Installing a stereo...Help!

[NzFasty]

So I'm trying to install a stereo in my 71 Fastback. Stereo working, speakers working - all good. The guy at the shop suggested I just wire the accessory power off the stereo into the battery - same as the constant power. This made sense...but drained the battery quickly, cause there was no real way to fully turn off the stereo.

Question is, does anyone know how I can get around this? Have thought about a kill switch in the acc cable, but would prefer to wire it into the ignition instead. Any suggestions?

[sharkskinman]

simply put the yellow (lights/clock) to a constant power on your fuse box
and the red one to a switched poser from fuse box (usually the far passenger fuse

OR just turn the stereo OFF when your not using it
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4/71 ~311 "Bettie" (F.I./Auto)

[NzFasty]

Thanks. Will have a look at it when it's light outside again

[lowdowndub]

Really, you should run the switched/accessory power (red wire) to the fuse panel or to a source that's only powered with the key on.

Mainly because you're bound to forget to turn the stereo off and it will drain the battery... and that's just the right way to do it...

Just find a accessory fuse on your fuse box and wire the red to that. Yellow to constant power as Sharkskin stated.

[Square One]

As I understand it, the red wire is for powering on the stereo, whereas the yellow requires constant power availability to keep the radio's memory and internal clock constantly powered. I'm not sure that the yellow alone will allow the stereo to play music or a radio station's broadcast.

-At least that's how it works on my car/stereo system.

I once found a really nifty trick/idea on another one of the Samba's forums. Some fellow had wired his stereo into the door buzzer circuit. That meant that as long as the key was in the ignition, the stereo would play. The ignition, however, did not have to be switched to the "on" position.

-Great for listening to the tunes while waiting on someone in a parking lot without needing the engine running.

Very little chance of leaving the stereo on overnight by mistake, and thereby draining the battery, unless you left your keys in the ignition all night, as well.
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It's cool to be square!

'71 Squareback FI "Irving"
'74 Super Beetle A/S "Mr. Buggy" (named by my 16 yr old daughter when it was hers)
'77 SB Convertible (oops . . . sold!)

[Tram]

Believe it or not, there's a reason that radios were hooked to battery power- VWs never had an "accessory" position in their ignition switches. If you wire your stereo to come on with the key and you want to listen to it when the car's not running, you'll likely fry your points.
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Give A Pal a Hand!
www.happytrailsfarm.org
May 4, 1970... Never Forget.

RIPRW

"Hell is- other people."- Jean- Paul Sartre

[Brent]

[sharkskinman]

[Square One]

My new radio/stereo/CD player gets truly lousy reception. -Changed antennas, and still terrible reception.

Back in the day (the George M. Cohan days . . .) all radios came with "trimmer" screws on them that allowed you to "tune" the antenna's reception for your area - apparently not so anymore.

I quizzed the pimply faced geek kid at Best Buy about it, and when I mentioned the "trimmer" adjustment, he looked at me like I was from the Mesozoic period.

. . . and by the way, when did the Jack Benny radio show go off the air?
_________________
It's cool to be square!

'71 Squareback FI "Irving"
'74 Super Beetle A/S "Mr. Buggy" (named by my 16 yr old daughter when it was hers)
'77 SB Convertible (oops . . . sold!)

[Tram]

[Tram]

[Brent]

[Bobnotch]

[NzFasty]

So I got it all finished today. Found the easiest way was to just wire both acc and constant power to the battery, and install a switch in the acc wire to turn off the head unit easiest. Thanks for all the advice!
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1971 Fastback
1997 Golf GTi