# installing head unit- the hard way. **URL:** \ **Category:** Shift518 Automotive\ **Created:** [July 18, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427 "2013-07-18T17:39:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skidplate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skidplate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Skidplate)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/1 "2013-07-18T17:39:12Z")
essentially the previous owner of my truck fucked me over on the wiring for the radio. it’s completely ripped apart, so my new to me head unit has to be hard wired in. the problem is that the pink wire -the one that is constant 12 volt- is dead. no nothing. the switched 12v power is there, and the ground is good. what kind of wire should i use, and where should i pull the power from to replace my constant 12v? this is the only hang up keeping me from installing this. ---
**Author:** ![88slowmarro](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/88slowmarro/32/6339_2.png) [@88slowmarro](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/88slowmarro)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 6:05pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/2 "2013-07-18T18:05:55Z")
Connect it to the cig lighter wire ---
**Author:** ![Skidplate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skidplate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Skidplate)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/3 "2013-07-18T18:13:14Z")
> [@WTB: computer speakers](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/wtb-computer-speakers/53146/4): > > Connect it to the cig lighter wire cig lighter is switched 12, i already tried that. ---
**Author:** ![GATVILLE](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/gatville/32/6362_2.png) [@GATVILLE](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/GATVILLE)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/4 "2013-07-18T18:26:06Z")
if you run a wire directly from the battery it might be constant 12v but im not sure :ponder ---
**Author:** ![PJB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/pjb/32/6389_2.png) [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/5 "2013-07-18T18:35:05Z")
Some idiot hacked the wiring to shit in my old S10 and I had to run a wire to the battery for the stereo. ---
**Author:** ![whitecivic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc29f/32.png) [@whitecivic](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/whitecivic)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/6 "2013-07-18T18:42:15Z")
Check all the fuses. If the wires touched each other or ground it prob popped a fuse. If the wire is pink I’m assuming it is a gm. What year and model? ---
**Author:** ![PJB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/pjb/32/6389_2.png) [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/7 "2013-07-18T18:42:48Z")
Nissan hardbody ---
**Author:** ![Sketchy](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/sketchy/32/6378_2.png) [@Sketchy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Sketchy)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/8 "2013-07-18T18:44:43Z")
Tap into the constant 12v that goes into the fuse box… ---
**Author:** ![Skidplate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skidplate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Skidplate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/9 "2013-07-19T13:39:33Z")
meatpawz was right. i had it backwards, i hadnt fucked with the radio wiring in probably a month. i had constant, not switched, so i ended up using the cig lighter’s switched 12v. aaaand then, i murdered the passenger door speaker trying to see how loud it was. fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Skidplate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skidplate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Skidplate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/10 "2013-07-19T13:41:53Z")
> [@NYSpeed Weekly Poker?](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/nyspeed-weekly-poker/51961/108): > > if you run a wire directly from the battery it might be constant 12v but im not sure :ponder didnt know what size wire to use, didnt want to overload the stereo. > [@The Official Nyspeed Photo Hunt v.3rd times a charm](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-official-nyspeed-photo-hunt-v-3rd-times-a-charm/53165/25): > > Some idiot hacked the wiring to shit in my old S10 and I had to run a wire to the battery for the stereo. this is more or less exactly what the idiot PO did to mine. > [@The Official Nyspeed Photo Hunt v.3rd times a charm](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-official-nyspeed-photo-hunt-v-3rd-times-a-charm/53165/28): > > Check all the fuses. If the wires touched each other or ground it prob popped a fuse. If the wire is pink I’m assuming it is a gm. What year and model? checked everything before i started and / > [@Why are you on NYSpeed right now?](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/why-are-you-on-nyspeed-right-now/53085/64): > > Nissan hardbody ---
**Author:** ![PJB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/pjb/32/6389_2.png) [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 1:44pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/11 "2013-07-19T13:44:36Z")
Ive got a 10" sub that’s yours if you want it. It works fine but I haven’t used it since I had my s10 ---
**Author:** ![Skidplate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skidplate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Skidplate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/12 "2013-07-19T13:59:48Z")
> [@Farting Co-Workers](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/farting-co-workers/53065/33): > > Ive got a 10" sub that’s yours if you want it. It works fine but I haven’t used it since I had my s10 single cab, _probably_ wouldnt fit. unless i put buckets in it and stick it in the middle. how much pjb? ---
**Author:** ![offroadzj](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/offroadzj/32/6428_2.png) [@offroadzj](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/offroadzj)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/13 "2013-07-19T14:02:25Z")
Did you ever check through the fuses to see if it was just a bad fuse??? ---
**Author:** ![Skidplate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skidplate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Skidplate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/14 "2013-07-19T14:07:42Z")
> [@People With Money In the Market](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/people-with-money-in-the-market/42103/265): > > Did you ever check through the fuses to see if it was just a bad fuse??? first thing i did before fucking with wires. lighter and radio were both popped, changed them, then got reading. ---
**Author:** ![PJB](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/pjb/32/6389_2.png) [@PJB](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/PJB)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/15 "2013-07-19T16:41:28Z")
> [@Skidplate"](#): > > single cab, _probably_ wouldnt fit. > > unless i put buckets in it and stick it in the middle. > > how much pjb? You can have it but you have to come get it. I had it in both of my regular cab S10’s, you just need a slim box. ---
**Author:** ![MillzB5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@MillzB5](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MillzB5)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/16 "2013-07-19T16:54:40Z")
> [@The Official Nyspeed Photo Hunt v.3rd times a charm](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-official-nyspeed-photo-hunt-v-3rd-times-a-charm/53165/76): > > You can have it but you have to come get it. > > I had it in both of my regular cab S10’s, you just need a slim box. Make your own box. And i have some 5 1/2 speakers kicking around if you want them. You just have to come get them. Nothing special but they work pretty good Sent from my Evo V 4G using Tapatalk 2 ---
**Author:** ![Skidplate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skidplate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Skidplate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/17 "2013-07-19T16:57:00Z")
> [@The Official Nyspeed Photo Hunt v.3rd times a charm](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-official-nyspeed-photo-hunt-v-3rd-times-a-charm/53165/76): > > You can have it but you have to come get it. > > I had it in both of my regular cab S10’s, you just need a slim box. i’ll come get it, address? > [@My 69 Camaro finally detailed - pics](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/my-69-camaro-finally-detailed-pics/50918/47): > > Make your own box. And i have some 5 1/2 speakers kicking around if you want them. You just have to come get them. Nothing special but they work pretty good > > Sent from my Evo V 4G using Tapatalk 2 address? ---
**Author:** ![MillzB5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9f8e36/32.png) [@MillzB5](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MillzB5)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/18 "2013-07-19T17:24:29Z")
Youll need a soldering iron to attach the leads to some wire. Cant find the little oem plugs Sent from my Evo V 4G using Tapatalk 2 ---
**Author:** ![Skidplate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Skidplate](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Skidplate)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/installing-head-unit-the-hard-way/267427/19 "2013-07-19T17:31:55Z")
nbd, just bought one the other day at radioshack JIC haha. thanks guys.