Is it worth running a new power and ground to the head unit or will the ones on the factory harness suffice?

Vehicle: 02 Nissan Pathfinder that had the bose system in it.

 

factory wires is all I run keeps it all simple at the HU side of things.

 

probably not unless you have a power demanding head unit. and if you do decide running power to it, that would mean fuse installation. but if you keep it off the factory power, there is a fuse already to go. Plus some cars ground is ALSO the antenna so that would be useless to replace.


-Matt

 

My rule of thumb on this topic is as follows, use the OEM wiring in all cases except:

• Unusually high-power headunits (i.e. older Alpine V-Drive)
• Cases where the vehicle wiring is in question
• Building a serious competition vehicle/demo car

If you're in doubt as to the capacity of a given circuit, then it's always best to err on the side of caution. And always remember to fuse your new branch circuits appropriately at the source!

Note: Some newer Honda/Acura vehicles such as the Acura RSX are only fused for 7.5a under the hood on the radio 12v+ constant circuit, and that is a frequent source of failure and therefore a candidate for an upgrade.