Car Audio Wiring Colors + How to interface with YOUR CAR

If you want to install an aftermarket radio, speakers, and car audio system you will need to know the wire colors in your vehicle. The problem is manufactures rarely use the same colors, or even have the same wires available behind the radio anymore in today's newest vehicles. So what do you do? Here's the answer along with an explanation for the basic wire colors you can expect and what they mean!

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Car Audio Fabrication – Master Car Audio – Design, Build, Install

[jdizzle]

definitely more complicated than the old days when installing aftermarket gear....If only every install could be as easy as a 1985 Camaro. 😎

[s_HipHop]

As an international viewer, it would be nice if you could partner with someone overseas in Europe once in a while. Great info and videos, thanks

[davect]

It can get complicated really fast especially when the colors are really close to each other.

Taking your time is vital to not screw it up.

[skullandbones]

I worked as a car audio installer back in the day. I liked how many various accessories installation stuff Alpine made just for Alpine. Alpine made their own speaker wires and RCA cables power cables too.

[southern_merican]

Thanks for telling us about crutchfield's useful menu !

[Chris-B-Bassin]

You can ground the parking wire to watch DVD's while you drive 😁

[philipwilliams]

I learned by taking the door panels and back panels off my old 96 Honda civic hatch for the speakers and ran my own power, negative and just plugged in the antenna. After that, I pretty much learned how to wire amps, sub's and able to watch in-dash DVD players bypassing the e-brake😅.

[yeahrightmate]

Hi, I have a little problem after installing a new head unit and I did not run new speaker wires (which I now wish I had done) I have a problem with my front speakers left and right are back to front, no problems I just untaped everything swapped them over and taped everything back up, but now when I tested it they are still back to front so this time I just swaped over the left and right wires coming out of the head unit and taped it back up, but now they are still back to front so do you know what is going on.Thanks.

[seadog]

hi Mark I'm upgrading my 2017 XL ford, I'm also gonna be installing an Alpine KTP- 445u.I am going to be using the pac steering wheel control kit, Can I just run low level RCA'S from the HU and splice the speaker wires from the amp to wires right into the harness before the plug. . I;m just trying to avoid cutting any of the stock wiring, it s gonna be an aftermarket HU.

[MrEmbedded]

I am looking for a single DIN car radio. The most important features are:

1) volume knob that works - ie, requires a long push to go into menu so when you are driving you can adjust volume without going into menu system hell
2) When powering up the radio/car it should ramp up volume slowly and stop when volume knob is touched.
3) Have independent gain setting for bluetooth and FM. So you do not have to crank volume up high on bluetooth, or at least be matched
4) Has dimmable input wire, so it does not blind you at night with lights on.
5) Ideally can set LED colors to match rest of the car back lights.

It is sad how many car radios fail on these simple things. I hate the volume knobs and menu system so bad....
Do you have a recommendation for such a car radio?

[thabg]

Well my car, to many of the cars functions are in my factory "radio" including AC/heat controls, so my only options for aftermarket are these 2 or 3 company's that make a replacement screen that has all the ac/heat controls with the other car functions, its $1000. my car 2016 does not have apple car play/android auto so i bought a kit from gtacarkits that gives it that function for $500 while retaining the factory "radio"

[playerongaming]

Mark brother is it good Idea to use car radio with Amplifier I mean whole system in home ?
I'm little bit confused related to this please help me.

[midnight-xpress]

Can anyone explain the taboo subject of a vehicle that has a wire that a wire connect to the radio running to an airbag connection?
04 explorer with C240A connector that has VSS line and airbag connection wire yellow. Connector C240B has the regular power and speaker connections.
I see so many videos about people installing an aftermarket HU then they get the airbag light after that on many makes and modles.
Figure this is the SRS airbag loop that does its initial loop check. But why the radio?

[itnuts]

Can someone explain - why these headunit wires are so thin?
Most stereos come with a power rating 50W x 4 Channels = 200 Watts.
Amperage = 200 Watts/12 volts = 16AMPS Approx.
Don't we need an 8AWG POWER & GND cable ?

[pinarellorider]

Hi Mark, great info! Do you have the specs available for a 4 sub box for a Chevy 3500 like the box you built with the 4 JL Audio 10's for the F150?

[lassediscovers]

Hey Mark. Have you noticed that the eq on cellphones has changed? The don't play low's anymore.
Noticed this when i changed my old phone into a new one, and the sound in my car didn't play low's anymore on the new phone. The equalizer on the new phone stops at 63hz now.
What can i do?

[eliyaben]

I'm trying to connect my car sterio wires to the android tablet but unexpectedly I found the cable to which I'm supposed to connect the wires is cut off! Please can you advise me what i should do.
Thank you

[ramonperez]

I already have installed an amplifier 5 channel but sub output is 75 watt at 4 ohm my subwoofer is 250 w rated at 4 ohm
I wonder if tha will cause a wire burning. Since it happened before
The guy said it was cheap made wires.
So he instead used better quality.
So I wonder if I can have them to add a mono amp for the sub for better sound and matching the subwoofer. But still keep my already installed amp 5 Chanel

[amorton]

Long shot here, but you wouldn't have any idea on how to upgrade a Ford Sync V1 unit, would you? I'm sick of the system in my 2011 Taurus SHO. The bluetooth cuts randomly and won't connect until I reset the whole system. I hate it. However, HVAC is tied into the head unit. I haven't seen any factory options available to help me with this problem.

[pkt]

Was it Pioneer that used to not use the same color wires on their harnesses as everyone else?