Replacing Volvo tape player with non-Volvo CD player on early 850

Santa brought me a s****y JVC CD player for Xmas, which will replace the ageing CR-708 tape unit in my early '93 850 saloon.

I've ordered an ISO-to-Volvo connector adaptor from an online source, thinking that's all I would need to make the swap, but having taken out the CR-708 today, I notice there's an additional lead connected to the tape unit, which attaches to a 6-pin DIN-style socket. There's a "AMP" caption on the backplate nearby, but it's ambiguously located, so I'm not entirely sure it relates to this socket. (I wasn't aware that my car had a separate amp anyway!)

There isn't an equivalent socket on the JVC unit unfortunately, so I'm at a loss. What does this lead do? How do I deal with it?!

TIA,

Stuart Cormie

Well, having looked a little further into it on this Forum and elsewhere, the lead with the 6-pin plug clearly does go to a separate amp hidden somewhere under the dash.

I'm also led to believe that this amp will need to be bypassed somehow....

However, the PC2-19-4 ISO-to-Volvo adaptor that's on order has also been described as an "amp bypass harness" by at least one source I've read. So could it be that that there are separate (and currently unused) leads in the main wiring bundle that I'll connect into, going straight to the speakers that were previously powered by the amp? So the new CD player will power those speakers directly, and if I leave the current AMP lead unplugged, the Volvo amp will be effectively leapfrogged in that way?

There's another harness in the amp which is the wires to the speakers. You need to unplug this from the amp and plug it into the new wiring harness.

It's quite a simple job but a bit fiddly trying to get to the amp.

Good luck.

Andy

On a similar vein, I want to put my old Panasonic multichanger in my 850.

Does the Double din slot easily take standard cages for single Din units?

Ta

TT

>It's quite a simple job but a bit fiddly trying to get to the
>amp.
>
>Good luck.

Could you give me a heads up on where it'll be? What do I need to remove to get to it?

Thanks.

[warthog]

Shouldn't be any problem. There should be all the runners etc. already there to slide the single units into.

"Could you give me a heads up on where it'll be? What do I need to remove to get to it?"

Unfortunately I can't remember fully and my T5 doesn't have the amp (it's ex-police) so I can't even use it as a reference but I know the amp is behind the centre console towards the drivers side footwell. If you follow the amp lead back behind the console you'll find the amp. Then have a fumble around the amp and you'll find the speaker harness. Just unplug it and hey presto, you've got the harness to connect to the new wiring loom.

Where are you based? If you're anywhere near Liverpool I'll be more than happy to give you a hand over the weekend (or any other weekend for that matter).

Regards

Andy

Andy wrote:

>... but I know the amp is behind the centre console towards the
>drivers side footwell. If you follow the amp lead back behind
>the console you'll find the amp. Then have a fumble around the
>amp and you'll find the speaker harness. Just unplug it and
>hey presto, you've got the harness to connect to the new
>wiring loom.

And indeed that's the way it was! Only got to tackle the job today because I've been waiting over 2 weeks for the PC2-19-4 harness to arrive (that's Halfords "Direct" for you -- impressed, not!). Just had to remove the panel beneath the steering column to gain access to the amp.

Thanks for the help.

No worries - glad you got it done without any real problems.

Enjoy your new ICE.

Regards

Andy