# Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses



## cheesewhiz (Jun 20, 2001)

Hi guys,
I'm finally getting down to renovating my NB's stereo -- the OEM deck is getting the old heave-ho for a brand spanking new Alpine 7873 ($250 on eBay). I'm planning on doing the installation myself, but I'm trying to find a cheap place online to purchase the dash kit and wiring harness for the NBs without any luck so far.
Any ideas on where to look? If I can't find 'em online, I'll wind up paying through the nose for them at a local audio place. i.e. $30 for the dash kit (it's just 2 pieces of plastic, sheesh!) and $40 for the wiring harness. I'm hoping I can do better than that.
Also, if anyone has personal experience installing a stereo into the NB, I'd like to hear from you! Let me know how it went, if you have any pointers, stuff to watch out for, etc...
Thanks!
-i-


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## VPRBEETLE (Sep 20, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (cheesewhiz)*

Hey,
As far as a kit and harness go to your local Circut City a kit is $14 and the harness is about the same. There's really nothing to it the only trouble you might have is finding someone with the keys to get the old radio out. It was a Sunday night when I did mine and the local VW dealer wasn't open so i ended up fabricating my own keys to get the stock radio out. However i'm sure a local VW dealer will help you out without a charge if you ask nicely. After all the keys slide in and the radio unclicks. I did my whole system myself so if you have any other questions feel free to ask. Good luck http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Backn86 (Aug 29, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (VPRBEETLE)*

I did my whole system myself too, and it wasnt too bad. Call Randy over at TVA if you cant find that stereo harness.


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## Boggus (Jul 16, 2000)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Backn86)*

Best kit for the alpine unit is the American international kit. It flushes the face plate into the dash real nice. You will not use the trim ring that comes on the alpine unit. I have the 7875 in my beetle. Harness is the metra 70-1784, antenna adapter is either 40vw10 for no am or 40vw53 for am reception.


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## silversport (Aug 8, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Boggus)*

Hey Boggus, can you explain the am part again? I picked up a scosche amplified antenna adapter for my JVC SH-99, but I do not get any AM reception at all. The FM reception is also just average for a pretty good head unit. Any suggestions?


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## Boggus (Jul 16, 2000)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (silversport)*

Kit is the AMI VWK1008. This kit only works with radios that can be iso mounted without the trim ring. Sometimes you will need to file down the trim plate that comes with the kit for proper fit. Kenwood radios are the exception since they have a larger frame due to the revolving faceplate. 
The Metra 40VW53 amplified antenna adapter has a wire that needs to be connected to either the power antenna output on the new radio or the ignition wire on the harness.
The Metra 40-1784 Harness is perfect for all VW's that offer either Monsoon or no Monsoon systems. No remote wire is needed for the amplifier. Monsoon systems are current sensing for turn on and use the radios power for signal. All is needed for proper hookup is the front and rear (+ & -) speaker wires, ignition, constant, ground, and illumination is your new radio comes equipped.
I usually make the harness about 7-10 inches long so that I can slide in the radio and pull the harness thru the bottom of the dash, after I remove the panel that houses the heated seats, hazard, asr defog switches. Because as we all know there is not a great deal of room behind the factory radio.


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## silversport (Aug 8, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Boggus)*

Boggus, I've got the Scosche ant adapter VWA2B, which is supposed to be amplified. I think there is a black wire coming off the antenna wire, is this the wire that needs to be attached to the power antenna wire on the radio?
I believe I have the metra 40-1784 wiring harness for my HU, it came from crutchfield. For the antenna adapter, do I need to tap into the wiring harness or go directly to the HU?


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## Boggus (Jul 16, 2000)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (silversport)*

connect the antenna adapter wire to the blue wire coming off the new radio. THis way when you switch from cd to radio, it will power up the antenna.


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## silversport (Aug 8, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Boggus)*

quote:[HR][/HR]connect the antenna adapter wire to the blue wire coming off the new radio. THis way when you switch from cd to radio, it will power up the antenna.[HR][/HR]​Thanks, Boggus. I was thinking that the power antenna wire was to make your antenna go _up and down._ Now all I have to do is pull apart the lower dash panels and _find_ that damn hidden antenna adapter! It slid behind the panel next to the glove box and got wedged in there. Any hints on how to take off that lower panel? (I don't have the Bentley manual)


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## BUGG1N (Sep 10, 2000)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (VPRBEETLE)*

I made my keys out of an old calling card and credit card...
Here is the template (actual size). I Scanned in the keys from my Mikro Audio system before I sold it...


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## silversport (Aug 8, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Boggus)*

quote:[HR][/HR]connect the antenna adapter wire to the blue wire coming off the new radio. THis way when you switch from cd to radio, it will power up the antenna.[HR][/HR]​Boggus, I could be wrong, but there is no blue wire coming from my HU (JVC SH-99) Actually, let me clarify, there is a blue w/white stripe wire, but that is for an automatic antenna (makes it go up and down). Or do I need to splice into the red wire which says, "...to an accessory terminal in the fuse block". I also have a yellow wire that goes "to a live terminal in the fuse block connecting to the car battery (bypassing the ignition switch). Does this help?


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## Boggus (Jul 16, 2000)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (silversport)*

ok...connect the power antenna wire (coming from the JVC) to the antenna adapter power wire. This way the antenna adapter only sees power when you are listening to the tuner...no need to have it on all the time or with ignition or playing cds.


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## silversport (Aug 8, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Boggus)*

quote:[HR][/HR]ok...connect the power antenna wire (coming from the JVC) to the antenna adapter power wire. This way the antenna adapter only sees power when you are listening to the tuner...no need to have it on all the time or with ignition or playing cds. [HR][/HR]​Just to clarify, you're talking about the automatic power antenna wire, the one that makes an electric antenna go up and down, right?


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## Boggus (Jul 16, 2000)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (silversport)*

Yes...all that wire does is supply voltage when the tuner is on and no voltage when the tuner is off.


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## silversport (Aug 8, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Boggus)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Yes...all that wire does is supply voltage when the tuner is on and no voltage when the tuner is off.[HR][/HR]​Mucho thanks, Boggus. I'm gonna try it out this weekend and I'll post my response when I'm done. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## Backn86 (Aug 29, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (BUGG1N)*

i need one of those keys.


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## J.R. Rogers (Dec 29, 2000)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Boggus)*

Boggus, thanks for the tip!!! That worked. I wasn't getting any AM reception and FM reception was only marginal. I went back into it tonight, hooked up the blue wire from the stereo - the only one not connected, with the blue wire from the Crutchfield antenna. Now, it's almost too powerful! It was picking up AM stations every 20kHz or so. FM radio reception is also improved. Excellent tip!!! Thanks a bunch! I figured since I didn't have a power antenna, I wouldn't need that wire. Guess I was wrong, eh?
J.R.


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## cheesewhiz (Jun 20, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (BUGG1N)*

Hmm, is there any other way to get the OEM deck out of the dash without those keys? The dealers are closed for the weekend and the ones I fashioned from two credit cards aren't pulling it out. It's not budging for some reason. What can I do?! I was hoping to do this tonight!
Thanks,
-i-


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## silversport (Aug 8, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Boggus)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Yes...all that wire does is supply voltage when the tuner is on and no voltage when the tuner is off.[HR][/HR]​OK Boggus, I connected the power automatic antenna wire to a red wire (which was taped down but already spliced!) which was attached to the antenna adapter and now my tuner reception is WORSE!







http://****************.com/smile/emthdown.gif








I don't think I hooked up anything wrong, did I use bad connectors? I used a male/female spade terminal and plugged them together. This should be ok, right?
This was a scosche adapter, should I get the metra unit? where?
TYIA


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## Boggus (Jul 16, 2000)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (silversport)*

Could be bad adapter .... very interesting.


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## silversport (Aug 8, 2001)

*Re: Stereo Dash Adapter Kits & Wiring Harnesses (Boggus)*

quote:[HR][/HR]Could be bad adapter .... very interesting.[HR][/HR]​OK, here's the updated story...I tried a regular antenna adapter (no red wire attached) and the FM reception was better than anything before. I was also able to get ONE am station, something I couldn't do before).
Anyhow, the installer comes out to take a look at my harness and says I should connect the blue wire coming off the JVC harness to the pink and pink w/white stripe wire on the metra harness. Obviously, the color doesn't match up, but (probably a BIG butt here), I was using the harness supplied for my old Blaupunkt Alaska, and the instructions said to tape those 2 wires off as they are not used. Mr. installer shows me another metra harness, which has a BLUE wire coming from the harness.
So, can I fix my reception problem by attaching the blue wire from the JVC to the pink and pink w/white stripe wire on my (Blaupunkt) Metra harness?


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