15 replies to this topic

[Ant]

hi, is it ok for a cd player to be wired into the car with only the 12volt switched live and no permanent live, i know it wont hold preset radio stations or anything, but aslong as i can listen to music while driving and its not bad for the cd player that would be fine, i will sort out a permanent live eventually but i dont have the spare male connector on the solenoid that is shown on the step by step guide.
thanx
Ant

[Pavel]

It will work (without any saved presets or eq settings and will reset to the beginning of the disc every time you start your car).
But it would be silly not to wire up the permanent live, it's really easy. What year car do you have so we could tell you exactly where you could get it from?

[Pooky]

You can take a permanent live feed from the fusebox, don't need to go all the way to the solenoid

[mini_basser]

My HU was wired to the fusebox...few short bits of wire put through a hole behind the dash...quite easy really

[binge]

Do NOT. I repeat. DO NOT wire that 12v feed from the ignition to the Live feed on the headunit.

The headunit draws more current that that wire can provide. meaning it will melt the wire.
That is a "Switching" wire. Its there to switch the headunit on and off (Small relay inside). YOu need a decent live to run the CD player dude.


You can go from the battery, From the headlight switch. Anywhere really. Just use your head.

Go from the fuse box. also (Cant remember which One). But if you take it from "Before" the fuse, then put an inline fuse in (or the HU may have one in the back). Then your sorted


But dont use that small weedy wire to power your headunit man, you'l probably cause a fire.

[Pavel]

Almost positive that the IGNITION wire on HU's draws the current, and the (yellow) permanent wire is there SOLELY for memory purposes, so there should be no problem wiring them both to an ignition wire, but as we all said before its so simply to wire up a permanent feed properly that it would be silly not to

[philster]

I don't run mine switched at all.

Ran a piece of fused 12 guage cable straight through to the headunit and that does me fine.

Took about 10 minutes to fit and cost less than a fiver for the inline maxi fuse holder, fuse, cable and grommet.

[miniboo]

I have hundreds (literally) of all tyoes of crimp connectors PM me and i will send some to you.

[binge]

Almost positive that the IGNITION wire on HU's draws the current, and the (yellow) permanent wire is there SOLELY for memory purposes, so there should be no problem wiring them both to an ignition wire

Maybe so. But on the 4 minis Ive had. The ignition wires have been piddely wee things. so I guess its better just to be on the safe side

[Sam Walters]

cant he just tap off the cig lighter? sure thats run pretty much stright off the batery could be wrong tho

[ed4ran]

cant he just tap off the cig lighter? sure thats run pretty much stright off the batery could be wrong tho

Minis dont have cig lighters unless they have been installed seperately

[Matt]

lol @ flyingears2002..... you should know this by the state of kattypillas electrics!

the company that put kattypillas stereo in decided that they woudl run... a cig lighter... a kenwood hideaway cd player, some chav lights, and a swtich through the ignition wire which was a piddly wire.. like used for stock speaker wire.

you can take 12v from your fuse box which is just below the window in the bonnet.... then feed it through the front into the dash.. takes 30 seconds if you know what your doing...... and you can keep ur presets.,

[edjohnson]

some cd players have internal memory, running of a battery, it keeps radio presets, and the basic eq settings, but wont remember where on the cd you were for some reason.

I ran a Blaupunkt Head unit in my golf without a permanent live, and it did fine, as all it didnt remember was whether or not you were using cd,radio, or auxillary in last, and it didnt remember your last cd position.

But it did have preset eq and radio stations stored, must be a battery inside...

But it really is so easy to get a live feed to the stereo on a mini, be rude not to.

ed

[Matt]

if it helps.. im running without a permanent live in my metro...

runs fine... no dodgy burnt wires or anything....

just doesnt remember as edjohnson says... cd..radio etc...

[Sam Walters]

cant he just tap off the cig lighter? sure thats run pretty much stright off the batery could be wrong tho

Minis dont have cig lighters unless they have been installed seperately

dident know that sooner i get my mini the better!