SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!!
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New User
Joined: Aug 2016
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From: Pittsburg, Tx
SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP!!!
I have been dealing with this issue since the day after Christmas and it should not take this long to swap a radio.
I got an aftermarket radio for Christmas to swap out in my Excursion. I had to rewire the factory harness and I followed the schematic to the letter. (The factory harness was cut) I got the radio to power on, but now there is no sound. I don't think I have premium sound, so I don't think there is an amp to deal with. I do have rear controls for the radio.
Again, everything is wired correctly from the first harness. Is the second harness used to make the radio work?
Somebody please help me so I don't have to take it to a shop for something like this.
TIA,
Trent
I got an aftermarket radio for Christmas to swap out in my Excursion. I had to rewire the factory harness and I followed the schematic to the letter. (The factory harness was cut) I got the radio to power on, but now there is no sound. I don't think I have premium sound, so I don't think there is an amp to deal with. I do have rear controls for the radio.
Again, everything is wired correctly from the first harness. Is the second harness used to make the radio work?
Somebody please help me so I don't have to take it to a shop for something like this.
TIA,
Trent
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,250
Likes: 10
From: West Virginia
You have no sound but the head unit is powering up and appears to be functioning? I can't remember the harness details but I believe I needed things hooked up on both but I was keeping factory DVD integration.
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 5,250
Likes: 10
From: West Virginia
Looks like a factory amp but I'm not very familiar with one. Mine did not have a factory amp and I didn't even know it was available.
Not sure how easy or hard it is to bypass. The quick and dirty way is just run speaker wire straight to the speakers. You'll have 2 speakers off each rear channel if you hook up the third row, so if you wire in parallel you'll need your head unit to be 2 ohm stable.
You may be able to bypass simple by taking the formerly low level now high level input and wiring it to the presumably speaker level outputs on the other side but you'll need the wiring color codes. You can also usually wire the aftermarket head unit into a low level converted, or splice the rca leads into the aftermarket amp if your head unit has them.
If none of this is making sense, call Crutchfield, they will sell you the right harness, a beautiful diagram showing exactly how to hook it up, and provide really good phone support. If you're banging your head against the wall that's what I'd do. You'll probably spend under $40.
Not sure how easy or hard it is to bypass. The quick and dirty way is just run speaker wire straight to the speakers. You'll have 2 speakers off each rear channel if you hook up the third row, so if you wire in parallel you'll need your head unit to be 2 ohm stable.
You may be able to bypass simple by taking the formerly low level now high level input and wiring it to the presumably speaker level outputs on the other side but you'll need the wiring color codes. You can also usually wire the aftermarket head unit into a low level converted, or splice the rca leads into the aftermarket amp if your head unit has them.
If none of this is making sense, call Crutchfield, they will sell you the right harness, a beautiful diagram showing exactly how to hook it up, and provide really good phone support. If you're banging your head against the wall that's what I'd do. You'll probably spend under $40.
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New User
Joined: Aug 2016
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From: Pittsburg, Tx
Ok I think it makes sense. What if I just use the factory amp? How would I incorporate it with my unit?
There were 2 harnesses coming off the factory radio, would I use the other one for amp?
Also, my unit does have RCA outputs in the back.
Last question, where would I find a schematic on the amp wiring?
Sorry for asking so many questions, I just want to make sure it's done right.
There were 2 harnesses coming off the factory radio, would I use the other one for amp?
Also, my unit does have RCA outputs in the back.
Last question, where would I find a schematic on the amp wiring?
Sorry for asking so many questions, I just want to make sure it's done right.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,885
Likes: 24
From: Chino, California
Typically, one harness is for the radio and speakers, while the other one is the control for the second row bench located behind the center console. When I installed my aftermarket unit, I only used one harness. When I removed the rear control panel in the center console, I lost the rear speakers and had to jump wires to the connector in the console to restore the rear speakers.
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Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2010
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From: West Virginia
So if I remember right, I used both when my wife got me the jvc arsenal double din DVD unit, and she called Crutchfield to order it so I got their harnesses and all that and I used both plugs and all my speakers worked and I didn't have to jump anything and I had way more volume than with my factory in dash 6 disc changer.
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Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Aug 2016
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From: Pittsburg, Tx
Typically, one harness is for the radio and speakers, while the other one is the control for the second row bench located behind the center console. When I installed my aftermarket unit, I only used one harness. When I removed the rear control panel in the center console, I lost the rear speakers and had to jump wires to the connector in the console to restore the rear speakers.
Thread Starter
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New User
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 22
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From: Pittsburg, Tx
So if I remember right, I used both when my wife got me the jvc arsenal double din DVD unit, and she called Crutchfield to order it so I got their harnesses and all that and I used both plugs and all my speakers worked and I didn't have to jump anything and I had way more volume than with my factory in dash 6 disc changer.
problem is that the second harness is cut, so I'm going to have to rebuild it. But I don't know what it is.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2012
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Have you gotten any pic diagrams of the wiring harness. Not sure where you got your info for the wires at but double check the wires with a different reference maybe?
Also it looks like one of the guys said that he didn't even use the second harness for his and had everything working correctly.
There can only be 2 things wrong when wiring up aftermarket head units. Wiring is wrong (wrong harness, crossed or cut wires after head unit). The head unit is a dud (even the $1k units can have bad apples). One other thing you may try is getting new pig trails for the truck side of the head unit wires and repair the truck side first, then get the plug and play set of wires for an after market head unit. That way there should be no question about the wires. At that point It could only be the head unit it self or some between the harness and speakers, or speakers them selves but I doubt that would be the case since none of yours are working after install since they were working before.
Also it looks like one of the guys said that he didn't even use the second harness for his and had everything working correctly.
There can only be 2 things wrong when wiring up aftermarket head units. Wiring is wrong (wrong harness, crossed or cut wires after head unit). The head unit is a dud (even the $1k units can have bad apples). One other thing you may try is getting new pig trails for the truck side of the head unit wires and repair the truck side first, then get the plug and play set of wires for an after market head unit. That way there should be no question about the wires. At that point It could only be the head unit it self or some between the harness and speakers, or speakers them selves but I doubt that would be the case since none of yours are working after install since they were working before.
More Turbo
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 642
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From: Toronto, Canada
There's no reason to start a new thread because now there are two threads where you're asking basically the same question.
Since I asked on the first thread you started and never answered my question...
1-Did you have a working radio prior to you trying to install the new one?
2-Was it the factory unit?
3-If 1=yes what happens when you plug in that radio? Is there sound?
Since I asked on the first thread you started and never answered my question...
1-Did you have a working radio prior to you trying to install the new one?
2-Was it the factory unit?
3-If 1=yes what happens when you plug in that radio? Is there sound?
Hotshot
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,484
Likes: 42
From: Stevens Point, WI
At the back of the center console for the rear headphone output there are a couple wires that need to be tied together for the sound to work with an aftermarket radio. I forget what wires exactly but I am sure it can be found in a search.
More Turbo
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 642
Likes: 27
From: Toronto, Canada
The front speakers should play independent of the rear volume control
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