Installing Sony Marine Radio in Pontoon Boat

nuts4business

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I'm installing a Sony CDX-M60UI replacing a Boss radio and find it necessary to connect the wiring harness from the Sony with wire nuts. My 2007 Bentley Pontoon has 4 speakers (8 wires) and black, yellow and red wire color connections. However, the Sony also has an orange/white color wire and strereo turned on but was unable to program or set without that wire being connected. Does anyone know the proper way to connect this since Sony instructions do not specify if other orange/white wire is not present?
 

chargerboy

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Re: Installing Sony Marine Radio in Pontoon Boat

I've done a few car installations of Sony radios, if I remember correctly, the orange wire is on a relay to the ignition, when you turn the ignition on, that wire tells the radio its time to turn on also. Red wire is constant positive power, and black is ground. You'll have white, gray, green, and purple wires for the speakers. In total, 11 wires, plus possibly a blue wire for amp relay. If you have more than that, I'm not sure. On a boat, you might have it configured differently, most people don't have their ignition on when using the radio. Hook it up to a 15A fused 12v power source, and try again.
 

bruceb58

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Re: Installing Sony Marine Radio in Pontoon Boat

I'm installing a Sony CDX-M60UI replacing a Boss radio and find it necessary to connect the wiring harness from the Sony with wire nuts.
Don't use wire nuts.

Be also aware that having the power go to the radio at all times might kill your battery over time. You might want to wire in an external switch
 

nuts4business

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Re: Installing Sony Marine Radio in Pontoon Boat

Thanks for the info. But, does that mean I should have the orange-white plus the red hooked to the red wire from the boat or would I hook the orange-white along with the yellow wire?
 

chargerboy

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Re: Installing Sony Marine Radio in Pontoon Boat

To the red wire, if that's the one that is switched, according to that diagram would be my preference. You only want the lights on the radio when the power is supplied to it, if it's constantly on, you'll just drain the battery.

You'll want to use a volt meter to figure out which wires do what on the boat, if putting the key in accessory powers one of the wires, that's the one to use.

Alternatively, and probably the best way, would be to connect the orange wire to one of the wires that illuminate your gauges. Then when you turn your lights on, the stereo will light up as well.
 

NelsonQ

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Re: Installing Sony Marine Radio in Pontoon Boat

Thanks for the info. But, does that mean I should have the orange-white plus the red hooked to the red wire from the boat or would I hook the orange-white along with the yellow wire?

I've done a ton of car stereo installations. Yellow is typically your switched power so I'd tie it into that. If not, the illumination will stay on as it'll be supplied constant power from the battery.
 
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