replacing an existing stereo, or if your vehicle has been factory-wired for autosound components, you might be able to use an adapter harness to connect the power and speakers. Radio Shack stores sell adapter harnesses for many vehicles. Follow the directions that come with the adapter harness to temporarily connect the power and speakers. Then, connect the vehicle's antenna cable to the large black antenna socket on the back of the stereo. After you test the connections, disconnect the speakers, power, and antenna. Then follow the instructions under "installation." CONNECTING SPEAKERS Your speakers' combined power-handling capacity must be at least 30 watts. Each speaker must have an impedance of at least 4 ohms. Your local Radio Shack store carries a full line of automotive speakers. Your stereo comes with one wiring harness. If you plan to connect both front and rear speakers, you need an additional harness (Radio Shack Cat. No. 270-014). Cautions: For added safety and to protect your stereo, disconnect the cable from the negative (-) terminal on your vehicle's battery before you begin. You must connect a separate wire to each speaker terminal as described in the following procedure. Do not use a common wire or chassis ground for any speaker connection. CONNECTING THE SUPPLIED HARNESS If you are using only one pair of speakers, connect the speakers to the supplied five-wire harness. If you want to use both front and rear speakers, connect the front speakers to the supplied harness. Then connect the rear speakers to the optional five-wire harness and plug the harness into the stereo's five-wire connector. Follow these steps to connect the front speakers to the supplied harness. 1. Set the 4CH/2CH switch to 4 CH. 2. Connect the brown wire to the right speaker's positive terminal. This terminal is usually marked with a plus (+) sign or red mark. 3. Connect the gray wire to the right speaker's negative terminal. This terminal might be marked with a (-) sign or it might not be marked at all. 4. Connect the green wire to the left speaker's positive terminal. 5. Connect the white wire to the left speaker's negative terminal. CONNECTING AN OPTIONAL HARNESS If you want to use the speaker adapter which is used to combine the front and rear speaker sockets, connect the adapter's plug with the red, brown, and green wires to the stereo's front speaker socket. Then connect the adapter's other plug to the stereo's rear speaker socket, and plug the 5-pin plug cable assembly (supplied) into the adapter's socket. Follow these steps to connect the speakers. 1. Set the 4CH/2CH switch to 2CH. 2. Left speaker's (+) terminal to the green wire. 3. Left speaker's (-) terminal to the white wire. 4. Right speaker's (+) terminal to the brown wire. 5. Right speaker's (-) terminal to the gray wire. CONNECTING A LINE IN/LINE OUT COMPONENT A line-in/line-out component, such as an equalizer, gives you even more control over your stereo's sound. The audio signal goes from your stereo's tuner or cassette player, out through the line-out jacks and into the component. Then the signal goes from the component into the line-in jacks, and is amplified by your stereo and sent to the speakers. When you use a line-in/line-out component, you must set the RADIO/EQ switch on the side of the stereo to EQ. Note: You need 2 sets of RCA cables to connect a line-in/line-out component. Follow these steps to connect a line-in/line-out component: 1. Connect the stereo's left and right line-out connectors to the component's left and right line-in connectors. 2. Connect the stereo's left and right line-in connectors to the component's left and right line-out connectors. If the component also has its own speaker outputs, see the component's owner's manual for instructions on connecting speakers. CONNECTING TO POWER AND ANTENNA Follow these steps to connect your stereo to power: 1. Connect the black wire to a metal screw attached to the vehicle's frame. Be sure that the screw is not insulated from the chassis by a plastic part. 2. Connect the red/white wire (with in-line fuse holder) to a continuous 12-volt source. You can connect it directly to the battery's positive terminal or to a non-switched fuse terminal (a terminal that the vehicle's ignition does not turn on and off). This connection provides continuous power for the clock and tuner memory when the ignition is turned off. 3. Connect the solid-red power wire (with in-line fuse holder) from the five-wire harness to the accessory (ACC) terminal in your vehicle's fuse block. This connection provides power to the stereo when you turn on the ignition, and turns off power when you turn off the ignition. This prevents your vehicle's battery from draining if you leave the stereo on when you turn off the ignition. 4. Connect the vehicle's antenna cable to the stereo's large black antenna connector. 5. Connect the orange wire to an optional component that you want the stereo to turn on and off, such as an automatic antenna or equalizer/booster. This wire does not provide power to any component. It simply turns it on or off. If you do not use this wire, use a wire tie to keep it out of the way. Note: The optional component must be designed for use with a switched power lead. See the optional component's owner's manual. 6. The blue wire provides power to the backlight for the controls and display. Connect this wire to the switched side of either your headlamp/parking light circuit or the accessory switch. When you turn on your headlights, the backlight comes on. 7. Connect the harness to the front-speaker socket. Reconnect the battery cable. TESTING THE CONNECTIONS After you connect the speakers, power wires, and antenna, turn on your vehicle's ignition and test the stereo to be sure it works. If the stereo does not work, immediately unplug the wiring harness(es). Recheck your connections or have a professional complete the installation. If the stereo works, follow the instructions under "Installation." (br/all-10/20/94)