who installed their own stereo from crutchfield...

I guess you got the face cover from crutchfield?!

man it looks good with black... I thought that cover is smooth, but I noticed it has dimples like we got from factory... right?

 

I had never installed a stereo before The threads on here helped me!
So I bought this from crutchfield, it arrived in a day ...all for $109 shipped free in a day. Guess my house is near their fulfillment center

Then I followed the directions & in less than a couple of hours
So much better than stock! Ipod controls, USB & aux port, volume that works

 

Crutchfield is the way to go IMO. They will include the wiring harness, mounting hardware, and face plate to match your dash. They also include intructions with pics for those of us who need them........

 

super easy. mine took a couple of days because the dash kit they sent was missing the hazzard/clock holder. they overnighted a new kit for free.

as for wires, i do things a little different than most. i'm not a solder and i hate the crimp connectors. i used the small gray wire nuts with electrical tape for both speakers and power. I've done this on multiple installs with zero issues.

 

Heres mine. Only took 1-2 hours. Hardest part was installing the bezle. I should have just read the directions. lol Very easy install.

 

It is thin plastic tubing that goes over the connection, that when heated with a heat gun/flame shrinks over the connection making it safe from shorts.

 

Definitely recommend soldering 100%. Just as long as you've done it right, no vibrations would ever knock it loose. If you don't have shrink wrap, electrical tape will work fine. Shrink is much nicer though.

 

Be careful with that soldering iron. Burning carpet/vinyl smell is hard to get out.

But no really if you aren't comfortable with the soldering and don't want go buy crimpers I have used the wire nuts for years and never had problems. Yes you run the risk of something vibrating loose just saying I have never had it happen. my .02

Sidenote: I'm sure you were going to anyway but if you do solder be sure to check that the wires are connected to the correct spots before you solder them.

 

yup, it has dimples

 

it is very easy to do, give it a try yourself

 

Crutchfield makes it soooo incredibly easy. My problem was that the trim piece didn't fit right so I filed and filed and still couldnt get it to fit so I just said Eff it.

 

i completly disagree on the wire caps getting vibrated loose. i've used this method a number of times. The tacoma is going on two years with zero issues. put a stereo in the gf's car back in may of 06 with zero issues. prior to taht, put that stereo in the gf's old car back in 2004.


use the gray wire caps, spin them tight, add electrical tape. once again, zero issues

 

Installing a head unit in a second gen is pretty easy... The hardest part is removing the climate control panel and separating the hazard swith/clock without marring things...

If you don't want to solder and heat shrink wrap things, you can get by fine with snow caps or butt connectors like another member mentioned.

Just make sure you get a harness adapter so that you can do all of the wiring prior to taking the dash apart to make the install go much quicker and preserve the stock wiring...

 

Installing one is super easy.

I have installed a bunch of headunits over the years and always use "smash caps" aka crimp caps. I always split each wire and twist into two different strands (like a Y) then I twist the each strand of the two Y's together. Then I twist the two new strands together. Then cap them with a smash cap. I have never had a wire come loose on me.



I solder most wiring I do however when it comes to stereo wiring I don't really feel the need to solder the connections.

 

solder is a bit overkill. i've always used heat-shrink with no probs. the only time i ever use solder is for my R/C cars

 

thats why I did all the soldering on the kitchen table because it just plugs into the stock plugs. I just had to solder the stereo harness to the adapter harness they sent. Second gen wiring harnesses may be different though.

 

My 2GEN was the same way and I soldered on my craft table.
There was two harnesses with colored coded wires. Once that was done it was pnp inside the truck.
Yes separating the climate control was tricky but the helper threads on here gave good pics that helped.

 

man... so many people have so many different installations and opinions...

crimps, solders and shrink wrap... I like to solder but dont want to solder the wrong wire and all... man this is so much to take in!

 

If you do just cut out the soldered part and put it together correctly. Not a big deal.

 

Here's mine...installed a couple weeks ago. Crutchfield is awesome and the wiring and dash kit are free for stereos purchased over a certain amount. For example, this stereo was $199.99 and included the wiring, kit, and free shipping.


Check out my electrical basics thread (link in my signature)...it talks about soldering, heat shrink, wing nuts, and crimp connectors. Soldering is absolutely the best way to go, but if you aren't comfortable soldering, then crimped butt connectors or caps are the second best thing. IMO, wing nuts are never a good idea for permanent connections. Electrical tape is over rated and should never be used as the only insulation, it should only be used as a second layer of protection.

It's very simple to do, but if you are still uncomfortable, find a friend who can solder or take it to a pro. Good luck!!