AntDeek 15 Posted October 13, 2014 Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 Anyone have a guide I could look at? Just bought a Scoshe aftermarket kit for my can and im curious as to how hard the install is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spridget 498 Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 Install is moderately difficult because you'll need to remove portions of the interior. Disconnect the battery before you begin. You need to remove the rear seat, trunk lining, and drivers side lower door sill trim at a minimum to run wiring from the dash to the trunk. You need a pair of radio removal tools (a pair of U shaped rods, can usually find them at AutoZone or even Walmart). You will swap the clips from the stock radio onto the bezel of the Scosche kit. You will splice the radio output and power connections onto the harness provided in the kit. You may need to splice into the ash tray lamp wire for illumination connection on your stereo, and find a nearby ground. The 18' harness will connect to the original radio harness plug, the run the Scosche harness behind the dash, down behind the parking brake pedal assembly, and down the drivers lower sill into the trunk. In the trunk, disconnect all plugs from the RCU (radio control unit) and connect the Scosche harness the body harness. Reconnect the battery. Check function. If everything works, reinstall the interior pieces, careful not to snag or cut any wires. When I installed mine, I wrapped tape around the Scosche harness every foot or so to keep the wires in a nice tight bundle. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 Thank you so much. If I'm not changing speakers, do I still need to run cables into the trunk? I thought the harness would fit behind the radio itself Quote Link to post Share on other sites
njackson580 56 Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 Thank you so much. If I'm not changing speakers, do I still need to run cables into the trunk? I thought the harness would fit behind the radio itself Yes you do. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spridget 498 Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 Thank you so much. If I'm not changing speakers, do I still need to run cables into the trunk? I thought the harness would fit behind the radio itself The Taurus is different from most cars. The face plate on the dash is only the button interface. The actual radio is in the trunk along with all the connections for the speakers. The Scosche harness connects your new radio to the speaker connections in the trunk, hence the 18' of wire. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 The Taurus is different from most cars. The face plate on the dash is only the button interface. The actual radio is in the trunk along with all the connections for the speakers. The Scosche harness connects your new radio to the speaker connections in the trunk, hence the 18' of wire. I see now. Thank you. Is there any soldering involved? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
njackson580 56 Posted October 14, 2014 Report Share Posted October 14, 2014 I see now. Thank you. Is there any soldering involved? If that's how you choose to connect it all. Otherwise butt connectors will suffice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 If that's how you choose to connect it all. Otherwise butt connectors will suffice. hopefully all the wires are labeled or colored. When using a harness, do I have to cut anything? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
njackson580 56 Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 hopefully all the wires are labeled or colored. When using a harness, do I have to cut anything? No. The loose ends of the harness will butt connect (or solder) to the speaker outs of your new deck, and will be color coded, and the color code is mostly standard across the board. Then, the other end will plug in to the RCU (the box in the trunk) via a pre-wired plug. Hardest part is running the big loom of wire to the trunk. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spridget 498 Posted October 15, 2014 Report Share Posted October 15, 2014 Butt connect is fine. I like the pigtail connects when I'm installing for a friend because it's only one crimp per wire instead of two, less chance for a crimp to fail and faster. On my personal vehicles I use male / female terminals because I know I will remove it, upgrade, swap, etc at some point. I prefer to solder connections on the speakers because they are more exposed to moisture and vibration in the doors. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2014 any tips for fishing the wire through the dash to where the parking brake is?, and then to the trunk? Also, I believe that there is no need for me to touch any speakers as i am just using stock speakers with this head unit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spridget 498 Posted October 16, 2014 Report Share Posted October 16, 2014 Ya no need. Tape the harness. Wrap the end so the wires don't snag. When you pull the wires behind the parking brake, make sure they won't interfere or get cut. From there just follow the body harness to the trunk. I was able to open the protective casing on the body harness and run the radio harness inside. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
njackson580 56 Posted October 16, 2014 Report Share Posted October 16, 2014 Tape the harness about every 8 or 12 inches so it stays in one bundle. Remove kick panels at drivers front and rear door. Once those are out, it will become apparent where it'll fit. Pull the lower part of the back seat out by pushing on each side of the front towards the back of the car and lifting. Once the seat is removed, there should be a gap leading into the trunk, but inside of the trunk carpeted wall. RCU should be mounted on back side of drivers rear fender, behind the carpet wall. Edit: stupid spelling.... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2014 so it should be a clear path from the kick panels, but as i don't have the car in my possession yet, I just cant picture how the wires are going to fish through the dash from the center where the head unit is, and come out from the parking brake area. Is there any way to get to the trunk without removing my back seat? seems really intrusive hahaha  thanks so much guys! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
njackson580 56 Posted October 16, 2014 Report Share Posted October 16, 2014 so it should be a clear path from the kick panels, but as i don't have the car in my possession yet, I just cant picture how the wires are going to fish through the dash from the center where the head unit is, and come out from the parking brake area. Is there any way to get to the trunk without removing my back seat? seems really intrusive hahaha thanks so much guys! Truthfully, you're over thinking it. When you've got it all apart, I promise it'll make sense. And the back seat removal doesn't even require tools. Just two pushes and pulls with your hands. One on each side. And listen to spridget. He's done this once or twice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2014 Ya no need. Tape the harness. Wrap the end so the wires don't snag. When you pull the wires behind the parking brake, make sure they won't interfere or get cut. From there just follow the body harness to the trunk. I was able to open the protective casing on the body harness and run the radio harness inside. Â Â Truthfully, you're over thinking it. When you've got it all apart, I promise it'll make sense. And the back seat removal doesn't even require tools. Just two pushes and pulls with your hands. One on each side. And listen to spridget. He's done this once or twice. Thanks a whole lot guys! Yeah i figured it would make more sense once I actually start the project. Â Â will keep you updated! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 Help me out guys! How does my radio get power? My harness does not supply power rails. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 Also, does the taurus have a power antenna? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spridget 498 Posted October 18, 2014 Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 No instructions included with the kit? The kit should include a long harness and a short adapter plug for radio power. The other plugs attached to the adapter face plate connect to a/c controls. Some had power antennas. I added one to my '99. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 T The supplied instructions are unclear. Where do these shorter power leads go in the trunk? I'm sure these free wires up here supply power to the new HU. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2014 ALSO, The metal ground cable that wants to be screwed on that goes to the radio has been snipped. I'm connecting it to the CHASSIS GROUND wire of the harness instead of connecting it to the chassis with a screw Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spridget 498 Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 I believe there is a larger green/red wire that feeds constant 12V + near the radio unit and antenna area in the trunk. Black goes to ground. Use a body ground. You'll see one in the trunk. Orange wire is illumination for the radio. Tap off the ash tray lamp. Red is 12V switched. Yellow is 12V constant. I don't remember the wires I used but I believe I tapped off the existing radio harness. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 (edited) I believe there is a larger green/red wire that feeds constant 12V + near the radio unit and antenna area in the trunk. Black goes to ground. Use a body ground. You'll see one in the trunk. Orange wire is illumination for the radio. Tap off the ash tray lamp. Red is 12V switched. Yellow is 12V constant. I don't remember the wires I used but I believe I tapped off the existing radio harness. So it's okay to tap off existing electronics and ground wires? The part of my harness that goes into the trunk has a short yellow and black wire, where do those go?? Also, I think the illuminating is handles by the radio itself, as the Orange dash light cable has no where to go on my radio harness Edited October 20, 2014 by AntDeek Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Spridget 498 Posted October 20, 2014 Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 If your radio harness doesn't have an orange wire, the radio is not equipped to dim when the headlights are on. It's fine to tap off the wires behind the dash. And I was incorrect in my previous post about the constant and switched wires. Yellow is usually larger gauge which would be switched on when the radio is on. Red is sometimes smaller because it's for constant power to keep settings and the clock. I'm not sure what the yellow wire on the trunk end is for. Maybe power antenna, but that's usually solid blue. Black is always ground. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AntDeek 15 Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 If your radio harness doesn't have an orange wire, the radio is not equipped to dim when the headlights are on. It's fine to tap off the wires behind the dash. And I was incorrect in my previous post about the constant and switched wires. Yellow is usually larger gauge which would be switched on when the radio is on. Red is sometimes smaller because it's for constant power to keep settings and the clock. I'm not sure what the yellow wire on the trunk end is for. Maybe power antenna, but that's usually solid blue. Black is always ground. Yeah the shorter cables in the trunk only come off the harness maybe an inch or two, and don't reach the radio end. So I'm not hooking them up. I'm gonna use the power and ground that the scosche kit supplies for the radio. It comes off of the heating and air connector pins Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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