How to install a car stereo

Steps

Purchasing your new radio

1. Look at your vehicle. Many modern vehicles are being equipped with premium audio systems that are not easily replaced, if your radio or door panel has a logo on it (BOSE, JBL, Harmon, Infinity), you probably have a premium audio system. If your vehicle has a factory "premium" audio system, stop now and go pay a qualified professional to replace it.
2. Buy a radio. Be sure that you purchase a radio that will fit in your car (some retailers tell you on the website if a deck will fit).
3. Buy the correct vehicle wiring harness and a radio mounting kit. Buy the antenna adaptor. GM vehicles, some European vehicles, and older Nissans (pre-95-96) require an antenna adapter.

Installing your new radio

1. Make sure you purchased all the install parts that are necessary (dash kit, vehicle wiring harness, antenna adapter).
2. Make sure you have all the tools necessary to remove the factory radio, with most vehicles you will only need some screw drivers and a small metric socket set, but some Fords, and most European vehicles need special tools to remove the radio. You can purchase the Ford or VW tools from most good auto supply stores.
3. Open up your dash kit and read the instructions. If you bought a quality kit it should have instructions on how to remove the factory radio.
4. Disconnect the negative battery terminal.
5. Remove the factory radio following the instructions provided with the mounting kit. Remember these dash pieces are EXPENSIVE to replace so be careful not to scratch or break them when your removing the radio.
6. Now that the factory radio is out double check that the vehicle wiring harness you were sold fits the factory radio plug. If it does you can begin to wire up your harness. The harness that came with your new radio and the vehicle adapter harness that you bought should have the same standard colors. Just connect them color to color--- red to red, black to black, Orange/white to Orange/white, and so on.

Here is the breakdown of what wire does what:

• Red..............12v ignition
• Yellow...........12v battery
• Black............Ground
• Blue.............Power antenna
• Blue/white.......Remote turn on
• Orange...........Dashlight/dimmer
• Orange/white.....Dashlight/dimmer
• Orange/black.....Dashlight/dimmer
• White............Front left positive
• White/black......Front left negative
• Grey.............Front right positive
• Grey/black.......Front right negative
• Green............Rear left positive
• Green/black......Rear left negative
• Purple...........Rear right positive
• Purple/black.....Rear right negative

1. Install the radio mounting sleeve (cage) into the dash kit by sliding it into place and then bending the tabs until it is securely held in place. Slide the radio into it's mounting sleeve (cage) until it locks into place.
2. Plug the harness you wired into the vehicle radio plug and plug your factory antenna into the antenna adapter(if required).
3. Mount your radio and dash kit into the factory radio location using the factory radio mounting screws(be sure to plug the harness and antenna into the radio), and re-install all the factory dash panels that you removed when taking out the factory radio.
4. Your dash should now look exactly like it did before you started except for your brand new radio and dash kit in place of your older radio.
5. Reconnect your car's negative battery terminal, and power up your modern electronic marvel.

Tips

published 3 years ago

niceguy

67 points