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confused and frustrated, 2002 focus

Printed From: the12volt.com
Forum Name: Car Audio
Forum Discription: Car Stereos, Amplifiers, Crossovers, Processors, Speakers, Subwoofers, etc.
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=115507
Printed Date: July 05, 2025 at 4:58 PM


Topic: confused and frustrated, 2002 focus

Posted By: dfhsmoke
Subject: confused and frustrated, 2002 focus
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:04 PM

First and foremost i'm obviously knew to this. I own a 2002 Ford Focus, and I decided to upgrade from the stock stereo system in it to a Kenwood KDC-MP142 stereo into it. Now after spending several hours getting the wiring all hooked up, I start my car, and all and behold I have new sound. I'm happy and excited, then as soon as I start driving all the lights on the deck start flashing and no sound plays...I pull over confused, and it starts playing again. I start driving, and it stops. What is this? I'm told its bad connection, but thats kind of vague. The connection to the live battery wire? The connection to the ignition? The ground? I can't imagine it's the speakers as they all are just fine (when its playing, sound comes out of them all completely undistorted). Any help or suggestions are muchly appreciated.




Replies:

Posted By: icearrow6
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:11 PM
how exactly did you wire the stereo?
Did you follow a wiring diagram or bought a wiring harness from the store?
Do you have tools to "test" wires? like a multi meter.

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Posted By: dfhsmoke
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:14 PM
Please excuse my ignorance with my poor knowledge of names of things. I googled what wires were for what from the stock stereo, and after finding something that looked right I took a tool that you hook to a ground and touch wires, it then lights up if its got a current to it. I believe thats what you're talking about. That is what I used to identify the wire that was constantly live, and the wire that was only live when the ignition was on. I then used blue things that you put the wires in and crimp down to hold them in place. Again, sorry for me not knowing the name of the things I was using, its something someone else had suggested and had laying around so I didn't actually find out what they were called.




Posted By: dfhsmoke
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:15 PM
Oh, also it came with a wiring kit in the box.




Posted By: haemphyst
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:17 PM
1: I'd check the +12v connections first. Confirm the yellow and red wires are solidly connected. Most decks will get an adequate ground through a) the chassis, and b) the antenna lead.

2: Did you use a wiring harness? If you didn't, then why didn't you?

3: I am betting you are right - it's not the sepeaker connections... All four quitting at the same time will be an EXCEPTIONALLY rare possibility. Look into power, first...

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It all reminds me of something that Molière once said to Guy de Maupassant at a café in Vienna: "That's nice. You should write it down."




Posted By: dfhsmoke
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:20 PM
Yeah, I tried re-wiring the yellow first as that made the most sense to me, too. Same problem...I am using a harness'ish thing that came in the box, the wiring harness that I purchased seperatly (that the clerk told me I needed, imagine that) wont fit into the back of the new deck. The harness it did come with is just a smaller, more compact version of the one that doesn't fit.




Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:30 PM

The harness that plugs into the factory radio...Did you cut that harness off...? The thing that lights up is a test light...Lets go ahead and get rid of this thing...Im sure you can find a Digital Multi Meter for 10-20 bucks...Since you are referring to butt connectors(the blue things you crimped/connected wires...!)I I can only assume you hacked off the wiring harness...(dude...never do this...Wiring Harness is so cheap to buy and plugs right in to factory harness...Then stereo wire colors match up to the harness...And is almost impossible to mess/miswire something...!) Do you have the Blaupunkt factory radio...? I will post some wires...Yes...defintnely check the power and ground wires...Make sure you did not crimp the insulation of the wire instead of the exposed wire...Sounds like this might be wired wrong...Can you post what wires you attached from aftermarket radio to cut harness in vehicle...Colors,etc...? At least inspect and post the wires colors attached to the yellow,red,black on stereo...!

Metra Electronics Corp. - 70-1770
posted_image
posted_image

Description

Ford/Lincoln/Mercury 1986-Up - Into Car

Product Specifications

  • Plugs into car harness at radio
  • Power and 4/Speaker
  • 2 eight pin plugs

Allows installation of an aftermarket radio using the existing factory wiring and connectors. No cutting of factory wiring is needed.

posted_image

Product Notes for 2002 FORD FOCUS 4DR HATCHBACK ZX5

For Blaupunkt radios use 70-1784. For non-Blaupunkt, the vehicle side power plug is 7-pins. Line up the Locking tabs on the connectors and push the connectors together. The amp turn-on (blue/white) will not be connected to anything in the vehicle.

Metra Electronics Corp. - 70-1784
posted_image
posted_image

Description

Volkswagen 1987-Up - Into Car

Product Specifications

  • Plugs into car harness at radio
  • Power and 4-Speaker
  • 16-pin connector (2x8)

Allows installation of an aftermarket radio using the existing factory wiring and connectors. No cutting of factory wiring is needed.



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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!




Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:33 PM
posted_imageBatteryGREEN/ BLACK(+)RADIO HARNESS
posted_imageAccesoryBLACK/ PINK(+)RADIO HARNESS
posted_imageGroundBLACK/ GREEN(-)RADIO HARNESS
posted_imageLF Speaker (+)ORANGE / GREEN
posted_imageLF Speaker (-)BLUE/WHITE
posted_imageRF Speaker (+)TAN/GREEN
posted_imageRF Speaker (-)GREEN/ ORANGE
posted_imageLR Speaker (+)GRAY/BLUE
posted_imageLR Speaker (-)BROWN / YELLOW
posted_imageRR Speaker (+)BLACK/ VIOLET
posted_imageRR Speaker (-)ORANGE / VIOLET
posted_imageSteering CntrlsNO
posted_imageSpeed CntrlNO
posted_imageRadio SecurityYES

Are these the colors you had...?



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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!




Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:36 PM
Metra Electronics Corp. - 71-1777
posted_image
posted_image

Description

2000-04 Ford Focus, 1999-2002 Mercury Cougar Into OEM Radio

Product Specifications

  • Plugs into OEM Radio
  • Power and 4-Speaker
  • One 8-pin connector and one 7-pin connector

The 71-series harnesses are designed to plug into the factory radio. Can be used to repair a harness where the plugs have been cut off or damaged



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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!




Posted By: dfhsmoke
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:38 PM
The wiring that was in the stock deck when I took it out was in a harness already; one that was to big for what I needed. The guy at the store sold me a harness, it came with two in the pack and looked exactly like what was already attached to the stock deck. The one that came in the box with the new deck was maybe a third of the size in width of what the others were (the ones he sold me look like the top image you posted). I did indeed hack the wires away, as I figured I had to. Bad assumption on my part. I didn't crimp any of the insulation that much i'm certain on.  The yellow wire from the deck went into an orange wire in the car, which is the one that the light tool told me had an active current. The red wire went to a WHITE/ green wire into the car, which was the one the light tool told me had an active current only when the car was on. The black wire went into the BLACK/ green wire.




Posted By: dfhsmoke
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 7:44 PM




Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 9:05 PM
And the deck was new...? Also did the original radio say Blaupunkt on it...? The harness in the link appears to be for a totally different car...This was in the box attached to the harness that plugs into the back of the kenwood...? Is there crimp caps or buttconnectors attaching the two together...We sell the 142 and have never seen/heard of this harness in the link associated w/ the radio...!

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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!




Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 9:17 PM

2002 Ford Focus Car Stereo Radio Wiring Diagram

Radio Constant 12V+ Wire: ORANGE / Black (Thick Wire)
Radio Switched 12V+ Wire: YELLOW /GREEN
Radio Ground Wire: BLACK / YELLOW and BLACK/ Green
Radio Illumination Wire: ORANGE / Black (Thin Wire)
Radio Dimmer Wire: N/A
Radio Antenna Trigger Wire: N/A
Radio Amp Trigger Wire: None
Front Speakers Size: N/A
Front Speakers Location: N/A
Left Front Speaker Wire (+): WHITE/ Black
Left Front Speaker Wire (-): Gray/Black
Right Front Speaker Wire (+): WHITE/ Red
Right Front Speaker Wire (-): Gray/Red
Rear Speakers Size: N/A
Rear Speakers Location: N/A
Left Rear Speaker Wire (+): WHITE/ Purple
Left Rear Speaker Wire (-): Gray/White
Right Rear Speaker Wire (+): White
Right Rear Speaker Wire (-): Gray



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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!




Posted By: tommy...
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 9:25 PM
You can also take the radio out and bench test it to rule out faulty stereo...Twist the red and yellow wires together from kenwood harness...If you have a old 12v battery laying around,use this as power supply...If not ,you can use your battery under the hood...Take RED / yellow to 12v(positive battery terminal)...Black to ground(negative battery terminal)...And see if radio powers on...If it works fine ...Attach a speaker to the radio and turn up volume...Is everything still ok...? Just wanted to throw that in here too...!

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M.E.C.P & First-Class
Go slow and drink lots of water...Procrastinators' Unite...Tomorrow!




Posted By: dfhsmoke
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 10:56 PM
That diagram you posted is dead on for my the wires that were in my car. That may not be the exact model of harness that was used, it just looked very similiar to that in size. It was the only spot on the back of the 142 that it had, none of the wider ones could have fit into it? The stereo is right out of the box. And it is getting power to it, it turns on no problem when I'm parked, only starts flashing/not playing when the car is moving.




Posted By: i am an idiot
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 11:03 PM
If there is a VSS wire in the factory harness, you may have the radio grounded to the VSS wire.  Ground the radio to the metal inside the dash. 

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Let's Go Brandon Brown. Congratulations on your first Xfinity Series Win. LGBFJB




Posted By: dfhsmoke
Date Posted: August 06, 2009 at 11:03 PM

Also, I did not see Blaupunkt anywhere on the original radio. I found an image of the original stock deck after searching online everywhere for it!

https://www.edmunds.com/media/roadtests/longterm/ford.focus/12-00.focus.ltupict.175.jpg





Posted By: dfhsmoke
Date Posted: August 07, 2009 at 10:43 AM

After messing with it for another two hours this morning I've decided to take it in to the techs at BestBuy and have them install it. i'll post back here when they let me know what it was I did wrong, just incase anyone else has this issue in the future.

Thank you guys for your help, it is greatly appreciated. All this because I was being cheap and trying to save 50$ on the installation labor costs.






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