I'm swapping out the stock radio in my 89 dakota for a cd player. I thought that the wireing harness would just be able to plug into the new unit. This is not the case. I do not have the owner's manual for my truck and do not know how to connect the new cd player's harness to the truck. I have a sony CDX_L410X unit if that helps. I also have the diagram for the cd player that shows which wires are wich

 

The best thing to do is buy a wiring harness for your truck. You might find one at wal-mart or auto zone, but I doubt it, check at a local audio shop or maybe at crutchfield. If you can't or don't want to find a harness, you will have to run a new power wire and have to cut your speaker wires from the harness. The problem with that is you would have to 1, have a guide to figure out which wires are run to each speaker, or pull the speaker out to get the wires configuration of each speaker. I'm sure someone on the board here has already done this though and could help you out. If I were you, I would just find the harness. Although, I never do. lol I've always done my installs and never have been a fan of doing it the ez way........ and don't ask cuz I still don't know why. Also, I hope you took off your battery cable before pulling your stereo out.

 

the stereo was already out when i bought the truck. I have the harness for the cd player i just don't know how to connect the wires to the existing one. I went out and bought myself a wireing kit, so i just need to know what wires do what as far as the old harness is concerned. I know the color codes for the cd player harness.

 

Here is the harness I'm talking about. All you do is hook up the wires from your stereo harness to this one, and plug the harness into the factory harness. That is unless someone has cut it out. check this link:

Dodge wiring harness

 

where would i be able to find a hsrness like that in canada? I would love to get one!

 

I'm not sure, why don't you just order it from Crutchfield. I have heard good things about them.

 

Wal-Mart will prolly have it...or any audio store.

 

So I found the harness that i need at walmart but upon ferther inspection of the factory harness it looks like the power wire (red) is missing from the harness that is attached to the truck already. What to do?

 

just run a wire from your fuse box and bypass the harness. Just use something like the hazard lights or something that has constant power not matter if the key is turned on or not. make sure you buy an inline fuse which you can pick up at wal mart or auto zone.