Radio Wiring

[az_streamer]

While putting in flooring in my 1981 Excella II (side bath rear bed model), I removed the front credenza and disconnected the original radio in the process. I took great pictures of the wiring so that I could reconnect it all properly, but then something happened to my phone and I no longer had the pics. I was wondering if anyone had the wiring schematic to reconnect the radio and speakers handy. I could spend the time isolating the speaker connections with a 9v battery, but would rather not have to if possible.

If it matters, mine has the 8 Track and the radio is mounted on the street side of the credenza.


Thanks

[Rich W]

You can Google the make and model of the radio and add "wiring". You might get some hits on a wiring diagram.

[az_streamer]

Yeah I tried Google before posting, but thanks.

I found the original wiring diagram in my paperwork for trailer. All is well now.

[1972 streamn]

Any chance you would be willing to post the diagram? I'm trying to install the original 8 track and radio as well with no luck.

[Juris42]

I can’t find that wiring diagram online at all. I have a 1991 excella that I’ve been restoring and all I have is a cluster of 10 wires but no info as to which is for what. If you have or know where to look that’s greatly appreciated!

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by Juris42

I can’t find that wiring diagram online at all. I have a 1991 excella that I’ve been restoring and all I have is a cluster of 10 wires but no info as to which is for what. If you have or know where to look that’s greatly appreciated!

Eight of those wires should be arranged in four pairs of similar looking wires. On the radio side there is likely something like a purple wire paired with a purple striped wire, a green wire paired with a green striped wire, etc. These four pairs are your speaker wires.

The other two wires are going to be the 12v+ and the 12v- and you can determine which of these is which by using a multimeter.

The speaker wires from the trailer side might be labeled. If not, they will be different colors. The wiring diagram from the trailer should tell you which is which. If not, temporarily disconnect all but on wire and see where the sound comes out. Be careful if you are cutting these that you only cut one at a time. Cut two at a time and you can short something out.

[Juris42]

So none of the ten have strippes. On the new harness there are stripes and alot more wires. The original radio was tape dec and I have all the manuals and they show the wires to the radio but not how those would connect to the ones in the trailer. I spent the better half of the day trying to see at least if I could find how the wires went into the old style harness then I’d be able to figure out how to do a new one but can’t find it anywhere

[richard5933]

Originally Posted by Juris42

So none of the ten have strippes. On the new harness there are stripes and alot more wires. The original radio was tape dec and I have all the manuals and they show the wires to the radio but not how those would connect to the ones in the trailer. I spent the better half of the day trying to see at least if I could find how the wires went into the old style harness then I’d be able to figure out how to do a new one but can’t find it anywhere

Can you post a photo of what you have? It would really help us help you identify the wires.

A starting point would be to probe all the wires (with the trailer battery on but the radio off) and identity which wire is the 12v+

There will be a matching but different color wire which is the 12v-

All the other eight wires are the speaker wires.

Regarding the wires on the new radio, there is another thread just opened asking a similar question. I detailed what those might be over there.

https://www.airforums.com/forums/f450/1991-excella-1000-new-radio-need-wiring-help-79624.html

[Juris42]

Really appreciate your help! I went out and took a photo this am. None of the wires in the bunch have stripes.

[richard5933]

See my response in the other thread.

[Dspchef]

Since there are only 10 wires, 2 of them are going to be the power (+/-), remove each speaker and see what color goes to each one. You might have 1 single ground wire that connects to all of them together. You also might have 2 wires that go to the separate fader control, if this is the Motorola 8 track. Another thing to keep in mind, if there another switch in the back of the trailer that turns the radio on and off.

[Juris42]

That would work but they aren’t the same color from speaker to the front but somewhere between 34 feet back and here they switch color.🤷🏼 . That would make to much sense to do that! Airstream replied that they lost this diagram in a fire in 09 to….

[Juris42]

So I have it hooked up power on but can’t get sound out

[richard5933]

If you have isolated the 12v+ and 12v- wires, the other eight are the speakers.

Before doing what I'm about to suggest, double check that none of these remaining eight wires have voltage on them using a multimeter.

Here's what I would do next to test the remaining wires...

First, make sure that the balance and fader settings on the new radio are centered so that sound is sent to all four speakers. Set the volume at level which you will get sound but not blast a speaker.

Then take one of the output pairs from the new radio. Attach the pos. wire from that pair to one of the remaining wires and then touch the neg. wire to each of the others until you get sound from a speaker. You now have one wire pair to one speaker identified. Continue until all four speakers are identified.

For optimal sound you want to know that you have the pos. and neg. to each speaker connected the same for all four speakers, so once you figure out which pair is which you might have to tweak things a bit switching neg. and pos. on an individual speaker.

[Dspchef]

I was looking in the owner's manual binder that was in our trailer when we bought it and look what I found. The actual manual for the Motorola AM/FM 8-Track Player. I will try to scan the diagram and post.

[Dspchef]

Originally Posted by Dspchef

I was looking in the owner's manual binder that was in our trailer when we bought it and look what I found. The actual manual for the Motorola AM/FM 8-Track Player. I will try to scan the diagram and post.

I just saw where this is an older posting. Oh well, that's what this site is all about.....helping other Airstreamer's out!

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by Juris42

Really appreciate your help! I went out and took a photo this am. None of the wires in the bunch have stripes.

In that photo it looks like you have 2 heavier wires, white and brown, my guess is the white is battery negative and the brown is positive. It looks like you have 4 black wires that would be speaker negatives. The other 4 (red, blue, gray, orange) would be speaker positives and you need to test which black wire goes with each of the other colors for the speaker pairs, they need to be matched in correct pairs to work. Note all just guesses. Your new radio probably has 2 places for 12v+ one for main power and one for memory.