Radio compatibility - 740 & 940

GSmith · Post by **GSmith** » 16 Apr 2009, 07:05

Here's a (hopefully) quick question:

I was touring through the local junkyard looking for a power window switch for my 740 yesterday when I found a 1995 940 sedan with a radio (which I know I would have to call and get the code for).

Since my radio just died a horrible, squealing-screeching death the other day, I was wondering if anyone knows if the plugs/wires etc for the 740 radio (1990) will "plug and play" into a radio from a 1995 940.

Post by **billofdurham** » 16 Apr 2009, 11:57

A quick question deserves a quick answer.

Possibly!!!

The '90 740 had a choice of two radios, the base radio or radio with a separate amplifier.

The '95 940 had a choice of three radios, the base radio, radio with a separate amplifier and radio with an integrated amplifier.

Which was fitted to your 740 and which is fitted to the 940?

Bill.

GSmith · Post by **GSmith** » 16 Apr 2009, 12:53

Bill,

Well, the radio in my car is not the original. He pulled it out of another car in another junkyard. It was too small for the space that it's in now, which means he didn't pull the bezel for it or there was a larger Volvo radio in there originally.

The radio in my car now has a white rectangular plug going into it and a black circular plug that goes into the radio where it says "amp", but I don't know where the amp is/was?

The 940's radio was a large unit, looked like it would fit in the space in my 740 and had space for two rectagular plugs on the back and, I believe, the circular spot for the amp plug - it was already pulled out and sitting on the seat in the car, so I don't know how it was hooked up originally.

GSmith · Post by **GSmith** » 16 Apr 2009, 19:48

Sorry, when I said "he" above, I meant the previous owner.

Post by **billofdurham** » 17 Apr 2009, 16:07

My 740 had a 'double din' radio fitted which meant that it was twice the height of a standard radio. Is it possible that yours had this originally?

If you have a plug in the amp socket you will probably have an amp which will be at the other end of that cable, somewhere under the dash. The other plug will probably be a 12 pin but will only have 7 wires to it. The speakers are connected to the amp.

740 radio with amp.pdf: (1.29 MiB) Downloaded 266 times

The 940 radio is more sophisticated. It still has the amp plug and the 12 pin plug which now has 12 wires as the instrument panel speakers are run from the radio. The amp still runs the other speakers. The 940 radio is also set up to take a remote CD multi play unit.

940 radio with amp.pdf: (1.1 MiB) Downloaded 938 times

The wiring diagrams explain it better than I can but it is possible to use the 940 radio if you already have an amp.

Bill.

GSmith · Post by **GSmith** » 18 Apr 2009, 13:17

Bill,

Thanks for the diagrams. Now I understand better how the radios are wired and why I could find all the speaker wires going into the radio... they don't! They go to the amp.

I'm going to just pull a 740 radio on my next trip so it's "plug and play" rather than buying an aftermarket and an adapter kit.

Greg