Since I don't own any tapes, is there anything involved with replacing the stock tape deck HU with a stock CD/tape HU that I would buy off Ebay? Same wiring harness, I'm guessing ...

Also, would it matter what year 3rd gen I got the CD/tape HU from? Can I use a CD HU from a newer gen Max?

EDIT: I probably should have posted this in the Audio forum.

 

IIRC your HU should be single DIN, while the one you want to install is double DIN. You lose your coin tray/cupholder. That should be about the only difference. Not sure if the connectors are the same, but the wiring should basically be the same if you have to switch connectors on the harness. How much are you going to pay for the new one?

 

i have been thinking the same thing but my damn screws wont budge off the radio
i have been looking every where for the stock cd player but can not find any..... thought about seeing if the 4th generation would fit and yes i do beleive so its the same connectors

 

Why bother with an OEM deck when you can get a nicer aftermarket one for a reasonable price?

 

A lot of people would rather buy a used OEM Bose that is compatible with the existing speakers/amp than to spend the money changing everything or the time rewiring the speakers. Whatever works for your situation is the best decision to take.

 

exactly .. I don't feel like rewiring everything .. just want plug-n-go. The Max is my daily driver, and I'm probably not gonna dump a lot of money into it (unless I can get the fender rust taken care of).

I have a double din dash, one din taken up by the stock tape deck, and the other is a cubbyhole thing. I just need to know what year / style CD head units will plug right in (or with minor harness rewiring).

 

I wouldn't do an aftermarket unit since the stock Bose speakers usually tend to blow up when they are working with an aftermarket headunit. I have this headunit in my car for like 2 or 3 years and the speakers still work and the headunit does also. Plus its the cleanest thing you can put in the car.

 

Also make sure if you have stock BOSE speakers and if you buy a BOSE headunit it DOES say BOSE on the radio or else it won't work. For installation, I went to the junkyard, found a 4th gen and cut harness from where it goes inside into the radio and then i took the one in my car and matched color to color and then there were like two wires that didn't match but the radio shop that installed it figured it out and it works perfectly. Good luck!

 

I sell a couple of harnesses that will combine to make a swap harness.

 

For the guys looking to do this, he sounds like the man to speak to!

 

What about physically fitting into the dash? Will a 4th gen CD deck fit into the 3rd gen double DIN?

D-sta, did that radio come w/ your '92 or did you pull it from another year car? That's pretty much what I want in my car, too. Simple OEM look + functionality.

 

Fits perfectly with no modifications whatsoever, and it came from a 97 maxima.

 

Looks like D-sta has the Bose 2121 unit from the 4th gen. I have one in my 94. Like he said, it fits perfect but the 4th gen wire harness is different from 3rd gen, so you need an adaptor for it. Internetautomart says he has them, but you will probably have to solder the wires. I didn't know internet automart had them.

I found another place that soldered them together for me - installer.com in Houston Texas. Part numbers 70-1763 and 71-7550 at $11.90 each. The solder job is called "join" and costs $7.50. S&H is another $5.50 and if you live in Texas add $2.58 for sales tax.

 

yup and that's not a bad deal.

 

Get an aftermarket unit and a power inverter thingie to compensate for the electrical differences (both Best Buy and Circuit City have these for the Max), put 'em in and you're good to go. I did this a year ago and it has worked without failure, and the speakers have never sounded better.

 

Two different perspectives, some like the aftermarket look and some just like the factory look of things. I respect both but I just think that the aftermarket HU can be a bit too much. I think my 4th gen unit is nice and subtle and flows with the interior.

 

i prefer OE headunits myself, the chances of someone breaking in to steal one are very slim.
but they will break in to steal a $99 aftermarket H/U
I'll generally stick OE. though neither of my cars currently have the OE unit in them anymore.

 

I stuck with the Bose because I was too lazy to change speakers and wiring.

 

D-Sta, is your '97 HU a 6-Disc In Dash or just a single CD unit? Also, you (do) need an adaptor for it?

 

i believe all the fourth gen hu's are single cd's...the 6-disc's don't come out till 5th gens (i think)....while the 5th gen double din 6 disc chassis will fit, the fascia is completely off and will not fit without some serious dremel work...

please someone tell me i'm wrong