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Radio wiring help?

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Old Aug 2, 2018 | 07:41 PM
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ScottyC50's Avatar
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Question Radio wiring help?



This is the harness I need help with...
Just got my first F150. 1978 with an 8track tape deck/radio. Both did work with no problem before I took them out. Found a budget digital radio at the local auto parts store to listen to talk/sports while doing errands. Anyway, when I got the tape deck out, this harness was all that is left. I thought that the yellow was the hot wire? But the blue wire is opposite the yellow wire in the harness (which I've also heard is hot). I could get it to power up. I tried all combinations- I know it works as the radio worked before. Also, I heard the ground is attached with a wire and screw, but I don't see that. Check out the pic,and see if you could possibly provide some guidance. Thanks in advance!
 

Last edited by ScottyC50; Aug 3, 2018 at 05:28 AM. Reason: Should read I could NOT power it up!
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Old Aug 3, 2018 | 07:38 AM
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The two main wires coming from the truck are yellow, and blue with a red stripe.
The yellow is switched by the ignition switch, and is what you want for your main power.
The blue with red stripe wire is controlled by the light switch, and is what powers the light(s) in the radio, such as the one which illuminates the dial. Only use this wire if your new stereo has an illumination input. Then the radio lights will dim with the rest of the dash lights when you adjust with the light switch.

There is no actual ground wire for the radio, other than the speaker ground wire. The radios mostly get their ground from the antenna and from metal to metal mounting connections. The new stereo's ground wires can be connected to a good ground under the dash. Usually the ground wires will have a screw-down terminal on them, so they can be attached to a good grounding point under the dash, with the screw.
You will probably need to check the speakers themselves, to see which wire is which.



Now if we're talking about wires coming out of the radio, yellow is usually the power input from the ignition switch, which only receives current when the switch is on.
Red is typically the constant power input which goes straight to the battery. This saves your station presets and clock and stuff like that.
And blue is typically a power output for a power antenna or amplifier.
But that should all be in your instructions. But if you didn't get any instructions, try googling the new stereo's model number, and you might find the instructions, which should include a pin-out diagram which tells you what each wire on the radio is for.
 
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Old Aug 3, 2018 | 08:00 AM
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76250460
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And please don’t do what the po of my truck did - ground the aftermarket stereo to the blue/red wire. The radio will work but you’ll have no dash lights and most likely a destroyed dimmer on your headlight switch.
 
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