92 E-350 Conversion Van Radio Swap
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
92 E-350 Conversion Van Radio Swap
Hello everyone....glad to find a link that covers so many topics about Fords!! I have purchased a 92 E-350 Conversion Van...It had a bad volume pot...so after purchasing a Pioneer CD - FM radio..."tearing out" the factory radio...purchasing a wiring harness and installing it acording to the directions given to me by the shop I purchased the radio at...found that the Pioneer can not be installed on systems with a common ground speaker system! Is there an option, other than ripping out the carpet and wood interior to run pairs of wires to the six speakers? Help!!.....I would even by an after market radio, just to fill the void in the dash, left by my zest to have audio!!
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
One approach is to see if the new unit has amp outputs. If it does, you could buy a fairly low-wattage 4 channel amp, and feed it with the new audio box serving simply as a head unit. The Ford speakers would then connect to it. If it does not have amp outputs, you can get a 4 channel amp with "line output" input connectors. This amp will take speaker level signals and re-amplify them. Just be sure it can handle the common ground issue on its speaker output side.
Can you take the new box back, since you were told it would work and it didn't? The simplest, surest approach is to do that, take the money, and buy a good used factory unit on ebay. You could even upgrade a bit and get the factory CD unit.
Can you take the new box back, since you were told it would work and it didn't? The simplest, surest approach is to do that, take the money, and buy a good used factory unit on ebay. You could even upgrade a bit and get the factory CD unit.
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
I checked the speaker [+] leads to chassis ground and found continuity with a volt / ohm meter. I also took a 9v. transister battery and "popped" each speakers [+] to common ground, and was able to designate each speakers location by the "popping" sound from the 9 v. battery voltage. I have received a wiring diagram for the '92 E-150 and it shows a shared common ground lead to the speakers, and that shared ground wire also shows a direct short - to - ground on the chassis with a volt / ohm meter. The wires shown on the diagram, that show the common ground circuit, is a true dead short to the chassis ground at the wiring harness that plugs into the back of the radio. I have an older van in the yard, and it also has a common ground system to the speakers....ie: one wire at each speaker, to the chassis ground, and one [+] wire to each speaker [naturaly, the older style radio has a much larger radio body, and I can not install it into the '92, without cutting the dash and custom wood trim. The Pioneer radio specifically states NOT to have a common ground to chassis for the speakers, and NOT to tie the speakers neg. wires together...something about destroying the radio's circuitry, possibly resulting in a fire!!
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Thanks for your suggestions....the same problem with the radio [common ground] is also applying to any amp on the modern day market. I will probably just have to start hitting the "re-cycling" yards...[junk yards]...and replace with the same unit. I can always hand out personal CD players and headphones to each passenger!!...LOL!!
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
FrankGRUN
Audio & Video Systems, Navigation, Satellite Radio & Mobile Electronics
3
Sep 21, 2017 12:57 PM
Rita Gallion
1968-Present E-Series Van/Cutaway/Chassis
2
Jun 22, 2017 09:58 PM
05f350supercrew
Audio & Video Systems, Navigation, Satellite Radio & Mobile Electronics
0
Apr 16, 2016 09:21 PM
