The wiring harness is important since it makes car stereo installation simple. However, there are ways of installing car stereo without wiring harness.
If you are completely unable to find a wiring harness, you can try the manual installation option. In some circumstances, you may opt to make the wiring harness home.
This post will look at how you can connect your stereo to a car without a wiring harness.
To navigate over this problem, we will start by finding the relevant wire colors.
It is also an important learning piece for anyone who wants to learn more about connecting car stereos. Keep on reading to find out more.
Table of Contents
- How to Determine Stereo Car Wires Based on Color Code?
- How to Wire a Car Stereo Without a Wiring Harness Adapter
- How Can You Make a DIY Wiring Harness for a Car Stereo?
- FAQ’s
- Conclusion
How to Determine Stereo Car Wires Based on Color Code?
The first step to connecting the stereo without a wiring harness is determining the appropriate wires.
The wiring color codes are similar in most car models. The process should be simple if your car uses a similar color code to popular brands.
Below are the main colors on your stereo wiring in modern cars.
(Car stereo wiring color codes)
Purple Wires.
They run to the speaker’s positive and negative terminals on the rear right side of your vehicle.
The purple wires are divided into pure purple and black purple.
- Pure purple Wire– Runs to the right speaker on the rear side of the vehicle and is attached to the positive terminal.
- Purple Black Wire– Runs to the rear right side speaker and is connected to the negative terminal.
Gray Wires
Ideally, there are two types of gray wires behind your stereo. You will find the solid gray wire and the gray-black wire. Here is what the two wires represent
- Gray wire– Runs from the positive terminal of your right front speaker.
- Gray black wire– Runs from the right front speaker on the negative side.
White Wires
The next type of wire you will spot behind your stereo is the white wire. Similar to gray, there are two sets of white.
There is solid white and black-white wire. Here is what they mean.
- Solid White Wire- Runs to the front left speaker on the positive side
- White Black Wire– Runs to the left front speakers on the negative side
Green Wires
Finally, the green wires connect to the rear left speaker. The solid green connects to the positive terminal, and the black green to the negative.
- Pure Green Wire– runs to the positive terminal of the rear left speaker
- Black Green Wire– Runs to the negative terminal of the rear left speaker.
You must be watchful when connecting speaker wires to your stereo.
Interchanging the positive and negative wires can still cause the stereo to malfunction. Avoid a situation where some of the speakers do not work accordingly.
How to Wire a Car Stereo Without a Wiring Harness Adapter
Now that you know all the requirements, let us try and wire your stereo to the car.
The first step you should take is to ensure that you have all the requirements. Once you confirm all, follow the steps below one by one.
(Manual stereo wiring in the car)
Tools and Materials Needed
The tools needed are just a few. The most important material is the stereo itself.
Ensure you have purchased a new stereo compatible with your vehicle.
With the stereo in place, collect the following tools. You may order online if you do not have any of them.
- Wire Stripper
- Universal screwdriver set
- Crimping Tool
- Crimp Cap
- Circuit Tester
- Electrical Tape
Step #1 Remove the Old Stereo
The first step is to remove your old stereo from the dashboard.
To achieve this, locate and unscrew the screws holding it in place.
Normally, there are just a few screws holding it. Once all screws are out, gently pull it out of place and disconnect it from all the wires.
Note: Ensure the wires do not touch each other during the process. To avoid this, cover all exposed tips with electrical tape.
.
Step #2 Identify the Car Stereo Wiring
The next step is to identify the wires required for the connection.
There are 5 sets of wires you will have to identify. They include the constant wire, ignition switch, illumination, ground, and speaker wires.
We have already looked at identifying the speaker wires above. Here is how to identify the other wires.
Constant Wire In A Car
Using a circuit tester, touch the open tips of each wire. The wire where the tester light does not light up goes directly to the battery and is regarded as the constant.
Ignition Switch For Accessory Wire:
To find the ignition wire, you must ignite the engine. Using your car key, turn the ignition on but do not start the car. To find the ignition switch for the accessory wire, touch each of the wires with the tester. When the test light turns on, you have found the ignition switch wire.
(Sample wiring stereo connection)
Installing Car Stereo Without Wiring Harness: Illumination Wire
The illumination wire should be brown within the harness. To find it, turn on your headlights. Using the tester, touch the tips of all wires in the harness until it illuminates.
Installing Car Stereo Without Wiring Harness: Ground Wire
Stick a different wire in the constant wire port on your harness. Hook the end of your circuit tester to this wire and use the tester to touch each wire on the harness. The one that lights up is the ground wire.
Installing Car Stereo Without Wiring Harness: Speaker Wire
You can identify speaker wires using the color codes above. If your vehicle has more speakers or a different configuration, identify them manually.
To do this, connect alligator clips to your battery with positive to positive and negative to negative.
Touch each end with two wires and listen for a pop sound. If the speaker moves inward, the terminals need to be interchanged. If it moves out, the connection is okay.
Step #3 Connecting The Wires
Once you identify all the wires, twist the stereo wire with the appropriate car wires and cap them with a white cap.
Use a high-quality crimp to hold the wires for a good connection that won’t cause circuit issues.
- Install Your New Car Stereo
You can install the stereo after identifying all the wires and connecting them appropriately.
Ensure all the wires are sealed with caps and handled well using electric tape.
Now, gently push the stereo back to its position until you hear a clicking sound.
- Test Your New Stereo
Before fastening the screws to finish the installation, first test your stereo.
To test, turn on the ignition and try out all the buttons. Check if the screen is turning on and test the volume buttons.
If all is well, finish by tightening the screws. If not, remove and check all the connections one by one.
Step #4 Troubleshooting for Connecting Stereo Without Harness
If your stereo does not work, the chances are that you missed a step. To solve the problem, you must troubleshoot.
This may include checking each of the connections one by one. Here are a few tips to help with troubleshooting.
(Wiring harness sample)
- Check the speakers first to ensure they are connected well.
- Confirm that your stereo is compatible with your car model by checking the stereo manual.
- Inspect all the connections one by one to ensure they are well connected.
- Make sure there are no exposed wires in the circuit.
How Can You Make a DIY Wiring Harness for a Car Stereo?
You can avoid the manual connection of wires by making your DIY stereo wiring harness.
You will need a connector unit if you choose to go this way. Purchase a regular connector unit from an online store and use it to link wires to your vehicle.
For the best outcome, purchase a rectangular header connector.
This type of connector is used for circuit board installations. Make sure the spacing on the connector is even.
Using a soldering pen, solder the wires to the connector, each to its hole.
After soldering, heat-shrink each wire to ensure they stay in place for a long time.
With that, you will have improvised a wiring harness on your stereo.
(testing wiring on vehicle)
FAQ’s
There are many questions people ask about connecting a stereo without a harness. Below are some of the most common.
What Is A SWC Connector?
SWC stands for solderless wire connectors. They are a type of connector used to connect two wires more easily than twisting.
They are usually made from copper and brass.
What Happens If You Mix Up Positive And Negative Speaker Wires?
If you mix the positive and negative terminals, your speaker won’t work. The current must flow in the right direction for the speaker to work.
What Do A And B Mean On Speakers?
Stands for the right channel and B for the left channel. This system indicates speaker channels since a speaker normally has two.
What Color Is Positive And Negative Speaker Wire?
The positive and negative colors may vary slightly depending on the stereo maker.
However, the positive terminal uses a red wire on most stereos, while the negative uses black.
How do I Test my Speakers Before Making my Connection?
Alligator wires connect to the car battery with positive to positive and negative to negative.
If you hear a pop sound, your speakers are okay.
（Car door speaker）
Conclusion
Wiring your stereo without a wiring harness is not a complicated process.
If you have some DIY skills, this should be a project you can complete in a few hours.
Typically, the process starts by unscrewing your old stereo out of position.
Next, identify all the wires and test speaker wires.
Once you find the right wires, connect them manually or improvise your wiring harness using a connector.
Test your stereo to see if it works and return it to its position. With that, you will have finished the process.
