Audi 5000 Stereo Wiring Question

Hi:
For some reason I can't post to the Audi newsroup so I thought I would
try it here.
I recently was given an 86 audi 5000. I'm trying to install a new
stereo (with a CD). The wiring has me a little confused. I've managed
to figure out all of the speakers and the hot wire (connected to the
read defroster--go figure), but can't figure out severl wires and/or
get the unit to power up.

Specifically, does anyone know which wire would be the ground (there
is a black wire off the old unit in the harness, but it connects to a
brown lead).

Also, there is a yellow wire that runs into a small black box that
contains a fuse and a small transformer. Does anyone know what this
is? Is it a wire to keep juice flowing to keep the station-memory
powered up?

There are alos a few other wires and a "U" shapped plug?

anyone have any idea or thoughts where I could find a wiring diagram
with color coded explanations?

I have the Chiltons for the 86 but is no help.

Thanks
Mike

Given, as in FREE, you still paid too much. Sorry couldn't resist that.
Brown wires are always ground for VW & Audi.


"Hondoman" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi:
> For some reason I can't post to the Audi newsroup so I thought I would
> try it here.
> I recently was given an 86 audi 5000. I'm trying to install a new
> stereo (with a CD). The wiring has me a little confused. I've managed
> to figure out all of the speakers and the hot wire (connected to the
> read defroster--go figure), but can't figure out severl wires and/or
> get the unit to power up.
>
> Specifically, does anyone know which wire would be the ground (there
> is a black wire off the old unit in the harness, but it connects to a
> brown lead).
>
> Also, there is a yellow wire that runs into a small black box that
> contains a fuse and a small transformer. Does anyone know what this
> is? Is it a wire to keep juice flowing to keep the station-memory
> powered up?
>
> There are alos a few other wires and a "U" shapped plug?
>
> anyone have any idea or thoughts where I could find a wiring diagram
> with color coded explanations?
>
> I have the Chiltons for the 86 but is no help.
>
> Thanks
> Mike

Great. Thanks Woodchuck.
At this point I've paid more for the stereo than for the car, so I'm
doing ok. However, I'm not paying to fix the roof or the rear window
becaue at that point I've spent more than the blue book value.
Thanks again.

If anyone has any idea what the yellow wire gizmo is that would be
great.
Thanks for the info.

"Woodchuck" > wrote in message >...
> Given, as in FREE, you still paid too much. Sorry couldn't resist that.
> Brown wires are always ground for VW & Audi.
>
>
> "Hondoman" > wrote in message
> om...
> > Hi:
> > For some reason I can't post to the Audi newsroup so I thought I would
> > try it here.
> > I recently was given an 86 audi 5000. I'm trying to install a new
> > stereo (with a CD). The wiring has me a little confused. I've managed
> > to figure out all of the speakers and the hot wire (connected to the
> > read defroster--go figure), but can't figure out severl wires and/or
> > get the unit to power up.
> >
> > Specifically, does anyone know which wire would be the ground (there
> > is a black wire off the old unit in the harness, but it connects to a
> > brown lead).
> >
> > Also, there is a yellow wire that runs into a small black box that
> > contains a fuse and a small transformer. Does anyone know what this
> > is? Is it a wire to keep juice flowing to keep the station-memory
> > powered up?
> >
> > There are alos a few other wires and a "U" shapped plug?
> >
> > anyone have any idea or thoughts where I could find a wiring diagram
> > with color coded explanations?
> >
> > I have the Chiltons for the 86 but is no help.
> >
> > Thanks
> > Mike

What is the Voltage coming off of it? It could be the accesory line or a
constant supply line, or maybe even the variable voltage line (from the
dimmer switch) that control display intensity at night. I'd think it would
be a constant line to maintain power to the radio, hence the fuse.

Have you figured out the antenna and all the speakers? After that there
isn't all that much left except for a ground and the power inputs.... Unless
your car has an amp or a cd changer (or at least the wiring for one... but
in 1986 I would doubt it - never know tho).

Are all the wires in this car hacked to bits? Most cars have a wiring
harness that plugs into the factory radio, and you can order the adapter
harness for new stereos to fit into older cars - consult a stereo shop if
you still have a harness in there - if it's just wires coming out from a
hole in the dash, which I am envisioning.... good luck, get a voltmeter out
and meter it out (black test lead always on ground, red test lead on the
extra wires one at a time) when the car is off, then once again when the car
is on. Play with the dash dimmer switch (with the headlights set to on, or
so the dash illumination comes on) you should see a line where the voltage
gets reduced with the dimmer. You should see a line thats always on, so your
presets are kept and such. You should find your antenna, this one will have
a plug at the end of it usually. And you should find a wire that comes alive
when you start the car, to give main power to the radio.... I would think,
i've never had to do this to a car or car radio, but this is what my friend
did to his 92 Jetta to install his radio.
"Hondoman" > wrote in message
om...
> Great. Thanks Woodchuck.
> At this point I've paid more for the stereo than for the car, so I'm
> doing ok. However, I'm not paying to fix the roof or the rear window
> becaue at that point I've spent more than the blue book value.
> Thanks again.
>
> If anyone has any idea what the yellow wire gizmo is that would be
> great.
> Thanks for the info.
>
> "Woodchuck" > wrote in message
> >...
>> Given, as in FREE, you still paid too much. Sorry couldn't resist that.
>> Brown wires are always ground for VW & Audi.
>>
>>
>> "Hondoman" > wrote in message
>> om...
>> > Hi:
>> > For some reason I can't post to the Audi newsroup so I thought I would
>> > try it here.
>> > I recently was given an 86 audi 5000. I'm trying to install a new
>> > stereo (with a CD). The wiring has me a little confused. I've managed
>> > to figure out all of the speakers and the hot wire (connected to the
>> > read defroster--go figure), but can't figure out severl wires and/or
>> > get the unit to power up.
>> >
>> > Specifically, does anyone know which wire would be the ground (there
>> > is a black wire off the old unit in the harness, but it connects to a
>> > brown lead).
>> >
>> > Also, there is a yellow wire that runs into a small black box that
>> > contains a fuse and a small transformer. Does anyone know what this
>> > is? Is it a wire to keep juice flowing to keep the station-memory
>> > powered up?
>> >
>> > There are alos a few other wires and a "U" shapped plug?
>> >
>> > anyone have any idea or thoughts where I could find a wiring diagram
>> > with color coded explanations?
>> >
>> > I have the Chiltons for the 86 but is no help.
>> >
>> > Thanks
>> > Mike

Ah, you have very good outlook on life and car!

"Hondoman" > wrote in message
om...
> Great. Thanks Woodchuck.
> At this point I've paid more for the stereo than for the car, so I'm
> doing ok. However, I'm not paying to fix the roof or the rear window
> becaue at that point I've spent more than the blue book value.
> Thanks again.
>
> If anyone has any idea what the yellow wire gizmo is that would be
> great.
> Thanks for the info.
>
> "Woodchuck" > wrote in message
> >...
>> Given, as in FREE, you still paid too much. Sorry couldn't resist that.
>> Brown wires are always ground for VW & Audi.
>>
>>
>> "Hondoman" > wrote in message
>> om...
>> > Hi:
>> > For some reason I can't post to the Audi newsroup so I thought I would
>> > try it here.
>> > I recently was given an 86 audi 5000. I'm trying to install a new
>> > stereo (with a CD). The wiring has me a little confused. I've managed
>> > to figure out all of the speakers and the hot wire (connected to the
>> > read defroster--go figure), but can't figure out severl wires and/or
>> > get the unit to power up.
>> >
>> > Specifically, does anyone know which wire would be the ground (there
>> > is a black wire off the old unit in the harness, but it connects to a
>> > brown lead).
>> >
>> > Also, there is a yellow wire that runs into a small black box that
>> > contains a fuse and a small transformer. Does anyone know what this
>> > is? Is it a wire to keep juice flowing to keep the station-memory
>> > powered up?
>> >
>> > There are alos a few other wires and a "U" shapped plug?
>> >
>> > anyone have any idea or thoughts where I could find a wiring diagram
>> > with color coded explanations?
>> >
>> > I have the Chiltons for the 86 but is no help.
>> >
>> > Thanks
>> > Mike

"Hondoman" > wrote in message
om...
> Hi:
> For some reason I can't post to the Audi newsroup so I thought I would
> try it here.
> I recently was given an 86 audi 5000. I'm trying to install a new
> stereo (with a CD). The wiring has me a little confused. I've managed
> to figure out all of the speakers and the hot wire (connected to the
> read defroster--go figure), but can't figure out severl wires and/or
> get the unit to power up.
>
> Specifically, does anyone know which wire would be the ground (there
> is a black wire off the old unit in the harness, but it connects to a
> brown lead).
>
> Also, there is a yellow wire that runs into a small black box that
> contains a fuse and a small transformer. Does anyone know what this
> is? Is it a wire to keep juice flowing to keep the station-memory
> powered up?
>
> There are alos a few other wires and a "U" shapped plug?

According to my Mitchell book for an '86 500S:

Red-Blue (30) = Power, from fuse #4 (Always hot)
Gray-Blue (58) = Illumination, from instrument panel dimmer
Brown (31) = Ground
White (RA) = Warning Buzzer and power antenna activation [and as I recall
also turned on the power for the amplifier built into the rear speakers]

There was never a yellow originally, somebody probably added that after the
fact, probably for a newer radio that needed to go also to the ignition
switch. The "Transformer" you describe is probably a torroid for noise
reduction, the radio in the '86 5000 I used to have was VERY susceptible to
fuel pump noise especially on AM.

- FM -

Thanks Fred.

I've determined that the yellow is indeed a constant power supply, and
the black box is a noise suppressor to eliminate any interference to
the stereo from the engine. I got this car from my mom who is the
original owner. She had the stereo stolen 4 times, so most likley the
yellow wire and gizmo was added at some point to reflect the needs of
the new stereo.

Thanks also for the "Gray-Blue (58) = Illumination, from instrument
panel dimmer" information. At some point in this process my
isntrument panel display went dark and I figured I had yanked out a
wire somewhere. Most likely the problem is the gray-blue wire you
mention, above as that has probably been cut in the process. I will
play around with those.

Overall the wires are in pretty good shape--no dry rot, etc. and the
old stereo did have a wiring harness. I needed to replace it since it
was a cass only and only the left channel worked.



"Fred Mau" > wrote in message news:<avs6d.130321$MQ5.125407@attbi_s52>...
> "Hondoman" > wrote in message
> om...
> > Hi:
> > For some reason I can't post to the Audi newsroup so I thought I would
> > try it here.
> > I recently was given an 86 audi 5000. I'm trying to install a new
> > stereo (with a CD). The wiring has me a little confused. I've managed
> > to figure out all of the speakers and the hot wire (connected to the
> > read defroster--go figure), but can't figure out severl wires and/or
> > get the unit to power up.
> >
> > Specifically, does anyone know which wire would be the ground (there
> > is a black wire off the old unit in the harness, but it connects to a
> > brown lead).
> >
> > Also, there is a yellow wire that runs into a small black box that
> > contains a fuse and a small transformer. Does anyone know what this
> > is? Is it a wire to keep juice flowing to keep the station-memory
> > powered up?
> >
> > There are alos a few other wires and a "U" shapped plug?
>
> According to my Mitchell book for an '86 500S:
>
> Red-Blue (30) = Power, from fuse #4 (Always hot)
> Gray-Blue (58) = Illumination, from instrument panel dimmer
> Brown (31) = Ground
> White (RA) = Warning Buzzer and power antenna activation [and as I recall
> also turned on the power for the amplifier built into the rear speakers]
>
> There was never a yellow originally, somebody probably added that after the
> fact, probably for a newer radio that needed to go also to the ignition
> switch. The "Transformer" you describe is probably a torroid for noise
> reduction, the radio in the '86 5000 I used to have was VERY susceptible to
> fuel pump noise especially on AM.
>
> - FM -