I just bought a Volvo 6 CD changer off ebay. My sons 96 850 GLT sedan has the SC 811 Premium sound system which will accept the CD changer. I've looked high and low in the trunk (boot for our European readers) and I can't find it. I thought it came prewired. If I can't find it at least the one I bought comes with all the cables and brackets so I can run the wire if I have to. Also, how do I get power to the unit once it is installed? Please help or there will be a very sad teenager in my home (not to mention a very mad wife if I can't hook this thing up and have to pay someone an inordinate amount of money to do so[8D].)

 

Not all cars were prewired from what I understand.

What I would do is pull the head unit out and see if you can just plug the wiring harnesses togehter. When I put a CD changer in my 94 (I put it in the glove box) all I had to do was unplug the big plug in the back of the head unit, plug in a new wiring harness and plug the one that was plugged directly into the he head unit back into an outlet on the new harness which was connected to the CD player. The new harness came with the CD player.

I would try to get it working in the front of the car before running a wire to the trunk. Heck my 97 has the CD player sitting on the floor on the passenger side cause the sinlge one in the head unit quit working and I kept the one out of the 94.

 

I should have known I'd have to run wires[:@]! Good idea about hooking it up before running the wire to make sure everything works. Does plugging the wiring harness into the radio unit also provide the power for the CD changer? Don't want to sound like a total dunce[sm=dontgetit.gif], but you are what you are, and I am no electronics expert. Thanks for answering my simple (minded) questions.

 

Yes as long as everything is OEM. At least it did in my case. When you get the wiring harness it's a piece of cake. You don't have to know what you're doing. If I had to know anything, I would have had my son or even my youngest daughter do it. They did all kinds of stuff hooking stereos up in their cars. I did too when I was younger. Now I just can't see the little connections good enough, and I have kids that are better at it than I am.

 

Good. I'm all OEM. The radio unit is the SC 811 and the CD changer is Volvo 6 CD which was made to go with the SC 8** series. Every once in a while I get lucky. I know I could have gone with newer larger capacity CD changers but I wanted to make it as easy as possible on myself.

 

On my Yellow T5-R the wiring was taped behind the R/S trunk panel hidden really good.

Which I don't know why they hid it there. They always get mounted on the L/S of the car!!

Once the radio is out did you see a C/D wire in the dash?

It took me a good 1.5 hours to find my wiring for the changer.

 

Tech, I'll look around the right side of the trunk some more but I looked and felt around in there some earlier and couldn't see or feel anything. I think I'll pull the head unit out and see if there is a wire plugged into the CD hookup. If there is I'll keep looking in the trunk, if not, I guess me and the youngster get to run some wiring in the future.

 

Good luck!!!

 

OK, this is really starting to frustrate me. I pulled the radio head unit and sure enough there is already a harness plugged into the CD slot in the back of the radio. Therefore my first question was answered, there is a wiring harness already run for the CD changer. I then proceeded to the trunk and started feeling around for the harness. I loosened the trunk trim/covers on either side of the trunk and felt around on both sides and couldn't feel anything other than what wires were going to the tail lights and the power antenna. I then lifted the floor of the trunk and no wires were present. So once again I ask, nay I shout, " WHERE'S THAT DARN CD CHANGER HOOKUP![:@] Tech, I'm counting on you.

 

Mine was all the way taped to the back of the panel behind the rear passenger seat.

It would be closer to the rear seats than the back trunk taillight area.

 

OK. I'll keep looking. If you see a black 850 going down the highway in Kentucky with no sheetmetal from the rear doors on back, that's probably me and all that's left of the car after finishing looking for the harness.

 

Ok guys, I've just about taken the enitre trunk liner out of the drivers side of the car and I have yet to find the wire. I know there is one because when you pull the radio there is a wiring harness already plugged into the radio. Would it be on the passenger side? Could it go to the glove box (although I've looked in there and don't see any openings etc. I got a wiring harness with the one I bought off ebay but really don't relish the thought of running it. Is there a possibility that the wiring is bundled with other wires going to the trunk (e.g. power antenna, tailights etc.)? Inquiring minds want to know, especially before they go off the deepend.[8D][:@]

 

So I search and find this thread and I have identical problemused 98 v70 and I have the changer option on head unit and original window sticker which says wired for cd changer. Were they always in the trunk? Does the wiring usually get stored there, exactly where, for hookup? Dealer can't tell me anything and doesn't have a clue.

Thnx

 

I ended up finding mine attached to the tail light wiring bundle on the drivers side of the car. As yours is a V70 and there is no trunk per se, you need to find the tail light wiring (I would start with the drivers side) and trace it back towards the front of the car. My guess is that yours will also be bundled with the other wires. You have pulled the head unit out to see if the harness is already plugged into the HU? If not, check that and if there is not a harness then you will have to run one. Good luck and let us know what happens.

 

Thanks! Sure the wiring is there, just not where. I'll look at the taillight bundle first.

 

just for kicks , check under the passenger front seat. my 95 850 had the changer there when i bought it. it was an aftermarket changer though. good luck

 

Thanks for the replies. Haven't had time to figure it out yet, and manual doesn't show it. Passenger seat makes senseI've got the v-70 wagon.