Why do i need a wiring harness for my car audio?

Susan Rambo: ok i have over 10 years experiance installing car audio/video an im mecp certified, an even hough i do this for a living i also know times are hard so i do try to point people in the cheaper direction even if it means me losing money,hell ive offered to install systems on here for free to some people just bcause i know if they do it themself an screw something up there spending more money. people always ask how to hook up a system on here cua they have no idea how,an you have idiots on here that tell them how an is all wrong. like my man joe down there telling you you dont need one an why you dont need one an how to do it,but joe will soon find out why not to do it the way he did. the shops usually have proffesionals working there that are mecp certified like myself an they know what there talking about...most of the time.anyways to answewr your question everyone who answered you is correct except joe.the wiring harness is used to connect the power an acceso! ries an dimmer an speakers an all that correctly without error an it does make it 99.9% easier to install an for 10 or 15 bucks its well worth doing cuz if you dont get one an you cross a wire or something an melt a wire your looking at hundreds of dollars in repairs. your r.c.a wires are used only for your subs not your other door speakers an back speakers.now you dont really need the harness but than you will need to cut all your wires an splice into them an than figure out what wires are your front left an right speakers,your rear left an right speakers, your main power supply,your accessory wires,your ground wire,ect... an that could take all day if you have no experiance an could be dangerous to your electrical system if you **** up. an if you decide to ever sell your car an you cut off the other wire harness it looks like you hacked your car up . so go spend the few bucks man an buy the wire harness, its idiot proof way to install your radio,its done right,it will tak! e 20 minutes tops, all you do is match colors an you done, an ! youll know its all connected correctly. an it looks professional an clean. DONT DO WHAT JOE DID, HE IS A HACK,AN HIS AUDIO SYSTEM IS HOOKED UP ALL WRONG EVEN IF IT WORKS, IT WONT FOREVER AN HE IS DAMAGING OTHER ELECTRICAL PARTS IN HIS CAR BECAUSE HES OVERLOADING CURRENTS IN DIFFERENT SPOTS AN EVENTUALLY WILL CAUSE A FIRE OR WIRES TO MELT, HE WILL BE WISHING THAN HE BOUGHT THAT 10 DOLLAR WIRE HARNESS WHEN THE MECHANIC GIVES HIM A 500 DOLLAR BILL FOR FIXING AN FINDING MELTED WIRES BELIEVE ME. IVE SEEN IT FIRST HAND....Show more

Elbert Donatelli: You will need a wiring harness to connect your cars power, accessory, and other options(noise control, dimming) to your vehicle. RCA will only run amps. It seems unlikely that you have both class D and AB amps. So you will be getting audio to your Class D(Subwoofer) amp via RCA, but you are probably looking at running the stock speaker wires for high end sound(door speaker) through your Head Unit. If your new to this sort of th! ing you should check out http://www.crutchfield.com/App/Learn/default.aspx and they can give you the how and why for almost every question you have. Also you will need to run power, ground and remote to your amp....Show more

Isreal Kochheiser: This Site Might Help You.RE:Why do i need a wiring harness for my car audio?I have a aftermarket double din receiver and was told by my local audio shop that i need to install a wiring harness. Why do i need one? Doesn't my RCA give the audio signal to the amplifier and from the amplifier to the speakers. Can't i just directly connect the speakers to the amplifier?...Show more

Cletus Crotts: For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/awYdfbest and cheapest. are you ready wal mart. the harness is less than ten dollars. and they have every make and model. the same harness at a car audio store 20 dollars. if in stock. wal mart also sells the proper housing kit for your car 15 dollars against 30 plus dollars! . they are not junk. fuse block. amp kits . speaker wire 12 gauge. top ! quality at one half the price. c d units . no good....Show more

Emeline Albracht: You do not absolutely "need" a wiring harness.A wiring harness usually makes for a more professional and an easier installation with less potential for wiring errors and allows the installation to be done without cutting or splicing into the vehicle wiring.The single best reason to use a wiring harness is that it allows you to make the splices to the aftermarket harness on your workbench or dining room table where you have more light and room to work. Anyone who has soldered or crimped 12 or 15 wires together underneath a dashboard will recognize the value right away. And that's the 2nd best reason: A wiring harness is so inexpensive, it just doesn't make sense NOT to use one....Show more

Stanton Valdivia: Yes thats what I did.. Dont listen to them just bcuz they own an audio shop doesnt mean they know EVERYTHING.. Im currently running a 2ch amp 170xt at 4ohms on my 4 interiors (tw! o 6x8s in front doors and two 6x9s in rear deck) but I ran them in series to cut the power in half to an 8ohm load (85w rms a piece) but REMEMBER by doing this u have to connect front and back left spekers to the left channel and the front and back right speakers to the right channel and ur losing ur front to back "fader" option but its compltly fine u just use ur "balance" left to right option.. This is all comsidering u have a 2ch amp like I installed lol.. If u have a 4ch then its even simpler (no need to give u the run thru on that just follow same steos as above except each of the 4 speakers to each of the 4 corresponding channels of ur amp) good luck bro hope I helped ya (well I know I did and saved ya some cash too lol)...Show more

Joni Ziak: yes you need one