stereo install

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00greenls

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I just installed aftermarket cd/mp3 player in my ls. Let me tell you it is a major PITA!!!!!! This was the most difficult install out of any car i've owned. I got the proper wiring harness and dash kit but when all assembled the heater controls part sticks out further than it did stock and what our tech articles left out is that you still have to use the factory metal dash brackets that came from factory radio onto your new plastic in dash kit. if you do'nt then the heater controls won't be in dash securely and it will fly out! My car is 2000 ls v-8 without alpine system with 6 disc changer in glove box. This was a total nightmare although my stereo sounds 10xs better my dash looks stock but if you know what its supposed to look like you will notice the heater control flaw of it sticking out beyond the ash tray and heated seats buttons.
 
This was a single din unit? Metra makes a kit that works flawlessly without the factory brackets. You should try a double din install, then you'll really know PITA!

kenwood%20ddx.jpg
 
Oh, I should add that the plastic brackets that come with the metra kit bolt onto the climate control unit, so it doesn't "fly out." Which dash kit did you buy?
 
oh ,sorry forgot it was a single din with removable plastic pocket. i got it at millionbuy.com it was scosche LN1328 wiring harness was american international #598. pektel my stereo dash kinda looks like yours at bottom but not sure. is the heater controls supposed to line up straight with stereo and stick out a couple inches from the ash tray? maybe i'm to picky or it is correct,but i swear stock was flush at bottom. LOL! cheapest price was at million buy and crutchfield wanted a price for install kit which costed me more than the harness and install kit i bought at million buy put together. sry for rant but i was aggravated and just finished installing it and it took me forever to do. LOL!
 
yes there are 2 bolts behind ashtray. i just mounted my stereo w/install kit and placed climate control under the pocket and removed the factory metal harness and fitted it behind my new one. my install kit didn't include any brackets or pieces for climate control. everything sits flush but to me the climate control's bottom sticks out a couple inches from the ashtray and heated seats switches. but looking at your picture it seems like mine looks flush like yours but i can't judge the bottom part to know for sure. Only thing i don't like is i can move climate control by hand but at least it won't come out...haven't driven car yet to see if bumps or vibration will upset or misalign anything. I just love fact that now i can play mp3 cd's instead of a million regular cd's. My project for tomorrow is the lovely driver's side window regulator! Paid 65.00 for after market on with motor included. dealer wanted 150.00,i said what are you nuts?
Going to follow tech articles for that one and pray i don't run into any problems with that one! i saw the pics and how-to's but couldn't you remove that whole metal plate on door instead of trying to wiggle regulator thru small hole as described? we'll see how it goes,wish me luck!
 
Yea I think we need pics post some up.

I have had both and the single din worked great everything came out clean it was the metra kit iirc. the double din was a pain but looks alot better in the end
 
sorry rick no pics but as far as inches not very much but to me seems noticeable. maybe its just me like i said from blowing a gasket while installing this! LOL! All i mean is that the climate control is flush with stereo but not with ashtray and the wood surround.....was it from the stock radio? I'm so confused now. Anyway everything works great and drove car over bumps(after all i live in pa,worst roads ever)and the climate control didn't move and nothing got misaligned. The girlfriend didn'y notice a difference so i'm not going to sweat it anymore! It works and sounds great so good enough for me! maybe while i tackle the window regulator i'll lokk into changing the speakers if they haven't been already.
 
i have used AI and scosche kits before and they both re-use the stock metal bracket and the fitment was less than desireable because part of the metal bracket overlapped a plastic bracket and it was just to thick one one of them the other was just crap, i currently use the metra kit and it fits a lot better(sorry i dont have the part number this time) and it has its own brackets that screws into the climate controls and is very firm once bolted in at the top and bottom. now only if someone made it in silver.
 
Thanks guys! but i'm not going through that hell again to change it.LOL! It seems to be working fine so i'll leave it alone. I just did window regulator replacement and let me tell you major PITA!!!!!!!!! It took me 3.5 hours to do. cool thing about new regulator is it includes the regulator,motor and window clamps. This was driver's side front i replaced. sure enough it was off track and one of the plastic wheels snapped off. could tell it was replaced before because the half assed person left some broken pieces inside door frame. Just a warning this is no 30 minute job! Maybe if you had someone helping you but by yourself no way! Took forever lining up the window correctly and having window clamps on tight enough. sound deading thingy didn't stick back to well either. i hit bumps now i can hear a slight rattle,which makes me mad but i'll settle with it cause i sure as hell am not gonna rip this apart again! At least the new regulator look like it was built better than the stockers. The plastic wheels were bigger and thicker! Was thinking about replacing speakers but screw that,i'll pay someone to do that. even though i don't like other people touching my car. I don't have a camera otherwise i would have took pictures. Next project is exhaust! I already cut out mufflers and welded in straight pipes and left stock resonators on and it woke the car up and has a meaner growl to it! I'm going to leave the stock pipes on and weld in an hpipe and then replace resonators with slp loudmouth resonators and have custom 2.25 tailpipes welded on to them.
 
Nope, you'll only need to reuse the factory mounting brackets.

Of course, I'm assuming you are talking only about fitment. If not, then you will also need the proper wiring harness, butt connectors, etc...
 
Hey Pete,

I'm going to have it installed professionally, I'll just give them the bezel. Should a pro installer have the other things like a steering wheel control adapter n' such?
 
Firthockeydog said:
Hey Pete,

I'm going to have it installed professionally, I'll just give them the bezel. Should a pro installer have the other things like a steering wheel control adapter n' such?
Click to expand...

Depends on how big the place is and how often they install that particular adapter. It would be better to have it in hand already instead of having to wait on them to order it.
 
yeh definitly get the steering wheel adapter first, some shops only stock the universal IR adapters like the SWI-X:( (which will work but is a lot less reliable, has a longer delay, and is affected by direct sunlight) than the brand specific models like the SWI-JACK:D
 
hey 1LoudLS, i have a D300 alpine and i want to have the steering wheel adapter, will the SWI-JACK work on mine? also, how difficult is it to put it on? i'm audio equipment inclined so keep that mind
 
the swi-jack will work with any Alpine, Clarion, JVC, and Kenwood that has the WIRED steering wheel control input. it not too bad to put in, there are a lot of wires that dont get hooked up, you hook up power, ground and acc wires then you need to find the steering control wire(it been awile since i hooked it up in my 1st gen but i think the wire is in the third plug that you usualy dont use, the larger square plug) and connect a wire to it, the easiest way to test for it is to hook up the fact radio and use a multi meter to check for a resitance to ground that changes with each different button, all the different buttons use the same wire just different resistances for each command. once those fore wires are connected there is a 3.5mm plug that plugs into the back of the alpine, the hardest part is the programming but if you know what you are doing, take your time, and READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! its very simple and should not take you much more than an hour or so. just check to see if your alpine has that steering wheel control adapter connection on the back(it looks like a headphone jack)
 
i was checking on which stereos it is compatible with and it seems it only has the D310 and not my D300 which sux. oh well, i guess it's not too much trouble to change it with the control.
 
yeh it doesnt look like it will work on the d300, you can still get the swix. the only difference is that it has an ir sensor that has to be mounted somwhere that it can be pointed at the front of the radio. the only thing with the X is that it has a little longer delay and depending on where you mount the ir sensor, somthing can block it but still its another option
 
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