headunit install problem

[ecuastyle84]

ok ive search but couldnt find anything that could help me unless im not searching hard enough and if theres a thread about this problem please direct me to it....so here we go, my girlfriend bought me a pioneer headunit for christmas and im just installing now...when i bought my car it had a shitty headunit on already...i noticed that the previous owner hacked the wires and twisted it to the old unit...i bought a plug-in harness from best buy and got it wired up to my new unit but since the harness was hacked i can't plug it in...how do i fix this...i do have a se s13 parts car with the stock radio harness....should i cut that off and use that for my car?...i don't know what to do from here....any help will be appreciated...thanks!

[ryguy]

That's what I did, but only because Crutchfield gave me the adapter harness for free. I went to the junkyard and got a long piece of intact radio harness and used butt connectors to connect it. I ran into a problem with one of the wires being the wrong color but in the end it was a cheap, easy, clean way of doing it. On my first 240 I just cut the factory harness off and wired it in with the harness that came with the unit. Yours should have one its the pigtail with no plastic clip on one end, and a quick search will tell you which wires are which.

[ecuastyle84]

ok cool ill try that...should i use butt connectors or can i just twist them?

[frosty_the_iceman]

Butt splices or twisted wires + electrical tape?

Depends on the overall level of ghettoness of your car. It's up to you, but I'd use butt splices no matter what, they're cheap. Just my 0.02.

[jackjack]

pull the harness for a parts car. use heat shrink tube. done.

[blinds04]

If you're going through the trouble of putting the stock/factory radio connector back in, you might as well use solder + shrink wrap for better connection and a cleaner look. Even though you won't see it, having the satisfaction and security of have a good connection will set your mind as ease.

If you're using butt connectors, you're going to have a ton back there. One set to reconnect the factory harness and another set for your new connector
to the new radio harness.

Solder = Best connection.

Just my 2cents.

[jhec23]

Solder all the way... I think solder will take as much time as using butt connectors but will save you a lot of troubles in the future.

[ryguy]

I'm going to be completely honest, I have done more than one head unit by just twisting the wires and taping them with electrical tape. I agree with the comment about the overall ghettoness of the car. It will work, and it will work well. But the peace of mind that comes with using butt connectors is pretty nice.

[frosti108]

once you go solder you never go back! its great. but twisting is fine too. just make the twists secure (loop, THEN twist)