Radio Issues

[robbylockisme]

I was replacing a radio in my 1988 Festiva.

The radio that was in it was a Sony aftermarket. It barely worked, turning off most of the time. I was also going to change out my speakers, because they were sounding blown. I "connected color to color" and placed the new radio in. The radio works, dims great, all that, but no sound at all. And now the fuse to my taillights/dashboard lights keeps blowing out! Anyone had this issue?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[old yellow]

the Festiva's wires are non-standard colors.... I forget what color is what but each speaker is not the same as the radio. On the other hand ground, constent and switched power is the same on the radio....

[TominMO]

Right, can't go by colors of wire for the speakers. The foolproof way would be to use a voltmeter to check continuity of both ends of a specific speaker wire, then hook it up appropriately.

On both the Festy wiring and the aftermarket radio, you will probably find ground = black, red = constant power (used for settings), yellow = switched power, (for ignition).

[bravekozak]

The stock Festiva radio is not grounded through the dimmer swirch but through the black ground wire on the back of the radio. The radio lights come on through the red/green wire on the TAIL fuse (hot at all times). The instrument panel lights are also on the TAIL fuse.
The blue/yellow wire (hot in ACC or RUN) for radio power is on the CIGAR fuse and the white/red wire (hot at all times) for memory is on the ROOM fuse.

[robbylockisme]

Ok! So I will look at that!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[robbylockisme]

I'm looking at it, and it looks like I'm hooked up with exception of a blue wire and Orange wire.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[robbylockisme]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416442863.334437.jpg

This is the looms of wires I'm looking at.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[robbylockisme]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416442942.994253.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[robbylockisme]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416442986.347916.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[robbylockisme]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416443000.466859.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[robbylockisme]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416443039.596047.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[robbylockisme]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1416443083.561300.jpg

And these are the "spare wires" that had no corresponding partner, color-wise.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bravekozak]

You have a typical butt splice hack job to figure out. You need the Sony radio wiring diagram.

The four blue wires are for the front speakers and the four green wires are for the rear speakers

I would guess that one of the Sony wires is for a power antenna, that was not available on Festivas.

[robbylockisme]

Yay.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gomez]

From what I can see in the pics, the extra blue wire is for power antenna or remote amp turn on. Since the Festy has neither just cap it off. The blue wire out of the radio probably has a white stripe on it. Cap it off as well. The orange wire is for illumination. If your radio does not have an orange wire then just cap off the one in the pic. The illumination in the radio will come on when the radio itself gets power.

My guess is you have an issue with the newer radio itself, especially if you just took the old radio out and hooked the new radio harness to the colors on the aftermarket harness. Like Brave said get rid of all those butt-connectors and get some heatshrink and solder them all together.