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Thread: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

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    Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    This is for the normal GM plug, usually found in 88+ GM vehicles. This doesn't apply to the GM 32 pin, but I will post that info tomorrow. These wire colors are pretty much universal through the GM vehicles.

    BE SURE TO TEST YOUR WIRES. W-BODY.COM NOR I ARE RESPONSIBLE IF YOU FRY SOMETHING.

    Orange = 12v Constant/Battery
    Yellow = 12v Switched/ACC
    Black = Ground
    Gray = dimmer ground
    Brown = Parking lights

    Tan = Left front +
    Gray = Left front -
    Lt. Green = Right front +
    Dk. Green = Right front -

    Brown = Left rear +
    Yellow = Left rear -
    Dk. Blue = Right rear +
    Lt. Blue = Right rear -


    If you have the Monsoon or Bose system, you will need to tap into the amp turn on lead. The harness's that you buy do not have these leads, so you will need to tap behind the plug. Generally, the wire colors for the amp turn on lead are Pink or Dark Green. You can test with an inline fuse holder and wire. Connect one end to the amp turn on lead on your aftermarket deck (99% of the time blue or blue/white), and strip back a bit of the Pink or Green wire, and connect this end to it. If you hear sound, your in luck. No sound, keep checking. But, be sure to use the inline fuse holder. I generally use a 5 amp fuse for testing purposes, and replace with a 10 amp fuse once I have found the correct wire. Heres a picture for an example:


    Chris D.-
    '97 Ford Ranger- Project forever
    '02 Buick Century- Wife's
    '08 GMC Acadia- Company Car/DD

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    You're a god.

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    FordBoy's Avatar

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    for the dimmer ground and the parking lights:
    the dimmer i just have to ground
    the parking lights to a positive



    i also have a pink wire under there you know what that one is for?
    Clinton i cant spell...deal with it!!!!!
    89 Cutlass Supreme--R.I.P.
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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    Quote Originally Posted by FordBoy
    for the dimmer ground and the parking lights:
    the dimmer i just have to ground
    the parking lights to a positive



    i also have a pink wire under there you know what that one is for?
    the wire colors for the amp turn on lead are Pink or Dark Green. You can test with an inline fuse holder and wire.
    Though it may not always be the case, you need to test. They could be other data wires as well(SWC's, etc...).
    Chris D.-
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    '02 Buick Century- Wife's
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    FordBoy's Avatar

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    ok sry these were qts i forgot the ?
    Quote Originally Posted by FordBoy
    for the dimmer ground and the parking lights:
    the dimmer i just have to ground ?
    the parking lights to a positive?



    i also have a pink wire under there you know what that one is for?
    Clinton i cant spell...deal with it!!!!!
    89 Cutlass Supreme--R.I.P.
    05 Grand Prix GT
    96 Mustang 302 v8 5spd
    97 Ford Aspire

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    Again, it's up to you to test. If for some reason your electrical system is screwed, it could be the opposite.

    Anyways, why cut the connector off anyways. Causes more trouble than what it's worth.
    Chris D.-
    '97 Ford Ranger- Project forever
    '02 Buick Century- Wife's
    '08 GMC Acadia- Company Car/DD

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    FordBoy's Avatar

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    Quote Originally Posted by FordBoy
    for the dimmer ground and the parking lights:
    the dimmer i just have to ground ?
    the parking lights to a positive?
    Clinton i cant spell...deal with it!!!!!
    89 Cutlass Supreme--R.I.P.
    05 Grand Prix GT
    96 Mustang 302 v8 5spd
    97 Ford Aspire

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    Quote Originally Posted by FordBoy
    for the dimmer ground and the parking lights:
    the dimmer i just have to ground ?
    the parking lights to a positive?
    Quote Originally Posted by slick
    Again, it's up to you to test. If for some reason your electrical system is screwed, it could be the opposite.
    Chris D.-
    '97 Ford Ranger- Project forever
    '02 Buick Century- Wife's
    '08 GMC Acadia- Company Car/DD

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    ok fine damn calm down i thought you put that for the other qt
    Clinton i cant spell...deal with it!!!!!
    89 Cutlass Supreme--R.I.P.
    05 Grand Prix GT
    96 Mustang 302 v8 5spd
    97 Ford Aspire

  10. #10

    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    i basically need to cut my plug off because no one here has the damn harness i need
    ive got a 1989 grand prix with the performance sound, not sure if its monsoon or bose, but its the performance sound for sure
    and no one has the harness to fit
    apparently there is a scosche one to fit but i can only find it on walmart.com and they dont ship to canada

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    Good sticky, but what about those with Bose/Monsoon that want to bypass the factory amplification without a bypass harness?


    Is there Red/Yellow/Black in the Bose/Monsoon harness to use with an aftermarket deck? Reason I'm asking is if I want to use my aftermarket unit, I probably don't want to use the shitty factory amplifier to give the unmatched signal to the speakers (since this is what the Bose/Monsoon harness allows you to do).




    Kef

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    The plug behind the radio is exactly the same, but there may be a pin in a normally empty location that is the amplifier turn on lead. Generally, it is a green or pink.

    The colors are 99.9999% the same. GM keeps pretty universal in there wire colors.
    Chris D.-
    '97 Ford Ranger- Project forever
    '02 Buick Century- Wife's
    '08 GMC Acadia- Company Car/DD

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    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    Orange = 12v Constant/Battery
    Yellow = 12v Switched/ACC
    Black = Ground
    Gray = dimmer ground
    Brown = Parking lights

    In my Lumina it has two brown wires to subsitute the grey and brown wires. They are brown, and brown w/ white tracer.
    I'd assume the brown is park lights and brown w/ white is the ground though?
    Jeff L. :: 2nd Canadian to win COTM The Preservation for POS W-bodies Canada Chapter
    2004 Acura TSX | 2.4L I4 iVTEC; 5 Speed Auto | 1 of Many Made In '04 | 89,XXXKM
    1990 Chevrolet Lumina Euro 3.1 | 3.1L 191ci 60º V6; 440T4 | 1 of 43,912 Made In '90 | 194,XXXKM
    1985 Mazda RX-7 S | 1.1L 70ci 12A Twin Rotor RE; 5spd | 1 of 63,105 Made in '85 | 130,XXXKM

  14. #14

    Re: Stereo wire colors- For those of you who cut off your plugs

    ahh yea Ima need this tomarrow! Im going to control myself this time and do a basic audio setup.

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