Why am I having so much trouble installing a radio in my '88LX

[MSM0075]

I'm having a real hard time installing a radio into my '88LX. I've been alot of places and everyplace has givin' me different opinions and options..So I'll try to backtrack for you guys to understand my situation. I pulled my JVC headunit from my '93LX and tryed to put it in my '88LX. The JVC headunit powerd up, but i had no sound...I looked at the black rectangle connector that came off of the stock radio and it only had..5 wires..so i thought damn this car has like no options. But shortley I noticed a amp looking thing behind the radio which looked just like the amp in my '82GT which is mounted on the dash. I found where the speaker wires are, Connected to the amp. This means I have to cut the stock harness and make something work, I dont like this idea. Am I doing it right guys? I HAVE to eliminate the stock amp? I was thinking about cutting the connector before the speaker wires which originally went to the amp and connect them right to my JVC speaker wires. then have the aftermarket male power connector harness and just hook it up to the stock power connector for the stock headnuit....am i making scence? lol, is there an easier way???

Thanks so much, Hopefully i can get this done tomorow!!

 

[89MustangGX]

You don't have to cut anything. Take out the amp and you will see the harness that goes to the amp has the same connectors as the ones you are using now. Take out the whole "jumper" harness that goes from the amp to the radio and just plug directly into the wires that went to the amp.

 

[MSM0075]

I said above that the AMP connectors were different (looks like '82-'85 style connectors) their both grey and sqaure, the ones that go to the radio are rectangle and are black and grey..

 

[Nottoofast50]

Can you take a picture and show us what you mean? I'm having a hard time picturing it...

 

[MSM0075]

This is the most I can give you considering its 1:42AM..

I'll get some shots of the car tomorow.

Heres a pic of the amp I pulled from behind the radio..

 

[MSM0075]

I'm gonna go take some more pictures for you guys

 

[89MustangGX]

I can honestly say I've never seen thosep lugs in that year car before. Is it the correct head unit or can you tell if any wires are cut anywhere...I'm wondering if someone put a different amp/headunit setup in there before....?

 

[Nottoofast50]

Call crutchfield... they helped me out when i had a problem... just tell them you got the deck from a friend that bought it from them

 

[MSM0075]

Radio and Amp are pulled. Heres what I'm left with. or is it??

 

[Keasbey]

I've an alpine cd player installed in my car.. and I've never touch/seen those wires... just take the other plug cut the wires connect the plug that come with the cd player to the wire I've cut, connect the plug to my radio, test, listen and enjoy.. =P

I've put "that wires" on the pic to indicated the one i've never touched..

 

[mr_tinkertrain]

I've an alpine cd player installed in my car.. and I've never touch/seen those wires... just take the other plug cut the wires connect the plug that come with the cd player to the wire I've cut, connect the plug to my radio, test, listen and enjoy.. =P

I've put "that wires" on the pic to indicated the one i've never touched..

alright man i have your exact problem but i've fixed it completely. alright what your going to have to do, is cut into the wire harness going TO your speakers from the amp. Just cut the plug off of that one and get you a tester that has a continuity setting. Sorry i dont know what they are called, they have either a little needly that moves or make a beeping noise when you connect two ends of a wire to it (checks to see if there is a current)
anyway get you some masking tape and then pull EVERY speaker out and cut every wire to every speaker. Then strip all the speaker wires and all the wires from the amp that go to the speakers. Connect the little tester thing to one wire that goes from the amp. Then take the other end of the tester going to every single wire in the car (that were connected to speakers) until either it beeps or you get a reading on the voltmeter (i beileve its called voltmeter) then take the tape and right somethign like right front, left rear, dash right etc so you know where it goes. you'll have two wires to every speaker so label all accordingly until u've went thru the whole car. Then take the wires from ur aftermarket radio (they should have labels saying right rear right front etc) then crimp or solder them to the corresponding wires straight from the ones that went to the amp before. There is enough wire to do this and your radio may even fit a little better without that amp behind it. Any more questions then just ask because I just did this to my car over Christmas.

 

[MSM0075]

I'd rather not cut, only if i have to. The only harness I've seen close to what i need was on crutchfield.

http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/...c=11&g=103000&I=120705006&o=m&a=1&cc=01&avf=Y

Anyway, this morning before I went to work I found yet ANOTHER pair of harness' behind the A/C controls. They were rectangle shaped. So I wired up my JVC harness to the aftermarket harness and pluged them into the wires behind the A/C controls leaving the four connectors displayed on the picture hanging there. I turned the power on and the JVC Radio powerd up, and had sound!! after testing it a bit i found that my door pannel speakers wern't working and i only had a left channel in the front. I tryed moving the balance back and forth in the front and the left speaker stayed on. the rears went back and forth like they should, perhaps both the front speakers are merged with one another...and as for the door speakers, who knows..

 

[89MustangGX]

No need to cut anything, you're on the right track now!