1st -- Yes, I have SCOURED the archives.
2nd -- Sorry, I need the help ASAP. I must have the car back together tomorrow afternoon (12/30/01)

First Question: Is it true that somewhere in the recesses behind the old head unit are the connections to ALL 4 speakers? If so, can't I just cut and splice right there and bypass the fader?

Second Question (if the 1st won't work): I can't make heads or tails out of the wiring at the fader. The wire colors don't seem to match what is happening at the speakers. Also, I don't have ANY slack in those wires and don't have room to cut and splice there very well.

HELP! Thanks, Phillip (1991 190E)

You can get the front speaker wires behind the radio, you still need find the rear wires at the fader control and extend them up to the radio, then you need to re- hook up the original wires that plugged into the back of the stock radio to the front outputs so the door speakers still work(they are powered off a booster that is in the trunk. You also have to make sure you have the black amp turn on wire hooked up behind the radio.

__________________
The Mercedes Specialists Since 1986

Thanks a lot.

1. I DO have grills in the doors, but I don't think I have speakers there. Where is this amp supposed to be in the trunk?

2. Are you saying to wire straight to the front speakers or to wire into the original hookups. OR are you saying to do both (straight wire for front, then original to go the amp?)

3. How do I determine which wires go the the back speakers? Just cut them all, and do the battery pop test? Can't do that if some of them still go to an amp.

Phillip

IF I DO have this amp for door speakers, and I am not convinced that I have either, then:

1 -- How do I find this amp

2 -- How do I get the door panel off to see if I have speakers (YES, I DO have the speaker panel/grill in the door) but I have never had sound there, so I thought that it was an option to have the speakers but they weren't installed.)

3 -- If I wire direct to the front speakers, then hookup to the original front inputs (to go to the amp via the fader) then bypass the fader for the back speakers -- where is this black remote amp on switch?

Thanks, Phillip

You need to wire to both the front speakers and the original input wires as these go through the booster before they go to the fader control. Yes you have an amp, it is in the right side of the trunk and it only runs the door speakers. People commonly think that they don't have speakers in the doors because they don't hear them. The door speakers are supposed to be subs so their frequency reponse is so low that you don't hear them unless you put your ear next to them. Teh black turn on wire should be common with the antenna trigger wire (Blue) behind the radio. The rear speker wires can be found with the battery test. I would send you the diagram but I don't have it at home.

Scott@La Jolla Audio

__________________
The Mercedes Specialists Since 1986

Thank you -- please help me:

1 -- locate the trunk amp

2 -- locate the wires to the door speakers

If I understand you correctly, I should be able to run signal to speakers, disconnect (at the speaker) all 4 dash and back speakers and I'll hear something from the doors?

[So far, I have wired the front speakers, then cut the wires from fader to back speakers and direct wired the rear speakers there. So, I should still have subs/amp wire in with the front speakers.]

When I got through I had 2 wires unused (from the original head unit. 1 was the blue/grey illumination -- don't need it. The second is a brown/gray/white that is a 4 wire set joined in a black box, the 1 wire out of the box into a post plug into the back of the unit. I don't know what this wire is. Is it the power to the door unit amp? I thought that power was with the antenna power.

Also, since I first took the OEM head unit out, I haven't had illumination to the climate control or to the gear selector. The only wire I have disconnected is the illumination wire TO the original head unit.

Any ideas?

Thanks, Phillip (1991 190E)
Phillip

The wires to the door subs are the original right and left 2 pin speaker plugs that went into the back of the stock radio. Cut the 2 plugs off and tie them into the same wires as the front speakers (in paralell) at the new radio. From the new radio you have 4 wires going to the front speakers tie the 4 wires into the 8 wires( 4 to the front speaker and 4 going to the sub amp and the fader input. I don't know how else to explian it to you! The brown white is a alarm trigger wire. Hook up your antenna trigger wire and check the system (make sure that you use the amp trigger off of your new radio otherwise the amp won't turn on if you have the cd on. As far as the Illum problem can you check to see if you have power on the Gray blue wire that was plugged into the stock radio?

Scott @ La Jolla Audio

__________________
The Mercedes Specialists Since 1986

1. I do NOT have power on the gray/blue illumination wire EVEN with the lights on. I am wondering if, somehow, the radio power out (antenna?) is actually the power supply for that wire (and the climate control and shift selector)???

2. Now, as for the amp question: look below at my notes inside your quotes below:

one more time, hook the original wires that were plugged into the factory radio into the front wires that come from the new radio and go to the front speaker wires. If you don't do this you will not have sound out of the door speakers.

Scott

__________________
The Mercedes Specialists Since 1986

Scott -- thanks. This is the first time I've done this so I'm having to learn it all as I go. I HAVE done just as you said: Hooked the new HU front wires to the original plugs in the back of the OEM HU. Then AFTER the fader, I cut the wires to the REAR speakers and wired them directly from the new HU.

So, I DO have front wires to the original plugs -- but NO sound out of doors. No vibrations, no anything. I DON'T think I have this amp -- if you can point me to where it SHOULD be, I'll search. I've searched already, but haven't found it.

Do you have any thoughts on the original climate control/shift selector illumination problem? The ONLY thing I have disconnected is the original illumination wire blue/gray from the original radio. No fuses are blown.

Thank as bunch, I truly mean it. Phillip

__________________
1994 C280, dark green metallic
105k miles

1991 190E 2.6, Black
191,500 miles
(sold to another forum member)

2003 Chevy Tahoe LT, Redfire Metallic
105k miles

1989 Mustang GT Cobra Convertible
43k miles

1st of all I thinfk your amp turn on is not connected so thats probably why you dont have sound out of thedoors. The amp is located above the right rear tire in the trunk behind the side panel to the right of the hinge assembly. As far as your problem with the lighting I think you have a blown fuse but I am not sure which one as I am without a schematic of your car at home. Work is a 30 min drive.Check out the fuses under the factory fuse box (there are screws that allow access underneath and there are in -line fuse holers underneath. Check out the connection behind the ashtray there is a possibility that the wire as it goes to the light on the astray light has broken off and this might cause the rest of the lights to go out.

Happy new year!

Scott@la Jolla Audio

__________________
The Mercedes Specialists Since 1986

Scott -- I sure wished I lived in San Diego! You really know your Mercedes. I FOUND the amp just as you said. As, I mentioned, the only wires from the OEM head unit that I do not have reattached are the illumination light, and the brown/whitegray that fit in a plug at the bottom center of the OEM unit. Is this the amp power? If so, to what wire do I need to connect this? Can I use the same switched power as the radio uses OR do I just need a remote turn on for it (and use the antenna power).

Once the amp is powered, I should have sound. As I mentioned, I wired the head unit fronts directly to the original plugs. Then, I cut the BACK speaker wires AFTER the fader and hooked up the radio rear speaker wires. So, I should have signal to the amp.

Scott@la Jolla Audio [/B][/QUOTE] -- I'll take out the factory fuse box the 1st chance I get. If you are able to check the schematic I would appreciate it. The ashtray DOES light up (?).

Happy New Year to you, too. Thanks a bunch -- Phillip

__________________
1994 C280, dark green metallic
105k miles

1991 190E 2.6, Black
191,500 miles
(sold to another forum member)

2003 Chevy Tahoe LT, Redfire Metallic
105k miles

1989 Mustang GT Cobra Convertible
43k miles