Electrical & Audio Guides
Stereo Wiring Colours
A problem often encountered is when someone buys a second hand stereo and then realises they don't have any instructions and so don't know which wire does what. Trial and error is possible but there is also a large risk of damaging the unit followed by a repair bill which will probably be more than the unit cost originally. There is actually a wiring standard, but some companies either do not follow it or follow a variation of it. This page shows how the Ford wiring matches up with the wiring colours used by the main stereo manufacturers.
This information has been gathered from manuals for the relevant brand of stereo equipment, all colours are correct at time of writing. If the wire colours do not appear to match up then please let me know and DO NOT just connect them up anyway.
Ford wiring (correct up to 1994):
(In two-colour combinations, the base colour is shown first)
| Wire Function | Cable core colour |
|---|---|
| Ground (Chassis) | Brown |
| +12 Supply | Red |
| Accessory On | Yellow |
| Ignition On | Black |
| Illumination | Grey / Yellow |
| Power Antenna | Blue |
| Front Left Speaker + | Yellow / Black |
| Front Left Speaker - | White / Black |
| Front Right Speaker + | Yellow / Brown |
| Front Right Speaker - | White / Brown |
| Rear Left Speaker + | Yellow / Green |
| Rear Left Speaker - | White / Green |
| Rear Right Speaker + | Yellow / Red |
| Rear Right Speaker - | White / Red |
Note: In cars with a balance and fade stick, only the front speaker wires will be visible behind the headunit. The other speaker wires start from the back of the stick unit.
Pioneer (old colour code):
(In two-colour combinations, the base colour is shown first)
| Wire Function | Cable core colour |
|---|---|
| Ground (Chassis) | Black |
| +12 volt Supply | Orange |
| Accessory On | Red |
| Power Antenna / Amplifier Remote | Blue |
| Front Left Speaker + | Green |
| Front Left Speaker - | Green / Black |
| Front Right Speaker + | Grey |
| Front Right Speaker - | Grey / Black |
| Rear Left Speaker + | Green / Red |
| Rear Left Speaker - | Black / Green |
| Rear Right Speaker + | Grey / Red |
| Rear Right Speaker - | Black / Grey |
Pioneer (present colour code):
(In two-colour combinations, the base colour is shown first)
| Wire Function | Cable core colour |
|---|---|
| Ground (Chassis) | Black |
| +12 volt Supply | Orange |
| Accessory On | Red |
| Illumination | Orange |
| Power Antenna / Amplifier Remote | Blue / White |
| Mobile Phone Mute | Yellow / Black |
| Front Left Speaker + | White |
| Front Left Speaker - | White / Black |
| Front Right Speaker + | Grey |
| Front Right Speaker - | Grey / Black |
| Rear Left Speaker + | Green |
| Rear Left Speaker - | Green / Black |
| Rear Right Speaker + | Violet |
| Rear Right Speaker - | Violet / Black |
Sony:
(In two-colour combinations, the base colour is shown first)
| Wire Function | Cable core colour |
|---|---|
| Ground (Chassis) | Black |
| +12 Supply | Yellow |
| Accessory On | Red |
| Power Antenna | Blue |
| Amplifier Remote | Blue / White |
| Front Left Speaker + | White |
| Front Left Speaker - | White / Black |
| Front Right Speaker + | Grey |
| Front Right Speaker - | Grey / Black |
| Rear Left Speaker + | Green |
| Rear Left Speaker - | Green / Black |
| Rear Right Speaker + | Violet |
| Rear Right Speaker - | Violet / Black |
Alpine:
(In two-colour combinations, the base colour is shown first)
| Wire Function | Cable core colour |
|---|---|
| Ground (Chassis) | Black |
| +12 Supply | Yellow |
| Accessory On | Red |
| Power Antenna | Blue |
| Amplifier Remote | Blue / White |
| Front Left Speaker + | White |
| Front Left Speaker - | White / Black |
| Front Right Speaker + | Grey |
| Front Right Speaker - | Grey / Black |
| Rear Left Speaker + | Green |
| Rear Left Speaker - | Green / Black |
| Rear Right Speaker + | Violet |
| Rear Right Speaker - | Violet / Black |
Clarion:
(In two-colour combinations, the base colour is shown first)
| Wire Function | Table core colour |
|---|---|
| Ground (Chassis) | Black |
| +12 Supply | Red |
| Accessory On | Blue |
| Illumination | Red / White |
| Power Antenna | Blue / Yellow |
| Amplifier Remote | Blue / White |
| Front Left Speaker + | White |
| Front Left Speaker - | White / Black |
| Front Right Speaker + | Grey |
| Front Right Speaker - | Grey / Black |
| Rear Left Speaker + | White / Red |
| Rear Left Speaker - | White / Green |
| Rear Right Speaker + | Grey / Red |
| Rear Right Speaker - | Grey / Green |
Disclaimer:
The webmaster cannot and will not accept any liability for damage you do to your equipment as a result of following these guidelines.
