Radio bypasses ignition

[mariansmg]

Hi guys! Since I've got my family/s Vectra A 4 years ago the aftermarket Sony radio has nothing to do with the ignition, if i turn the ignition off it doesn't turn off and I have to turn it on manually all the time and it's quite annoying at times... I'm not very good at electrics so I thought that you guys might be able to help me make my radio turn on and off along with the ignition, like any other car. Thanks!

[colin1]

I didn't realise that there were Cavs where the radio came on with the ignition
I thought turning them on manually was the norm

[James McGrath]

I recently had a new radio fitted and that turns on with the ignition. So it is perfectly possible to wire a new radio in like that.

Only I have the opposite problem; It won't turn on unless the ignition is on

[colin1]

Can we define what we mean by 'turn on' here?
Radio goes active with ignition or actually starts playing music?

My radio won't operate without the ignition on either (engine not necessarily started) but that's been the case with all of my cars, not just my cavs

[mariansmg]

Well, a while ago I bought another '95 Vectra A (a crashed one) for the parts, and, unlike mine it has the factory radio and speakers. The radio turns on whenever you press the button on it, but it also turns on and off through the ignition, and I want mine to do that too.

[colin1]

Well, a while ago I bought another '95 Vectra A (a crashed one) for the parts, and, unlike mine it has the factory radio and speakers. The radio turns on whenever you press the button on it, but it also turns on and off through the ignition, and I want mine to do that too.

Confused
If it (the radio) turns on through the ignition, how does it turn on again when you press the button on it?

Something's getting lost in translation here

[mariansmg]

If the ignition is not on, I can still turn the radio on via the power button, but if it's off it will automatically turn on when I turn the ignition on, and then I turn the ignition off the radio will turn off.

[colin1]

I think I've got you now

[Robsey]

It is possible to enable and disable ignition logic on most GM radio's.

both my SC303 and my CD300 were able to be turned on and off manually by the on / off button,
And via the ignition feed.
(On an August 1994 facelift Cavalier).

Your car loom should have three main colour wires for the power and ground functions.

Red wire - permanent live for radio memory. (Pin 8)
Black wire - ignition live for logic control.
(Ignition live power activation). (Pin 2)
Brown wire - chassis / ground wire. (Pin 4)

The other non-speaker wires are: -
Illumination is grey with either a green or black stripe. (Pin 3)

red with white or grey stripe is for "radio" controlled live for an automatic electric aerial or aerial amplifier. (Pin 7)

The purple wire with a brown stripe is if you have an alarm fitted. (Pin1)

Blue with a red stripe is speed dependent volume control. (Pin 5)

If you have a populated pin 6, then this should be black or black with a yellow stripe - it is for telephone audio mute (telemute).

See here..
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=281

[James McGrath]

both my SC303 and my CD300 were able to be turned on and off manually by the on / off button,
And via the ignition feed.
(On an August 1994 facelift Cavalier).

Just to add to this, all my Cavs fitted with their standard radios have this function too.
That includes the Philips DC681 and SC804 as well as the Grundig SC303.

[tonyo]

Permanent and switched lives are reversed..

Not unusual with connecting aftermarket head units to existing looms IIRC

[Robsey]

Yes -agreed.

Almost all after-market radios have their permanent and ignition live wires the wrong way round when compared to many European vehicle wiring looms.

Normally they have in-line fuses.
You can simply cross the wires over at the fused connections.