replacing stereo

I went and got a nice a$$ kenwood stereo, but my friend that works at Best Buy is telling me that my air bag system run through my stereo system. He says to install the kenwood I have to put the stock stereo in the trunk with some wireing and a mount. Anyybody know anyway around this or is it a must???

[Aleromaster]

#1 wrong section for this question
#2 The air bag doesn't run trough it that we know of ( anyone with a 2001+ been in an accident and can prove it?). The chimes go through it. You could use a general wiring harness but you would lose the chimes and retained accsesory power. there are tree choices 1. cheap harness, wire acc power to fuse box and lose the bells and wistles. 2. relocate factory radio and keep the bells but lose the wistles, or 3. buy a box of some kind (don't remeber the name but if you search in the audio section you'll find it) and not relocate the radio and keep the chimes and RAP(retaines acc power)

[smokinAMD]

If you wire it properly, you wont lose your chimes. Just get the wiring harness from crutchfield, and you'll get the instructions for it. I have a Kenwood in mine and I still have my chimes.

[j{}n]

same here. just popped in a wiring harness. best buy has em

Lots of aftermarket stereo info for the Alero:

http://invision.aleromod.com/index.php?showtopic=2028

Smoking- Your 99 is different than 2001's +

[vulgar]

2001+ aleros run the chimes and accessory power through head unit.

Originally posted by RHYYZZ@Apr 6 2004, 02:15 AM
I went and got a nice a$$ kenwood stereo, but my friend that works at Best Buy is telling me that my air bag system run through my stereo system. He says to install the kenwood I have to put the stock stereo in the trunk with some wireing and a mount. Anyybody know anyway around this or is it a must???

haha...I work at Best Buy too...and own an Alero and YES you DO need to re-locate it to the trunk (or wherever u want). You also must get a wire harness for the RDS systems like you/we have on the Alero...i think its bout $75 for you as a customer from Best Buy. That's the poopty thing bout RDS.

Originally posted by 1WhiteOSV@Apr 7 2004, 10:10 PM
haha...I work at Best Buy too...and own an Alero and YES you DO need to re-locate it to the trunk (or wherever u want). You also must get a wire harness for the RDS systems like you/we have on the Alero...i think its bout $75 for you as a customer from Best Buy. That's the poopty thing bout RDS.

No, you don't need to relocate it. Can't trust a Best Buy installer as far as I can throw one, and I haven't been working out... Their computer (along with an installer) absolutely insisted that the wrong harness was the right one when I knew better and couldn't he couldn't tell me which wires did what in the harness in question. Granted, not all installers are created equal...I'm not saying that you don't know what you're doing, but when Best Buy's (and other places as well) computer has the wrong harness listed...that's the start of a big headache.

The stock headunit does NOT have to be relocated in 2001+ Aleros. I did a lot of research on this before my own install and got a lot of info from this forum and GAGT.com as well as other places on the net. I trust the countless people that have successfully done it themselves before I trust someone working at a store.

Before someone replies saying that I'm wrong, please take the time to read my info sheet on GM's Class II interface (Alero-specific). A lot of questions will be answered there:

http://invision.aleromod.com/index.php?showtopic=2028

In regards to the car losing any serious functionality, like ABS or air bags or whatever because it's integrated through the radio...it's a myth. Think of this. Someone decides to steal your stock headunit. You mean to tell me that if I then drive home (sans radio) and hit something, my air bags won't deploy? Not a chance. The lawsuits would be unbelievable. No car manufacturer would take that chance. They KNOW people replace headunits. They KNOW people steal radios.

[BLK03GXS]

Read the thread that purple&black gave there...
I would recomend getting the harness, relocating your deck, and doing it that way, i have, and i didnt want to to begin with... but the differance between my car and my buddys sunfire (he didnt retain his RAP) is huge...
You wont regret relocating the deck.. i put mine in the drivers side fenderwell behind the wheel... you dont even know its there....
And its nice to get into the car and the sterio comes on by itself... just like stock :thumbsup:

The airbag thing is a total bunch of BS, the reason ppl prolly think that is because it says in the install instructions for the deck kits to unhook the airbags to prevent accidental deployment... and thats uneccicarry

[Aleromaster]

Anything you do electrical nowa a days recomend you unplug your air bags. I say screww it.

[mikegett]

It is unbelievable how much information is out there about these headunits and what will and won't fit. The wierd thing is that they don't seem to mesh. I agree with purpleandblack, that alot of this is a big myth. I have had three installers that I talked to (one best buy and the others pro's) all give me three different reasons as to why the radio must be moved. The only thing that seemed to stay the same was the seventy dollar cable that they all mentioned and the extra sixty dollar install fee for added troubles. I asked two Oldmobile tech's about the issue and they both stated that my 2003 (I only asked about my year) with RDS would loose chimes and check engine light. They both stated that the air bag does not run through the car and gave the same reasons. Liability. I even had one person try to sell me a relocating harness on the understanding that my transmission would not work if the radio was removed as a theft deterant. It is like the urban myth of oldsmobile. It just keeps on growing. Of course, I have yet to change my headunit. So by the laws of nature and the God given fact that I am always wrong (at least that is what my wife says-and prooves-every day) I predict that I will die in a very violent crash in which only the use of my soon to be disconnected airbag could possibly save my life. It has been good meeting all of you, I am off to meat my destiny.

Someone call 911

so if you have to mount the stock deck somewhere in the vehical , instead of running a bunch of wiring to the other end of the car has anyone left the stock deck in it's stock place and mounted the aftermarket deck under the armrest. can this be done?

Scoche makes a replacemnt module now, not a relocation harness.

From my understanding, the only thing this module does for me is to retain chime, retain RAP, and "retain a clean system image to the Car's Computer".

Whatever that last one means. My chime sounds different, but i am happy with the replacement module. It was only 60 bucks. Cost me 25 to get everything installed. Its worth the 25 bucks to have them do it for me.

Yep, the Scosche GM09 is a replacement module. Metra, PAC Audio and Soundgate also make one. Read my post about GM's Class II system if anyone's looking for more info. Covers Class II, chimes, relocation harnesses, replacement interfaces, etc.

http://invision.aleromod.com/index.php?showtopic=2028

[mikegett]

Purple&Black, I want to thank you for the very informative tutorial that you put togeather. The information was extremely thorough and helped solve quite a few questions that I had about the car and how to go about the installation. The replacement modules that are now available made the deciding factor for me to replace my stock HU. (or at least I decided that I wll be replacing it when I get the cash) And the amplifier pinout saved hours of removing the radio and convincing a friend to help ohm out the connections. Your work is greatly appreciated and I look forward to reading more from you. Now all you need to do is give a descriptive tutorial on how to swap out the 3.4 with the northstar and I will be happy.

Hey, no problem. I had a hell of a time figuring out what to do with mine and then after I had figured it out there were always still lots of threads about it, so I figured it was time to start writin'...

The 3400 to Northstar swap will be tough...I'll get on it. :P