A little confusion even after reading headunit/harness post.

[Jason94Cobra]

Hi guys it has been awhile since my stock radio has died from the ribbon cable... I think I am getting a KDC MP532U this week and the part numbers on the main harnesses appear to be different, but I keep hearing they may plug right in and work...

I don't know what to think anymore and also if I get something else like a Kenwood double DIN DVD instead will I need to replace the harness for that?

Is the harness in the car the Kenwood harness hard wired into the Mazda harness or is there an "adapter harness" into a stock Mazda harness?

I am probably going to get a new ribbon cable also so I may be putting the 919 back into this car anyway if I just get the 532U...

Confused...

 

[mechead11]

when you by an aftermarket H/U you get a plug with it that just has wires on it, and you buy a wiring harness. that harness is the plug matched to your car, so you solder and shrink tube all the wires (all color coded and with a key sheet, very easy). then your aftermarket HU plugs directly into the existing plug in your car.

 

[Jason94Cobra]

when you by an aftermarket H/U you get a plug with it that just has wires on it, and you buy a wiring harness. that harness is the plug matched to your car, so you solder and shrink tube all the wires (all color coded and with a key sheet, very easy). then your aftermarket HU plugs directly into the existing plug in your car.

I realize that is the "normal" case... but then I have only been installing stereos since 1989...

I was wondering if the harness for the stereo in the MSP is the same as a regular Protege up until it transitions into the Kenwood OEM harness?

In other words is the stock Kenwood deck installed with an adapter harness to a OEM Mazda plug or was the Kenwood deck hardwired into the OEM Mazda harness?

 

[haveahotcarl]

I realize that is the "normal" case... but then I have only been installing stereos since 1989...

I was wondering if the harness for the stereo in the MSP is the same as a regular Protege up until it transitions into the Kenwood OEM harness?

In other words is the stock Kenwood deck installed with an adapter harness to a OEM Mazda plug or was the Kenwood deck hardwired into the OEM Mazda harness?

It is like any aftermarket HU install, except it came from the factory. Uses an adapter harness to an OEM harness on the car, i.e. it is not hardwired.