Freddie Posted October 29, 2022 Report Share Posted October 29, 2022 Hi guys, I am in the process of stripping out the 'upgrade' double-din head unit so I can put a cdr32 and a changer in the car. It actually was specced with an MDR32 from new! Having taken everything out I want to understand what's going on with the wiring. The PO that 'upgraded' the head unit also said that the dash speakers had been changed. Note the white speaker wiring. The amp is also gone, presumably the stupid pioneer unit had all that in, so I will need to get one of those as well. I have a cdr23 knocking around that I plugged in out of curiosity and it lit up and worked, no sound though due to the optical outputs not present on my car. Can anyone tell me which bit of wire does what, please? Thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daboy3000 Posted October 29, 2022 Report Share Posted October 29, 2022 I might be wrong but I think the CDR32 is coded to the car rather than getting an unlock code. Might not be an issue for you though. If you look at the top of the stereo it has all the colour codes. You are holding the aerial lead in the last photo, not sure if any of this is helping. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 29, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2022 Thanks, always helps to hear other’s knowledge! I don’t know about the code thing, bummer if that’s the case. I’ve also been looking at the continental option, but I prefer it to be Oem if poss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted October 29, 2022 Report Share Posted October 29, 2022 The big red plug looks to be specific to the aftermarket unit. If I remember correctly the blue, green and yellow plug straight into the back of the oem unit. But you've got a lot of other stuff going on there too... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted October 29, 2022 Report Share Posted October 29, 2022 A good starting point is that if it is wrapped in black cloth, it is OE loom, anything else is later work. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daboy3000 Posted October 30, 2022 Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 (edited) Yes, it is quite the mess. Easy to sort if you know what you are doing and can look properly. A lot harder from a few pics. It does look a lot less bodged than others I've seen, i would start by taking out all the non standard stuff. If you were closer I would've been happy to look, but Devon to Eastbourne is a few hours. Edited October 30, 2022 by Daboy3000 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 11 minutes ago, Daboy3000 said: Yes, it is quite the mess. Easy to sort if you know what you are doing and can look properly. A lot harder from a few pics. It does look a lot less bodged than others I've seen, i would start by taking out all the non standard stuff. If you were closer I would've been happy to look, but Devon to Eastbourne is a few hours. Thanks bud, yep, great road trip, but not cheap to do the miles! I think there's supposed to be a brown rectangular plug for speakers, which is gone and been replaced by the new white speaker wire. Looking at costs, a CDR22, plus an amp and cd changer will probably end up being £400 give or take, whereas the Continental unit is £150 all in, assuming it doesn't need an amp? I do want originality but I can't really justify the cost. A bummer 'cos when I plugged in the CDR23 that I bought by mistake, it looked ace when it came on showing PORSCHE on the display. My car is MY2000 so hasn't any optical wiring so CDR23 no good to me. Is it safe to assume that a CDR22 can work OK without the changer? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TROOPER88 Posted October 30, 2022 Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 Looking at your pic: Remove the yellow/green/blue block from the red connector. The red connector and anything attached to it, throw in the bin. The cable tied black wire is a wire/receiver, prob DAB - bin it. The white cable is the aftermarket speakers. The absolute imbecile who fitted the aftermarket unit has also destroyed the whole mounting cage. It is common and I seem to spend my life putting them back to standard after idiots play about with them. They physically cut the plastic to make the Halfords units fit. To do it properly, you will then relocate the heater unit to where it should be and you'll need new storage bins for the lower section as the imbecile fitted the kit that includes different shaped bins. So you will need the whole cage inc vents etc; it is not a difficult job and you will find them on Ebay and yes, a CDR22 is what you need with the code. I have honestly not purchased 986's in the past just because of the head unit fitted. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 28 minutes ago, TROOPER88 said: Looking at your pic: Remove the yellow/green/blue block from the red connector. The red connector and anything attached to it, throw in the bin. The cable tied black wire is a wire/receiver, prob DAB - bin it. The white cable is the aftermarket speakers. The absolute imbecile who fitted the aftermarket unit has also destroyed the whole mounting cage. It is common and I seem to spend my life putting them back to standard after idiots play about with them. They physically cut the plastic to make the Halfords units fit. To do it properly, you will then relocate the heater unit to where it should be and you'll need new storage bins for the lower section as the imbecile fitted the kit that includes different shaped bins. So you will need the whole cage inc vents etc; it is not a difficult job and you will find them on Ebay and yes, a CDR22 is what you need with the code. I have honestly not purchased 986's in the past just because of the head unit fitted. Hi Paul, Thanks mate, yep, beggers belief! Luckily I have a the bins needed and also an OEM cd rack. I see Steve Strange has cages, the button side panels have also got hacksaw gouges in them from when the cage was clearly hacksawed apart! So I'll need new ones as well. Do you know if I can get away without buying a changer for now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
½cwt Posted October 30, 2022 Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 Sounds like a good time to contact Steve Strange at Douglas Valley Breakers (find them on eBay) and see if he can put a package of parts together for you. Regarding the changer, it plugs in and IIRC (I took mine out some time ago now), the auto changer is a different 'source' to the radio and the in-built CD. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bradders59 Posted October 30, 2022 Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 (edited) my car has had a pioneer single din unit fitted. I still have the old CD changer and amp though. Does anyone know if its possible to connect them up to see if they work, if only to test them ? Im pretty sure all the wiring for them is still there, but whether that is connectable to the replacement head unit is another matter. I should add that my knowledge of electrics goes like this. There are lots of little different coloured tubes which contain smoke. When I play around with them the smoke has a tendency to leak out. Edited October 30, 2022 by Bradders59 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TROOPER88 Posted October 30, 2022 Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 1 hour ago, Freddie said: Hi Paul, Thanks mate, yep, beggers belief! Luckily I have a the bins needed and also an OEM cd rack. I see Steve Strange has cages, the button side panels have also got hacksaw gouges in them from when the cage was clearly hacksawed apart! So I'll need new ones as well. Do you know if I can get away without buying a changer for now? No Sir, the panel that holds the buttons is all one piece as per my post above. On the plug with the yellow/green/blue, one is power, one is speakers and one is CD changer. Whether it will work or not is dependent on whether matey boy chopped into any wiring that I do not know about. The only good news is that the relocation panel and tray can sell for good money as there are a lot of clowns out there who like doing the same thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 Here's the rat's nest removed, now to clean and tidy up for eBay! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 Update - have found a new cage and buttons for my car from Douglas Valley, used them a few times, always very good. My car seems to have the sticky sh@yte plastics here and there so a good time to get rid of that on that panel. On the look out for a cdr22 now, definitely going back to OEM. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 21 minutes ago, TROOPER88 said: No Sir, the panel that holds the buttons is all one piece as per my post above. On the plug with the yellow/green/blue, one is power, one is speakers and one is CD changer. Whether it will work or not is dependent on whether matey boy chopped into any wiring that I do not know about. The only good news is that the relocation panel and tray can sell for good money as there are a lot of clowns out there who like doing the same thing. Thanks Paul, Had a good look under the dash and can see the new speaker wiring leading up to the dash top, can't see any other signs of butchery. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 2 hours ago, ½cwt said: Sounds like a good time to contact Steve Strange at Douglas Valley Breakers (find them on eBay) and see if he can put a package of parts together for you. Regarding the changer, it plugs in and IIRC (I took mine out some time ago now), the auto changer is a different 'source' to the radio and the in-built CD. Cheers mate, just ordered a cage/button assembly from them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted October 30, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2022 Pioneer head unit listed on ebay this evening, sold in 5 mins, £150, pleased with that! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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