Installing an aftermarket stereo

[Galsia]

I’ve got a 2008 Fiat Grande Punto and have just got an Alpine iLX-700.

Any idea how I connect the two? I know nothing about stereos and wiring harnesses.





Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[aka_kerrly]

I think you are missing two essential parts.

You need a Universal ISO harness to Fiat adapter like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251722789828?mkcid=16&a...


And a Alpine stereo to Universal ISO adapter like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181844936847?mkcid=16&a...

[Galsia]

aka_kerrly said:

I think you are missing two essential parts.

You need a Universal ISO harness to Fiat adapter like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251722789828?mkcid=16&a...


And a Alpine stereo to Universal ISO adapter like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181844936847?mkcid=16&a...

Thanks, I have ordered one of each. Definitely worth a punt as the local car stereo specialist wanted £240.

[SteBrown91]

Will that Alpine even physically fit? It’s a double DIN unit and puntos only have a single DIN opening.

[Galsia]

SteBrown91 said:

Will that Alpine even physically fit? It’s a double DIN unit and puntos only have a single DIN opening.

Yes I've got a kit for it. It makes the air vents smaller and moves up the dash buttons to make it fit.

[Galsia]

I've managed to get it to fit with an ISO wiring harness. Unfortunately it requires modifying so that it get power from the ignition. Am I right in thinking that I can just cut the red and black wires and connect them to the cigarette lighter?

[defblade]

If it had a stereo in there at all, and looking at the pics in the first post, it certainly looks like it, you will already have both permanent and ignition switched lives in that plug (and an earth, too).

If things aren't quite working right (usually it works, but loses all the settings when you turn the car off), then you'll need to swap the yellow and red wires - which way around the perm and ig lives are varies by car and by stereo.

You should spend a few minutes with a multimeter, and preferably a copy of the car's wiring diagram, to sort out which wire is which on the original plug.

[MrNoisy]

Your wiring diagram above shows how the red and yellow are on plugs so they can be swapped around as the previous poster suggested.

As in, on the stereo harness, this is provided so you make the minimal mods possible to the factory wiring.

[Galsia]

I tried swapping the yellow and red wires around and it still didn't work. The stereo has a 10a micro blade fuse in it so I'll try replacing that next.

[BlueMR2]

Do you have anything plugged into the blue green and yellow plugs?

[Galsia]

BlueMR2 said:

Do you have anything plugged into the blue green and yellow plugs?

Not in the new stereo. I presume that they are for the steering wheel controls.

[Rausages]

I think this era of Fiat is the same as Alfa Romeo (if it has Blue and me is is) and as such there is only a permanent 12v, ground & CAN BUS High & Low coming from the vehicle wiring. (I've had the same in a 2009 159 & 2010 Giulietta) and other wires are for antenna power and blue & me if you have it.

The original stereo only used the permanent 12v and was powered on by ignition from the CAN BUS when the key was turned. If you have steering wheel control then they are probably CAN BUS too.

The 2 options are to power the radio properly:

1 - Take an ignition switched 12v from the cigarette lighter or ignition controlled fuse (which involved splicing into the positive on the cigarette lighter socket or a piggy back fuse adaptor) to the RED switched ignition lead for the Alpine. The permanent 12v from the existing radio wiring can go to the yellow permanent 12v on the Alpine unit. This will make it work correctly wit the ignition but the steering wheel controls won't function.

2 - Use a CANBUS steering wheel control interface, like the Connects2 CTSFA004.2. This should plug directly into the vehicle wiring and with the correct lead to your head unit, take the CAN BUS commands, create a 12v ignition feed and enable the steering wheel controls, parking brake, reverse functionality. It's not the cheapest option but it should just plug into the existing wiring without the faff. It would be worth checking with Connects2 support about the correct interface if you do go down this route as the part number I have picked is just a guess based on the details you have given.

I personally have used the Connects 2 interfaces on my Alfas and it would be the way I would go, if you don't mind spending the £50-60 for the interface. You just have to make sure you connect them up in the order the manual says so it recognises the stereo & car properly.

[BlueMR2]

Galsia said:

BlueMR2 said:

Do you have anything plugged into the blue green and yellow plugs?

Not in the new stereo. I presume that they are for the steering wheel controls.

It looks like someone has been using these in your wiring loom in the pictures, might be worth looking what for, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keenso-Electrical-Connect... .

This gives examples of what the extra connectors are used for,



The info at the end of this thread may help, https://www.fiatforum.com/threads/aftermarket-ster... .