In my Ford Escort (98’) someone wired in an aftermarket radio, by the sounds of it is wired into the battery. It will stay on if you turn the car OFF but you will not be able to turn it back ON unless the key is turned (assuming this car has a “seal in” on cig outlet). Any way does any one know the wiring color code for this car or Fords in general? I would like to wire in a cig outlet for the GPS I am buying. I pulled it out and there was only one loose black wire (assuming this maybe a neg. wire) but didn’t see any other loose wires.
It was removed by the person that did the aftermarket radio. Pretty much in most Fords you end up keeping the stock in and removing something else to install.
I don’t know the specifics of the wiring colors on your car, but I recently installed a lighter socket (“power port”) to do just what you want - to power a GPS all the time unless unplugged.
An easy to find always-powered wire goes to your brake pedal’s brake lights switch. And a nearby ground is where the brake pedal is mounted to the firewall. I used a - dunno what it’s called, but it squeezes around a wire, connecting to it, and has an adjacent slot for the new wire you want to ru to your power port. For the ground, I found a nut that threads onto one of the brake pedal mounting bolts and simply attached the ground wire with it.
Pulled out the stock radio, didn’t see much of anything that could help to my knowledge . The one stray wire is black w/ white spots on it, did read a 5 amp draw sometimes with clamp on (not much slack so was not able to do wrap around test). It does have a female connector on end might this be the stock? Seems like its also in harness with a yellow/color stripped wire?
I put a cig lighter in my VW and no big deal. Just pick the right circuit you want whether hot all the time or just with ignition on. Just thinking though, are you sure the radio operation isn’t just the normal accessory delay before the power shuts off? Normally you shut the car off and the radio stays on either until you open the door or a time limit is exceeded. Don’t see how it can be wired hot all the time if it doesn’t come on again after shutting it off.
@Bing I have began to question my old theory as well. The black wire with a female connection at end with a yellow and what I believe is green shouts ground. Depending on how Ford put it in might of been the one type connection so pretty much Neg to ground. I’ll try hooking it up later on and see what happens.
I don’t think you understood my question. Originally, all the wiring for the radio went to a single connector with 14, 16 or 22 pins on it. The replacement radio came with a “pigtail” that is a connector plug with 14, 16 or 22 pins on it with a short colored wire extending from each one.
The best way to add an aftermarket radio, or head unit, is to get the adapter for the radio that fits your car. It will be the corresponding connector that plugs into the factory connector, but the wires coming from it will be the universal color code used by most aftermarket radio manufacturers. You simply connect the wires by matching colors using either crimp connectors or solder and heat shrink.
Some wanabe engineers will cut the factory connector out and then try to match the aftermarket wires to the factory wires, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.
I prefer tapping off an unused logical fuse socket, with proper fuses of course, in the world of unknowns going on. I once added a powerpoint to 2008 gmc van for a spotlight. I tapped into power leads for an aftermarket 2 way radio. If a guy left the light connected, the car would not shut off with the key, but when you opened the door with the key out the van would turn off. Weird stuff can happen.