NEED HELP FAST PLEASE!!!! - BMW Forum

bigg0622 · 08-22-2003, 06:05 AM

Hello everyone,
I have a 1988 735i and i'm trying to install an aftermarket radio... the car came with the am/fm cassette with anti-theft.... now I REALLY NEED THE WIRING DIAGRAMS OR DESCRIPTION BECAUSE THIS IS LIKE THIS BEFORE....there are no aftermaket harnesses and im sitting here with a bunch of wires all over not knowing wats wat... someone please send me the wiring diagrams for this model or tell me wat i should do i seriously have almost no hours before this installation has to be done and i'm completely lost... please any help would be greatly apprencated.... if anyone has those wiring diagrams please help me... thansk you soo much..

Black E36 M3 · 08-25-2003, 12:18 AM

If you can't get the wiring diagrams then you should get a test meter and figure out what wire does what. This isn't an easy thing to do which is why we charge so much for an install on a car like yours.
I had to do the exact same thing on a Mercedes today for an aftermarket system.
Try to find someone with some electronic experience with a meter and you will be done in no time.
Good luck...

Hamann 325i · 10-08-2003, 01:00 PM

Hey man, dont stress. When i installed my new HU i had the same problem, but if you search for wiring diagrams of your car for the stereo on google, im sure you can find one. I did

GreenDragon · 10-08-2003, 02:40 PM

OR, you can take the panels off the doors to see what color wires go to the speakers. That should take a few of the wires out of the picture. black or green is usually ground. red and yellow are usually power. Blue is usually your antena lead (if there is a power antena, or it may go the amp for power).

Next time make sure you got the diagram BEFORE you take everything apart.

Hamann 325i · 10-08-2003, 07:50 PM

yeah, its always best to plan ahead

GreenDragon · 10-08-2003, 08:26 PM

Aye. Considering the age of this thread I think this is a non-issue. However, for the sake of being semi thorough:

Black - ground
Red and yellow - Power, 12v constant (usually yellow) and 12v switched (red)
Orage - dimmers, dash lights
Blue (sometimes blue w/white stripe) - Antenna, amp lead

Those are usually standardized. Speaker wires are also standardized but I don't know what the colors are. i figure this is a good starting point though.