M7 JBL radio into a M8?

[91 LSC SE]

Hi everyone,

I want to install a M7 radio into the M8. This will give me the space needed above the radio to install the Asham 8 I just received, as well as a rocker switch for the park height, and on/off for the suspension itself. I would like to have it set up (going from bottom) as heated seats, hvac unit, radio then Asham 8 at the top.

I previously wired a line in into the M7 radio so I could use my android as my music player. It has a much better sound than a cassette adaptor I'm currently using in the M8.

My idea is to keep the stock look and add the Asham8 trying to maintain the stock dash look as much as possible. To be honest, I prefer a dial for bass and treble as it is in the M7 vs. electronic push buttons in the M8.

The main wiring connectors are the same, the second to the amp is not, and the pin locations are not the same. I can re&re the pins so the wires are in the correct location for the main harness, but the amp output will have to be cut or so I believe at this point.

Funny I have a brand new Alpine single din with line in and usb and still would prefer the M7 radio/deck.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[chris2523]

sure, why not.
just run the mark 7 deck into a line out converter and then into the stock amp.
i did that with my alpine radio.

(it also worked fine with no line out converter, but 3 out of 20 volume was already loud)

 

[soduka]

I don't understand why you want 30 year old radio technology but okay.

 

[97 Octane]

Hi everyone,

I want to install a M7 radio into the M8.
I previously wired a line in into the M7 radio so I could use my android as my music player. It has a much better sound than a cassette adaptor I'm currently using in the M8.

You seem to be a tech saavy M8 owner. You can upgrade your M7 radio even further by installing a Bluetooth receiver at the line in of the M7R. These new Bluetooth receivers are full bandwith devices able to reproduce, high quality, lossless recordings from our Android.

Any Bluetooth device, including yours, will be able to connect to the radio.

 

[Bangster]

I don't have any answers for using the Mark VII radio in your Mark VIII, but I agree with the above post, adding a Bluetooth receiver instead of using the 3.5mm headphone jack is handy.

I added "aux in" to my factory radio converting the CD changer in, and have tried out a variety of Bluetooth receivers. Coupled with a power source so it is only on when the key is on, and burying it in the dash, makes it nice.

I wanted it for music only originally, but started spending more time in the car and on the phone, so got a solution that includes a mic and phone call support. There are 3-5 dollar easy solutions, 3-5 dollar DIY solutions, 20 dollar all in one solutions, I like to tinker so I have done most of them, then I upgrade and move them around to other cars or people.

 

[91 LSC SE]

Thanks Everyone,

The main reason for the change is to accommodate the space for the Asham 8. The stock dash with the 1 and a half din radio leaves no room to add the Asham 8, as I have the heated seats.
If I go to the single din M7 radio, I already had the line in, plus it gives the space for the Asham 8 above it, while keeping that stock appearance, plus it has the Lincoln star on it!

I do like the idea of the blue tooth, saves connecting and disconnecting each time you drive. I would think there is no difference in sound quality, but do want to ask - is it just as good as a direct line in or RCA line in equivalent ?

 

[Bangster]

For the level of fidelity from a 26 year old head unit, I don't think you would be able to tell the difference between a decent (even at a 3 dollar price point) bluetooth receiver and hardwired line in. It will be significantly better than cassette adapter, and one less mechanical thing to go wrong...I had lots of issues with the angle of the head unit and most cassette adapters, I tried a bunch of new ones and ones I grabbed from the you pull it junk yard.

 

[Sonny Day Out]

I installed a single din cd player from a 94 M8 in a M7 and a 94 Ford cd player in a M7 ! I had to change the antenna wire in the connector only ! I am only pointing out various interchangeable possibilities with the Marks !

Good Luck,
Sonny

 

[91 LSC SE]

Thanks

Been over a decade since I changed the radio and added the aux line in to the M7.

I went through my files and looked at the different radios, I have and recall first trying the newer 93/94/95 radio into the M7. Only one wire had to changed for amp trigger - the M7's use a 12 volt trigger and the next gen radios used a 6 volt trigger. I found that the sound quality was better with the M7 radio and stuck with that, as it too has the dials for bass and treble. Note both radios were pulled from a u-pull it yard and that may have had something to do with sound quality.

I still have those single din radios from 93 & up cars - I believe one was from a Continental as it does have the Lincoln Star on the cassette deck door.

I looked at the back and the main power wiring harness is the same style. Haven't yet checked that the pins match, but would think they would be wired the same, being all from that production period.

The secondary wiring harness for the JBL amp on the 97 & 98 M8 is a 16 pin, where the single din radio has a six pin that has a jumper pluged in it (this is a line in and line out), then another harness with 8 pin, that is + and - speaker line for the amp. Even with this being newer it appears to be identical to the older M7 set up for the speakers. I think Lincoln kept the speaker output for the amp the same as the M7 set up until the 97 & 98 M8's.

I'm going to try the newer 93-95 single din radio first and if it sounds good, I will wire in the aux line in, then try the blue tooth to check sound quality. I do prefer the dials vs. buttons, but think the new deck fits more with the stock dash of the M8

 

[91 LSC SE]

I found a wiring harness pin diagram for a 91 to 94 Explorer
at: http://www.installer.com/cars/by_car.php?carid=3341

and it looks identical - one or two wire colors do not match, but the pin out for the main harness is the same. I tried to match the colors at other sites but they didn't match.

I found another few and the pins didn't match up. Can anyone confirm if they are plug and play or if I have to move the wires to match up the to the correct pins?

 

[91 LSC SE]

Did a lot more research and found out that that the single din is plug and play, I tested it tonight to ensure the amp turn on is 6 volts, not 12 as in the M7's.
The speaker wire harness is different and not wanting to cut mine, I'm going to use an after market connector.
The radio matches the dash color exactly. It slides in perfect - I wanted it at the bottom just above the heater so the Asham 8 could go right above which places it just under the buttons for the information centre. It made sense that this is the area were all of the functions, options and controls specific to the M8 are and that is where the suspension control and display should go.
I have also found out that the small plug 6 pin on the radio is the CD line in & out and that most of the newer single din can control the 10 pack CD changer in the trunk. Also learned that the sony cartages or magazines XA-10B fit the Changer in our M8's. Thus you can have 40 or 50 CD ready with 4 or 5 magazines.
I have already figured the pins for line in and line out, just have to figure out which is ground, I think it is bottom right, but haven't tested it yet. From what I read you can use the tape deck and fm and when you plug in the headphone jack it stops taking signal from radio and takes it from the input (your mp3 player etc.) and plays that through the radio.

 

[91 LSC SE]

So I have all the speaker line outs to the amp figured. When splicing the older speaker harness (8 pin) in the earlier M8's and M7's. I noticed all eight speaker + and - wires and also a ninth wire that didn't have any insulation. Looks like a ground?

Should this be hooked up to pin #14 in the 16 pin harness that is stock in our M8's? The wiring digram lists #14 as "shield"

Does anyone know what the #14 pin is for?