Well this is annoying..... (new E24 owner!)

[ar design]

Just picked up an 86 635csi 5spd..... And of course, it has issues!

1. Two days after I got it, the back lighting on the dash, and the rear running lights refuse to turn off, draining the battery. Only thing I can think of is a bad headlight switch perhaps?

2. Common ground radio - is there a way to wire an Alpine headunit to go through the factory amps? I don't want to have to install crossovers / run all new wires to the speakers.

3. Power seats blow a fuse every time I try to use them. Are the controls bad, or??

Thanks guys!

[Zack01GC]

1. I don't know.
2. I have an Alpine headunit wired right into the facotyr harness, there is no amp, at least in my car. I'm using thje factory wiring to power my aftermarket speakers. Not the greatest, but it works.
3. Probably a short in the switch or in the seat. Try a new switch or look for cut/chewed wires.

4. Welcome to E24 world... get used to these type of problems.

[ar design]

1. I don't know.
2. I have an Alpine headunit wired right into the facotyr harness, there is no amp, at least in my car. I'm using thje factory wiring to power my aftermarket speakers. Not the greatest, but it works.
3. Probably a short in the switch or in the seat. Try a new switch or look for cut/chewed wires.

4. Welcome to E24 world... get used to these type of problems.

Do you have a common ground stereo car?

[Zack01GC]

I don't even know what that is. When I got the car, the stereo wires were all cut off, so I just wired my headunit into the existing wires with a schematic/list of colors and what they went to, then matched them up accordingly. Ghetto, but functional.

[master6]

Try this for checking the radio wires.

http://www.normgrills.net/bcg/Electrical.html#Anchor-Radio-49575

[ar design]

OK, some progress. The lights were staying on due to an unknown wire behind the radio grounding (I think). Wiggled the wires around, and problem solved.

I hooked the stereo up with the above diagram. Found switched 12v and constant, and the ground, hooked up the stereo, got it to power up, and hooked up the white lead for the power antennta. Next, I hooked up L+R positives to the blue and yellow wires, and left the grounds from the head unit floating - but still no output from speakers. Factory fader is still in place.

[FlyWulf]

1. Have your alternator checked out. It might have bad diodes in it causing a n electrical leak, It could be the switch because that power wire is hot even with the key in the off position.

2. Get a multi wire connector at your local electronics store and graft it in using the existing chassis wiring. Sounds more difficult than it is.

3. Power seats are obviously drawing too much amperage. Possibly lube the pivot points in the seat and free it up. If that doesn't work than it's probably electrical. Clean the chassis ground points. Try a higher amperage fuse and see if it still blows the fuse. If the fuse does not blow than I would suspect the motor. If it does still blow the fuse than I would suspect a short to ground.

Good luck, keep us posted

Cheers,

Ed

[ar design]

Multi wire connector?

[FlyWulf]

Multi wire connector?

Like so......

http://www.alliedelec.com/search/productdetail.aspx?SKU=8630462

cheers,

Ed

[ar design]

I am at a total loss as to how that connector does anything for the common ground issue?

[FlyWulf]

I am at a total loss as to how that connector does anything for the common ground issue?

I did this job approximately 4 years ago. I used an aftermarket connector to connect a new Blaupunkt head unit using the existing wire harness and amp. As far as the ground I ran a new wire from the chassis side of my new connector to the mount stud at the aft of the A/C fan unit, just in front of the shifter. I have two '85 635's and have installed the same head unit in both cars. On one I used the common ground and have had nothing but issues with that unit. The other I grounded as described above and the stereo has never had a problem.:redspot:redspot:redspot

I would advise to avoid common ground with an after market head unit.
:)
My 2 cents.

cheers,

Ed

[CW6er]

.... As far as the ground I ran a new wire from the chassis side of my new connector to the mount stud at the aft of the A/C fan unit, just in front of the shifter.

I would advise to avoid common ground with an after market head unit.
:)
My 2 cents.


You grounded the radio chassis to the car chassis? That is the common ground! You just made sure the ground was good with a new wire.



I hooked the stereo up with the above diagram. Found switched 12v and constant, and the ground, hooked up the stereo, got it to power up, and hooked up the white lead for the power antennta. Next, I hooked up L+R positives to the blue and yellow wires, and left the grounds from the head unit floating - but still no output from speakers. Factory fader is still in place.

You can actually buy an adapter that plugs into the original factory harness at one end and in to the Head Unit on the other, but all it does is connect it up like you have and as outlined in the first link below. There is also a fuse in the Factory Amp in the trunk, so check that:

Retrofitting new Radio Head Unit to existing Amp:
http://home.insightbb.com/~todd.kenyon/stereo.htm (http://home.insightbb.com/%7Etodd.kenyon/stereo.htm)
http://bigcoupe.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=92963#92963

[FlyWulf]

You grounded the radio chassis to the car chassis? That is the common ground! You just made sure the ground was good with a new wire.]

Yes, grounding the unit not using the common ground lug under the left side of the dashboard. As I said I have two 635 and used the common ground lug on one with the identical model head unit with consistent issues. THe other mounted with an Independant ground wire and no issues.

:)

Ed

[Layne]

The "common ground" issue is with the speaker grounds, not the stereo ground. The fader ties together the grounds from both front speakers and both rear speakers, and modern stereos will not tolerate this. The fix is simple, remove the fader and attach the stereo to those 8 speaker wires and ignore the 6 wires that previously connected the fader to the stereo.

[FlyWulf]

The "common ground" issue is with the speaker grounds, not the stereo ground. The fader ties together the grounds from both front speakers and both rear speakers, and modern stereos will not tolerate this. The fix is simple, remove the fader and attach the stereo to those 8 speaker wires and ignore the 6 wires that previously connected the fader to the stereo.

Clarity....at last

:)

Ed