I am trying to install a new aftermarket stereo into my Lumina and have some questions about the wiring. The wiring harness kit I have matches up with the stereo wiring, but some of the wires from the stereo have little metal tips with plastic covers. Since I am using plastic butt connectors and not solder to connect the wires, can I just cut off these ends? What are they for?

It depends. Your radio should have came with some sort of diagram that shows what each wire is for. If it's a wire that will be in use with the adapter, those connectors could most likely be cut off.

You can cut the ends off and use the butt connectors so long as the wires are needed, but they may not be.

The ones w/ the sleeves like that are often "optional" wires, i.e. nightime illumination dimming (usually orange), a power antenna relay trigger (one of the blues), muting the receiver, to trigger an amplifier, etc. Since they are often not used, the sleeving is just there to keep the wires from being shorted.

If there are corresponding leads in the adapter you can connect them but if not neccessary they can be just tied in a bundle or even removed from the harness if you please.

Edited February 8, 200917 yr by fightingbee

You can cut the ends off and use the butt connectors so long as the wires are needed, but they may not be.

+1, just cut the ends off.

The first time I had the new head unit plugged in, it didn't turn on. I had to run the power wire directly off the car's harness, the adapter harness wasn't setup right for my setup.