Radio Wire Colors for 71-74

[Bruzilla]

I'm about to install an aftermarket stereo into a 74 Roadrunner, and was wondering if anyone knows the wiring colors that run to the stock radio and what they're for?

 

[Ron 73]

This is out of a 73 and i guess there could be a difference bettween 73 and 74 but thought id put it out here for you. From left to right there is black, green, and a violet or purple, the two others are red and orange.. This is the way i got the radio and im not really going to hook it up, its just so the dash looks correct. Hope this helps some, maybe if you find under the dash a plug with these wires and colors you would know which to use.. Im sorry i cant help you with what there for though. Good luck.

 

[Dako]

I believe your red is power, orange is power to light the radio when lights are turned on (it is grounded via the chassis). The other 4 wires should be to the front and rear speakers.

 

[jessipup]

I could not find that on my diagrams. Tomorrow I can climb under and look Or you can get out your meter and give me a call. I speak that language and spend a lot of time doing remote electrical trouble shooting over the phone.
1 you will find a wire that goes hot when the key is turned on That will be your power It is really the only one you need.
2 you will need a real good ground, in the old cars they often use the radio chassis to frame method accomplished by the mounting hardware and sometimes they add in the antenna for an extra ground.
You may want to use a nice big fat wire to a sanded metal body component.
3 You may also want to improve the power wire by going to a bigger wire there also and do that right from the source near the fuse box

In all cases the bigger the conductor the better.

And remember cars are easy because they take only one wire to do anything. The second wire is virtually anything metal on the car.

Best of luck

 

[dave5237]

I could not find that on my diagrams. Tomorrow I can climb under and look Or you can get out your meter and give me a call. I speak that language and spend a lot of time doing remote electrical trouble shooting over the phone.
1 you will find a wire that goes hot when the key is turned on That will be your power It is really the only one you need.
2 you will need a real good ground, in the old cars they often use the radio chassis to frame method accomplished by the mounting hardware and sometimes they add in the antenna for an extra ground.
You may want to use a nice big fat wire to a sanded metal body component.
3 You may also want to improve the power wire by going to a bigger wire there also and do that right from the source near the fuse box

In all cases the bigger the conductor the better.

And remember cars are easy because they take only one wire to do anything. The second wire is virtually anything metal on the car.

Best of luck

I hooked up a cd/mp3 player in the glove box. 3 wires. hot all the time,hot with the key turned and a ground. I believe orange is the hot when the key is turned on. red wire to constant positive then ground green or black.

 

[jessipup]

I will have to get out there and check, But I'm pretty sure the green/black goes up to the speaker. I have not gone out to the car yet. Just got up

 

[moparmarks]

Red is switched power.
Org is dash lights
Green and black are speakers. Pic shown is a 72-up sterio with the purple wire being the right channel

 

[jessipup]

Come to think of it on todays new radios you probably will want a switched and an un switched power.
The new radios need a un switched constant power source for the clock and radio preset information stored in memory.
And a swicthed power source for the regular operation. Double check but I'll bet that the hot/red will be active weather the key is in the on/run position or Acc position, and dead with the keyoff.
Now all of this depends on weather you want the radio to act normally and prevent Batt run down if the radio is accidently left on.
Or if you want the radio to be active anytime it is truned on.
In either case you want to make sure that all constant on power sources are fused even if you have to add one to the wire.
Fuses are cheap insurance.

Rock On Garth

 

[dave5237]

I will have to get out there and check, But I'm pretty sure the green/black goes up to the speaker. I have not gone out to the car yet. Just got up

YOU ONLY NEED 3 WIRES TO POWER RADIO. YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER HE IS TALKING ABOUT A AFTERMARKET RADIO. COLORS ARE NOT THE SAME ON AFTERMARKETS USUALLY. The green/black WIRES on my original 68 RADIO were speaker wires YOUR RIGHT. My after market radio CD/MP3 PLAYER had 3 thick wires red,yellow--(POWER,POWER/IGN. ), black( CHASSY GROUND WIRE ). The speaker wires on the new radio were all different colors( gray,purple,sea green,blue) but were way thinner gauge wire than the THREE wires you need to operate the radio. YOUR RIGHT ABOUT THE CLOCK (THAT'S WHY YOU NEED A CONSTANT POWER )I RAN MY CONSTANT POWER TO THE STARTER POSITIVE IN THE END BUT RAN IT TO THE POSITIVE BATTERY FOR A TEST FIRST WHEN I WAS WIRING UP RADIO..

 

[Bruzilla]

Thanks for the info on the wires. Most all aftermarket stereos these days have three power requirements: a constant 12VDC, a switched 12VDC from the ignition, and a connection to the lighting to work the dimming function. Sounds like the red wire is the switched 12VDC source and the orange will work for the dimmer (which will save me having to tap into the B/Y headlight primary wire). I just need to find a constant 12VDC fuse to slip a wire to and I should be golden!

Jessipup, I'm glad you couldn't find them on the schems because I couldn't find them on there either. I thought I was going nuts, but it looks like the radio was left off the wiring diagrams for some reason.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

That is correct, the original radio wiring does not provide for an “unswitched” power supply. The closest/easiest connection will be at the fuse panel “batt” tap if it is available. Cigar lighter is another nearby unswitched power source or the pink three-way tap close-by.

notations are for another thread.
From the 72' FSM;

 

[jessipup]

Hey 72 That's a sweet diagram you have there. I have diags pulled from my mopar, Haynes, Also books with no diag- 73 parts book again from mymopar, 74 body service manual and a parts interchange.
But nothing like that. Please assist me with a correct title of one of those for a 74 Sat/Runner.
:icon_study: Must have more books, Must have more books :icon_study:
The quest begins.

Thank you.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

It’s from a CD copy of the 72’ factory service manual; I would expect the wiring diagrams in the 74’ factory service manual to be similar in detail.