Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi all

Was hoping this would be more straightforward (when will I learn?!)
Any car audio or electronics gurus out there that can point me in the right direction.

I have a new blaupunkt sqr 46 I’m looking to install in my 944 in place of the current alpine head unit which looks to be from the early 2000s.

Is my best bet to start by working out what the existing wires are working backwards from the Alpine head unit manual?
Also any recommendations for what to do regarding an in-line amplifier? I currently have an in-line KMT Alpine amplifier which uses phantom power isn’t connected to my battery battery and runs off the head unit. I’ve seen from a YouTube store on a 928 The chap uses a Sony in-line amplifier.

Lastly, the chocolate box on the Alpine is a 16 pin Connect and the new stereo is an eight pin like the factory standard

Photos attached

OK years ago I did do this for a living. And the stereo in my 944 when I had it was to put it politely a rats nest.
What I normally do is get a bare leaded plug & harness for the head unit. Fit a 5 Amp chocolate block to all the wires & identify what each wire does. You'll have 8 speaker wires, An aerial power wire, an ignition switched live & a permanent live.
The two latter ones need fuses!
After that its a matter of finding each each wire in the loom. By the time I'd stripped out a copper mine from behind the audio, mine followed the Porsche circuit diagram.
Aerial power is for A. electric aerials, B. for amps etc. If its a chunky amp use a relay between this and the amp. Again the live feed should be fused.
Get yourself a cheap multimeter. You can trace speaker wires with a AA battery but a meter is easier. The speakers in a 944 especially the front ones have a hard life & I'd suggest replacement and new wiring. Ignore the old Porsche wiring.
Be warned you may need to crossover the permanent live & switched live, you do in a lot of VW type cars.