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Topic: Cant get my aftermarket cd player to work (Read 1917 times) previous topic - next topic

Cant get my aftermarket cd player to work

I have a clarion cd player I took out of the car I sold and was putting it into my 1988 cougar with premium sound.  I am using a harness to mate the radio to the factory harness, I figured out the ground problem and now get power, but still no sound.  I know it has somthing to do with the factory amp.  What do I do?  HELP!!  Thanks.  Dan

Re: Cant get my aftermarket cd player to work

Reply #1
look behind the glove box. there should be a harness taped up against itself somewhere in there. mine was between the clock and the clove box down low.  plug into that. it bypasses the premium sound/amp and goes directly to the speakers.
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Re: Cant get my aftermarket cd player to work

Reply #2
I had nasty problems getting my Pioneer cd player to work in my '88 bird. I ended up wiring it up to that extra harness shame302 mentioned. Even tho your car has the premium sound it's probably got all the wiring for the basic, non-premium setup in addition to the premium wiring. Mine was taped up kinda behind the glovebox...check out this pic. It's blurry but you can kinda see it.
  When I put my cd player in at first I only used the red ground wire that the factory radio uses. I got sound but it was weak and distorted. It didn't work right until I ran the ground from the cd player's harness straight to the car. Maybe that's an amateur mistake but I figured the factory ground would be enough. Apparently I was wrong. Works great now, all 6 speakers are functional too.

Re: Cant get my aftermarket cd player to work

Reply #3
ahh do it the good ol' ghetto way... Cut the wires.. wire them up directly

Re: Cant get my aftermarket cd player to work

Reply #4
Why do all that ford already ran two sets of wires to the speakers. One set for the premium sound and one set for the non-prem sound. they should both be the same plug really just plug and play.
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Re: Cant get my aftermarket cd player to work

Reply #5
one setup runs to the factory amp, which requires a differenet wire layout all together
It's Gumby's fault.