I've searched and can't seem to find what Im looking for.

I have a wiring harness adapter that I've got all soldered up and ready to go, however, i'm missing a wire that is needed from the adapter.

All the speakers are connected, ground, 12V constant, but I cant seem to find a proper switched power source coming from the factory harness. Is this some crazy canbus setup like my VW had which requires finding an external 12V Switch from some where else?

If so where is the easiest and safest place to draw from. I know anyone who has installed an aftermarket deck themselves has to have run into this, so can someone tell me where to get the power from so i dont have to find my multimeter which was lost in my last move!? Thanks in advance

 

Are you using an adapter harness? Highly suggest so, so you can return the car to stock, or if you ever decide to install something else.

And are you not looking for a red ACC cable?

 

I am using a harness, which does not have a connector to go into the new head unit for power

normally the aftermarket deck needs 12V constant and 12V switched (one to retain presets, time, etc, the other to "turn the deck on" when the car is turned on. I am missing a wire for the Switched power.

 

Figured it out on my own, and thought id share what i did with my own thread in case someone else finds this thread trying to figure it out for themselves.

Power wire going into the cigarette/accessory lighter is a switched source. I cleaned off some wire cover, and soldered another lead off this wire. still have use of the lighter, and also a new lead to fire up my shiney new Alpine 9847.

Man the amber colour choice matches awesome with mini dash lighting

 

Could you post a picture, please?

How's the am/fm reception compared to the oem head unit? Any better, worse...or about the same?


hs

 

im still 'mid install'.

in otherwords, door panels, rear seats, rear panels, boot panel, and downcolums on the dash are all in my garage.... and the minis in the driveway

I will take pics once its ALL done, and respond here

 

Same HU I installed about a month ago. Got it from Crutfield with a wire harness. Included was a single red fused wire with a small fuse box tap. I tapped the lighter circuit like you.

 

Odd. I ordered a harness from MikeyTheMini and wired it up to my Pioneer harness, and everything matched up. No need to hook up to my 'cigarette lighter' or anything crazy like that... Harness to harness (the way it should be for aftermarket units) and worked like a charm.

 

The harness is the extact same harness used on 99+ VW's. The place where power comes from into your cd player, although works, will fry a VW' techs computer scan tools if you hook it up. (it gets the power from the Canbus wire which is used when they scan your car for codes.). This is a costly mistake for the dealership when they scan your cars.

Now, I dont know 100% that the same will happen on Mini's, but when the wiring harness is exact same, and when looking at the wiring diagram for the MINI, I realized all the wires are exactly the same, i opted not to risk it, and pulled the power from another source

search on VWVORTEX.com for a K-wire. you will see many instanaces for it

 

so apparently reception is reduced. im gonna have to take it for a drive, but one of the stations i normally get is not comin in at all. May be a problem on their end, as most other stations are working fine

 

VW & Mini harnesses are NOT the same

As stated above the factory plug has a aux live
If you use a proper harness adaptor for MINI it will have all the wires for you
The aux live live in the factory radio plug is on pin 16 purple/blue

Poor reception could be a harness adaptor issue too, the aerial booster wire (should be blue in a harness adaptor) is on pin13 white wire in factory plug

 

Mikey - you have PM.

 

reception restored. bad connection with the powered antenna

 

I am having an issue with my 12v constant. I have tried a few different variations but after 20mins the deck resets and loses power. What am I doing wrong? Which color wire should I be connecting the yellow wire from my pioneer deck too?