T-harnesses make amplifier installation easier
Tech spotlight: add an amp to your factory radio with less wire splicing
A vehicle-specific T-harness is a specialized tool that makes amplifier installation easier. These harnesses ensure that the audio connections are correct and secure, often with no splicing. They are the best way to add an amplifier to your factory audio system.
Adding an amplifier to your factory radio helps your system play louder, with less distortion and more bass response. This used to be a complicated affair, involving splicing into as many as eight wires with non-standard colors. Now, vehicle-specific T-harnesses from PAC make it less tedious and save you time, too.
Why is it called a T-harness?
A T-harness uses the vehicle's factory connectors and speaker wire runs to simplify amplifier installation. You unplug the factory wires from the factory stereo or factory amplifier and the T-harness plugs into both of those, but has a pig tail – the vertical part of the “T” – that has audio connections for your new amplifier.
T-harnesses take all the guesswork out of getting speaker-level signal to your new amp and amplified signal to your speakers. They get their name from the three sets of connections they provide.
-
The first connector plugs right into the back of your factory radio (or factory amp in a premium system). It receives the signal from the radio and sends it to your amplifier.
-
The second set of connections are the wires that connect to the audio inputs and outputs of your new amplifier. They deliver the source signal from your radio to the amp and send the amplified signal to the harness's third connector.
-
The T-harness’s third connector plugs into the wiring harness that was removed from the factory radio. This sends the amplified signal through the vehicle's factory speaker wires to the speakers.
Keep in mind, you’ll still need to run power and ground wires for the amplifier. The T-harness only simplifies the audio signal chain.
The T-harness extension cable connects easily to the T-harness
A good audio loop
Once connected, the audio signal travels from the factory radio to the amp, which amplifies it, then sends it back along the T-harness to the factory speaker wiring. Some amps only accept speaker-level signal through their RCA inputs, so you may need to add speaker wire-to-RCA adapters to connect the T-harness wires to your amp. Refer to your amp's manual to see if they are necessary.
We also recommend Posi-Products™ connectors to secure the wires of the T-harness to the RCA adapters. The speaker wires that come with the T-harness are short, so if you aren't installing your amp behind your dash, PAC also offers a 17' extension kit that plugs right into the T-harness. Perfect if you need to install the amp in your trunk or under a seat.
Restore your bass when you add an amplified subwoofer
Many factory systems lower the bass level as you turn up the volume as a way to protect the factory speakers. That’s the opposite of what you want when you add a subwoofer to your factory system. That’s why AudioControl’s LC2i line output convertor uses "AccuBASS™" technology — it reverses this lowering process to restore the boom you’d have lost. The PAC T-harness includes a connector that provides the LC2i with the power it needs, and you connect the T-harness speaker wires to the LC2i’s speaker-level inputs. Just run RCAs from the LC2i to your sub amp, and you’re ready to rumble.
Do we have a PAC T-harness for your vehicle?
If you want to check, load your vehicle info into our powerful vehicle selector to see if we have a T-harness for your ride. Once you add an amp to your cart we'll offer it as an option if available.
Then reach out to our friendly Advisors online or by phone, to get answers to any questions you have. They’ve gone through in-house and hands-on training, so they can help you pick out the right gear. All purchases from Crutchfield also get free lifetime Tech Support, so we can help you with any questions you have during your installation, too.
Comments (0)