Car Audio Advice | Stereo Terminology And Education

*Note Well*

Use This Information At Your Own Risk!

We've done our best to provide the most up to date information, but manufacturers constantly change their codes, with the result that there may be inconsistencies. Wire colors in your car might be different from the colors described here. Use the given colors for reference purposes only. Always test wires to make sure they are correct. We are not responsible for any misprints.

* To check hot wires, ignition, lights, or dimmer, use a voltmeter.

* To check speakers, use a portable test radio.

* To check speaker polarity (assuming you don't have a polarity tester): Touch (for a very short period of time) one wire to the positive side of a 1.5-volt battery (AA or C size), and the other wire to the negative side. If speaker "pops out", then polarity is correct. If speaker "pops in" then polarity is reversed. Use a meter to make sure that the wires you are going to check for speakers do not have any power.

BMW - Dodge/Chrysler - Ford - GM - Honda - Isuzu - Jeep - Mazda - Mercedes - Mitsubishi - Nissan -
Saab - Subaru - Toyota - Volvo - VW

BMW

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Gray/Red
Ignition (+12v Switched) Violet
Ground (-) Brown
Illumination White/Blue
Dimmer (none)
Power Antenna White
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Gray/White
Right Front (-) Gray/Brown
Left Front (+) Gray/Red
Left Front (-) Gray/Violet
Right Rear (+) Black/White
Right Rear (-) Black/Brown
Left Rear (+) Black/Red
Left Rear (-) Black/Violet

DODGE/CHRYSLER

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Red/White
Ignition (+12v Switched) Red
Ground (-) Black or Braided Silver Wire
Illumination Orange
Dimmer (none)
Power Antenna Yellow
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Violet
Right Front (-) Blue/Red
Left Front (+) Green
Left Front (-) Brown/Red
Right Rear (+) Blue/White
Right Rear (-) Blue/Red
Left Rear (+) Brown/Yellow
Left Rear (-) Brown/Red

FORD

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Green Yellow
Ignition (+12v Switched) Yellow/Black
Ground (-) Black or Fat Red
Illumination Orange
Dimmer Orange/White
Power Antenna Blue (varies greatly)
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) White/Green
Right Front (-) Green/Orange
Left Front (+) Orange/Green
Left Front (-) Light Blue
Right Rear (+) Pink/Blue
Right Rear (-) Green/orange
Left Rear (+) Pink/green
Left Rear (-) Pink/Blue

GENERAL MOTORS

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Orange
Ignition (+12v Switched) Yellow
Ground (-) Black
Illumination Gray
Dimmer Brown
Power Antenna Pink
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Light Green
Right Front (-) Dark Green
Left Front (+) Tan
Left Front (-) Gray
Right Rear (+) Dark Blue
Right Rear (-) Light Blue
Left Rear (+) Brown
Left Rear (-) Yellow

HONDA/ACURA

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Blue/White
Ignition (+12v Switched) Yellow/Red
Ground (-) Black
Illumination Red/Black
Dimmer (none)
Power Antenna Yellow/White
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Red/Green
Right Front (-) Brown/Black
Left Front (+) Blue/Green
Left Front (-) Gray/Black
Right Rear (+) Red/Yellow
Right Rear (-) Brown/White
Left Rear (+) Blue/Yellow
Left Rear (-) Gray/White

ISUZU

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Red/White
Ignition (+12v Switched) Orange
Ground (-) Black/Yellow
Illumination Green/Red
Dimmer Red/Green
Power Antenna (none)
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Gray
Right Front (-) Gray/Green
Left Front (+) Yellow
Left Front (-) Blue/Yellow
Right Rear (+) White
Right Rear (-) Red/White
Left Rear (+) Orange
Left Rear (-) Black/Orange

JEEP

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Pink
Ignition (+12v Switched) Violet/White
Ground (-) Black
Illumination Orange
Dimmer Blue/White
Power Antenna
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) White
Right Front (-) Black
Left Front (+) Green
Left Front (-) Black/Yellow
Right Rear (+) White/Black
Right Rear (-) Brown
Left Rear (+) Green/White
Left Rear (-) Brown/White

MAZDA

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Blue/Red
Ignition (+12v Switched) Blue/White
Ground (-) Black
Illumination Red/Black
Dimmer (none)
Power Antenna Blue (some have a (-) trigger, need relay)
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Blue/Red
Right Front (-) Blue/Orange
Left Front (+) Blue
Left Front (-) Blue/White
Right Rear (+) Blue/Orange
Right Rear (-) Blue/Black
Left Rear (+) Blue/White
Left Rear (-) Blue/Green

MERCEDES BENZ

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Red
Ignition (+12v Switched) Black/Yellow
Ground (-) Brown
Illumination Gray/Blue
Dimmer (none)
Power Antenna Blue
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Black/Green
Right Front (-) Black
Left Front (+) Black/Red
Left Front (-) Black
Right Rear (+) Black/Green
Right Rear (-) Black
Left Rear (+) Black/Red
Left Rear (-) Black

MITSUBISHI

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Red/White or White/Green
Ignition (+12v Switched) Blue/White
Most don't have one Black
Illumination Green/White
Dimmer Black/White or Black/Yellow
Power Antenna White/Black
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) White/Red
Right Front (-) Black/Red
Left Front (+) White/Blue
Left Front (-) Black/Blue
Right Rear (+) Yellow/Red
Right Rear (-) Gray/Red
Left Rear (+) Yellow/Red
Left Rear (-) Gray/Blue

NISSAN

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Red
Ignition (+12v Switched) (varies) Brown or Green
Ground (-) Black (varies - most don't have one)
Illumination Red/White
Dimmer Red/Black
Power Antenna Green
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Brown
Right Front (-) Brown/White
Left Front (+) Black
Left Front (-) Black/White
Right Rear (+) Blue
Right Rear (-) Pink
Left Rear (+) Red
Left Rear (-) Green

SAAB

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Gray
Ignition (+12v Switched) Red
Ground (-) Black
Illumination Brown/White
Dimmer (none)
Power Antenna Green
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Red
Right Front (-) Blue
Left Front (+) Brown
Left Front (-) Green
Right Rear (+) White/Red
Right Rear (-) White/Blue
Left Rear (+) White/Brown
Left Rear (-) White/Green

SUBARU

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Red/Green
Ignition (+12v Switched) Blue/Yellow
Ground (-) Black
Illumination
Dimmer
Power Antenna Red/White
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) White
Right Front (-) Blue/Black
Left Front (+) Yellow
Left Front (-) Blue/Red
Right Rear (+) White/Blue
Right Rear (-) Blue/Black
Left Rear (+) Yellow/White
Left Rear (-) Blue/Red

TOYOTA

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Blue/Yellow
Ignition (+12v Switched) Gray
Ground (-) Brown
Illumination Green
Dimmer White/Green
Power Antenna Black/Red
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Light Green
Right Front (-) Blue
Left Front (+) Pink
Left Front (-) Violet
Right Rear (+) Red
Right Rear (-) White
Left Rear (+) Black
Left Rear (-) Yellow

VOLVO

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Green
Ignition (+12v Switched) Black
Ground (-) Fat Black
Illumination Yellow (not on plug)
Dimmer (none)
Power Antenna Red
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Gray/White
Right Front (-) Gray
Left Front (+) Blue/Yellow
Left Front (-) White
Right Rear (+) Green/Brown
Right Rear (-) Green
Left Rear (+) Yellow/Brown
Left Rear (-) Yellow/Green

VOLKSWAGEN

P o w e r
Memory (+12v Constant) Red
Ignition (+12v Switched) Black (not available in older models)
Ground (-) Brown
Illumination Gray or Gray/Blue
Dimmer (none)
Power Antenna White
S p e a k e r s
Right Front (+) Red
Right Front (-) Brown/White
Left Front (+) Blue
Left Front (-) Brown/Blue
Right Rear (+) Red/Green
Right Rear (-) Brown/Black
Left Rear (+) Blue/Green
Left Rear (-) Brown/Red