Already have aftermarket stereo installed, can it be switched out?

[Government Issue]

Pardon my ignorance on this subject.. but I really have no idea the answer to this question!

I currently have a Sony stereo installed in my 1998 Ford Explorer and I wish to change it out with something Non-Sony brand. Since the current stereo in the vehicle is aftermarket i'm assuming that the wiring has already been altered to accommodate that stereo, so would changing it out with a different stereo be as simple as plug and play? Or would more alterations need to be made to the existing harness.

- Joe

 

[JNN]

There shouldn't be any problem putting in a different stereo. There should be an adapter from the stereo harness to the factory wiring harness behind the stereo.

 

[fonicsmonkey]

It wouldn't be plug and play. You would have to get the new head units wire harness attached to either a wire harness adapter or straight to the car's stereo harness or harnesses.

When somebody removes the factory stereo and puts in an Aftermarket Head Unit (AHU), they have 2 choices on how to do this.

One way is to buy a wire harness adapter. (This is the best choice, and the easiest way to put a factory radio back in if its ever needed). The wire harness adapter plugs into the connector or connectors that come out of the factory stereo. The other end of the wire harness adapter would be wired to the AHU's wire harness (in your current case, the Sony's wire harness). The other end of the AHU'S harness then plugs into the head unit.

The second way is more of a hack way and it eliminates having to buy a wire harness adapter. Hopefully you don't run into this when you go to switch out your head units. Some people cut off the connector that plugs into the factory stereo, and wire those wire ends to the NEW AHU's wire harness. The downfall to this way is that switching out head units is harder, putting the factory radio requires, re-attaching the OEM connectors, and splicing the AHU's wire harness to the cars wires has to be done in the car as opposed to splicing a wire harness adapter to the AHU's wire harness on a workshop desk.

It'll be easier to put a new head unit in, if a wire harness adapter was used for the Sony. You would unplug the adapter from the car's stereo harness, cut off the Sony's wire harness, and attach the new head units wire harness to the wire harness adapter you cut off the Sony's harness. Then it will be ready to plug into the new unit and the car's radio harness.

 

[Dan Whitaker]

You will also have to use the mounting frame for the new HU as it will most likely not be the same. It can even very by the same mfg. That was the case with me with Keenwood.