[codewize]

I have a 91 Brougham d'Elegance which has an aftermarket radio in it. It was installed with the correct adapter and nothing was cut.

I have a 91 Brougham parts car with a factory radio which I think was a higher end system because it has add on speakers in the door panels.

When I pulled the radio out of the parts car I was surprised to see no antenna connector. Just a pair of flat black connectors. I unplugged them and took the radio to my car. Now, the after market radio had a larger white connector. Connected to it were a smaller black connector, a small white connector and a small blue connector with wire going to the right side of the dash. All of this appears to be factory wiring so I started feeling a round.

I found a pair of connectors the same as what on the back of the factory radio and that match what's in the parts car but when I plug them in I get no power. The other oddity is my car has an antenna cable. There are no extra connectors anywhere in the parts car.

I should mention that the factory radio works fine when it's in the parts car.

Does anyone have any idea what I'm seeing here?

 

[csbuckn]

The stock setup has an external amp located to the left of the climate control behind the dash, its a pain to get to. Take the connectors out of the aftermarket harness and plug them into the amp, then plug the stock deck in and it should work. I think the antenna plugs into the amp also, not sure.

 

[codewize]

Interesting. OK I'll dig a little deeper and let you know. Thanks

EDIT: OK so I went out to the parts car and investigated figure that would be easier to see since it's half apart anyway and sure enough, there's the amp and yes the antenna plugs into that too. Now the question is how the hell to I get to that in a car that's not half a[part. Ughh

 

[brougham]

In the past people here have said despite it's size that the part in the dash is sort of more a control unit and the radio itself is further down in the dash and it has the normal radio plugs and antenna on it.

With the covers on the doors the radio from the parts car should have a CD player. If it's just cassette it's been swapped out before.

 

[codewize]

In the past people here have said despite it's size that the part in the dash is sort of more a control unit and the radio itself is further down in the dash and it has the normal radio plugs and antenna on it.

With the covers on the doors the radio from the parts car should have a CD player. If it's just cassette it's been swapped out before.

It does have a CD. It's Cassette and CD same I had in my 93 Brougham. Yeah I'm familiar with that setup. The part you interact with is basically a head unit while the actual receiver and amp are in that other piece. I should have realized when I saw that setup.

The parts car seems to be unaltered so I'm relying on it for a point of reference as questions come up.

 

[brougham]

I bought the full dash out of a 91. It was also tape & CD and the radio part is still inside it. My 91 also came with it. I've never tried the spare head/control part yet, mine eats CDs.

 

[codewize]

So this all worked out really well. I have one more question about wiring.

The parts are has an auto day-night mirror, my car does not. Is the wire for that up inside the headliner somewhere or would it have not been installed?

 

[brougham]

Kinda surprising a D'Elegance doesn't have it. Chances are good the wiring is up there. If it was a stripper Brougham I wouldn't think so.

 

[csbuckn]

I looked once on a parts car and I thought the wiring was there. Can't be 100 percent though, long time ago.

 

[codewize]

OK I'll stick a fishing wire up there and see what I find. I just didn't want to go fishing without someone at least saying I think so. I'm going in through the hole from the map-light assembly so I don't have much space to work with a far as getting a hand up in there.

Thanks

 

[csbuckn]

I wanna say the mirror wiring plugs into the dome light for some reason. I could be wrong.

 

[codewize]

No, that it does not. It had it's own wire running up into the headliner. Wait, now I have to go check, you have me second guessing myself.

EDIT / UPDATE
Ok the wire is NOT there. It's a separate 3 wire set that comes up through the left A pillar. I found under the dash of the parts car where it enters the A pillar and my car does not have that cable, only the single wire for the vanity mirror light. Although I dfind this depressing, at least now we know.

I wanna say the mirror wiring plugs into the dome light for some reason. I could be wrong.

 

[csbuckn]

I'm about 41% sure it plugs into the dome light.

 

[brougham]

The power wire may come from there but there should also be a wire that un dims the mirror when it's in reverse and usually either power or a source from the headlight switch to turn the mirror on and off.

 

[codewize]

.

See my update above

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Nope I'm 100% sure it does not

I'm about 41% sure it plugs into the dome light.

The mirror has it's own 3 wire bundle that comes from the headlight switch. Or at least that's where it looks like it goes. I didn't dig that far

The power wire may come from there but there should also be a wire that un dims the mirror when it's in reverse and usually either power or a source from the headlight switch to turn the mirror on and off.