L series radio wiring

TheInterceptor

TheInterceptor

Forum Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2011
Messages
369
Location
North Perth, WA
Car Year
2002
Car Model
Outback Limited
Transmission
5sp Manual dual range
Howdy all!

Does anybody know what wire is the constant power wire for the radio in an L series? My test lights are both missing (sigh..) and ive just worked things out as best i can by connecting and disconnecting different wires. Sounds a bit dodgy but i do maybe know what im doing :lol:

It appeares that the blue with yellow stripe was constant as it worked in my testing. None of the three yellow wires gave constant so yeah! It all works great except the radio does not save my settings when i key the ignition and crank the car over. It just goes blank and i have to turn it back on and its reset to factory settings.

Guess this is what i get for trying to fit a stereo quickly after work hours at work without a test light...

Cheers!
 
Don't have an l series but finding the wires pretty easy if you've got a dolphin torch, just unscrew the top and use the globe/reflector. some tape speaker wire and your stop globe works too ;).

Sounds like you don't have a constant or just have the switched and constant back the front.

Don't worry car audio is pretty simple, but then again I'm an audio technician so my opinion might be biased :lol:
 
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Ive done a few stereo installs so im fairly savvy haha. Thanks for your feedback! Those are good tips :) Ill have to find some spare wiring to make up a custom test light.

But what i did was basically used the stereo as a test light. I found that just about every wire i hooked the constant wire to in the dash come alive when the engine is keyed on but they all go dead as soon as the car is cranked thus wiping my settings. So yeah...
I might hook it up to the dash clock if i can get to its power wire or run my own constant but id rather use the factory constant if it exists!
 
Probably easier to run your own safer and more reliable for power from memory there's plenty of space on the L as it has a huge cable trap top p/s of the engine bay(someone correct me if im wrong but i swear it did), the clock is more than likely piggybacked off the circuit for something else. Depending on the head units design the constant can be powering the little amp so needs a bit of power

EDIT: is this for your old brumby? cassette decks didn't need a constant so there might not be one
 
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Ah okay that makes sense. Thanks!!
Its for my L series which the Brumby got traded on. It was Taza's from on ORS here and now he has my old Brumby haha.
This one i assume had a tape deck (had just a hole in the dash when i got it) so i guess ill have to run my own constant. I assume a 10a fuse will be the one to use since the radio runs a 10a in its backside?
 
I am not sure if the l-series radio had a constant power wire. The standard radio had mechanical presets, not electronic. When I changed radios, I run my own fused power from the battery.

Beigewagon.
 
yea 10 amp is plenty. if you don't have one get one from jaycar or altronics waterproof ones are only $2, SCA and autocrap want $10 for the same thing
 
Cheers fellas.

Ive bought some wire, just need to go to Jaycar tomorrow for the fuse! :)
 
Seems obvious but match the fuses to whats already in the car.
 
It is yes, except the radio fuse in the fusebox says 15a but the radios built in one is 10a so yeah!
 
The fuse depends on the wire size/run not necessarily the device load, you want the fuse to blow before any short cause's the wire to melt or catch fire. the newer amp's are more energy efficient than older ones, most head units use a mosfet type amplifier now, low power / less heat per watt with the downside of added signal distortion.

I meant as in same fuse if anyone else comes along to read this like ato/ glass fuse / mini blade, save carrying differnt types of spare fuses (i carry mini blade's and ATO which is annoying sometimes). Now your just making me want to go finish the wiring jobs i started :lol:
 
Ah yes that. Sorry wasn't too sure what you meant before!

Would a 10a rated cable be too little a gauge to be the constant if the radio runs a 10a fuse? Will it still blow the fuse if a short occurs or will it damage the wiring?

Hahaha :p
 
16awg should be fine, just fuse next to the bat. The head unit will only have a draw of about 8-9 amp peak, maybe 4-5 average. 10amp fuse on 16awg would have the fuse blow before anything bad happens. You can run about 20amps (but that's at max, wouldn't recommend it) through 16 depending on the type of insulation / length, so it gives you some added insurance for this application, and 16awg is an easy size to work with.
 
Okay cool! Its on a roll that says "10a rated auto cable", didnt know it can handle more without cooking. And I have an inline fuse with a 10a blade ready to go on just off the bat! Thanks mate!
 
I wired in my stez ages ago, so memory is a bit hazy.

I picked up the accessories wire from the stock radio wiring and permanant power from either the clock or the radio wiring, I can't remember.

I also picked up the illumination wire from the clock - I can tell you that this is a red wire with a yellow stripe. I only know this because I was messing around in this area recently.

Once you have it right you'll be sorted - then promptly forget where everything went - but at least you'll have tunes to listen to and a clock on it that remembers the time ;)

Cheers

Bennie
 
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