Car stereo - Ignition and cigarette?

[pcanimal]

Hi,

I have a 2006 VW Passsat and I bought a wiring harness. I have installed a Kenwood BT8044U stereo but there are a couple of problems.

1. Stereo does not turn off on ignition (option set to power off immediately)
2. Auto dim - When lights come on they don't dim stereo
3. P.Cont - should this be connected to the Power Antena cable in the harness (blue)

Ideally a wiring diagram would be handy!
My thoughts:
1. The yellow cable runs through and says constant power so I am happy this is right. However behind the wiring loom (car side) it looks like the yellow is bridged into the red ignition cable. To me this looks like both are actually performing the function of perm live. Is this right or is it something to do with this canbus?

2. When I look at the stereo cables the orangle and white is the auto dim for the lights. However this goes into the wiring harness and the other side is empty. I am guessing I have to find the lighting loom bit behind the stereo but I have no idea which colour it is. I have heard you can run both the ignition and illumination from the cigarette lighter. Has anyone done this and can they give me a idiots guide please?:biglaugh:

can anyone help me please

[Flash2]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

There is no ignition supply to VW radios. They get told when to switch on and off via a message on the CAN bus. That's how the radio know when you have switched on the lights too.

What I would do is extend your radios ignition and illumination wires down from the radio appeture to the cigar lighter. You can connect the ignition wire to the heavy supply wire of the cigar lighter and the illumination wire can connect to the dash lights supply there too (grey/blue wire I think).

Off the top of my head, I think you will need to remove the gear shift gaiter (I hope you don't have an auto box) trim, where the ESP switch is. Remove the ashtray and you should find 2 torx T20 screws in there. Remove those and the ashtray panel with the lighter socket lifts out.

Be careful removing that gaiter trim. The wires on the switches are a bit short, so don't pull too hard.

Regards.

Jim.

[redrolo]

There are lots of options. I did the following for conveniences, and path of least hassle.

I would take the ignition feed from the climate control/heating below the stereo, as I have done with my bluetooth. Remove the trim, 4 torque screws and the lead is on the right side of the lead clusters (nearest to the steering wheel), and is the nearest lead of that cluster to the steering wheel (top row). If unsure use a multi meter, but on the 2 Passats I have done, it is this lead.

[Flash2]

There are lots of options. I did the following for conveniences, and path of least hassle.

I would take the ignition feed from the climate control/heating

I'd be careful removing the heater controls. If you have Climatronic then you'll have no problem. If you have Climatic, be careful not to knock the control cable off. It comes off easy, but it's a pig to refit.

But if your car has Climatronic, then picking up the ignition feed there would be easier than the cigar lighter. I'm sure there will be an illumination feed on there too.

Jim.

[redrolo]

Mine and my wifes are climatic, on the previous Golf Match she had the control cable, which came out..... i had to wiggle the cable and control for a few minutes before it re-engaged, so yep point noted!!

[podwin]

I took an live on ignition feed from the fuse box to the right of the steering wheel.

I was dead easy and didn't involve splicing into any existing wiring.

[pcanimal]

hi thanks for your answers! I love the idea of running a cable from the fuse box. that is something that is in my skill ability. Which fuse did you run it from or did you use a spare one? Can you give me the instructions for that method please?

Many thanks

[podwin]

There are some fuses not used. I used a multimeter to find a fuse socket which became live when the ignition was on, there are a few of these without fuses in them.

I then attached a spade connector to the end of a piece of wire, this then plugs into one of the fuse sockets, just like the blade of a fuse does.

For safety, I have an inline fuse in my piece of wire before it gets to my parrot bluetooth.

It is easy to thread this wire across to the radio area, and will remove without leaving a trace if a sell the car.

[martin1810]

If you go to a VW dealer. Buy a fusebox repair wire set. It will have the correct connectors on each end of a piece of wire. This can be cut in half and plugs straight into the fuse box as an original part. Then extend that wire for the radio. If you use a low amp fuse in the fuse box you won't need an inline fuse.

[pcanimal]

great many thanks podwin i will give this a go.

martin1810 if I buy this kit will I still plug it into the slot i've identified with the multimeter?

[martin1810]

It depends what you have identified. The fuses are arranged in rows. One side is a live or switched live bus bar. The other side is the output to the device. The live or switched life bus bar usually has a few empty output holes for extra fuses. These holes won't have a connector in them. That's the hole you put your new connector in. You do it from the back. If you pull a fuse you will see what I mean. One side of the fuse will be the input so it will be live or switch live. (so multimeter will detect 12v). The other side goes to the device, so no volts with the fuse out. So you need an extra connector on the output side of a new fuse.
If you look at the tiny picture you will see what I mean. Two fuse slots empty but the input bus bar terminals are just visible. The output slot is empty below. That would be the hole you put the new connector and wire into.

[pcanimal]

great stuff thanks for the pic and detailed info!

I will hopefully sort this out next week (although new baby) may delay it!

cheers one and all

[Flash2]

I was fitting a VW bluetooth phone kit today. It comes with a wiring adapter that connects to the radio connector but there is no ignition supply at the radio, so I had to take the ignition supply from the cigar lighter....simples (as they say in Russia)
Just be careful removing the switch panel around the gear stick. the wires to the switches shown on the first photo are a little short.

If you are going to the dash fusebox, I'd follow Martin's advice and get a repair wire. It makes a much nicer, more professional job of it than connecting a wire to the fuse side of the box. Plus the fuse for your radio will be accessible rather than being on the wire somewhere behind the trims.

Regards - Jim.