Aftermarket Headunit to Factory wiring harness?
 

(A little ranting first, but my real question is in bold below)

I installed a new Headunit in MomHawk's '05 Mustang this weekend, replacing the Shaker500 unit with something a bit more modern (NAV/Bluetooth/iPod control/etc/etc).

It amazes me that you STILL have to wire the aftermarket harness to a pigtail harness. Why can't this be standardized? It's all the same bloody wires!

The space in the Mustang was tight as it was and by the time I added a reverse camera, SiriusXM tuner, microphone, GPS cable, plus a wad of connectors, it was a pain to arrange everything so the radio would fit.

I realize I could buy the connectors for both ends, and wire them directly myself, but is there a company that creates aftermarket to OEM harnesses that are clean? (Look like OEM harnesses)?

It's not like the Ford radio harness in the car is rare, there literally must be a huge market for such a specialty harness.

because head unit harnesses are not standardized. for example I had a pioneer 5600bhs and a 4100NEX, and the harness to the head unit to just these 2 units was different. now envision every headunit/manufacture combination, and all of a sudden your maintaining ALOT more inventory than before.

Yea, I get that, and that is mostly what I'm whining about. there is no reason for two units from the same manufacturer from the same year to be different. The primary harness doesn't have anything unusual about it.


In addition, at minimum, someone surely could build a "quick connect" adapter for the OEM side that the loose wires could just plug into. You attach a connector to the end of the aftermarket wire, plug that connector directly into the OEM adapter and done. Alternatively, the OEM adapter could have the wire splice built into it (Place the wires, close the top, wire is punched down).


Again, in the end, probably no big deal and I could have made it cleaner myself by soldering/shrink-wrapping, but seriously what a pain. There really is no reason this couldn't be standardized.

I have a pioneer appradio sitting in my closet that I won't be installing because I don't have the patience to wire it up. Did it twice for my last car and I've realized I don't care all that much about installing it.

I used to struggle with the basics. I can't even fathom what it is like with all the doodads now.

http://images.bidorbuy.co.za/user_im...184846_024.JPG

TL;DR for fathoming: steady, non sweaty hands and the patience of a saint, with an Internet connection for a DIY.

Let's see, going from the Kenwood to the Ford Harness there is:


4 Speaker pairs (8 wires)
12 volt constant (1)
12 volt switched (1)
Chassis ground (1)
Power Antenna (1)
Illumination (1)


Then there is the amp adapter plug with 2 wires to two RCA jacks
Oh and you need a 12volt to 5 volt adapter for the amp (2 wires inline to the amp adapter, then one to the chassic ground)


Now you also "need":


Antenna plug
HDMI and USB cable (ran a dual connection to the console for iPod)
SiriusXM adapter and antenna plug
hands-free mike plug
GPS plug
Rear camera RCA and signal wire


All of that crammed into about a quarter inch of clearance, or at least it seemed. The back probably looks like a very bad IT wiring closet. I'm not proud, but it works and MomHawk is happy so all is good.

Couldn't you make your own harness?

Working with a friend right now on getting an after market stereo in his 2012 ford focus. what a pain.

Yes, and essentially that is what I did, but the process could be simpler, at least for major brands, I understand there are inventory issues etc, trying to cover every make/model of car to radio.


The interesting thing to me is there are companies that provide direct OEM style radio upgrades for off sizes but no one makes just the bloody harness.


For example, there are multiple eBay retailers that have 2nd tier NAV head units that fit '05 Mustangs (and other Ford/GM products) that include the entire radio, fit exactly like the OEM radio so no "install kits" are needed, and plug directly into the OEM harness. I considered going that route, but just wasn't comfortable with a radio I couldn't see first.


If there is a big enough business for that, wouldn't it seem that Kenwood/JBL/Pioneer/Etc could afford to inventory just the harness and let you order it if you want it? I would have paid extra for a straight fitting harness that would have cut an hour or more out of the install time.