Hi guys,

I've just installed a new Sony stereo into my EL. I'm positive that it isn't connected correctly...
Everything works but the radio and sound settings memory erases each time the ignition is switched off.

When installing, I tried to connect only the Blue / White "Accessories Power" wire from the car to the head unit, but it would not power at all. The Sony instructions stated to do this.

After this fail I attempted several other combinations with no luck.

The only way I could get the unit working was to join both the Red "Accessories" wire and the Yellow "Constant Voltage" from the head unit and connect them to the Blue / White "Accessories Power" on the car.

Clearly, I have not wired this thing correctly but I don't know where I went wrong.


The following wires from the car are spare or not required:
Light Green - Telephone Mute
Brown - Button Backlighting
Red / Dark Blue - Power Antenna Output
Black / Pink - ?? (This was not listed in the FordMods.com "Sound System Info" Tech Sheet)


PS. The fuse on the head unit is ok.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

you need to connect the yellow "constant" wire to "constant" 12v power instead of to accessories power.

Sounds like you have wired the yellow wire incorrectly - yellow wire = continuous voltage, which = memory wire. i.e. your yellow wire from the headunit is the memory wire which needs to be connected to a wire which has a constant voltage when the ignition is off.

Your positive wire (red) should be wired to the accessories wire which you have done already so all you need now is to source the wire with continuous voltage and wire the yellow memory wire from the headunit to it. Best way to check this is with a test light, switch the ignition off, now connect your test light and test the wires from the car and whichever wire makes the test light illuminate will most likely be your constant voltage supply. I cant remember exactly which colour wire it is for continuous voltage but there is one there (for some reason green/yellow rings a bell but im not 100% sure).

Sorry if i have read your post completely wrong, i've had a bit to drink

EDIT: Steady ED's got it

EDIT: Steady ED's got it

1 more thing to consider.
The factory setup uses a low amp wire for memory (constant power) and a higher amp wire (accessory power) to turn on and power the unit.
Most aftermarket units use the constant power wire for memory and power the unit.
It only uses the accessory wire as a trigger to turn the unit off and on.
The fix is to run a new fused wire of equal or higher amperage from the fuse box or battery to power the yellow wire.

Sorted.

The test light showed that the mysterious Black / Pink wire was constant voltage.
I connected both constants and both accessories and it's working properly.

Thanks for your help.

(Now for a new post to troubleshoot my trip computer...!)