Aftermarket Radio Install - experience

[Darkstar M3]

I went to Circuit City today and had them install a new Head Unit. I really hate going there, but I had a gift card...

There are a few problems.
It doesnt sound like the deck/speakers are properly grounded as there is a whirring sound through the speakers when the engine is running, and gets higher pitched when I rev. I told the installer about this noise and he said that the factory amplifier and speakers are using a single ground, and that the only way to fix it is to rewire the entire car. I plan on upgrading the speakers soon,.. but does that sound right?

Second, there is a hole in the lower left corner of my OBC opposite of the reset button. I did'nt notice it until I got home, and saw that I can even see a wire through the hole. From what I recall, this hole was sealed, and I wonder if it was necessary to try to remove the OBC for the radio install... This hole isn't supposed to be open right? What goes there anyways? Did they break something?
Any ideas? :(

[Darkstar M3]

ok I found a picture
The hole on the left is supposed to be sealed, but how do I fix it?
It looks like they pushed it in...

[e30m3man]

I had to rewire my car. It sounded real distorted until I rewired it. Some cd players will work okay like the old pioneer units. I just ran new wires from all the speakers to the cd player and left the old wire in incase you ever wanted to hook it back up. Not sure about the whining noise though I never had a problem with that.

[UNHCLL]

Circuit Shitty didnt rewire.

GO check the deck and try to fade front -> Rear and Left -> Right.

I bet you cant get the individual corner speakers to work...

the ONLY way to install a stereo correctly in these cars, is to rewire direct to the speakers. Also, if they didnt do that, you're still sending the NEW signal through the OLD amplifier, thus negating ANY benefit of the new stereo.


And No, they should have NO reason to remove the OBC.

[Darkstar M3]

Thanks for the feedback!
The "free" install promo didn't include a rewire....I'll do that myself, when I get new speakers. That should fix what the buzzing sound.
The OBC "hole" is still a mystery...

[dhabes]

I just put the Alpine 9833 in mine with the iPod interface adapter. I love it. My only complaint is that when listening to the tuner sometimes the passenger speaker will cut out, im assuming it has to do with the antenna since its only in tuner mode.

I plan on upgrading speakers soon too...any idea how long it would take a shop to do this? Im not very electrically inclined.

[ChrisB]

Habes,

It's very simple to redo the speakers by yourself... the most complicated thing is running the wires under the steering column or through the glovebox area into the new deck... I have done it 3 times in the past couple years, and it's really not that bad, just time consuming, but nothing a 6 pack won't handle.

If you're running any RCA cables into a deck and have an amp remember to use electrical tape to tape them together behind the deck so they don't vibrate loose.

[mssVT98]

I had the whirring noise with my old stereo too. I figured it was a bad ground. Turns out the guys who installed my old deck didn't rewire - it was all running through the old amp. So that could have been the problem too. The fader check UNHCLL mentioned is the easiest way to tell.

Fortunately the guys who did the new one discovered that and rewired everything (without charging me any more!), and the noise is gone. I also made sure they got a good ground, but either way the problem is fixed.

Of course, with all the new power coming out of the new head unit (Nakamichi CD-400, which I love so far), all I've really done is expose my speakers for the pieces of crap they really are! :p There's another couple hundred bucks coming up soon...


Mark

[Darkstar M3]

Originally posted by mssVT98
[B}
Of course, with all the new power coming out of the new head unit (Nakamichi CD-400, which I love so far), all I've really done is expose my speakers for the pieces of crap they really are! :p There's another couple hundred bucks coming up soon...


Mark [/B]

I would trade my Alpine for the Nakamichi in a heartbeat! I love the factory look, and although you can change the color of the Alpine's lights to amber, it sticks out like a sore thumb...

The alpine does have it's advantages, such as the ability to play MP3's and a Ipod adapter is available... I guess I shouldn't look a gift(card) horse in the mouth.

[UNHCLL]

FWIW:
I've found the best route to run the wires is down the center of the transmission tunnel.
If you run the wires down the passenger side, they are right ontop of the '+' battery lead. Down the drivers side and they are mixed in with the chassis wire bundles.

One thing to consider before rewiring is this:
Are you going to want/need external amplifiers later on? If yes, it is worth it now to run the RCA's from the HU to the trunk. You can always leave them neatly coiled up under the rear seat until you need them.

I love Nak decks, and if I could get one with MP3 capability I would ditch my year old alpine in a second. I absolutely love the understated and subtle looks of the older CD-45z

[mssVT98]

I actually struggled for a while b/w the Nak and that same Alpine. In the end I figured I don't drive the car enough to worry about MP3s and XM capability, and I'd rather have something that matches the interior. With the subtle black face and the amber-ish lighting, that thing looks f'ing great in there! Very 80's-like.

It also has an RCA AUX-in, so it would be nice and clean to hook up an MP3 player if you wanted.

Mark

[UofOm3]

i have the same high pitched sound in my car. it's the RCA Cables being too close to the power/ground. If i completele outstrech my RCA wires and power lines in the opposite direction, or put another coast of shrink wrap on one or the other....the sound either completely goes away or diminishes greatly. This is comming from an aftermarket (shitty) amp. It could be completely differnet with the stock amp, but it workds this way with the aftermarket ones