YACarAudioT: Do I NEED a wiring harness?

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,600
126
Can't I just solder wire to wire instead of using a wiring harness?
 

Cal166

Diamond Member
May 6, 2000
5,081
8
81
I think i have lying around that i dont use. How does the input looks like?
 

emmpee

Golden Member
Nov 26, 2001
1,100
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you CAN solder wire to wire, but it won't be easy to swap the factory radio back in (if you ever want to)
 

Slvrtg277

Golden Member
Sep 9, 2004
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To actually answer your question, no you don't HAVE to have one. But it makes things much much easier if you do.
 

Raduque

Lifer
Aug 22, 2004
13,140
138
106
You could... but a wiring harness adapter thingy is 10x easier to use, and it allows you to easily re-install the factory radio if you decide to resell or trade-in down the road. Not to mention a lot of car mfgs use non-standard wire colors, so it'll be trial-and-error to hook up a radio.
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,600
126
Well I ask because my HU got jacked, so all I have left is wires...

I THINK the company that installed my HU prior just soldered wire to wire anyway, so if I get the same brand HU (Alpine) I could just look at the wires and match it up right?
 

Slvrtg277

Golden Member
Sep 9, 2004
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Originally posted by: Raduque
You could... but a wiring harness adapter thingy is 10x easier to use, and it allows you to easily re-install the factory radio if you decide to resell or trade-in down the road. Not to mention a lot of car mfgs use non-standard wire colors, so it'll be trial-and-error to hook up a radio.

"wiring harness adapter thingy"......yeah....my girlfriend would probably call it that. "Wiring harness" would have been just fine. You didn't need to add "adapter thingy".

You should be ashamed of yourself.
 

oogabooga

Diamond Member
Jan 14, 2003
7,806
3
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Originally posted by: Slvrtg277
To actually answer your question, no you don't HAVE to have one. But it makes things much much easier if you do.

winnah :

it's just easier to use, a relatively small investment and makes life a little easier.
 

mrchan

Diamond Member
May 18, 2000
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when ur HU got jacked, did they leave part of the wiring harness that is attached to the car? or did they cut it off from the harness leaving you with just bare wires? if it's bare wires...... a wiring harness won't help you any, its designed to plug into the harness that is no longer there.....
 

Ns1

No Lifer
Jun 17, 2001
55,420
1,600
126
Originally posted by: mrchan
when ur HU got jacked, did they leave part of the wiring harness that is attached to the car? or did they cut it off from the harness leaving you with just bare wires? if it's bare wires...... a wiring harness won't help you any, its designed to plug into the harness that is no longer there.....

bare wires
 

mrchan

Diamond Member
May 18, 2000
3,123
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if possible, you should get the harness for your car from the dealer, wire it up to the bare wires, then get a harness for your radio. probably make it much easier....