Totally stumped, simple wiring job went wrong

[PJayUK]

Ok so lesson learnt today, I know k'all about auto electrics!

I spent most of the afternoon wiring up an ipod integration kit. Well chuffed with the cosmetics I was flushed with pride at my professional finish and installation. Anyway trying to connect it up didnt go well. Simple really the unit has a harness like this.

Yellow = +12Vdc
Red = ACC
Black = GND

I located a constant 12V feed by metering the connectors on the back of the command unit. I connected the yellow cable to this.

I connected the red and black cables to the corresponding =12Vdc and GND on the rear on the cigar lighter. BUT....

It doesn't work. The unit will not power on however when I turn the ignition off the display on the device comes on and says "powering down"

I spent all afternoon trying to sort this out without success. Has anyone got any advice on what I may have done wrong, and how I should connect this thing up?

The unit I am trying to connect is a Harman & Kardon Drive and Play IPOD unit. A wiring diagram is available here: http://www.harmankardon.com/drive-1/diagram.aspx

Any help woul be greatly appreciated!

 

[television]

Why not take the yellow to the cigar lighter as well, it will then be key 1 and 2 You cant leave it joined up to an constant live, or it will flatten the car battery unless the stby current is very low

 

[television]

If the unit is happy having an all time live feed for the yellow, then the headlamp switch is the easiest place to take a feed from

 

[Xtractorfan]

If the unit is happy having an all time live feed for the yellow, then the headlamp switch is the easiest place to take a feed from

Is it possible Malcolm this unit needs a constant 12v supply to enable memory..?

 

[television]

Is it possible Malcolm this unit needs a constant 12v supply to enable memory..?

Not sure, the quiescent current should be on the spec if it is 5MA or so then it can go to a all time live

I think that you are spot on there,,that just means that the yellow can go to the all time live lead on the headlamp swtich, as this is the easiest place to take one from

 

[PJayUK]

Malcolm can you have a quick look at the diagram on the link in my original posting, and let me know what you think?

I agree with your point about connecting the yellow wire also to the cigar lighter I was considering this but wanted to check first. It seems like the easiest option....

And yes the unit does have memory, but I am not sure if its battery backed or not....

I wouldn't know how to get to the headlamp switch

Why should this be so hard!!

 

[television]

Malcolm can you have a quick look at the diagram on the link in my original posting, and let me know what you think?

I agree with your point about connecting the yellow wire also to the cigar lighter I was considering this but wanted to check first. It seems like the easiest option....

And yes the unit does have memory, but I am not sure if its battery backed or not....

I wouldn't know how to get to the headlamp switch

Why should this be so hard!!

OK you do need to find a live 12v for the yellow lead. without a long search the headlamp switch is the easiest place on the car.

Just take off the kick panel under the dash drivers side and you can see the wires going to the light switch.

To find the all time live, just push a pin through the wires on by one and connect a test lamp or meter on to the pin, and you will get to the live feed, and just tap into that.

No damage is done by doing it this way

 

[PJayUK]

Ok, sounds straightforward, but a couple of questions (before I shut up and leave you alone on a Sunday night!).

1, any idea how the kick panel is removed on a W220
2, In the short term could I just do what you said and splice the yellow cable into the cigar lighter
3 Why doesn't the one on the back of the comand work, even though I metered it at 12V with ignition off?

Thanks Malcolm....

 

[television]

Ok, sounds straightforward, but a couple of questions (before I shut up and leave you alone on a Sunday night!).

1, any idea how the kick panel is removed on a W220
2, In the short term could I just do what you said and splice the yellow cable into the cigar lighter
3 Why doesn't the one on the back of the comand work, even though I metered it at 12V with ignition off?

Thanks Malcolm....

The Comand has a go to sleep function after 20 mins.


I have done nearly 100 post again today,And I do not want to search anymore, if you leave it till the morning I will try and find a better live for you, including dropping the kick panel

 

[PJayUK]

I owe you a bottle of something special mate....

 

[Dec]

If you scroll down to page 5, there is an in line fuse, that may have been blown.
You are right with the connection with the cigar lighter but you may be wrong in your choice for the Yellow, suggest you extend and connect Yellow direct to Positive + battery for now, you can make a more convenient connection to a constant power supply later.

Agree with Xtractorfan, the Yellow must be for memory otherwise it wouldn’t be there.

Dec
Edit…There is no point in splice the yellow cable into the cigar lighter because it isn’t constant live when ignition is off, the Yellow needs a constant power supply to maintain memory.

 

[PJayUK]

Yes I will check the fuse thats a good point... As far as connecting the yellow to the cigar lighter my view is still why not? If you look at the link to the manual in your post you'll see that the unit ships with a cigar lighter plug as an option to run it. I cant see that connecting the yellow to the positive switched feed at the cigar lighter rear would operate any differently that using it with the cigar lighter plug cable that is supplied. Do you disagree?

 

[television]

Yes I will check the fuse thats a good point... As far as connecting the yellow to the cigar lighter my view is still why not? If you look at the link to the manual in your post you'll see that the unit ships with a cigar lighter plug as an option to run it. I cant see that connecting the yellow to the positive switched feed at the cigar lighter rear would operate any differently that using it with the cigar lighter plug cable that is supplied. Do you disagree?

By doing that you may lose any internal memory for the settings, and every time that you started the car and wanted to use it, you would have to go into the settings menu.

By taking the yellow to a all time live would be the better way of installing it

 

[PJayUK]

Yes I agree, just struggling to find out where best to wire that blasted thing!

Still be interested if you can work out how to tap it into the headlamp switch. I had a look at the kick plate and cant see how to remove it....

Are we sure that none of the connectors on the power block (block A) on the back of the comand would do?

 

[television]

Yes I agree, just struggling to find out where best to wire that blasted thing!

Still be interested if you can work out how to tap it into the headlamp switch. I had a look at the kick plate and cant see how to remove it....

Are we sure that none of the connectors on the power block (block A) on the back of the comand would do?

I do not have the pin outs for that Comand, so I do not know what they are

 

[PJayUK]

I will email what I have, maybe if you get 5 minutes you can take a look.

I have a Dension manual that has the pinouts in it.

Cheers Malcolm

 

[television]

I have sent you the instrutions on pulling the light switch module forward enough to get to the wires, as this is an easy 12 volt source.

If you use the live here, you do not cut any wires or clamp.

Just lift the live clear of the others, just touch the plastic with the tip of a soldering iron, that will melt the plastic to expose the copper wire, just solder the yellow to the connection and tape up (must have in line fuse on the yellow)

 

[Dec]

“why not?” ...because you already have a power supply established when you connected the 2 wires to the back of the cigar lighter.
All you should be doing now is connecting the Yellow to a constant power supply like the + pole on the battery or head lamp under dash, the cigar lighter is not a constant power supply because when the ignition is switched off there is no power to the cigar lighter, the unit needs a constant power supply to retain the memory and that’s what the Yellow wire is for.

By the way most cigar lighters have 3 wires going to them, the 3rd wire is for the illumination of the lighter, any chance that you wired into that by mistake.

Dec

 

[PJayUK]

Need to double check..... Thanks.

 

[television]

At this stage I would do a test by joining the 2 live leads and testing the unit say via the cigar terminals, if it all works well the get that yellow to an separate live.

I have looked at the Comand rear panel via the link (thanks) and I think that you have used the correct one, but if it works when both connected together it cant be the right one.

I am looking to see what I have on the comand