Aftermarket Headunit Install
10-21-2015, 04:56 PM
#1
Aftermarket Headunit Install
Hello, I recently decided that sometime in the near future I want to install an aftermarket stereo in my 2003 Maxima. These are what I'm considering:
Leaning towards the Bluetooth variants. I did some reasearch on the installation and it seems that everyone recommends buying from Crutchfield instead Amazon because Crutchfield offers the installation gear at an discounted price.
Anyways, I saw this video but it was for a 4th gen Maxima.
Is the process similar? Also is soldering hard? Wish there was a 5th gen specific tutorial.
Leaning towards the Bluetooth variants. I did some reasearch on the installation and it seems that everyone recommends buying from Crutchfield instead Amazon because Crutchfield offers the installation gear at an discounted price.
Anyways, I saw this video but it was for a 4th gen Maxima.
Is the process similar? Also is soldering hard? Wish there was a 5th gen specific tutorial.
10-21-2015, 05:34 PM
#3
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 8
Crutchfield knows their stuff and honestly, it's worth the extra money you'll pay because their support is second to none. In my install on my 2001 max with the bose system, I didn't solder at all. I just bought some 18-22 guage wire crimps and a crimper from ebay to connect my wires. That way I could easily remove the stereo without much trouble if I wanted to replace it or return it to factory for resale (like that would ever happen 
) I also bought the harness, antenna adapter, and faceplate for the install from ebay, however I did find out later that the head unit I purchased only put 2 volts out the pre-amp wires so I had to buy this to give me my volume back:
Installing a head unit is very simple once you've gotten the correct harness for your vehicle. It's literally just connecting color coded wires (just make sure they are the same for the other end, check the included wiring diagrams). After that, you just plug it into your factory harness and you're good to go. For the ground wire, I just unscrewed one of the screws that goes into the frame of the car and wrapped the wire around there and tightened it. So far, I have experienced no hissing or other weird noises.
As for my opinion on the head units you're considering, I would definitely go with one of the bluetooth variants. It's so convenient to hop in your max and not have to worry about plugging your phone in. I couldn't tell you which one I would pick though because I don't have experience with Pioneer or Kenwood units.
) I also bought the harness, antenna adapter, and faceplate for the install from ebay, however I did find out later that the head unit I purchased only put 2 volts out the pre-amp wires so I had to buy this to give me my volume back:
Installing a head unit is very simple once you've gotten the correct harness for your vehicle. It's literally just connecting color coded wires (just make sure they are the same for the other end, check the included wiring diagrams). After that, you just plug it into your factory harness and you're good to go. For the ground wire, I just unscrewed one of the screws that goes into the frame of the car and wrapped the wire around there and tightened it. So far, I have experienced no hissing or other weird noises.
As for my opinion on the head units you're considering, I would definitely go with one of the bluetooth variants. It's so convenient to hop in your max and not have to worry about plugging your phone in. I couldn't tell you which one I would pick though because I don't have experience with Pioneer or Kenwood units.
10-21-2015, 05:53 PM
#4
The video is boring but useful. It packs about 8 (?) minutes of info into 25 minutes.
Changing the radio in a 4th gen and 5th gen are almost identical. One difference is the ash tray removal. On the 5th gen, you take out the cup for the ashes and remove the screw underneath it. I think you might have to remove the ash tray before you take off the trim around the shift lever. Can't remember.
I just installed a Kenwood DPX501BT in my 2K Max in July. I don't recommend it. The display is rather dim and in bright light, you can't see it. Other than that, it's great.
Buying from Crutchfield is great for their tech support. But you pay for it in the price of the radio. Even though their hookup accessories are cheap, you can still beat the overall price.
Crutchfield wants $149 for the radio + shipping. I paid $115 INCLUDING shipping on Amazon. Today it is $112. In addition I paid $29 for the PAC ROEM NIS-2 adaptor, $11 for the Metra trim plate and $3 for the Scoche antenna adapter - a total of $158.
Soldering isn't really that hard, but there are a couple of ground rules to observe. Here is something I posted for another org member that needed to repair his door wire harness.
- - - - - - - - -
How to solder by dennismik
Soldering is not that difficult, it is pretty easy with the correct tools and knowledge of the procedure. But it is also an art form, you need practice/experience to do a good job.
Solder is a funny thing. It needs to be heated up in order to melt, pretty basic stuff. So what is so hard (or funny) about it?
It isn't, if you are aware of the "rules".
You need the appropriate soldering iron. Appropriate means heat. The thicker the metal, the more heat is needed. Soldering irons are rated in watts. The higher the watts, the more heat it will generate.
Wires that are in the range of 18 to 16 gauge are best soldered with a 12 - 15 watt soldering iron. This is applies to the power window switch wires. The thinner the wire (the gauge number is numerically higher) the lower the wattage soldering iron.
If you are using too hot of a soldering iron, you will melt the insulation off of the wire. And if the soldering iron is way too hot, you will crystalize the metal which reduces the conductivity and makes it brittle, allowing it to break. Too cool of a soldering iron and you create what is called a cold solder connection that doesn't conduct electricity that well.
The metal you are soldering, the wire, needs to be free from corrosion and dirt. You also need to chemically clean the wire by using a flux. Solder sold for electrical work has the flux built into it. It is called rosin core solder. The solder is made like a pipe and is filled with the rosin flux material. There a different thicknesses (diameter) of solder. How big the metal area you are soldering determins this. If you use a thick solder on a small connection, you end up with a big blob for a connection. Electrically it isn't bad, It just looks bad and makes it more difficult to insulate, especially when you have multiple wires. And you are wasting solder. Solder for general electronics work is .031 inch in diameter, thin stuff.
After you have soldered the wire, you need to insulate it so your connection will not touch something and short out. Electrical tape and shrink tubing are the 2 most commonly used things. Shrink tubing has several advantages over electrical tape. It makes for a thinner finished connection that won't unravel. When doing several wires, thinner is a real plus. And it is easier to do than trying to wrap tape around a wire that is in amongst other wires.
Shrink tubing is a little tricker to use, though. As the name implies, the tubing shrinks in diameter when heat is applied to it. You have to slip the shrink tubing onto the wire before you solder it. Heat from the soldering process spreads down the wire and if the shrink tubing is too close to the connection, it shrinks and you can't move it to cover your connection. Another reason not to use a hotter soldering iron then you need. Avoid using excess lengths of shrink tubing as it is less flexible than electrical tape.
Shrink tubing comes in many different sizes. It contracts to less than half of its original diameter. Look at the diameter of your wire, double that diameter and get shrink tubing that will fit. The reason I say double the diameter of the wire is because the soldered connection will most likely be thicker than the original wire size. Tubing sized 3/16 inch is probably what you want. You want to cut the piece of shrink tubing so that it will over lap the insulation on both ends by maybe 1/8 inch or a little more.
Then there is the question "How do you get the tubing to shrink?" There is the formal, so-called official way and then there is the real-world way. The formal way is to use a heat gun with a curved end that you cradle the wire in and blows hot air around it. Heat guns are big and bulky and require lots of room. For the person that solders a wire once or twice a year, it borders on overkill. Real world techniques find people using matches/cigarette lighters. It works, but an open flame can melt other wires and may start something on fire. Another way is to use a tool that you would have handy - the soldering iron. Rub the soldering iron tip over the shrink tubing, trying to get it to shrink evenly. If you touch another wire, you will melt the insulation just like a open flame will, but you have more control with the soldering iron.
The last piece, but probably the most important, is the connection of the two wires before you solder them together. You want the wires to have a solid, mechanical connection that conducts electricity before you solder it. This is what a crimp and twist connector works on. The best way to connect the wires is with the "Western Union" splice. The western Union splice is named after the telegraph company of that same name. Way back in the late 1800's they devised a splicing technique to repair broken wires. It was strong so it would not pull apart and made excellent electrical connection.
You want to keep the over-all length of the splice as short as possible. For 16 - 18 gauge wire, you should be able to keep it to no more than 3/16 of an inch. Longer would not make for a bad connection, it would be a bigger, stiff section of the finished connection. Wrapping the end of the wire 3 - 4 times is sufficient. When you strip the insulation off of the end of the wire, try a half inch. You can always cut off the end if you bared too much wire.
When you are actually soldering the wires together, there is a proper procedure. Of course you have given the soldering iron time to get good and hot. Melt some solder onto the tip of the iron, then press the tip of the iron to the center of the splice. This bit of solder will aid the heat to transfer into the wire. Then touch the solder to the wire on the other side from the soldering iron. When the wire heats up enough, the solder will melt and flow into the wire. The solder will be a shining silver color so you can watch it. You want the solder to flow into all the windings of the splice. If you keep adding solder to the point where you can no longer see the individual strands of the wire, you have used more than is necessary and may very possibly have a drip when you remove the heat. As soon as you see the solder flow into the ends of the splice, remove the soldering iron. There is no need to "cook" the connection.
A good solder connection will be shiny. If it is a dull gray, you have a cold solder connection. You can fix a cold solder connection by putting a little bit of solder on the tip of the iron (the heat transfer thing) and re-heat the connection, maybe applying a little more solder.
Step by step synopsis:
1) Heat up soldering iron.
2) Cut wires and strip ends.
3) Cut heat shrink tubing to size and slip onto the wire.
4) Splice wires together.
5) Solder wires.
6) Move shrink tubing over the connection and shrink it.
My personal technique for doing multiple wires is to solder one wire to create the finished length. Then I splice the rest of the wires together as one process and then solder them as another process.
As I stated at the beginning, this requires some practice. Definitely do some practice connections. As many as you need to feel comfortable. Doing practice soldering on a work bench (or my favorite place, the kitchen table) will be easier than when you are soldering in the car because of the angles involved, the position of the wires, etc.
Also - when you are soldering, do not have your face over the connection. The flux from the solder turns into smoke and gets in your eyes. You probably won't like that.
Have fun.
- - - - - - - - -
Changing the radio in a 4th gen and 5th gen are almost identical. One difference is the ash tray removal. On the 5th gen, you take out the cup for the ashes and remove the screw underneath it. I think you might have to remove the ash tray before you take off the trim around the shift lever. Can't remember.
I just installed a Kenwood DPX501BT in my 2K Max in July. I don't recommend it. The display is rather dim and in bright light, you can't see it. Other than that, it's great.
Buying from Crutchfield is great for their tech support. But you pay for it in the price of the radio. Even though their hookup accessories are cheap, you can still beat the overall price.
Crutchfield wants $149 for the radio + shipping. I paid $115 INCLUDING shipping on Amazon. Today it is $112. In addition I paid $29 for the PAC ROEM NIS-2 adaptor, $11 for the Metra trim plate and $3 for the Scoche antenna adapter - a total of $158.
Soldering isn't really that hard, but there are a couple of ground rules to observe. Here is something I posted for another org member that needed to repair his door wire harness.
- - - - - - - - -
How to solder by dennismik
Soldering is not that difficult, it is pretty easy with the correct tools and knowledge of the procedure. But it is also an art form, you need practice/experience to do a good job.
Solder is a funny thing. It needs to be heated up in order to melt, pretty basic stuff. So what is so hard (or funny) about it?
It isn't, if you are aware of the "rules".
You need the appropriate soldering iron. Appropriate means heat. The thicker the metal, the more heat is needed. Soldering irons are rated in watts. The higher the watts, the more heat it will generate.
Wires that are in the range of 18 to 16 gauge are best soldered with a 12 - 15 watt soldering iron. This is applies to the power window switch wires. The thinner the wire (the gauge number is numerically higher) the lower the wattage soldering iron.
If you are using too hot of a soldering iron, you will melt the insulation off of the wire. And if the soldering iron is way too hot, you will crystalize the metal which reduces the conductivity and makes it brittle, allowing it to break. Too cool of a soldering iron and you create what is called a cold solder connection that doesn't conduct electricity that well.
The metal you are soldering, the wire, needs to be free from corrosion and dirt. You also need to chemically clean the wire by using a flux. Solder sold for electrical work has the flux built into it. It is called rosin core solder. The solder is made like a pipe and is filled with the rosin flux material. There a different thicknesses (diameter) of solder. How big the metal area you are soldering determins this. If you use a thick solder on a small connection, you end up with a big blob for a connection. Electrically it isn't bad, It just looks bad and makes it more difficult to insulate, especially when you have multiple wires. And you are wasting solder. Solder for general electronics work is .031 inch in diameter, thin stuff.
After you have soldered the wire, you need to insulate it so your connection will not touch something and short out. Electrical tape and shrink tubing are the 2 most commonly used things. Shrink tubing has several advantages over electrical tape. It makes for a thinner finished connection that won't unravel. When doing several wires, thinner is a real plus. And it is easier to do than trying to wrap tape around a wire that is in amongst other wires.
Shrink tubing is a little tricker to use, though. As the name implies, the tubing shrinks in diameter when heat is applied to it. You have to slip the shrink tubing onto the wire before you solder it. Heat from the soldering process spreads down the wire and if the shrink tubing is too close to the connection, it shrinks and you can't move it to cover your connection. Another reason not to use a hotter soldering iron then you need. Avoid using excess lengths of shrink tubing as it is less flexible than electrical tape.
Shrink tubing comes in many different sizes. It contracts to less than half of its original diameter. Look at the diameter of your wire, double that diameter and get shrink tubing that will fit. The reason I say double the diameter of the wire is because the soldered connection will most likely be thicker than the original wire size. Tubing sized 3/16 inch is probably what you want. You want to cut the piece of shrink tubing so that it will over lap the insulation on both ends by maybe 1/8 inch or a little more.
Then there is the question "How do you get the tubing to shrink?" There is the formal, so-called official way and then there is the real-world way. The formal way is to use a heat gun with a curved end that you cradle the wire in and blows hot air around it. Heat guns are big and bulky and require lots of room. For the person that solders a wire once or twice a year, it borders on overkill. Real world techniques find people using matches/cigarette lighters. It works, but an open flame can melt other wires and may start something on fire. Another way is to use a tool that you would have handy - the soldering iron. Rub the soldering iron tip over the shrink tubing, trying to get it to shrink evenly. If you touch another wire, you will melt the insulation just like a open flame will, but you have more control with the soldering iron.
The last piece, but probably the most important, is the connection of the two wires before you solder them together. You want the wires to have a solid, mechanical connection that conducts electricity before you solder it. This is what a crimp and twist connector works on. The best way to connect the wires is with the "Western Union" splice. The western Union splice is named after the telegraph company of that same name. Way back in the late 1800's they devised a splicing technique to repair broken wires. It was strong so it would not pull apart and made excellent electrical connection.
You want to keep the over-all length of the splice as short as possible. For 16 - 18 gauge wire, you should be able to keep it to no more than 3/16 of an inch. Longer would not make for a bad connection, it would be a bigger, stiff section of the finished connection. Wrapping the end of the wire 3 - 4 times is sufficient. When you strip the insulation off of the end of the wire, try a half inch. You can always cut off the end if you bared too much wire.
When you are actually soldering the wires together, there is a proper procedure. Of course you have given the soldering iron time to get good and hot. Melt some solder onto the tip of the iron, then press the tip of the iron to the center of the splice. This bit of solder will aid the heat to transfer into the wire. Then touch the solder to the wire on the other side from the soldering iron. When the wire heats up enough, the solder will melt and flow into the wire. The solder will be a shining silver color so you can watch it. You want the solder to flow into all the windings of the splice. If you keep adding solder to the point where you can no longer see the individual strands of the wire, you have used more than is necessary and may very possibly have a drip when you remove the heat. As soon as you see the solder flow into the ends of the splice, remove the soldering iron. There is no need to "cook" the connection.
A good solder connection will be shiny. If it is a dull gray, you have a cold solder connection. You can fix a cold solder connection by putting a little bit of solder on the tip of the iron (the heat transfer thing) and re-heat the connection, maybe applying a little more solder.
Step by step synopsis:
1) Heat up soldering iron.
2) Cut wires and strip ends.
3) Cut heat shrink tubing to size and slip onto the wire.
4) Splice wires together.
5) Solder wires.
6) Move shrink tubing over the connection and shrink it.
My personal technique for doing multiple wires is to solder one wire to create the finished length. Then I splice the rest of the wires together as one process and then solder them as another process.
As I stated at the beginning, this requires some practice. Definitely do some practice connections. As many as you need to feel comfortable. Doing practice soldering on a work bench (or my favorite place, the kitchen table) will be easier than when you are soldering in the car because of the angles involved, the position of the wires, etc.
Also - when you are soldering, do not have your face over the connection. The flux from the solder turns into smoke and gets in your eyes. You probably won't like that.
Have fun.
- - - - - - - - -
10-22-2015, 07:56 AM
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Lehigh Valley Pa
Posts: 27
I looked at doing an upgrade to my factory head unit as well and I found that Crutchfield will indicate that several units won't fit in your car when several aftermarket installers proved they would. I ended up adding a Parrot MKI 9200 with the correct amplified wiring harness to my factory Bose system. It works flawlessly and was very inexpensive on Ebay with no hassle. Now I just Bluetooth all the music from my Iphone and have hands free phone.
10-22-2015, 01:00 PM
#6
Crutchfield knows their stuff and honestly, it's worth the extra money you'll pay because their support is second to none. In my install on my 2001 max with the bose system, I didn't solder at all. I just bought some 18-22 guage wire crimps and a crimper from ebay to connect my wires. That way I could easily remove the stereo without much trouble if I wanted to replace it or return it to factory for resale (like that would ever happen
Installing a head unit is very simple once you've gotten the correct harness for your vehicle. It's literally just connecting color coded wires (just make sure they are the same for the other end, check the included wiring diagrams). After that, you just plug it into your factory harness and you're good to go. For the ground wire, I just unscrewed one of the screws that goes into the frame of the car and wrapped the wire around there and tightened it. So far, I have experienced no hissing or other weird noises.
Installing a head unit is very simple once you've gotten the correct harness for your vehicle. It's literally just connecting color coded wires (just make sure they are the same for the other end, check the included wiring diagrams). After that, you just plug it into your factory harness and you're good to go. For the ground wire, I just unscrewed one of the screws that goes into the frame of the car and wrapped the wire around there and tightened it. So far, I have experienced no hissing or other weird noises.
The video is boring but useful. It packs about 8 (?) minutes of info into 25 minutes.
Changing the radio in a 4th gen and 5th gen are almost identical. One difference is the ash tray removal. On the 5th gen, you take out the cup for the ashes and remove the screw underneath it. I think you might have to remove the ash tray before you take off the trim around the shift lever. Can't remember.
Buying from Crutchfield is great for their tech support. But you pay for it in the price of the radio. Even though their hookup accessories are cheap, you can still beat the overall price.
Crutchfield wants $149 for the radio + shipping. I paid $115 INCLUDING shipping on Amazon. Today it is $112. In addition I paid $29 for the PAC ROEM NIS-2 adaptor, $11 for the Metra trim plate and $3 for the Scoche antenna adapter - a total of $158.
Soldering isn't really that hard, but there are a couple of ground rules to observe. Here is something I posted for another org member that needed to repair his door wire harness.
- - - - - - - - -
How to solder by dennismik
Soldering is not that difficult, it is pretty easy with the correct tools and knowledge of the procedure. But it is also an art form, you need practice/experience to do a good job.
Solder is a funny thing. It needs to be heated up in order to melt, pretty basic stuff. So what is so hard (or funny) about it?
It isn't, if you are aware of the "rules".
You need the appropriate soldering iron. Appropriate means heat. The thicker the metal, the more heat is needed. Soldering irons are rated in watts. The higher the watts, the more heat it will generate.
Wires that are in the range of 18 to 16 gauge are best soldered with a 12 - 15 watt soldering iron. This is applies to the power window switch wires. The thinner the wire (the gauge number is numerically higher) the lower the wattage soldering iron.
If you are using too hot of a soldering iron, you will melt the insulation off of the wire. And if the soldering iron is way too hot, you will crystalize the metal which reduces the conductivity and makes it brittle, allowing it to break. Too cool of a soldering iron and you create what is called a cold solder connection that doesn't conduct electricity that well.
The metal you are soldering, the wire, needs to be free from corrosion and dirt. You also need to chemically clean the wire by using a flux. Solder sold for electrical work has the flux built into it. It is called rosin core solder. The solder is made like a pipe and is filled with the rosin flux material. There a different thicknesses (diameter) of solder. How big the metal area you are soldering determins this. If you use a thick solder on a small connection, you end up with a big blob for a connection. Electrically it isn't bad, It just looks bad and makes it more difficult to insulate, especially when you have multiple wires. And you are wasting solder. Solder for general electronics work is .031 inch in diameter, thin stuff.
After you have soldered the wire, you need to insulate it so your connection will not touch something and short out. Electrical tape and shrink tubing are the 2 most commonly used things. Shrink tubing has several advantages over electrical tape. It makes for a thinner finished connection that won't unravel. When doing several wires, thinner is a real plus. And it is easier to do than trying to wrap tape around a wire that is in amongst other wires.
Shrink tubing is a little tricker to use, though. As the name implies, the tubing shrinks in diameter when heat is applied to it. You have to slip the shrink tubing onto the wire before you solder it. Heat from the soldering process spreads down the wire and if the shrink tubing is too close to the connection, it shrinks and you can't move it to cover your connection. Another reason not to use a hotter soldering iron then you need. Avoid using excess lengths of shrink tubing as it is less flexible than electrical tape.
Shrink tubing comes in many different sizes. It contracts to less than half of its original diameter. Look at the diameter of your wire, double that diameter and get shrink tubing that will fit. The reason I say double the diameter of the wire is because the soldered connection will most likely be thicker than the original wire size. Tubing sized 3/16 inch is probably what you want. You want to cut the piece of shrink tubing so that it will over lap the insulation on both ends by maybe 1/8 inch or a little more.
Then there is the question "How do you get the tubing to shrink?" There is the formal, so-called official way and then there is the real-world way. The formal way is to use a heat gun with a curved end that you cradle the wire in and blows hot air around it. Heat guns are big and bulky and require lots of room. For the person that solders a wire once or twice a year, it borders on overkill. Real world techniques find people using matches/cigarette lighters. It works, but an open flame can melt other wires and may start something on fire. Another way is to use a tool that you would have handy - the soldering iron. Rub the soldering iron tip over the shrink tubing, trying to get it to shrink evenly. If you touch another wire, you will melt the insulation just like a open flame will, but you have more control with the soldering iron.
The last piece, but probably the most important, is the connection of the two wires before you solder them together. You want the wires to have a solid, mechanical connection that conducts electricity before you solder it. This is what a crimp and twist connector works on. The best way to connect the wires is with the "Western Union" splice. The western Union splice is named after the telegraph company of that same name. Way back in the late 1800's they devised a splicing technique to repair broken wires. It was strong so it would not pull apart and made excellent electrical connection.
You want to keep the over-all length of the splice as short as possible. For 16 - 18 gauge wire, you should be able to keep it to no more than 3/16 of an inch. Longer would not make for a bad connection, it would be a bigger, stiff section of the finished connection. Wrapping the end of the wire 3 - 4 times is sufficient. When you strip the insulation off of the end of the wire, try a half inch. You can always cut off the end if you bared too much wire.
When you are actually soldering the wires together, there is a proper procedure. Of course you have given the soldering iron time to get good and hot. Melt some solder onto the tip of the iron, then press the tip of the iron to the center of the splice. This bit of solder will aid the heat to transfer into the wire. Then touch the solder to the wire on the other side from the soldering iron. When the wire heats up enough, the solder will melt and flow into the wire. The solder will be a shining silver color so you can watch it. You want the solder to flow into all the windings of the splice. If you keep adding solder to the point where you can no longer see the individual strands of the wire, you have used more than is necessary and may very possibly have a drip when you remove the heat. As soon as you see the solder flow into the ends of the splice, remove the soldering iron. There is no need to "cook" the connection.
A good solder connection will be shiny. If it is a dull gray, you have a cold solder connection. You can fix a cold solder connection by putting a little bit of solder on the tip of the iron (the heat transfer thing) and re-heat the connection, maybe applying a little more solder.
Step by step synopsis:
1) Heat up soldering iron.
2) Cut wires and strip ends.
3) Cut heat shrink tubing to size and slip onto the wire.
4) Splice wires together.
5) Solder wires.
6) Move shrink tubing over the connection and shrink it.
My personal technique for doing multiple wires is to solder one wire to create the finished length. Then I splice the rest of the wires together as one process and then solder them as another process.
As I stated at the beginning, this requires some practice. Definitely do some practice connections. As many as you need to feel comfortable. Doing practice soldering on a work bench (or my favorite place, the kitchen table) will be easier than when you are soldering in the car because of the angles involved, the position of the wires, etc.
Also - when you are soldering, do not have your face over the connection. The flux from the solder turns into smoke and gets in your eyes. You probably won't like that.
Have fun.
- - - - - - - - -
Changing the radio in a 4th gen and 5th gen are almost identical. One difference is the ash tray removal. On the 5th gen, you take out the cup for the ashes and remove the screw underneath it. I think you might have to remove the ash tray before you take off the trim around the shift lever. Can't remember.
Buying from Crutchfield is great for their tech support. But you pay for it in the price of the radio. Even though their hookup accessories are cheap, you can still beat the overall price.
Crutchfield wants $149 for the radio + shipping. I paid $115 INCLUDING shipping on Amazon. Today it is $112. In addition I paid $29 for the PAC ROEM NIS-2 adaptor, $11 for the Metra trim plate and $3 for the Scoche antenna adapter - a total of $158.
Soldering isn't really that hard, but there are a couple of ground rules to observe. Here is something I posted for another org member that needed to repair his door wire harness.
- - - - - - - - -
How to solder by dennismik
Soldering is not that difficult, it is pretty easy with the correct tools and knowledge of the procedure. But it is also an art form, you need practice/experience to do a good job.
Solder is a funny thing. It needs to be heated up in order to melt, pretty basic stuff. So what is so hard (or funny) about it?
It isn't, if you are aware of the "rules".
You need the appropriate soldering iron. Appropriate means heat. The thicker the metal, the more heat is needed. Soldering irons are rated in watts. The higher the watts, the more heat it will generate.
Wires that are in the range of 18 to 16 gauge are best soldered with a 12 - 15 watt soldering iron. This is applies to the power window switch wires. The thinner the wire (the gauge number is numerically higher) the lower the wattage soldering iron.
If you are using too hot of a soldering iron, you will melt the insulation off of the wire. And if the soldering iron is way too hot, you will crystalize the metal which reduces the conductivity and makes it brittle, allowing it to break. Too cool of a soldering iron and you create what is called a cold solder connection that doesn't conduct electricity that well.
The metal you are soldering, the wire, needs to be free from corrosion and dirt. You also need to chemically clean the wire by using a flux. Solder sold for electrical work has the flux built into it. It is called rosin core solder. The solder is made like a pipe and is filled with the rosin flux material. There a different thicknesses (diameter) of solder. How big the metal area you are soldering determins this. If you use a thick solder on a small connection, you end up with a big blob for a connection. Electrically it isn't bad, It just looks bad and makes it more difficult to insulate, especially when you have multiple wires. And you are wasting solder. Solder for general electronics work is .031 inch in diameter, thin stuff.
After you have soldered the wire, you need to insulate it so your connection will not touch something and short out. Electrical tape and shrink tubing are the 2 most commonly used things. Shrink tubing has several advantages over electrical tape. It makes for a thinner finished connection that won't unravel. When doing several wires, thinner is a real plus. And it is easier to do than trying to wrap tape around a wire that is in amongst other wires.
Shrink tubing is a little tricker to use, though. As the name implies, the tubing shrinks in diameter when heat is applied to it. You have to slip the shrink tubing onto the wire before you solder it. Heat from the soldering process spreads down the wire and if the shrink tubing is too close to the connection, it shrinks and you can't move it to cover your connection. Another reason not to use a hotter soldering iron then you need. Avoid using excess lengths of shrink tubing as it is less flexible than electrical tape.
Shrink tubing comes in many different sizes. It contracts to less than half of its original diameter. Look at the diameter of your wire, double that diameter and get shrink tubing that will fit. The reason I say double the diameter of the wire is because the soldered connection will most likely be thicker than the original wire size. Tubing sized 3/16 inch is probably what you want. You want to cut the piece of shrink tubing so that it will over lap the insulation on both ends by maybe 1/8 inch or a little more.
Then there is the question "How do you get the tubing to shrink?" There is the formal, so-called official way and then there is the real-world way. The formal way is to use a heat gun with a curved end that you cradle the wire in and blows hot air around it. Heat guns are big and bulky and require lots of room. For the person that solders a wire once or twice a year, it borders on overkill. Real world techniques find people using matches/cigarette lighters. It works, but an open flame can melt other wires and may start something on fire. Another way is to use a tool that you would have handy - the soldering iron. Rub the soldering iron tip over the shrink tubing, trying to get it to shrink evenly. If you touch another wire, you will melt the insulation just like a open flame will, but you have more control with the soldering iron.
The last piece, but probably the most important, is the connection of the two wires before you solder them together. You want the wires to have a solid, mechanical connection that conducts electricity before you solder it. This is what a crimp and twist connector works on. The best way to connect the wires is with the "Western Union" splice. The western Union splice is named after the telegraph company of that same name. Way back in the late 1800's they devised a splicing technique to repair broken wires. It was strong so it would not pull apart and made excellent electrical connection.
You want to keep the over-all length of the splice as short as possible. For 16 - 18 gauge wire, you should be able to keep it to no more than 3/16 of an inch. Longer would not make for a bad connection, it would be a bigger, stiff section of the finished connection. Wrapping the end of the wire 3 - 4 times is sufficient. When you strip the insulation off of the end of the wire, try a half inch. You can always cut off the end if you bared too much wire.
When you are actually soldering the wires together, there is a proper procedure. Of course you have given the soldering iron time to get good and hot. Melt some solder onto the tip of the iron, then press the tip of the iron to the center of the splice. This bit of solder will aid the heat to transfer into the wire. Then touch the solder to the wire on the other side from the soldering iron. When the wire heats up enough, the solder will melt and flow into the wire. The solder will be a shining silver color so you can watch it. You want the solder to flow into all the windings of the splice. If you keep adding solder to the point where you can no longer see the individual strands of the wire, you have used more than is necessary and may very possibly have a drip when you remove the heat. As soon as you see the solder flow into the ends of the splice, remove the soldering iron. There is no need to "cook" the connection.
A good solder connection will be shiny. If it is a dull gray, you have a cold solder connection. You can fix a cold solder connection by putting a little bit of solder on the tip of the iron (the heat transfer thing) and re-heat the connection, maybe applying a little more solder.
Step by step synopsis:
1) Heat up soldering iron.
2) Cut wires and strip ends.
3) Cut heat shrink tubing to size and slip onto the wire.
4) Splice wires together.
5) Solder wires.
6) Move shrink tubing over the connection and shrink it.
My personal technique for doing multiple wires is to solder one wire to create the finished length. Then I splice the rest of the wires together as one process and then solder them as another process.
As I stated at the beginning, this requires some practice. Definitely do some practice connections. As many as you need to feel comfortable. Doing practice soldering on a work bench (or my favorite place, the kitchen table) will be easier than when you are soldering in the car because of the angles involved, the position of the wires, etc.
Also - when you are soldering, do not have your face over the connection. The flux from the solder turns into smoke and gets in your eyes. You probably won't like that.
Have fun.
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10-22-2015, 08:18 PM
#7
Crimped connections, like everything else, are OK if they are done correctly. Just as in soldering, you have to make a good, solid mechanical connection before you crimp it.
Cars are using more and more electronics, so if you want to be able to work on cars of the future, you should learn how to solder. It will probably be almost mandatory.
In my how to solder blurb above, if I reduced it to "do this, this, this," it would probably be less than 100 words. But I added some "why you want to do this," so it became longer. Don't let the length scare you away. Keep what I'm saying here in mind as you re-read it.
Cars are using more and more electronics, so if you want to be able to work on cars of the future, you should learn how to solder. It will probably be almost mandatory.
In my how to solder blurb above, if I reduced it to "do this, this, this," it would probably be less than 100 words. But I added some "why you want to do this," so it became longer. Don't let the length scare you away. Keep what I'm saying here in mind as you re-read it.
10-24-2015, 06:26 AM
#8
Watched a video on soldering wires and it doesn't seem too hard. Also re-read your post and it makes more sense now.
I forgot to mention in the original post that I want to retain my steering wheel controls.
I forgot to mention in the original post that I want to retain my steering wheel controls.
10-24-2015, 01:39 PM
#9
To keep the steering wheel controls, you will need another adapter. There are several companies that make one. You just have to make sure it is compatible with both the car and the head unit.
PAC SWI-RC Steering Wheel Control Adapter is one brand. This is not a specific model, you will have to go to their web site (pac-audio.com) and find the exact model. Or call them.
PAC SWI-RC Steering Wheel Control Adapter is one brand. This is not a specific model, you will have to go to their web site (pac-audio.com) and find the exact model. Or call them.
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