TRULY plug&play radio harness/adapter for a 96?

[Blmpkn]

Sooner or later I'm gonna be driven crazy because the 96 doesn't have android auto and all that fancy nonsense... and I'm gonna want to upgrade to a head unit that dies.

I've Googled around a bit and havnt found anything promising (lots of options for 98+ trucks though ) does anyone know of a 100% plug&play adapter harness to put an aftermarket stereo in a 96?

 

[Curious Hound]

Have you looked at Crutchfield? They are usually on top of that kind of thing.
Or, just bring it down to SC after September and I’ll splice the new radio harness in for you. Cheap.

 

[Blmpkn]

Have you looked at Crutchfield? They are usually on top of that kind of thing.
Or, just bring it down to SC after September and I’ll splice the new radio harness in for you. Cheap.

Just based off the pictures on the Crutchfield website it looks like all of their options need splicing

 

[Curious Hound]

Just based off the pictures on the Crutchfield website it looks like all of their options need splicing

Might be as close as you’re going to get to plug and play for a truck that old.

 

[Curious Hound]

Any time you’re driving, just call me. I’ll sing to you and tell you where to go. Music and directions.

 

[2011Supercab]

If you buy the radio from Crutchfield they will make a "ReadyHarness" for you.

Crutchfield ReadyHarness™ Service

Let us connect your new radio's wiring to the wiring harness for your vehicle

www.crutchfield.com

 

[JoshT]

I'm not exactly sure what you're looking at splicing, but I don't think you're going to get 100% plug and play. Not even for the 98+ trucks. Both my '99 Ranger and my '00 F-250 have aftermarket Android Auto capable headunits. Both had adapter harnesses available (and were used), but also had safety features that had to be wired into other systems on the truck. If you want something that doesn't have the additional wiring, you'll have to go non AA and something that isn't a multimedia player (AKA a basic radio). Most of the safety features can be bypassed, but you still have to do additional wiring outside of the adapter connector.

Even with the adapter harness, you're going to have to splice the adapter harness to the radio's included harness. I assumed that you were aware of and ignoring that splicing though. Aside from something like the crutchfield service above, you aren't likely to find premade vehicle to radio harness due to the variety of connectors used on both sides. Places may cater to some vehicles and stereos like that, but a Ranger isn't very likely to be one of them.

 

[Blmpkn]

Any time you’re driving, just call me. I’ll sing to you and tell you where to go. Music and directions.

Deal!

If you buy the radio from Crutchfield they will make a "ReadyHarness" for you.

Crutchfield ReadyHarness™ Service

Let us connect your new radio's wiring to the wiring harness for your vehicle

www.crutchfield.com

Awesome, that's super cool. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[Curious Hound]

Deal!


Awesome, that's super cool. Thanks for the heads up!

I only know 2 songs - Stairway to Heaven" and "Highway to Hell". Guess which one I sing more often.

 

[Snoranger]

Any time you’re driving, just call me. I’ll sing to you and tell you where to go. Music and directions.

 

[CamTheHedgehog]

To my knowledge, no radio other than factory is truly plug and play. Every vehicle uses a different connector, and every aftermarket radio does too, or at least every manufacturer (Sony uses a connector, pioneer has theirs, etc). There are simply too many unique combinations.

It would only be possible if every aftermarket radio used a standardized connector.
I second the recommended service from crutchfield, they will make the harness plug and play for you. It’s only if you buy the radio from them though.

 

[Blmpkn]

I only know 2 songs - Stairway to Heaven" and "Highway to Hell". Guess which one I sing more often.

If your rendition of stairway includes you playing the guitar solo on a wooden pan flute... I'll go with stairway... every time.

 

[MaicoDoug]

I use an AA battery to make a scratching sound to discover which speaker I have the current wires to. Grand kids like to sniff out which one. Line in, line out, B+, gnd, the backup camera is the toughest. I love that Atoto S8. For $260, can't go wrong. Walmart has that "monster" wireless bluetooth adaptor which is a solution, works sweet playing media from your phone. Factory wiring, sheesh. Blmpkn, an installer may have an idea or two, not that I'd pay anyone, but maybe see what they have to say.

I could not even imagine how difficult interfacing something into my F150 would be, all that hvac control. How would anyone control all that stuff anyway?

 

[Bgunner]

Because of aftermarket stereo's having different wire outputs between brands and radios they can't just sell a mass produced plug and play harness and why someone needs to splice it. Like mentioned if you do not feel like splicing them then have Crutchfield make one for you.

When I installed my radio in Beer Fetcher I got a kit a Walmart that had the connector for the ranger side of things and wiring was unpluggable from the radio on my new end of things so splicing was easy and in the end was a plug and play at both ends but I have experience with aftermarket radio wiring so it was an easy thing for me to do.

 

[Bgunner]

Sooner or later I'm gonna be driven crazy because the 96 doesn't have android auto and all that fancy nonsense... and I'm gonna want to upgrade to a head unit that dies.

Why would you want a radio that's going to "Die"? One would normally want one to live a while.