Adding a radio to 2002 TJ with factory deleted radio (Where is the plug on the harness located?)

[Musician235]

Hello everyone, I looked up the build sheet for my 2002 TJ formerly owned by Department of Defense and have confirmed that it has the “delete radio” option, and I’d like to add a radio, but according to the parts manual, the TJ’s with no radio have a different wiring harness part number, so I’m fairly certain there is no existing plug for the radio.

That said, it does have an Antenna and two front speakers which are wired into the harness.. it’s hard to trace where they go, and I don’t think there is a specific schematic for jeeps without a radio..

The only open plug I can find is black under the steering column but it isn’t looking like any part of the radio wiring.

Do any of you have experience with the wiring harness that could tell me whether or not there is a way to add the radio harness on, without cutting wires? I see there is the cluster of larger plugs to the left under the steering wheel.. Would that be a hub of sorts where there may be an open plug to add in that whole radio harness piece?

Thanks.

 

[Rcroane]

Might be easier to locate a replacement harness that has the radio wiring.

 

[SSTJ]

Interesting. I'll check, but I think that my build sheet also says "Radio Delete", and yet I had all the wiring. (But maybe this changed over the years.)

Can you post a pic of what's behind your dash, where the stereo would normally go? It is entirely empty back there? Keep in mind that there is room for the harness to fall back and down, so it could be hiding back there.

 

[LONGJP2]

Have you pulled the center dash console?
That's probably where the radio plug is going to be.
The overhead (rear) speaker harness plugs in near the driver door.

 

[Jamison C]

Radio plugs look like so.

If you don’t have the radio wiring, I have an extra wiring harness for the dash that came out of a 2002. Do you have hardtop and wiper buttons? If not this would be a direct replacement.

 

[Musician235]

Interesting. I'll check, but I think that my build sheet also says "Radio Delete", and yet I had all the wiring. (But maybe this changed over the years.)

Can you post a pic of what's behind your dash, where the stereo would normally go? It is entirely empty back there? Keep in mind that there is room for the harness to fall back and down, so it could be hiding back there.

Thank you for sharing your experience. It gave me some encouragement to keep looking. I ended up finding the tag on the wiring, harness, googling the harness number, finding a picture of that exact harness, which did, indeed have the two radio connectors on it, and then gave me enough confidence to pull hard enough on the two suspect harness wires that were nestled behind the air vents.. and Tada, both connectors were there and in perfect condition. What a relief.

 

[SSTJ]

Thank you for sharing your experience. It gave me some encouragement to keep looking. I ended up finding the tag on the wiring, harness, googling the harness number, finding a picture of that exact harness, which did, indeed have the two radio connectors on it, and then gave me enough confidence to pull hard enough on the two suspect harness wires that were nestled behind the air vents.. and Tada, both connectors were there and in perfect condition. What a relief.

Nice, glad to hear it!

I'm guessing that you therefore also have wires for the (optional) rear sound-bar speakers? If so that would be an upgrade to consider.

 

[Musician235]

Nice, glad to hear it!

I'm guessing that you therefore also have wires for the (optional) rear sound-bar speakers? If so that would be an upgrade to consider.

Well, unfortunately, that orange plug on the bottom of the drivers kick panel hub is empty and there is no wiring harness from the kick panel to the soundbar location, so the search begins for a full or partial harness, but I am hoping to find a partial one with just the orange plug to the soundbar connector, as did verify the stereo plugs do connect all of the speaker wires to the hub underneath the driver side dash.. but am noticing no one wants to separate the harness so I may need to buy a full rear harness to get the sound bar wires.

 

[SSTJ]

You could also call one of the location listed here. I'll be visiting the one here in SC this weekend, so can ask if I remember.

 

[Moglocker]

Thank you for sharing your experience. It gave me some encouragement to keep looking. I ended up finding the tag on the wiring, harness, googling the harness number, finding a picture of that exact harness, which did, indeed have the two radio connectors on it, and then gave me enough confidence to pull hard enough on the two suspect harness wires that were nestled behind the air vents.. and Tada, both connectors were there and in perfect condition. What a relief.

Just curious,did it have a blank delete cover in the dash,just never seen one

 

[Musician235]

You could also call one of the location listed here. I'll be visiting the one here in SC this weekend, so can ask if I remember.

Very helpful list. Thanks for the link. The wiring I'm looking for just the soundbar and dome light to the under dash plug is pictured here but that item is long gone sold.

Apparently it is taped up to the full left/rear harness but can be removed just by unraveling the tape; ideally someone will have just this harness piece to part with as I'm not yet up to swapping out the full rear harness to add rear defrost or wiper. Have a good one!

 

[LONGJP2]

The wiring I'm looking for just the soundbar and dome light to the under dash plug is pictured here but that item is long gone sold.

Do you have the soundbar?
I've seen used ones (on Ebay) that come with the harness.

 

[Musician235]

Just curious,did it have a blank delete cover in the dash,just never seen one

Just curious,did it have a blank delete cover in the dash,just never seen one

This one did not have a blank cover over the radio bay. I think someone removed it and used duct tape to build the sides and back of the bay for an additional storage pocket… quite certain though that there was never a radio in there. The radio connectors were tucked as far back between the air vent ducts and firewall as they could be and the ducts/dash must have been built over them.. boy was it a relief to get them out without breaking the plugs or the vents.

 

[Musician235]

Do you have the soundbar?
I've seen used ones (on Ebay) come with the harness.

Did buy a used oem soundbar on ebay today, and searched far and wide for the harness with both plug ends, but seems all are cut off where the soundbar harness wraps and tapes into the rest of the rear wiring harness, even though they are two different runs and separable without cutting. I recently got into the DMC AFM8 crimper and deutch connectors, and was thinking it possible to to find the 10 pin type plug and adapt it, but not sure what kind/size/compatability of pins, so will probably end up buying the rear wiring harness to harvest that one needed piece rather than run directly from the back of the radio; it would be more satisfying to plug into that 10 pin connector at the kick panel instead of cut and splice..

Next to research what wiring is entailed in adding the factory style subwoofer.

As someone who has been interested in only the toyota 80's/90's toyota pickups, working on this TJ is just as fun if not more fun.