Installing aftermarket radio in 81 rabbit, need wiring help!!!:)

[tkisling]

it has now yellow wire. I will try using the SOURCE button to turn it on and see what happens.

[Vincent Waldon]

it has now yellow wire. I will try using the SOURCE button to turn it on and see what happens.

What yellow wire?? None of your previous posts or pictures mention a yellow wire... nor does the wiring code from Pioneer??!!   

[Baron VonZeppelin]

On a hunch, i'm going to guess it was a small typo.

"It has NO yellow wire" ...was probably intended.

[tkisling]

Hooked it up today as per your instructions. No luck

[macka]

swap out the fuse and try again, I've seen fuses that look alright be bad fuses.

[tkisling]

Well, after trying and trying again and again with the older Pioneer deck, I gave up and trying to install it. So I decided to wait and get a different radio. On a routine trip to Goodwill this weekend, I stumbled upon an older Kenwood AM/FM cassette deck for 9.99. I still had the box and wires and bought it since it was so cheap. I am happy to report that as of now I am blasting tunes from the radio in my Rabbit. The deck itself was and older design much like the factory radio. But obviously it had much newer tuning capabilities and a digital display. So I just wanted to thank you guys for dealing with me over the past week or so.

[Vincent Waldon]

No worries... glad to hear you got 'er running. 

I'm a huge music fan as well... can't drive without tunes, right?!

[Rabbit on Roids]

just so you guys know, pioneer radios DO have a big yellow wire. steady current from the battery. i have 5 different pioneer decks in vehicles and laying in my shop. they all have a big yellow constant power wire. they have to have it to function, it powers the memory, and is the main power supply for the deck. to get a pioneer to function, you gotta have the yellow hooked to the batt +, the black hooked to a ground, and the red hooked to the switched power from the key. if someone wants to tell me again that pioneers have no yellow wire, i will gladly supply you with pictures ive installed more pioneer stereos than i will ever be able to count. and they all had to have the yellow wire hooked up. kinda like beating a dead horse here, but there are yellow wires on every semi-modern pioneer made within about the last 12 years..

[tkisling]

There was no yellow wire on MY pioneer radio.

[Vincent Waldon]

Ok, so for the record here's the Pioneer wiring color code:

Orange: constant 12v+
Red: switched 12v+
Black: ground

Green: left front +
Green/black: left front -
Gray: right front +
Gray/black: right front -
Green/red: left rear +
Black/green: left rear -
Gray/red: right rear +
Black/gray: right rear -

Blue: control output for amp or power antenna

The web site I got this from (can't find it again now, of course!) said that there are two versions of Pioneer wiring codes... and the DEH-42 is wired using old skool version.  I can believe it...it is a cassette deck, after all.... one step away from 8-track!

[tkisling]

It's actually a cd deck.

[Rabbit on Roids]

that was the only other option, the deck was ancient. usually the orange wire hooks to the dash lights, and the yellow is the memory wire. so, i guess we are both right..