Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram

Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram

Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram

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Complete diagram

Every cable and connector on the unit and where each one goes.

Complete diagram
REAR OF UNITDEH-S5100BTTo an externalpower amp10 AFRONT OF UNIT−+BATTERYSPEAKERSVEHICLE ANTENNAMICROPHONE (3 m)Hard-wired remotecontrol adapterREAR OUTFRONT OUTSUBWOOFER OUTGROUND(Black)CHASSISCONSTANT 12 V(Yellow)SWITCHED 12 V(Red)IGNITION KEYSYSTEM REMOTE(Blue/White)To the amp remote orauto-antenna relayILLUMINATION(Orange/White)To the illumination signal(White)(White/Black)+−Front left(Gray)(Gray/Black)+−Front right(Green)(Green/Black)+−Rear left(Violet)(Violet/Black)+−Rear rightUSBUSB device or phoneAUXExternal player

Terminals and components · 17

  • Constant 12 V
  • Switched 12 V
  • Ground
  • System remote
  • Illumination and preamp
  • Speakers
  • AUX input
  • Connectors
  • Antenna and devices

About This Diagram

These diagrams are redrawn from page 3 of the Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver manual, and we offer them completely free and in English. We have also categorized it in the Car Audio & Stereo (Automotive) section on Diagramverse, and it has been rated by 1 user with an average rating of 5.0. If you have any specific questions about the Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram, we suggest checking the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section.

Printable Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Wiring Diagrams

Complete

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Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram – Complete
Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram – Speakers · Four speakers
Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram – Speakers · 4 Ω subwoofers
Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram – Speakers · 2 Ω subwoofer
Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram – Speakers · Two 4 Ω in parallel
Pioneer DEH-S5100BT Audio Receiver Wiring Diagram – Power amp

Wiring Instructions

Before you start

The Pioneer DEH-S5100BT is built for 12 V negative ground vehicles only. It runs on 14.4 V DC (10.8 V to 15.1 V allowable) and draws up to 10.0 A, protected by a 10 A fuse in the power cord. Do not run it on anything else. Car installations don't need a permit. Still, if you don't have experience with automotive electrical work, or the job means drilling or modifying the dash, have a professional car audio installer do it.

Use the tabs to pick the drawing that matches your system:

  • Complete: every connection on the unit, for a standard four-speaker installation.
  • Speakers: use the selector to choose Four speakers, 4 Ω subwoofers, 2 Ω subwoofer or Two 4 Ω in parallel if you are driving a passive subwoofer straight from the rear speaker leads.
  • Power amp: use this one if you run external amplifiers from the RCA outputs.

Tools and materials: wire strippers, crimp connectors or solder and heat-shrink tubing, a digital multimeter, insulating tape, cable clamps, and a vehicle-specific adapter harness if your car has a factory plug. The sources don't give a wire gauge. If you have to extend a lead, use wire at least as heavy as the lead you are extending. Use speakers rated over 50 W, between 4 Ω and 8 Ω. Never use 1 Ω to 3 Ω speakers on the four-channel outputs. A 2 Ω subwoofer on the rear leads must be rated over 70 W.

Disconnect the battery negative terminal before you touch any wiring, and leave it off until every connection is finished and insulated.

Step-by-step wiring

  1. Pull the old radio and identify the vehicle's leads with the battery still connected and your meter set to DC volts. Constant 12 V reads with the key off. Switched 12 V reads only in ACC or ON. Label both, then disconnect the battery negative.
  2. Connect the Black chassis ground first. Bolt it to clean, paint-free metal on the body. If you also have an external power amp, its ground must go to the body with a separate screw, not the one the head unit uses.
  3. Connect Yellow to the constant 12 V supply terminal. Do not route the yellow lead through the firewall to the battery. Never cut into the unit's power cable to share power with other devices.
  4. Connect Red to the terminal controlled by the ignition switch. If your vehicle has no ACC position, use the terminal that detects operation of the ignition key. Otherwise the unit can drain the battery.
  5. Connect Orange/white to the car's illumination signal so the display can follow the dash lights.
  6. If you have an amp or a power antenna, connect Blue/white to the amp's system remote terminal or to the auto-antenna relay control terminal (300 mA max). With a glass antenna, connect it to the antenna booster power supply terminal. Never connect it to the power terminal of an amp or an antenna motor.
  7. Wire the speakers in matching pairs: FL white/white-black, FR gray/gray-black, RL green/green-black, RR violet/violet-black. The plain color is always +. Keep every negative isolated: never ground it and never join the negatives of several speakers.
  8. For a 2 Ω subwoofer, or two 4 Ω subwoofers in parallel, use only the violet and violet/black leads. Tape the green and green/black ends separately.
  9. For amplifiers, run RCA cables from FRONT OUT, REAR OUT and SUB OUT. Keep them away from the power leads.
  10. Plug in the antenna at ANT. Plug the 3 m microphone into MIC and mount it in front of the driver, on the sun visor or the steering column, with the lead clamped away from the steering column and shift lever. Connect a steering-wheel adapter to REMOTE if you are using one.
  11. Insulate every unused lead with tape, and don't shorten any of the unit's cables. Clamp the harness away from moving parts such as seat rails, and away from hot spots such as heater outlets. Wrap tape wherever wiring touches metal edges. Leave space behind the chassis so the vents can breathe.

Testing and start-up

Before you mount the unit, reconnect the battery negative and check that:

  • yellow reads about 12 V to chassis with the key off;
  • red reads 12 V only in ACC or ON;
  • blue/white reads about 12 V while the unit is on and 0 V when it is off.

Detach the front panel and press RESET with a pointed tool longer than 8 mm. This reset is required before first use. Turn the ignition ON, and the setup menu appears. Then open the INITIAL settings with the unit off and match them to your wiring:

  • REAR-SP: choose FUL for rear full-range speakers, or SW for a passive subwoofer on the rear leads.
  • SP-P/O MODE: choose REAR/SUB.W, SUB.W/SUB.W or REAR/REAR to match what is on the RCA outputs.

If you use a subwoofer, set SUBWOOFER to ON in the AUDIO settings. Then check each speaker at low volume with BALANCE and FADER, and confirm the display dims when you switch on the headlights.

Safety notes

  • A 12 V system won't give you a dangerous shock, but a shorted yellow lead can deliver enough current to melt insulation and start a fire. Keep the battery disconnected until you finish.
  • Only replace the fuse with one of the same 10 A rating.
  • A loose ground screw can cause smoke, fire or malfunction. Tighten it fully.
  • Never mount the unit or route cables where they could interfere with driving or hurt a passenger in a sudden stop.

Troubleshooting

Symptom Probable Cause What to Check
The radio forgets the clock and presets every time I turn off the car Yellow is connected to a switched supply, or yellow and red are swapped With the key off, measure yellow to chassis: it should read about 12 V. Red should read 0 V with the key off and 12 V in ACC or ON. Swap the leads if they are reversed.
My battery is dead after the car sits overnight Red is on constant 12 V, Blue/white is on an amp's power terminal, or there is no ACC position and red went to the wrong terminal Measure red with the key removed: it must read 0 V. Make sure blue/white goes only to the amp's system remote or antenna relay control terminal. Also remember that leaving Bluetooth on standby with the engine off can drain the battery.
The unit is completely dead, with no display The 10 A fuse is blown, there is no 12 V on yellow or red, or the ground is poor Check the fuse for continuity. Measure 12 V on yellow and red to chassis. Measure the black lead to bare body metal: resistance should be close to 0 Ω. Clean the paint off the ground point and retighten it.
The display shows AMP ERROR, or the sound cuts out at higher volume A speaker lead is shorted to the body, a negative lead is grounded, the negatives of several speakers are joined, or the load is below the allowed impedance Disconnect the harness and check that each speaker negative has no continuity to chassis or to the other negatives. Check each speaker pair measures 4 Ω to 8 Ω, or no less than 2 Ω on violet with a subwoofer. Turn the ignition off and on again.
The bass is thin and the sound seems to come from nowhere One speaker is wired with reversed polarity Check that the plain color goes to + and the striped color goes to − on every speaker. Briefly touching a 1.5 V battery to the speaker leads should move each cone outward when + is on the plain-color lead.
My external amplifier won't turn on Blue/white is not connected, or it is connected to the amp's power terminal instead of its remote input With the unit on, measure about 12 V on blue/white, and 0 V with the unit off. Connect it to the amp's system remote terminal only. The lead supplies at most 300 mA.
The subwoofer on the rear leads plays full-range sound, or the fader is missing REAR-SP doesn't match the wiring Turn the unit off and open the INITIAL settings. Set REAR-SP to SW for a subwoofer on the rear leads, or FUL for full-range rear speakers. Note that FADER is not available when SW is selected.
I get no sound from the subwoofer amp on SUB OUT SUBWOOFER is set to OFF, or SP-P/O MODE is set to REAR/REAR Set SUBWOOFER to ON in the AUDIO settings. Set SP-P/O MODE to REAR/SUB.W or SUB.W/SUB.W. Check that the RCA cable is in SUB OUT, not REAR OUT.
My 2 Ω subwoofer distorts or the unit shuts off The sub is on the green leads, it is split across both rear channels, or the total load is below 2 Ω Move the subwoofer to violet and violet/black only, and tape the green and green/black ends. Measure the total load: two 4 Ω subs in parallel should read about 2 Ω.
I hear a whine that follows engine speed The ground is poor or shared, or the RCA cables run next to power wiring Give the head unit and the amp separate ground screws on clean body metal. Reroute the RCA cables away from the power and speaker leads.
Radio reception is weak, or the power antenna doesn't go up The antenna plug is not fully seated in ANT, or blue/white is not connected to the antenna relay or booster Reseat the antenna plug. With the unit on, measure about 12 V at the antenna relay control terminal or booster power supply terminal. The antenna should extend when a source is on and retract when you turn the source off.
The display stays bright at night or the unit behaves strangely after installation Orange/white is not connected, or the microprocessor was not reset Check for 12 V on the car's illumination lead with the headlights on, and set DIM SETTING to SYNC ILLUMI. Press RESET with the front panel removed.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


What are the wire colors for a Pioneer head unit?
On the DEH-S5100BT, yellow is constant 12 V, red is switched 12 V from the ignition, black is chassis ground, blue/white is the system remote for an amp or power antenna, and orange/white is illumination. The speaker leads come in pairs: white for left front, gray for right front, green for left rear and violet for right rear. The plain color is positive and the same color with a black stripe is negative. Other Pioneer models use very similar colors, but always confirm against the label or drawing for your exact model.

Do all Pioneer stereos use the same wiring harness?
No, you shouldn't assume they do. The lead colors are largely consistent across Pioneer receivers, but plug shapes, pin layouts and the leads included vary by model and generation. Even within this family, the orange/white illumination lead and the front RCA output only exist on certain models. Use the power cord supplied with your DEH-S5100BT. If you replace it, match the model number exactly rather than buying a harness that only looks the same.

Where can I find a Pioneer radio wiring harness?
The power cord harness comes with the DEH-S5100BT. If yours is lost or damaged, ask a Pioneer dealer or an authorized Pioneer Service Station for the correct replacement for your model. A vehicle adapter harness is a separate part: it joins the Pioneer leads to your car's factory plug without cutting the car's wiring. Car audio retailers sell them by vehicle make, model and year.

What are the color codes for car stereo wires?
Most aftermarket car stereos use the same basic color scheme as this unit: yellow for constant 12 V, red for switched 12 V, black for ground, blue/white for amp turn-on, and orange/white for illumination. For speakers, white is left front, gray is right front, green is left rear and violet is right rear, with the black-striped lead of each pair as negative. Factory vehicle wiring often uses completely different colors, so identify the car's leads with a meter or an adapter harness.

Can I run a subwoofer without an external amplifier?
Yes. You can drive a passive subwoofer straight from the rear speaker leads. Use either one 4 Ω subwoofer per rear channel, or a single 2 Ω subwoofer (or two 4 Ω subs in parallel) on the violet and violet/black leads only, with green taped off. A 2 Ω sub must be rated over 70 W. Afterward, set REAR-SP to SW in the INITIAL settings so the unit sends bass to those leads.

Which speakers can I connect to the DEH-S5100BT?
Use speakers rated over 50 W maximum input power with an impedance between 4 Ω and 8 Ω. Never connect 1 Ω to 3 Ω speakers to the four-channel outputs. The only exception is a 2 Ω subwoofer on the violet rear channel. The amplifier delivers up to 50 W × 4 channels into 4 Ω, or 22 W × 4 continuous. Speakers below the impedance limit can overload the output and trigger the protection circuit.

Can I use the blue/white lead to turn on an amplifier and a power antenna at the same time?
Possibly, as long as the total current stays within 300 mA at 12 V DC, which is the most the blue/white lead can supply. Check the current draw of each device's remote or relay input. If the total is higher, or you aren't sure, general good practice is to have blue/white drive a separate relay that switches the loads. Never connect the lead to the power terminal of an amplifier or an antenna motor.

What if my car has no ACC position on the ignition switch?
You can still install the unit, but connect the red lead to a terminal that detects operation of the ignition key, so it only has voltage while the key is in use. If red ends up on a supply that is always live, the unit never fully shuts off and can drain the battery. Confirm with a meter that the terminal reads 12 V with the key on and 0 V with the key removed.

Do I have to connect the orange/white illumination lead?
No, the unit works without it, but it's worth connecting. The orange/white lead receives the car's lighting signal so the display and keys can dim with the dash lights when DIM SETTING is set to SYNC ILLUMI. Without it, you can choose a clock-based or manual dimming setting instead. If you leave the lead unconnected, tape the end so it can't touch metal.

Can I tap the yellow or red lead to power other accessories?
No. Never cut into the insulation of the unit's power cable to share power with other devices: its current capacity is limited, and overloading it can cause overheating or a fire. Power other accessories from their own fused circuit. If you add an external amplifier, also give it its own ground screw, separate from the head unit's.

Do I need the front, rear and subwoofer RCA outputs?
Only if you add external amplifiers. The RCA outputs send a low-level signal (2.0 V maximum on the DEH-S5100BT) to separate amps for the front speakers, rear speakers and subwoofer, and the amps turn on through the blue/white lead. If you only use the built-in amplifier and the speaker leads, leave the RCA jacks empty. Then match SP-P/O MODE and SUBWOOFER to whatever is actually connected.

What fuse does the DEH-S5100BT use?
It uses a 10 A fuse in the power cord, which matches the unit's maximum current consumption of 10.0 A. Always replace it with a fuse of the same rating, never a larger one. If the new fuse blows right away, look for a short between yellow or red and the chassis, or a pinched lead behind the dash, before you try again.

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