Bypassing the factory remote mounted amps when installing a stereo into a '95+ SE model

I recently purchased a ’95 SE with a malfunctioning OEM Clarion CD stereo (the front speaker amp was dead).  No problem, I thought – bought a Kenwood stereo and a wiring adaptor for ’95 and up Nissans ($7 at Wal-mart), connected everything up, and…nothing.

Not good.

The first issue I ran into was that the SE model uses a diversity antenna setup (one in the rear glass as well as the usual power rear antenna) with a non-standard two prong plug.  Additionally, the system is wired to use the antenna as the ground, so it has to be hooked up in order for the system to power up.  Fortunately, an adapter exists that plugs into the standard antenna receptacle ($12 at a local stereo chain).  So, I hooked up the adapter, and…nothing.

Aargh.

The ’95+ SE (as well as other Nissan/Infiniti models of the same era) uses a system with remote mounted amps – in this case, under the rear package shelf.  If you want to avoid re-wiring all six OEM speakers, these have to be disconnected and bypassed.  The problem is that they are connected to the rest of the system by two plugs containing a total of twenty wires.

Again, no problem, right? – just find a wiring diagram.  Good luck.  An extensive search of the Net did turn up a copy of the European S14 factory service manual…but the Euro version apparently didn’t offer the CD system – at least, it wasn’t documented in the manual.  Bought the appropriate Chilton manual for the car, but the wiring diagrams it included were too high level to be of any use.

My research had allowed me to identify about half of the amp wires, but trial-and-error connecting had resulted only in blown fuses and the triggering of the “Check Engine” light ($90 to have the codes read, diagnosed, and cleared).

Taking the gun out of my mouth, I decided as a last resort to remove the OEM amps, take them apart, and see if I could figure out which wire went where.  Salvation!  Turns out that Clarion has thoughtfully marked the circuit board in each amp with the function of each wire (in English, no less!).  So, to prevent other S14 SE model owners from going through this little “challenge”, I have shown below the layout of the connector wires, and a “map” to show what to splice to what:

1          Blue                left front speaker neg. input

2          Black              right front speaker pos. input

3          Blue/yellow     left front speaker neg. output

4          Brown/white   right front speaker neg. output

5          Brown             right front speaker pos. output

6          Pink                left front speaker pos. input

7          White              right front speaker neg. input

8          Blue/white      left front speaker pos. output

9          Blue                acc.

10        Green/red       on/off

11        Purple             left rear speaker neg. input

12        Pink                right rear speaker neg. input

13        Green             left rear speaker neg. output

14        Pink                right rear speaker neg. output

15        Blue                right rear speaker pos. output

16        Green             left rear speaker pos. input

17        Blue                right rear speaker pos. input

18        Red                 left rear speaker pos. output

19        Blue                acc

20        Green/red       on/off

Splices:

1 to 3

2 to 5

4 to 7

6 to 8

11 to 13

12 to 14

15 to 17

16 to 18

It will be noted that the above scheme leaves out four wires – the two “acc” and the two “on/off” wires.  No combination of connections or grounding of these wires powered up the stereo, so I ran a new switched power wire from the fuse block to the stereo (red wire).  Stereo works, antenna works, no popping fuses or flashing lights.  Please contact me with comments or questions at [email protected].