Q:I know very little about cars and stereo systems. I just got a car the other day, and it had a Kenwood head unit installed. Only problem is, it doesn't work. Some of the buttons are broken, rendering it useless. I was looking at getting a new head unit (probably JVC) and I was wondering if I would have to go through all of the wiring. Or would it be as simple as unplugging it from the other unit and plugging it into the new one? Details:1999 Ford EscortOld head unit: Kenwood KDC-MP628Possible new unit: JVC KD-S37

Each car has its own wire harness created for it on a custom-made basis. This is particularly true for after-market items such as stereos. The harness essentially connects two types of essential things between your stereo unit and the car itself: a. sound (RF) signals from the unit to your speakers; b. electrical power from your car's battery to the unit. Fortunately, at some point along the system, your speakers should accommodate the new stereo (provided that they are of sufficient wattage rating to handle the power specifications). And, of course, since 99.9% of cars run on 12-volt systems, the power supply can be connected easily to your new stereo unit. However, all of this said, you will likely need to purchase a new wiring harness in a way that directly interfaces between your stereo and the car's speaker and power systems. If you have a friend who is technically gifted, he or she may be able to install the new stereo for you without having to go out and buy an expensive harness. It's worth a try.

Q:I am in the unfortunate predicament in which I have to replace the body wiring harness on my 07 Ford Edge. I've taken it to my local dealer and they are quoting me $1800 for the part and labor. My question is should I find a better alternative to the dealer or go ahead and bite the bullet. They told that the fuse box had open pins and the entire harness needed to be replaced. They tried a couple of quick fixes but now it's time to actually deal with the problem. Thanks in advance for your help.

That is a pretty good quote, it sounds reasonable for the work that needs to be done, thats a pretty intense job, there are so many connectors involved I'd go for it.

Q:12v red for radio

What's the model number of the harness? Usually the red wire on a data bus adapter harness is a switched 12v output, meant to be connected to the red 12v accessory wire at the new head unit.

Q:Hi,I'm looking for the wire connectors for the back of the navigation display and the DVD units as shown in the two pictures below

That is probably going to be either a dealer item (probably can only be had with a wiring harness), or wrecking yard.

Q:I bought a newer pioneer cd player from my friend and all It needs is a wiring harness, where can I get one?

go to any swap meet or mom and pop's sound shop

Q:i recently purchased an aftermarket cd player for my 2004 chevy silverado 1500. when i tried to have it installed, best buy said i need some kind of wiring that was an extra $120. circuit city said the same thing. i was just wondering if that is really neccesarry?i heard that not installing the wiring harness would only affect the door chimes. is this true?

your putting a new stero in you truck therefore I am assuming you are ugrading from OE to a better system. Don't cheapout now just pay the extra $ and have it in done right.

Q:I have a 1986 toyota pickup with wing windows and a pocket below the stereo, and I'm trying to install a new Pioneer radio for it. All the cords in the toyota pickup are different chords than what they are for the new wire harness i'm trying to install. I'm trying to figure out which cord is the one that will turn it on and the cord that connected to the ignition. I'm really confused and I don't want to buy an adapter for it because I'm converting the pickup into a four speaker system.

Either purchase a wiring adapter that is specific to your vehicle or purchase a wiring diagram for your vehicle.

Q:I have a 98 jeep grand Cherokee and I just bought a pioneer stereo for it. We got a wiring harness and connected everything how it goes except 3 wires ( mute, dimmer and illumination) but the radio won't come on. Should I be connecting those 3 wires? If so, where?

No, you don't need to connect those 3 wires just go back and double check your work, make sure all the other wires are connected properly. Also try wrapping up together all the yellow wires to the red wires this usually makes a stereo work.

Q:I started up my bike after being dormant for a while and there was a very small amount of smoke coming from around the wiring harness located under the seat. I shut the bike off, but the harness remained very hot. Once it cooled I started the bike again and the wires became hot again. Does anyone have any suggestion for why this might be? Is it normal? What can I do to fix my bike?

like everyone else is saying, you have a short somewhere. usually if there is a short a fuse will blow, but it maybe that your wiring has been 'modified' to bypass the fuses. if it happens when the ignition is on but the motor isn't running, then I would suspect homemade wiring. if it only happens when the motor is running, then it may be the voltage regulator and/or diode is faulty, causing overvoltage. look for scorch marks.

Q:I have a 93 honda prelude that has a h23 A 1 non VTech motor. Will the wiring harness from my h23 fit and work on a h22 VTech obd1 motor

I'd recommend that you try and find a U pick/pull auto wreckers and hopefully they will have some vehicles like yours so you can not only find a good replacement harness but also learn more about what exactly is involved.Basically any harness has male-female plug in connectors that may run from under the hood to different comps and sensors etc and it could run to the inside of the vehicle to a fuse box or fuse box connector.Some harness's run along the engine and plug into different devices such as the fuel injectors etc then runs to some firewall etc plug in connectors.Many of different ground wires that may run to the frame/chassis or battery. Hope that helps and best of luck.By the way don't forget to clean the ground surfaces and the wire o-ring connectors with a wire brush and sandpaper etc before you install the replacement harness.