Installing a Stereo System LR 90 200 Tdi

Hey there guys. I have been busy squirrelling away at my '85 reg LR 90 and sorting things out. She's now roadworthy for daytime (dash lights still broke) but I'm having a pig of a time finding more information on wiring in her.

I'd like to fix some of the bits in the dash and if possible install a radio but from the cabling I can see I don't know where to start. It's all currently no frills, no speakers, mount or stereo so I'd like to find out how I can wire this in simply and get myself some tunes for when I'm driving around.

Does anyone have more info on the wiring in these? I searched the forum but I didn't find much useful there and I guess the wiring is a little different in every one.

I bought a kit which included ISO connectors which just needed to be connected up to the existing vehicle wiring. All the necessary wires were available in the centre of the dash, including a dedicated stereo feed which is fused in the fusebox.
Unfortunately I cannot remember where I got this from.

Then I just got a stereo tray (widely available) which screws in the dash tray and I used a holesaw to cut a hole in the wiring cover for the cables to come straight up.

The speakers would be easily fitted in the headlining if you have one, just running the speakers down the windscreen pillar and around/through the dash to the stereo.
Mine are fitted in the bottom of the dash on each side. I had to get someone to cut the holes out for me as I had nothing for cutting them out of the dash metal.

This is tidy and minimises the amount of speaker wire to route, but the speakers get a beating from your kees when you hop in and out, and even with the land rover speaker spacers you cannot fit "deep" speakers as on the passenger side the wiper motor lives directly behind where the speakers go!

I just remembered that Halfords also sell a set of ISO plugs with bare wires on, so they can be fitted to anything. Of course the price is a little dear for what it is!

My wiring is a right mess and i discovered using the dedicated stereo wires was dimming the headlights (eventually turned out to be a knackered battery) so in the end I ran a large fused wire from the positive terminal on the bat, under the floor mat, behind the fuse box/dash and into the head unit. The earth goes down the back of the dash and is attached to the bolt that holds the fuse banks in. Speaker wise, you have dash, headlining, doors, rear tub corners or even cut holes in the rear bulkhead to choose from. You can make speaker mounts from 12mm ply that fit in above the seatbelt reels too, makes use of useless space and out of the way from damage/water - I managed to get deep 6 inch speakers in there.

Harry

The wiring harness has a permanent 12v (to keep the radio memory) and an ignition switched live to turn it on. I replaced the ignition switched 12v with a switched wire from the battery (with fuse) so that I can use stereo with ignition off / keys out.

Just need an aux. battery now to run my second fusebox loads

I fitted a stereo in mine earlier this year - someone had done a right bodge job in the past so I ripped out all the existing wiring and fitted all new stuff. I used a MUD console to hold the head unit, put the amp behind the passenger seat, and built a box to house the sub which sits behind the cubby box. I've got component speaker sets at the front - woofers on the lower dash and tweeters on top of the dash, and a pair of coaxial 6x9s in pods either side of the rear door. I'm well pleased with the result.

Ian

ian that sounds the business...xcuse the pun. Any chance of a pictures....cheers.

Farty1 said:

ian that sounds the business...xcuse the pun. Any chance of a pictures....cheers.

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Yeah, I keep meaning to take some pics. I had most of the stuff from various installs in the different cars I've had over the years - the only thing I bought new for the Landy was the head unit, as I wanted one that would take a hard disk as its source.

Ian

Ian, was the cutting of the MUD console for the radio tricky? did you need a special mounting bracket between the radio and the MUD console? Looking to buy one of the MUD consoles but cant see how the radio remains in place just by cutting the hole and not bolting the radio in......how did you do it.

Ya cut the hole to suit the frame for the radio. just like fitting it into a normal cars radio aperture. But to be honest I'd get the raptor dash much much much better than a mudstuff dash.

As Red says, you just cut a DIN-sized aperture and then fit the metal cage that the head unit slides into - typically these have tabs that you fold round the edge of the hole. I was a little dubious that it would be secure but I needn't have worried - it's absolutely fine. My CB is fitted into the console in the bottom position in the same manner.

Ian, any chance of posting pics of your set-up?? Looking at different options regarding stereo stuff.

Yep - I'll try to remember to take some pics!

This has all been very helpful guys. Cheers. Does anyone have any links for ebay sellers or somesuch so that I can get this wiring in and start work?

Hiddenpower said:

This has all been very helpful guys. Cheers. Does anyone have any links for ebay sellers or somesuch so that I can get this wiring in and start work?

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What wiring in particular? Your local car accessory shop will do the basic stuff for wiring in the head unit.

Well I just took a look at one of the packs in Halfords. Have ordered a similar ISO lead from ebay. Just wanted to clarify any special requirements or where they should be going.


What sort of fuse should be placed on the main positive power lead and how should the backup positive lead be wired?

Where should the aerial switched power lead be connected to and the same for the dial illumination? (I assumed it was to the positive terminal but I'm not sure)

The back up lead takes a tiny amount of current to just keep the memory. My radio is all fused inside so it is literally connected straight to positive. What I did was follow the wires from the 12v socket back to find somewhere for the power to come from and then the back up is wired into my cb (which always has power). The power lead should only come on with the ignition but the back up should be always on.

Hiddenpower said:

Where should the aerial switched power lead be connected to and the same for the dial illumination?

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Do you have an automatic aerial? This lead is so that the aerial will extend/retract automatically when you turn the stereo on.
The dial illumination wire is red and white - it feeds all the little lamps behind the dash, clock, etc. Just take a feed off this to go to the head unit.