I bought a 1995 4 Runner with no stereo in it. The speakers are there, but the stereo was ripped out. Wires were cut. Should I rewire it into a toyota style harness or can I connect the wires directly to the kenwood stereo I bought? Problem is, the wires are dramatically different from the stock Toyota wires and it seems I have a few extra wires that don't seem to go to anything. I know that can't be possible. I have looked all over the net to see if there are any decent wiring diagrams, but I can't find two sites that have the same information. I don't want to mess this up and I don't want to pay somebody to do it. Too expensive that way. Anybody have any suggestions for legitimate sites that have stereo hookup info/wiring diagrams that are actually correct?

 

You ought to do it right. You need to get the male harness end as well as the female harness to radio kit and solder them in place. It's not that hard. You have a vehicle that's over 20 years old and this is one of the easier repairs. You will go insane trying to find them locally. Most places don't stock the male harness end.


This is the repair piece. $7.99 on eBay


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Best-Kit-Toy...-/200483893027




This is the part that wires to the stereo 3.99 on eBay:





http://www.ebay.com/itm/SCOSCHE-TA02...-/390716991911




Since your radio is missing you probably also need the brackets. These are on eBay for $30. You might find them a little cheaper:



http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOYOTA-TACOMA-T100-PICKUP-TRUCK-4RUNNER-RADIO-BRACKETS-1984-89-/201031427294?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2ece6824de&vxp=mtr



If you are installing a single din stereo you will also need a stereo pocket. Some people put a single din cup holder in the spot instead of a pocket.


Another thing I would recommend is that you run a dedicated ground wire and not rely on the harness ground. Mine is simply screwed to metal behind the dash. There's lots more here. Try the search function and try the search function for pictures.

 

I ended up wiring up a Toyota style harness back into my 4Runner, just for the sake of it being correct. If its a 86 or earlier, you could put a 87 or later style harness in, since those are far more common. As far as the wires go, if you have a digital multimeter, you should be able to figure out which wires are what. Use the DC voltage mode to figure out ground, 12V+ constant and 12V+ switched and illumination, then use resistance to figure out which wires are speaker pairs. That should get you set up.

 

 

I have the stereo brackets for $20 shipped if you need them.