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The Musketeer

Member Since: 07 Feb 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 193

Fitting a CD Player/Radio

Has anyone got any pictures of fitting a full head unit/speaker/aerial to a Defender that hasn't currently got any wiring?

I have a vague idea of what I want to do... but would just appreciate a bit more help! Good things come to the wild and free

28th Mar 2012 8:59pm

bpman

Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black

so what you are saying is you have a defender with no wiring for a radio/cd unit?

You will need the following :

> Positive fused feed
> Ground / Negative feed
> Ariel
> +/- for front left speaker
> +/- for front right speaker
> +/- for rear left speaker
> +/- for rear right speaker

depending on your head unit, you may need USB extension leads, GPS leads?

Upto you if you wire the radio to an ignition live or constant live
the ford units turn themselves off after an hour if the ignition is off

I don't have any picures, most of the defenders on here are new(ish) and have the required wiring already installed. there are wiring diagrams but for a 1988 they will have changed a bit

good luck with install

28th Mar 2012 9:11pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20919

bpman wrote:
so what you are saying is you have a defender with no wiring for a radio/cd unit?

You will need the following :

> Positive fused feed
> Ground / Negative feed
> Ariel
> +/- for front left speaker
> +/- for front right speaker
> +/- for rear left speaker
> +/- for rear right speaker

depending on your head unit, you may need USB extension leads, GPS leads?

Upto you if you wire the radio to an ignition live or constant live
the ford units turn themselves off after an hour if the ignition is off

I don't have any picures, most of the defenders on here are new(ish) and have the required wiring already installed. there are wiring diagrams but for a 1988 they will have changed a bit

good luck with install

Couldn't have said it much better myself

28th Mar 2012 9:21pm

The Musketeer

Member Since: 07 Feb 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 193

bpman wrote:
so what you are saying is you have a defender with no wiring for a radio/cd unit?

You will need the following :

> Positive fused feed
> Ground / Negative feed
> Ariel
> +/- for front left speaker
> +/- for front right speaker
> +/- for rear left speaker
> +/- for rear right speaker

depending on your head unit, you may need USB extension leads, GPS leads?

Upto you if you wire the radio to an ignition live or constant live
the ford units turn themselves off after an hour if the ignition is off

I don't have any picures, most of the defenders on here are new(ish) and have the required wiring already installed. there are wiring diagrams but for a 1988 they will have changed a bit

good luck with install

Fantastic! Thanks very much for that, very helpful. I appreciate that most guys on here are running much newer rigs than mine. If it wasn't for the insurance difference, I'm 18, I would be too!

I'll update as I go, but hopefully get it done in the next week or two.

Sam Good things come to the wild and free

28th Mar 2012 9:30pm

bpman

Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

no problem Sam

So are you ok with running the ariel lead from the wing top through the bulk head ?

the +ve - might be worth putting a new aux fuse box in, Leeds and mobilecentre sell nice ones, good investment because your truck won't catch fire

-ve - find a ground point, don't just tag it anywhere, there are a number of earthing points.

speakers - wires to the rear could be run in the channels above the doors

have fun !

28th Mar 2012 9:34pm

The Musketeer

Member Since: 07 Feb 2012
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 193

bpman wrote:
no problem Sam

So are you ok with running the ariel lead from the wing top through the bulk head ?

That was my plan. Any issues or other reccomendations?

bpman wrote:

the +ve - might be worth putting a new aux fuse box in, Leeds and mobilecentre sell nice ones, good investment because your truck won't catch fire

1) When you talk about +ve and -ve, what do you mean?

2) Tempted with the 6 way unit from Leeds... that or the 12.

bpman wrote:

-ve - find a ground point, don't just tag it anywhere, there are a number of earthing points.

speakers - wires to the rear could be run in the channels above the doors

Current thinking on speakers is either;

A) Above the seat belt hanger and under the side/back windows (if that makes sense)

B) under the dash in the "proper" place and under the side/back windows.

Wires run around the guttering and down the back door to rear panels, I think. My next door neighbour is a bit of an mechanical whiz, he does classic car maintenance and hire, so i think I might bribe him with some beer... electrics are not my strong point! Good things come to the wild and free

28th Mar 2012 9:43pm

JWL

Member Since: 26 Oct 2011
Location: Hereford
Posts: 3443

You may find that radios require 2 power feeds, one permanent live and one live with ignition. The permanent live enables the radio to keep all the presets stored so you don't have to retune every time you switch it on. Main thing is to make sure you have fuses fitted on all the power feeds

28th Mar 2012 10:01pm

bpman

Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

+ve = positive / red

-ve = negative / black, your truck is -ve earth, so the whole of your truck is -ve

keep the wires away from anything that could damage them, wiper mechanisms, and if you are putting speakers in the doors use some convoluted tubing to protect the wires.

28th Mar 2012 10:20pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20919

The Musketeer wrote:
bpman wrote:
so what you are saying is you have a defender with no wiring for a radio/cd unit?

You will need the following :

> Positive fused feed
> Ground / Negative feed
> Ariel
> +/- for front left speaker
> +/- for front right speaker
> +/- for rear left speaker
> +/- for rear right speaker

depending on your head unit, you may need USB extension leads, GPS leads?

Upto you if you wire the radio to an ignition live or constant live
the ford units turn themselves off after an hour if the ignition is off

I don't have any picures, most of the defenders on here are new(ish) and have the required wiring already installed. there are wiring diagrams but for a 1988 they will have changed a bit

good luck with install

Fantastic! Thanks very much for that, very helpful. I appreciate that most guys on here are running much newer rigs than mine. If it wasn't for the insurance difference, I'm 18, I would be too!

I'll update as I go, but hopefully get it done in the next week or two.

Sam

I'm 20 and done a fair bit of Defender wiring (but not your purpose) As others have said the absolute priority is to have everything safely fused. Use appropriate Amp rating fuses and also cabling. As BP mentions the whole vehicle will be - Negative. A good earthing point would be somewhere that is either the chassis or something in direct connection with the chassis i.e. bulk head or something similar. If ever you want some extra info you could always drop me a PM and I'd try and help out with as much info as I could manage.

28th Mar 2012 10:38pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20919

For everything else there's K9F

28th Mar 2012 10:39pm

K9F

Member Since: 12 Nov 2009
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 9610

2008 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey

konabikes11 wrote:
For everything else there's K9F

Stitched up like a kipper!

Any probs drop me a 'pm,' I'll stick it in my 'tuit' basket and get round 'to it' when I can.

If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!

Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!!

29th Mar 2012 5:50pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20919

K9F wrote:
konabikes11 wrote:
For everything else there's K9F

Stitched up like a kipper! Any probs drop me a 'pm,' I'll stick it in my 'tuit' basket and get round 'to it' when I can.

No more comments of my miss-understanding of how relays work either

29th Mar 2012 6:06pm

K9F

Member Since: 12 Nov 2009
Location: Bournemouth
Posts: 9610

konabikes11 wrote:
No more comments of my miss-understanding of how relays work either

Or clocks.... taking recent experience into account!

No offence meant or implied Kona!

If you go through life with your head in the sand....all people will see is an ar5e!!

Treat every day as if it is your last....one day you will be right!!

29th Mar 2012 6:21pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20919

K9F wrote:
konabikes11 wrote:
No more comments of my miss-understanding of how relays work either

Or clocks.... taking recent experience into account!

No offence meant or implied Kona!

What was messing me up was the relay configuration instead of it being a 4 pin with say 30 and 87 opposite and 85 and 86 opposite. Then wondered why it wasn't working even though I had it right. Got very annoyed broke it open and found it was knackered anyway

29th Mar 2012 6:34pm

cradgebank

Member Since: 30 Dec 2008
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 308

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey

Most importantly you will need a Radio mounting console, the genuine LR is cheap but you have to strip the dash to fit it properly and theres not a lot of space for wiring, there are one or two after market options worth considering.

Regarding power supply you should be able to pick up a permanent and switched supply from the wiring inside the console behind the cigar lighter / wash wipe switch. Richard

Either a 90, 110 or 130.
Discovery 5

30th Mar 2012 12:55am

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