Hi Everyone,

I know a question like this gets asked every day, and I have used the search function to try and find some guidance, but all the wiring on these Fiats seems to be different, and I don't want to get it wrong...!

Basically - I am trying to wire up an Alpine CDE-9871R in my 2004 Mk2B Punto 1.2 8V Active. But the wires don't match up - this is what I have on both the car and the HU ISO adapter pins:

Car:

Pin 1: Pink/Black
Pin 2: Empty
Pin 3: Blue/Pink
Pin 4: Red/White
Pin 5: Grey
Pin 6: Empty
Pin 7: Empty
Pin 8: Black (Ground)

Head unit:

Pin 1: Empty
Pin 2: Empty
Pin 3: Empty
Pin 4: Yellow
Pin 5: Blue
Pin 6: Empty
Pin 7: Red
Pin 8: Black (Ground)

So, I did as was suggested on the other threads on the forums, I bodged it a bit (used tape!) so that the live from the car goes into both the yellow and red wires from the HU. So the stereo works! Good times.

But I am worried that it is draining the battery when it is off. I haven't fitted it yet, but if I do, the fascia will come off and the iPod will be disconnected every time the car is stopped. But I have read lots of stories about people's batteries going flat because of the HU draining them, and we don't have a second car or anything to jump the car with if that happens - potentially embarassing...

So, is there a way I can get it to turn on and off with the ignition? I don't know if there is a switched pin - where would it be and how would I test for it? I'm not really savvy enough to run anything from the steering column or cigarette lighter, not without step by step instructions.

So is there a solution to stop it draining the battery? Or will it really matter considering I will disconnect the fascia and iPod every time the car is off?

Any opinions or information would be welcome!

Cheers,

Matt

Hi, run a ignition switched wire to the hu, from the ORANGE WIRE from the ignition switch use a inline fuse of 15amp, run the wire to the red wire on the ISO adaptor.

I have connected the switched live to the constant live and if I turn off the stereo or remove the facia then there is no problem.

The gold connecter on the back of the facia plate completes the circuit, so removing this breaks the circuit and stops powerflow from the battery. So it deffinately won't drain.

Or just use the guide secion and connect the switched live to any other 12v switched live feed that works off the ignition. Cigar lighter, ignition barrel, electric window switch etc......so it will switch on and off with the ignition.

smokeyjoe03 said:

I have connected the switched live to the constant live and if I turn off the stereo or remove the facia then there is no problem.

The gold connecter on the back of the facia plate completes the circuit, so removing this breaks the circuit and stops powerflow from the battery. So it deffinately won't drain.

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This was the answer I was hoping for! Because, basically it means, you don't need to do any more work...

Can anyone else confirm this? That they have it set up this way and their battery isn't draining?

As an aside, thanks to all on the forum for making it such a useful resource - when I first bought our Mk2B it had the dreaded PAS failure issue - I found all the information I need on here and more, Wasn't cheap, but at least I knew what was wrong!

Hi, that information is correct, switch off or remove facia, I ignitioned switched mine just to be sure.

I'm still a bit cautious about the whole thing - the car is my girlfriends daily work runner, so if it goes flat in the morning I'm for the high jump... Plus we don't have any other vehicles to jump start from.

I don't really feel confident enough to splice any wires off the ignition or anywhere else (this is the first bit of work I've done on the car - ever) - would anyone be able to recommend somewhere in London that would do the work for me? Or could I just take the lot to my Fiat dealer?

MattBailey said:

I'm still a bit cautious about the whole thing - the car is my girlfriends daily work runner, so if it goes flat in the morning I'm for the high jump... Plus we don't have any other vehicles to jump start from.

I don't really feel confident enough to splice any wires off the ignition or anywhere else (this is the first bit of work I've done on the car - ever) - would anyone be able to recommend somewhere in London that would do the work for me? Or could I just take the lot to my Fiat dealer?

Click to expand...

Where abouts in London are you?

Edit - Woohoo 1000th post!

mehstg said:

Where abouts in London are you?

Edit - Woohoo 1000th post!

Click to expand...

Congratulations!

I'm in NW London - NW11.

MattBailey said:

I'm still a bit cautious about the whole thing - the car is my girlfriends daily work runner, so if it goes flat in the morning I'm for the high jump... Plus we don't have any other vehicles to jump start from.

I don't really feel confident enough to splice any wires off the ignition or anywhere else (this is the first bit of work I've done on the car - ever) - would anyone be able to recommend somewhere in London that would do the work for me? Or could I just take the lot to my Fiat dealer?

Click to expand...

There is nothing to be worried about, if you remove the facia or tun the HU off then it is physically imossible for the HU to drain the battery.

smokeyjoe03 said:

There is nothing to be worried about, if you remove the facia or tun the HU off then it is physically imossible for the HU to drain the battery.

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Hi Joe - sorry, didn't mean to sound like I was doubting your original advice - it's just I have read other threads where people say they have removed the fascia when the car is off yet the battery still was drained? I guess this must be dependent on model of HU - is there any way I can test to see if it is pulling any power when the fascia is off? - I have a multimeter which I can use if needed, but where would I test?

The simplest way would be to leave the car over night with the standard HU pluged in and test the Battery voltage before and after.
Then do the same with new hu with face plate on.
Then do the same with it off.
It wont be 100% accurate because there are other factors as to why a battery may float at different Voltages but it should be fairly obvious if you are geting battery drain.

Thanks for that volxstu - I might give that a try. I think I was probably just over-analysing stuff really, I guess the HU will pull a small amount of power to keep all the settings etc, but I'm presuming it would do this even if I had a switched input on the ISO block, so as long as I unplug everything, I'm sure it'll be fine.

I'll give it all a go anyway - will install the HU tonight and will test the battery at time of install, and tomorrow morning - thank you all for your help.

No worries that is what the Forum is for.
My HU has 2 illumination points on permanently and my battery has taken an absolute hammering over the 2 years that i have owned the car. When i have an amp in the car without using a battery in the boot it just cant keep the voltage up and is the original battery from the factory and its fine with the HU plugged in. I havnt quite figured out how to remove the face plate yet lol.

MattBailey said:

.......I guess the HU will pull a small amount of power to keep all the settings etc..........

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Yeah thats why they have a constant live aswell. My HU has a flashing red light when the facia is removed (like a theft deterent) and when you turn it off and on the CD / USB / radio station / volume / bass + treble settings / code etc.. all remain the same.

Its never enough to drain the battery though.

So I connected it up last night, left it overnight, and it doesn't seem to be causing any ill-effect so far. To properly test the current being drawn by the stereo I am guessing I would need to put the multimeter in series with the battery whilst the car is off (and has been so for 15-30 mins) - which I may do this weekend just for peace of mind.

Funnily enough, one issue goes away and another appears - the HU won't push all the way back - I guess because of the wires at the back - anyone got any tricks for making it push far back enough to click into the housing? There doesn't seem to be much room back there!

MattBailey said:

So I connected it up last night, left it overnight, and it doesn't seem to be causing any ill-effect so far. To properly test the current being drawn by the stereo I am guessing I would need to put the multimeter in series with the battery whilst the car is off (and has been so for 15-30 mins) - which I may do this weekend just for peace of mind.

Funnily enough, one issue goes away and another appears - the HU won't push all the way back - I guess because of the wires at the back - anyone got any tricks for making it push far back enough to click into the housing? There doesn't seem to be much room back there!

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Try and push some of the wiring down to the left or right. There isn't much room in a mk2

Yeah there are little gaps here and there that the wires can be worked into, its just a matter of patience and small arms lol.

volxstu said:

Yeah there are little gaps here and there that the wires can be worked into, its just a matter of patience and small arms lol.

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You're not wrong! It's wedged in at the moment, I'll give it another go tonight... It doesn't help that the Alpine iPod connector wire is massive and has an unecessary inline connector. Ah well!

Thanks again for all the help guys - the forum has been an invaluable resource.

I hope that this theme continues for you during your Fiat career

My friend connected mine up the same as yours Matt! I take the front off and take the ipod out everytime the car is stopped (for safety reasons too) and my cars been fine for a couple of months now Fiat wiring is an ultimate pain though!!!