SC 901 fitting

[Blackdog]

I'm looking to change the head unit in the 98 V70.

I have picked up a 901 unit but did not know it had to have an amp to make it work.

The question is is it an easy job to fit a Volvo amp (ie is the wiring already in place) or is it an electrical nightmare?

[AcidicDavey]

It is a fairly simple install, the difficult bit is finding the bits!

You need the underseat amp and wiring harness to install it. It is just plug and play.
When you have the parts you simply just remove the driver's seat and carpet, bolt the amp to the floor (there are premade holes in the carpet and the floor is threaded to take the bolts) and install the amp wiring harness under the carpet. You plug the original wiring into connectors on the harness and that goes to the amp and back again to the stereo.

There is another problem though, the aerial. On the SC900/901 there is a different one. A sort of 2 way/2 aerials that Volvo call a Diversity Aerial System or something stupid. On the V70 it runs an aerial on the driver's rear window (a little booster thing connected to the front stud of said window) and the cable for that runs all the way from the window to the stereo under the carpet/sill trim.

Here are some photos from when I did the install the other month.

Amp and harness.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8741/16742230367_6d6f399620_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rvsiNg)SC900 Amp 1 (https://flic.kr/p/rvsiNg) by AcidicDavey (https://www.flickr.com/photos/83938051@N08/), on Flickr

Amp installed.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8728/16763370269_3b9f94c160_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rxjDXk)SC900 Amp 2 (https://flic.kr/p/rxjDXk) by AcidicDavey (https://www.flickr.com/photos/83938051@N08/), on Flickr

Aerial booster.
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8750/17056808826_bd6d15ef98_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rZfB1N)08-04-15 001 (https://flic.kr/p/rZfB1N) by AcidicDavey (https://www.flickr.com/photos/83938051@N08/), on Flickr

Aerial booster on stud.
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7646/16460328454_fbe69409ce_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/r5xubs)08-04-15 002 (https://flic.kr/p/r5xubs) by AcidicDavey (https://www.flickr.com/photos/83938051@N08/), on Flickr

You may need to fit the other main aerial from a SC900/901 car too but I'm yet to do that and the reception is ok, will be better when I bother to fit it hopefully.

It sounds and looks more difficult a job to fit but it's not really ;)

[Blackdog]

Thanks for that. Fortunately I know where the rest of the parts are as I got the 901 from a breakers yard with us removing it from the car.

[AcidicDavey]

Nice one, easy then :)

The wiring plugs into the harness, those connectors were wrapped in foam just behind the radio.

Was the car at the breakers a S/V70? C70's amp are different (in the boot) and the 2nd aerial you'll need is only in the V70s. The aerials on C70s and S70s are different to V70s.

[Blackdog]

Reading this alas it was from a C70....

Now sounds like a mission to sort the wiring.

[Wobbly Dave]

I have a spare amp from a C70 if it helps or easier still a sony headset with cd-multichanger, ipod connectivity and remote.