Hi just bought my first BG and i got a question
The stereo fitted is a reasonable Goodmans one but who ever fitted it was a moron as they haven't put a cage in so it moves around. this will only be temporary until i get my kenwood one back (long story for another post), problem is the goodmans unit doesn't switch on. checked the fuse is fine. so pulled it out expecting to find an ISO adapter as I thought it would have one, should it have ISO connectors? the ISO connector attached to the back of the stereo has been butchered and spade type connectors used for all the connections. i read some where that there is no proper earth for the BG as standard and I couldn't find one is this right? you have to put one in thru the body not much of a problm as the metal chassis beind the console should work ( tested with a continuity tester ). i've discovered which wires are the ignition and dimmer feeds but i can't find a constant 12v feed for the memory. I am i going to have to run one from the fuse box or the ignition barrel or should there be one? on my vw golf there was no switched live only a constant 12v so i just soldered the memory wire from the stereo on to that, but it seemed to give me some problems in that often my settings would be erased and obviously if i do the same i'll lose everything everyti,e i switch off the ignition any thoughts? Sorry if my explaination is verbose or difficult to understand

should probably add that i don't have much experience of these matters, just a basic understanding of wiring.

The car should have both switched and permanent live, you are right about the earth connection but my Sony unit works fine using the aerial connection for earth although the ISO adapter (which had been butchered to fit a Blaupunkt in my case) had a trailing earth cable to be attached to some convenient point nearby. I initially thought that mine had no switched live but later discovered that the "Radio" fuse was blown, this also took out the electric mirrors, clock and cigarette lighter although the Blaupunkt radio was working fine as it only used the permanent (or was it the switched? I can't remember!)

mm I'm going to have to double check the fuses again as the lighter socket is out too. makes me think the fuse IS gone as there is no permant live. I reckon you radio would have worked ok with no permanent, just every time you turn off the ignition you would lose your radio presets and EQ settings. majoritively i run mine at the default any way but once the subs in and the comps i'll need a meory wire as my kenwood unit has a switchable mono sub cannel and high and low pass filters for each channel. fizzled if i sit ther for an hr setting my system up!! plus the kenwood lets me set the colour of the display and buttons whiich also gets lost.

ISO plugs should be there.
If i remember correctly though, the speaker wires where a bit wierd....
I'll have a look for the wiring diagrams and that'll at leat give you wire colours.

now that would be sweet, haven't purchased a haynes manual yet. thanks geetee

thought it should have iso, don't really unsderstand why some one wou;d cut one off either, oh well, keep me amused at the w/e

Hey mate, sorry I haven't replied to this.....

I have the wiring diagram, and all the wire colours.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v487/nellyeff/wiringformirrorscomp.jpg[/img]

As you can see, there is no "proper" earth.
If oyu need any help, just gimme a shout.

right just got around to sorting this out.
your right the speaker wires are wierd and they were different to what was on the diagram you posted! realised not long after that post that the problem was the fuse cos the clock and the lighter weren't working replaced fuse found switched and permanent live with a m/meter. chopped the harness on the kenwood and used crimp connectors to wire it up, earthed it to the chassis and bang it worked! unfourtunatelyt both the oem speakers are blown which i found out after taking off the cards to have a look at the wires. luckily i have a set of components and an amp to put this w/e along with a major service. may well take pics and make a guide if anyone is interested.

we are always interested [img]http://www.club323f.com/club323f/forum/images/smiles/icon_thumright.gif[/img]