Double Din aftermarket radio in 03 LS

Joshawa

Joshawa

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Hey all, I've been doing some searching about getting an aftermarket stereo in my LS. I personally love the speakers it has already, they sound really great to me (at least compared to my previous stock-sound cars). I found a pioneer double din radio I want and found some harnesses for the dash it seems on amazon, but they all have poor reviews that say they dont fit in the LS.

(Just because Rigs is gonna come and yell and say use the search) I searched and found this LINK

But it was for a LS with navi and he dremeled it out, I don't have a dremel. Has anyone here put in a proper double din in their LS and could link me to the the harness? Thanks so much.

These are ones I found on Amazon with reviews saying it didnt fit: THIS, and THIS.

THIS is the radio I want. If no one has been able to find out what to do for the aftermarket double din, was dremeling the navi one the easiest choice you've found? If not, what has proven to be the simplest way of getting the double din radio to work in your LS? Pictures welcome! Please share what worked for you and what you tried that didn't work! Could save someone else down the line! Thanks :)

(ps hi rigs plz no hate)
 
Okay, you're saying harness, but you seem to be talking about the dash (surround) kit.
www.amazon.com/dp/B001TJCREI/ref=psdc_15729901_t1_B001EBOMJO
The above is the one that I used on both of mine (04 and 06), and they fit fine. It was an AVIC that I put in the 04.

If the adapter harness is really your problem, then which one you need depends on when your 03 was built and if it has THX or not.

P.S. the one example that you found is very old, from before the double din dash kits were available. There are plenty of newer examples on here.
 
Sorry, I'm not the most familiar with the terminology! Thanks for correcting me. is there an easy way to tell when my 03 was built? And do you think that will fit the radio I linked? My LS does not have the THX sound

EDIT: I see now you said it would and I'm just a doof. Thanks :D What kind of wiring do I need to make it work with the steering wheel?
 
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You can look up your VIN, but the main thing is that the early 03s radio wiring was more like the 1st gen radios, and the later 03s were like the rest of the 2nd gens. The best thing to do is to pull out the factory radio and see which connection type it is.

Yes, the radio will fit. You likely will either have to trim the dash kit some, or accept that the radio sets slightly in the opening instead of flush with the surface of the opening. The JVC that I put in the 06 fits flush, but the AVIC in the 04 sits slightly in. The appearance and function seemed fine, so I did not try to trim it to make it flush.
 
joegr said:
You can look up your VIN, but the main thing is that the early 03s radio wiring was more like the 1st gen radios, and the later 03s were like the rest of the 2nd gens. The best thing to do is to pull out the factory radio and see which connection type it is.

Yes, the radio will fit. You likely will either have to trim the dash kit some, or accept that the radio sets slightly in the opening instead of flush with the surface of the opening. The JVC that I put in the 06 fits flush, but the AVIC in the 04 sits slightly in. The appearance and function seemed fine, so I did not try to trim it to make it flush.
Click to expand...
How do I go about looking up the vin? Is this video accurate?
 
That's probably late enough to be the 2nd gen style harness.
 
Oh awesome! What did you need to make sure the steering wheel controls still worked too?

Edit: Also could you snap a pic of how far in the AVIC is in your dash if you've got a second in the next few days, just to know what we'll be workin with.
 
if you get a pioneer with a moving face, then the radio wont stick oddly back in your dash, however, if you get a pioneer without a moving face, you will want to trim the kit to make it look better.
 
the 5200 does not, but all the models above it do.

with a 7200 or better, you shouldn't have to trim the kit for it to fit/look right.
 
1LoudLS said:
the 5200 does not, but all the models above it do.

with a 7200 or better, you shouldn't have to trim the kit for it to fit/look right.
Click to expand...
That's awesome to hear, I have the 8200 coming in
 
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