chopped-wiring-back-to-OEM-harnesses

I am told that the major retail chains now use a metra harness that converts chopped OEM stereo wires back to the OEM harness.  then, they wire an aftermarket harness to be wired to the new aftermarket HU's harness.

i thought this was just another gimmick to get another $17.95 out of the customer.  but now that i'm getting bit in the a55 from a '93 lincoln continental that came to me with chopped OEM harness (that I installed an aftermarket CD player on), i'm wondering if these "back-to-OEM" harnesses were prompted by a particular case of faulty installation wiring an aftermarket HU to chopped stereo wires?

I went to www.installdoctor.com to find the OEM wire codes for the '93 continental, and it specifically said that "DO NOT CUT THE WIRES OF THE BLACK CONNECTOR OR THE THICK GRAY CABLE"  even though i didn't cut those wires myself, i installed an HU's constant, ignition, and ground to those cut wires.  (i ran all speakers from the amplifier that was being added, not the HU's internal amplifier.)  i now have reason to believe that doing this has caused some serious shorting/fuse popping problems in this continental.

i'm just wondering if this has happened to anybody else, or if this is the reason for those new "back-to-OEM" harnesses that I originally thought was a rip-off (more like insurance, now that i look at it).

 Alot of times, if a factory radio is stolen, the thief just cuts the wires and runs off with it.   So if the person that the radio was stolen from wants to just replace the facorty radio with another factory radio then they could use one of those "back to OEM" harnesses with little amounts of trouble.  It also will (in some cases) make it easier to wire in a new aftermarket radio using an aftermarket adapter.  It's not scam that stereo shops and companies like Metra and Scosche are trying to do.  It just helps people have an easier time installing a replacement factory radio or aftermarket one and helps avoid shorting somehting out in the car's electrical system.

Hope that helps.

Duane...

If you think you're confused, imagine how you feel.   

Metra has sold the harness plugs that go into the factory radio for years and I still use them today (and for your own knowledge and others in case you don't know, they also make speaker harness adaptors that after you unplug the factory speaker an adaptor goes into that funky factory end and gives you terminated wires to plug onto the new aftermarket speakers to eliminate any cutting of the factory wires).

Years ago I helped out when Rockford and Delco joined together to design a system that would retain the factory radio and allow a local mechanic at the dealership to remove and unplug the factory radio and then have a "Y" harness with one plug to go into the car harness (the 70 series from Metra) and then have another plug that would plug into the radio (the 71 series from Metra). They did not want a mechanic cutting wires or splicing here and there and with the plugs it made it easier to troubleshoot or put the system back the way it was originally. The "Y" harness cable  was then routed to the amp location where it would plug into the input and output of the amplifier. The mechanic then grounded the amp, ran a power wire to the battery and he was done (pretty much a plug and play). It required NO cutting of factory wires and I still do the same thing today when the need arises and use the Aamp of America (Stinger wire) 16 gauge 9 conductor speedwire.

We also designed the system to where the amplifier could run full range to the factory location speakers and then if later the customer wanted a subwoofer, the input/output harness was unplugged at the amplifier and a passive hi/low crossover could be plugged in and it gave you filtered high pass outputs for the factory speakers and a low pass filter for the sub.

If a harness adaptor is available ALWAYS use it and if a company is not tooled up for it then you may be able to pull the pins out of another harness and get them to work.  

Jim

i don't see why people that are too cheep te buy the harness's cut the dam wires.   Its a hell of a lot wiser to jut splice, and tap into the wire, then solder and tape.   It takes 5 min more than just chopping the plug off and stripping the ends, but at least you still have the factory plug.

Thats what i do with the brand spankin new cars with no harness's yet.