Bose replacement- need wiring help!

[kevin-design]

Hi,
I have a '92 vette and am replacing the broken in dash cd/tape player with an aftermarket MP3 player. I can't find the wiring diagrams in the service manual I have (haynes) and the connectors have more wires that I would expect. My research so far seems to indicate that there are some external components in my car (behind the fuse box?- which one?) I think the speakers are amplified as well. Does this mean that I need to invest in replacement speakers as well as the new head unit? Couldn't I just send the line out from the receiver directly to the speakers somehow? Do I need to run all new wires? I also read something about a 'radio receiver' mounted via velcro in the "right rear cargo compartment" :confused Isn't the receiver part of the factory stereo head unit?? Why mount is somewhere else? And- what's the "right" side? Does that mean driver's or passengers?

Soooo confused! Do they make this radio switch difficult intentionally?! argh! Please help- a wiring diagram or even just a chart of wire colors to corresponding functions would be incredibly helpful here! Thanks for anything!
-Kevin

 

[vette-dude]

I think if you use the SEARCH there is a wiring diagram posted in one of the threads. The amplifier for the radio is in the pass side compartment behind the seat under the tray. You will need to replace all the speakers as the Bose speakers have amplifiers them and I think are a low wattage and a strange ohm type speaker anyways. You would probably be better off to run new wiring for the new system. Are you going to put in an amplifier? Don't scrimp on the cabling if you are. I was going through this too in my 91 but after checking on the new stereos and speakers and being quoted from $800 to $1,000 to install a system I decided to get my BOSE speakers rebuilt. The sound is great and I am very happy with my rebuilt system. The only drawback is that the CD player will not play MP3 discs but I can live with that. The rebuilt speakers (4) cost me about $200 from Dr. Dons ( see Portal and Electronic services). There is also a couple of other CAC memebers that repair these speakers and radios. Good luck.

Randy

 

[kevin-design]

argh!
now I have no stereo- just a big gaping hole in my dash. I was hoping not to have to go through all this, but I guess you've gotta do what you've gotta do. I already searched this forum and a couple of others in hopes of finding a diagram or chart, but no luck. Maybe I'm not searching correctly? anyway, I guess I will probably wind up replacing all the speakers and wiring. This is turning into much more of a project than I'd planned.. I already have my new head unit, and I REALLY want the MP3 functionality, so I guess this is my only choice. I still don't understand why they would put a separate amp way over behind the seats like that- just one more job for me.

 

[vette-dude]

Kevin,
Try Bose Radio as the keyword in the SEARCH mode. The reason the amp is behind the seat ( at least in my year) is because there is no room anywhere else. The part you took out of the dash is just the tuner/player head unit. There are a couple of places that make wiring adaptors to hook into the new radio using the existing harness but I don't know if they have an adaptor harness for the speakers. I think one of them is Crutchfields and it is on many of the former posts about this subject. Good luck.

Randy

 

[kevin-design]

Okay, just took some things apart at lunch, you probably already knew this, but I have a total of 6 speakers in my system, a pair of 6" speakers in the rear, and then a pair of 4" and 2" in the front. Maybe I can just buy some replacements that are those dimensions and run a normal radio. I am going to search as you suggested after this post, but wanted to ask this before lunch (in the midwest): What speakers are a good match to this car and in the stock locations? (ie. cerwin vega, infiniti, jbl?) I'm looking for bang for the buck- not the cheapest and not the most expensive either. Thanks for any help!
-Kevin

 

[vette-dude]

Kevin,
Sorry can't answer that ? on the speakers. I know that the front ones are the hardest to match up and make fit correctly. I re-used my Bose system but I spent alot of time investigating changing it out. I think all your questions will be answered in the posts in the search section. Maybe someone else that has been though this can help.Anybody??

Randy

 

[FourAndAHalf]

i replaced my whole system with an alpine head unit, pioneer speakers, and a soundstream 4 channel amp, no subs... its not an ass kicking system but it will hold me over till i get some other stuff taken care of ... if your question is regarding which speakers you should go with, bang for the buck i think pioneer makes good speakers i would contact www.crutchfield.com talk to one of their technicians they are VERY good at what they do

 

[dburgjohn]

Scans from GM book

hope these will help. I scanned them from my gm book

scans

 

[kevin-design]

Wow!

Hey THANKS a lot for posting those- sorry it's taken me so long to reply, I didn't know anyone had responded here. Anyway, I'm back here today because I'm still working on rewiring my sound system. I have all the bose speakers removed and my new head unit kind of in place. I have to go buy some more wire (or maybe not) to run the individual speakers. What I've discovered is that each of the speakers appears to have its own individual amp inside the enclosure. There are four wires going in each connector to the enclosure and two of each four are orange and black (presumably power). The other two don't seem to correspond (colorwise) to the connector on the head unit and it looks like they run through another circuit before reaching the head unit. I guess my question now is: Is there any way to bypass the whole running wire job and use the wires that are already there?

FYI this is my wiring:

Connector 1:
Purple-Black-Red/Wht-Purple-Purple/Wht-Lt. Blue/Black-Green-Pink

Connector 2:
Lt. Blue-Green/Wht-Grey/Black-Grey/Black-Purple/white-Orange

Left Front speaker connector:
Orange-Black
Tan-Grey

Right Front speaker connector:
Orange-Black
Lt. Green-Green

Left Rear speaker connector:
Orange-Black
Dk. Brown-Yellow

Right Rear speaker connector:
Orange-Black
Dk. Blue-Lt. Blue


I don't see in the charts posted how I could avoid running new wire, but if this makes sense to someone else, please advise. Thanks a lot for all the help!
-Kevin

Edit: just to clarify- I see in the diagrams the speaker wire colors are correct. But (for example) it appears that the speaker leads for the Left Front are Tan and Grey. Nowhere in the dash connector is a tan and/or (solid)grey wire. :confused