Hi, I am a hack as far as you guys go, but I have had some success in fixing electronics.
My question is I have an amplified CD/car radio that doesn't have any other options for input like Sat radio etc. But I would like to hook my mp3 to it.
So I was thinking I would disable the CD option and try to use the ribbon wire going to it.
The thing is; How can I figure out what is left, right, and ground for the preamp inputs to the radio?
Is there any easy method or is it too much without a schematic?
I will also have to try to trick the unit to think that there is a CD in it, but I think that there is a micro switch inside that I can make external.
Anyway let me know what you think

 

it is possible but you have to dismantle the whole thing first and study it's connections

Rifaa

 

I have already had it all dismantled and was wondering how I can figure out what wires in the ribbon from the cd to the radio are left, right, and ground.

 

The get the pictures of the connections and the connector respectively. I can figure them out, but you need to check 'em once we know which is which.

Rifaa

 

Will do! I will get on that tonight.
I'll be back!
Thanks

 

Okay so here is a pic of the circuit board. Now that I look at it I would guess on the right part of the ribbon I have my right and left channel outputs, correct?
So what is the ground the one beside that, it looks like ACOM?
Also do you have any idea on how I can make the radio switch to cd/MP3 without puting in an actual CD that it would want to play? Like an external switch.
I can test them with a tweeter when it is hooked up to the car.
Thanks

Here is the ribbon attaching to the radio if interested.

 

U know what.
what you want is possible, cause I tinker with these things in every day life, it's just takes time to figure out the connections.
Problem is I have to have it in my hand to figure out options. I don't think you can tinker the way I tinker with CD players. I always look at what I am doing for like hours.
So in this case you have to bear with me. I know what I will do but what I donno is that you will do what I want you to do to check something out, do you know what I mean.
U said something about left and right audio's and the switching problem. You are right about it. this can be done but to figure the connections is the hard part.

In the second picture u said it goes to the tuner, could you verify that this connection has the audio going out, check for labellings or markings.
Also get more pics of it so that I could understand how the Player is physically. I have to see the tracks and check where it goes to know if that particular pin is a voltage pin, or a switching pin or an audio pin.

So get me more pics, close ups of all the interconnects.

If you can do what I say then I can make you do what you want.
I know I can cause I have.

Rifaa