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Car Forum / Saab Cars / January 2007

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'94 9000 CSE radio replacement

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Etaoin Shrdlu - 22 Jan 2007 16:28 GMT
Bought a new Clarion head unit for my wife's '94 9000 CSE. No local
radio dealer will touch it. I'm left to fend for myself.

The car has the separate CD player/equalizer mounted directly
underneath. There was a marked reduction in volume when the CD player
ceased to function. I'm not certain if it was the amp or CD player.

Questions:

1) Should I bypass the amp? If so, is there a simpler way than running
new wires?

2) Is there a wiring harness available? Metra et. al have no listings.

3) Is there a way to remove the mounting sleeves without taking apart the dash?

4) Am I stupid even to attempt this?

Thanks.
dave - 22 Jan 2007 17:48 GMT
> Bought a new Clarion head unit for my wife's '94 9000 CSE. No local radio
> dealer will touch it. I'm left to fend for myself.
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Thanks.

Greetings!
I hope you are rather handy with wiring.   The very easiest way out of this
is, do a clean install of a new head unit of your choice.  Use the wiring
harness adapter from Crutchfield.  You will need to run speaker wires from
the dash or an amplifier to the rear speakers.

1. The Saab amplifier is a 20 watt unit fed from the round din plug with 6
pins on it.  The audio diminished greatly when the CD unit died because the
audio loops through the CD player/equalizer.  Your amplifier is likely ok.
Having said that, get a new one and install it in the place of the old one.
The cable from the head unit to the Saab amp has 2 shielded cables for the
audio and some extra wires for turning on the amp remotely, phone mute ect.
If you are adventurous (sp?)  you can splice into the cable.  I don't know
if it's worth the hassle or not.

2. Crutchfield is your friend.

3. The mounting sleeves come out if you squeeze the box in the middle of the
long side.  There will be some bending.  That's my experience anyway.

4. When the wife is not happy, nobody's happy.

dave
Etaoin Shrdlu - 23 Jan 2007 03:19 GMT
>> Bought a new Clarion head unit for my wife's '94 9000 CSE. No local
>> radio dealer will touch it. I'm left to fend for myself.
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
>
> dave

Thanks so much, Dave.

Problem is Crutchfield does not deliver to the ever-less-frozen tundra
of Canada. They are expanding here, but mostly in home theater. I have
to hardwire.

As from what I can ascertain, this is the schematic would read:

White/Blue: MEM
Yel/Red: Power
Black: Ground
Brown/White: Illumination
Green: Antenna
Red/Green: RF
Brown/Black: RF-
Blue/Green: LF+
Gray/Black: LF-
Red/Yellow: RR+
Brown/White: RR-
Blue/Yellow: LR+
Gray/White: LR-

Any idea is this is correct for a '94 9000 CSE?

Furthermore, is there a point in buying an amp if I'm not changing the
factory speakers at this point? I think 40 watts per channel is
probably overkill already. Wouldn't it make more sense just to bypass
the amp? Remember, I'm no engineer or audiophile. I'm just a lowly
graphic cum product designer.

Okay, here comes the stupid question: which side of the mounting sleeve
is the long one? If the front of the opening is an x-y axis, am I
applying pressure to x or y?

Wife is happy as long as I supply her with a couple of martinis at days
end and do the dishes. Seems fair to me, but I've got to get that
Clarion out of the front hall and into that Saab. The Sirius unit is on
it's way.

Cheers,

Shrdlu
dave - 23 Jan 2007 16:48 GMT
>>> Bought a new Clarion head unit for my wife's '94 9000 CSE. No local
>>> radio dealer will touch it. I'm left to fend for myself.
[quoted text clipped - 82 lines]
>
> Shrdlu

Shrdlu,
Remove the sleeves by squeezing the long side, x-axis.  Don't be shy.  The
radio sleeve also has the amplifier for the front speakers.  You will see 2
Molex type plugs into the back of the sleeve for the radio.  One connector
is for power, ignition switch power, panel lights, and power antenna.  The
other for the front speakers.  There will also be a couple (3 maybe?), din
type plugs that go to the CD player and amplifier for the rear speakers.
There are no wires to the rear speakers that go to the radio part.  The rear
speakers are wired from the amplifier.  Meaning if you replace the head unit
you will have to run wires from the head unit  to the rear speakers.
The power connector is wired like this:
1)  Grey      Battery
4)  Red       Ignition Power
5)  Black    Ground!
6)  Green    To Power Antenna
8)  Bn/Wh  Panel lights

The Front Speaker Connector is wired like this:
1)   Green    Left Front Neg
2)   Brown   Left Front Pos
3)   Red       Right Front Pos
4)   Blue      Right Front Neg

If you particular car doesn't have a separate amplifier, and I'm pretty sure
it does, the speaker connector will have 4 more wires.  The colors will be
the same for left and right side, the white stripe will designate the rear
speakers.
Not too bad a job, a bit fiddly tho.  I hope you have a warmish garage to do
this in.  You will need a good trouble light, cutters, wire strippers, some
crimp splices and electrical tape.
I am on the south shore of Lake Erie.  I can't complain too much about the
weather.  Yes I can, could use a few degrees warmer.
Your wife is far easier to please than mine!  Good Luck.

dave
Etaoin Shrdlu - 24 Jan 2007 20:13 GMT
>>>> Bought a new Clarion head unit for my wife's '94 9000 CSE. No local
>>>> radio dealer will touch it. I'm left to fend for myself.
[quoted text clipped - 121 lines]
>
> dave

Dave,

Perhaps the martinis have something to do with my wife's amenable nature.

Thank you very much for the instructions. Bought a good-quality crimper
the other day. I've been waiting for the warm weather to return. No
garage as our house was built long before the dawn of the automobile
and, I assume from postcards and old photos, the carriage house was
torn down when the lot was subdivided. Next week looks promising
weatherwise. I'll have to keep the gin flowing until then.

Thanks again for your help.

Shrdlu

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