Volvo CD changer wiring circa 1993

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rob Guenther
  • Start date Start date
R

Rob Guenther

Hi.

My 1993 Volvo 960 is wired up for a CD Changer in the trunk - but none is
there, as we didn't option it out when we bought the car. I have to drive
this car 1000kms on the weekend, and would love to have some CD sound, I
have a changer in my VW (a 1999.5 Golf) and was thinking I could make an
adaptor. If anyone knows what each of the wires do, that would be great. I
have already posted a similar question to the VW group to see if they know
the pin-outs for the changer itself... I intend to buy a generic wiring
harness, and splice it in parallel with the existing setup. I have quite a
solid background in electronics and electrical circuits, so I am not worried
about the job, and I am confident an adaptor is probably possible, but I am
stuck needing to know the pin-outs.
 
rob...when i purchased a cd (volvo factory) changer for thje 1993
940t...i needed a special volvo cd cable, that ran from the back of
the factory radio head unit...to the changer (in the trunk)...then it
is just "plug and play"..
are you making your own cable?...if you need it...i may still have an
e mail address for a guy in san diego that was a "mr. know it all" for
the mid 90's stereo and wiring questions...he helped me out when re
doing my whole system.(let me know if you want me to search for
him)....(speakers, amps, bass tube, cabling)...


regards...
 
The Volvo CD Boothanger is made by Alpine but is not a standard Alpine
interface. It uses a mini 8 pin din to connect and the principle
difference is the power is provided outside of the CD interfacing
cable (typically via a splitter on the electric antennae). The pin out
is basically straight through but.... two of the internal cables are
actually twin core so you have to be carefull so there are actually
two twin cores and four single core. Probably a better and cheaper
option is to get a standard Alipne CD Bootchanger and the appropriate
interface.
 
After having my factory cd changer in the trunk break 3 times, I put a
standard Alpine in my glove.
No problems after 5 years. Left the factory cd in the trunk unplugged.
 
There's a cable pre-installed in our 960. I'm creating a home-made adaptor
if I can.... I am not going to spend money (not more then a couple bucks) on
this project, and don't even care if I get it working (would be nice tho, of
course).... more of a pet-project to see if I can do it - because the
results would be good. The car isn't my daily driver (my daily driver would
be donating it's CD changer to the cause for temporary use) if it was my DD
it would have a changer, new speakers on proper amplifiers, and probably
some other upgrades by now (E-code headlights, turn signal repeaters, V90
tail lamps...).

Thanks to all who have responded... If anyone's got a wiring diagram that
would be awesome.

Again, thanks. Rob.
 
I have a 94 850, and a bit of a tin ear, ie, I am NOT an audiophile.

Still, I'd like to play a CD, and hate a changer where you have the
wife's CDs in there, and you have to stop, open the trunk, and change
CD cassettes.

Compounding this, is that I am a bit on the frugal side ( can you say
CHEAP?)

So with my situation, what is an easy, inexpensive way to play a CD? (
I've tried the Walkman type with a car kit, but too many wires and
shi....junk getting in the way..

Any ideas of a relatively simple and inexpensive way to get some CD
tunes in my 850?





Ron/Champ 6

1963 8E5 Champ (Champ 6)
1962 Lark Daytona Convertible (Boomerang)
1995 VW Passat (Vanilla..yuk)
1994 Volvo 850 (Tilley)
1973 Volvo 1800 ES (An Clar)
 
You can mount them in your glovebox if you install them yourself....
Sometimes you can get in dash ones too.... tho in a Volvo I doubt it, not
enough room... There are also som that go where your armrest goes (tho only
in a VW Beetle as far as I know).
 
The correct place in a Volvo sedan is in the trunk and for an estate it is
under the left hand floor lift-off panel in the rear.

Cheers, Peter.
 
I know... but the one poster doesn't like trunk mount... you can mount a CD
changer anywhere if you do it yourself, and build brackets and such.
 
You can get an adapter from Crutchfield called a Vol-Alp by Peripheral
electronics for $20 plus shipping- This will adapt several of Alpine's
changers. I put mine in the glove box. You can get the changer on ebay
for @ $200 if you get lucky. This adapter is great.Plugs into back of
head unit. I never found pin outs and paid $75 years ago for an adapter.
 
If you have the stock SC800/801 Head unit - double din, you can
replace this directly with the SC805 head unit which has a built in CD
player. You will occasionaly see them on good old Ebay.
If yours was fitted with the single din CR905/6 cheapest way is to
replace the head unit completely and get an ISO adapater to connect to
the stock wiring.
There are some CD players available for fitting into the glovebox but
these may have the later pinouts.
The only other way is a quality FM transmitter or wir sirect into the
amplifier depending on the amp model you have.
 
I tried to get a CD player Volvo radio at a scrapyard (don't have a credit
card, so no E-Bay for me... :-( ) but they only had the SC-810... which I
already had, I got in anyways because my radio didn't have FM and Tape
working anymore.
 
Rob Guenther said:
I tried to get a CD player Volvo radio at a scrapyard (don't have a credit
card, so no E-Bay for me... :-( ) but they only had the SC-810... which I
already had, I got in anyways because my radio didn't have FM and Tape
working anymore.
Click to expand...


It's pretty easy to get a credit card, almost too easy...

Perhaps you could have a friend bid on something for you, or a relative.
 
if no credit card...just set up a pay pal account (and get $5) with
any active checking and/or savings account...i don't think you need
a credit card account to do a pay pal acct.....
 
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