Technical Stereo issue and new issue that probably the result of me trying to fix issue 1...

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Technical Stereo issue and new issue that probably the result of me trying to fix issue 1...

jmccaig

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Hi all,

I've been trying to fit a new stereo to my wife's Punto and CANNOT for the life of me get it working. I bought the stereo thinking this would simply be a case of popping out the old one, switching the main connector and antenna cables and then adding the facia... but no, this is has become an absolute nightmare and i don't know what else to try.

When it didn't install as first hoped (simply swap the units and attach the existing cables), i read a little into it only to find that this model of Punto ('53) has a slightly different wiring set up apparently. I read one suggestion that said you had to splice another cable from the ignition cable using some special wire clamp. Another suggestion said a new wire had to be run from the ignition or something and another suggested it was simply a case of switching a couple of the connector pins in the ISO connector.

The first option i tried, but eventually had to accept defeat for fear of causing more problems (didn't seem to be as straight forward as suggested). The second option is beyond me and the third i have spend bloody hours on trying to free the pins from the main ISO in the car with no luck (i can pop the pins freely on other connectors using a paperclip... just not the ones in the Punto!).

I had someone come look at it to see if they could install it for me and all he did was connect it up exactly like i did initially (assumption that it was just plug and play) and it wouldn't work. His response was that this stereo can be used in this car... he was bloody useless.

So, i'm now at my wits end. Apart from taking it to a local car audio place and having them do it (assuming the know how to get round the same issues i've come across), i don't know what else to do. Is there an actual tried and tested solution to this issue with this model? It seems strange that Fiat would use an obsolete or weird wiring configuration for their cars that makes it so deliberately awkward to install a new stereo. This would make the wife so happy to have this installed; all i want to do it make her happy.

As a result of spending another hour on this yesterday trying to pop one of the pins from the ISO connector behind the stereo, she has now told me that one of the front windscreen wipers has suddenly stopped working! (this does kinda sum up my abilities to create problems as i fix others!)
Its the passenger side one thats not moving (drivers side is working fine). Could i have inadvertently pulled a wire out by accident? Not sure if the cabling is quite taught behind the dash that by pulling the stereo cable i've disconnected one for the windscreen wiper. Any ideas what i can do to trying and locate the problem?

Sorry its a bit long winded, but i like to think i'm reasonably intelligent and methodical when it comes to problems, but all this has taken it out of me.
 
Well, first things first the stereo and wiper problems are unrelated, the wiper issue is likely to be a simple popped linkage but I don't have experience with this car to be able to advise.

As for the stereo, do you have a wiring harness or are you just trying to plug the cars wiring directly into the wiring that came with the stereo? Whereabouts in the country are you?
 
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Well when i bought the stereo, i was told it would simply be the same socket so i don't have any linking cables and the facia i bought didn't come with one that i recall.

The socket on the back of the stereo is obviously the same ISO connector as was in the back of the stereo that came with the car, which i have foolish believed to be a match cable-wise.

Is there a linking cable (female-female) that converts the Punto's wiring into a more common ISO connector? Its hard to tell from that link you posted. If there is i'll happily just buy the cable if it will all just go together!


I'll take a look at the windscreen wiper issue to see if i can see what you suggest. Is this easily fixed or does it involve replacement typically?
 
Wipers and stereo i dont think are linked

Anyway
Did you have the battery disconnected while prodding connectors with paper clips?

Right where to start

Most Aftermarket stereo's are usually 3 power wires
1 - Ignition switched
1 - Constant Live
1 - Earth

However - since you stated your a 53 punto - making it a Mk2b (2004), you will have whats called a canbus stereo fitted at factory

What is canbus - its a system to which all components of the car can talk to each other via 12v Data lines
So the cars stereo - dash - airbag - abs - engine ecu etc etc are all talking to each other

Why does this affect you - you ask
Well sinces it a canbus stereo fitted at factory - there stereo has 2 much thinner wires that are on the power connector side, which as i said before are Canbus High and Low, which are 12v DATA LINES

The car knows when the ignition is on - it nudges the stereo to wake up
So there is
1 - permanent power feed
1 - earth
2 - canbus wires

so the new aftermarker stereo - isn't either got power or the wake up call 1 of the 2

So what do you need?
Some wire - a 2amp fuse - a piggyback fuse
A ISO connector from punto to stereo - make sure to disable the 2 canbus wires in that loom - cut and heatshrink
the 2 power wires - cut and crimp with a fully insulated connection

In the internal cabin fuse box attach the wire - feed down back of stereo under dash to cigarette socket fuse box - plug in there - DONT ADD FUSES YET

then simply find out which wire the stereo requires constant - Use cars already present constant feed
Then use the new ignition feed wire to the stereo's ignition feed

The stereo should spring to life

Ensure the fuses are rated correctly, and connection bare are insulated off neatly

The stereo should work :)

Ziggy
 
I understand the theory behind your explanation Ziggy, but i'm not confident enough to do this on my own, even with your excellent guide. I'd happily pass this onto an auto-electrician to do if i knew one.

Once of the other guides i found suggesting joining two cables together. Has anyone tried this method and had success?

Surely if this is quite a common issue, someone, SOMEWHERE must have come up with a wiring harness that converts from one side (Fiat) to the other (standard aftermarket configuration)?
 
The cable joining is reliant on you having the ISO connector, I'm at work and am having trouble locating the right one for your car.

Where are you, as there may be a local member who can help.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-mk2-2b-guides/315587-mk2b-stereo-wiring-help.html

read this print it and give it to autoelectrician
he wont know a fiat radio is canbused so would probably join the wires together

problem here is a lot of stereos will get very hot doing this and catch fire
unfortunately buying a good named make doesnt seem to improve the situation as i looked at a pie in my ear on saturday and frankly was dismayed to the point was it a chinese copy
 
Where are you, as there may be a local member who can help.

I'm in Lanarkshire. Bellshill to be precise. If there is anyone around that can advise that would be great.

I've emailed a couple of eBayers regarding the suitability of their cable advertised. One has responded saying that i would work on a MK2 Punto, but hasn't really confirmed that this will do the necessary conversion between the car's connector and the stereo's connector.

ebay link to facia and ISO connector

Just called the second seller and he has suggested that this is the one i need...

Suggested alternative

At £4.90, i think this might be worth a punt(o)! :)
 
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I'll grab one of those cables and give it a bash. Will let you know how i get on.

I really appreciate everyone's help on this. I'll check out the windscreen wiper issue and see whats what. if i have any further questions i'll come ask.

Thanks again everyone
 
So after a bit of drama, the wiring harness arrived and, unsuprisingly, its not a straight plug and play. I tried it quickly last night to no avail BUT there are additional wires hanging off the loom that i THINK might have to be connected up a la Ziggy's suggestion. I'll have a look at the wirings tonight and determine whats what and see how i can proceed...
 
i really dont understand why i go to the bother of writing a full and proper explanation of how to wire up a mk2b stereo so it doesn't damage the onboard computer and even give a link to it yet people including yourself will not even bother clicking the link sitting down for 5 minutes and digesting it
what is the point of asking for help but just fitting an ebay lead(n)
 
S&B,
I did read your post and, as much as i understood what you were explaining, i was looking for a simpler answer based on my lack of confidence of undertaking theis myself.

I (maybe wrongly) assumed that some car company out there would have known about this issue and created a wiring harness that had the wiring configured to account for this issue resulting in a simple addition of the wiring harness between the car's loom and the back of the aftermarket stereo. This is why i purchased this harness from eBay as i was willing to take a gamble on it for the little cost i would incur. I was assured this was the part i needed (which may still be true)... its just not straightforward as i expected.

I have explained that i was not overly comfortable doing any of this myself and i have also been having difficulty in locating a car electrician local to me to be able to pass this on to. I am still trying to find someone that can take your guide and carry it out for me, so i'm hoping someone will turn up.

Your rather unfriendly attitude does not serve you or this place well when people like me who are asking for help are condoned for trying to find a simple solution, especially when there is a suggestion by other members that a specific wiring harness MAY exist.

Regardless, I am very grateful for your link and will no doubt end up using your guide to get this done.
 
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