Interface Or No Airbags Says Circuit City

[nateb06]

i was at circuit city today buying all my new audio stuff for my car. i was told when they were putting all the stuff on the computer that i needed a interface for my raido so that my air bags will work. :wtf: they siad it would be 150$. they also siad that either i bought it or they wouldn't install it( i should have had free install). Now i was just wondering. i have a 2002 alero with teh CD/ tape/ am FM receive. and i think "premium" sound package.

I looked at teh metra GM 70- 2001 and it said it only controled my door chimes. I just want to know if anyone else knows anything about this subject, like do i really need a interface to control my air bags

[nateb06]

oh yah i got a audiobahn receiver, 800W pioneer amp, and MTX t5510 10" sub/ with ported encloser"the bass Slammer pacakge"

[sound_xtreme]

pretty sure it dont f*** with the airbags, just the chimes

they are throwing you for a loop....the airbags have nothing to do with the car audio, and the only thing u loose with aftermarket units is the chimes, unless u buy a device that gives you those chimes,

especially since i just rewired my aftermarket unit yesterday with no problems at all!! really unless u dont know how to match things such as colors and colors with stripes up (which is all the wiring harness is, match the same color/striped wires up), id say u can do the install urself in probably an hour for the aftermarket unit, and another hour for the subs (between running the wires and cleaning a spot for a good ground source) realistically a complete newbie to installing could do one in probably 3-4 hours just going slow and taking their time.

my advice: dont trust circuit city or best buy installers, most dont know what the hell they are doin

[Redog]

Yeah they are just trying to get some extra dough out of you, The chimes, yes buyt the air big mod isn't behind the head unit

[nateb06]

sweet, thanx. Now all i gotta do is figure out how to get eh stockone out without it killing itself thinking it was stolen. or just how to get it out in general

[mikegett]

There are GM vehicles that ran the air bag through the radio. Most of the GM vehicles use a data bus that controls various electronics on the car. Some of those devices were ran through the radio. On our cars, it seems to be the chimes or the service engine light deepending on the year and model. I have talked to various GM techs and the air bag was not placed through our system. If you would still like to have circuit city do the install (since it should be free) have them call a GM technician while you are there. I have stressed on this site before, do not expect for car radios to be interchangable without a data modual in the near future. We manufacture GM and Toyota HU's. Nearly every model for 2006 will either run a dedicated data link like GM's or use digital outputs.

[LDR92801]

Sorry to resurect an old post but I was wondering about this same thing. I was in circuit city today buying all my install parts for my new screen and they told me I would also need this interface. I don't care if I loosse my chimes but they also told me it affects the fuel gauge. Any truth to this? The guy selling the stuff to me said he put a HU in his alero and he lost his chimes and the fuel gauge without it.

^ On my 99 GLS I lost the chimes and that was it, don't know about any other years (if they are different). The fuel gauge was fine. Its been over a year since the install.

[strtrydr]

^ I didn't lose any chimes and no other problem occured

I have a 2000 GLS and Best Buy installed my Pioneer DEH-P8600MP; It has been installed for about 1 1/2 years.

Maybe you guys just had bad luck? :hide:

[trumpetplayer91372]

I had a HU put in and i didnt lose anything, i still have chimes and i have never heard of the fuel or air bag problems. When i went to get my HU installed, they said i may lose the chimes depending on where its hooked up and it turned out i still have them.
99 alero

[LDR92801]

I figured they were just trying to make a sale. I have a 99 also and based on what you are saying I won't have any problems.

[trumpetplayer91372]

i went to a car audio place not a full electronics store and got an Alpine CDA-9855 so i figure they would know if theres a problem with air bags or something and since they never brought it up to me, Circuit City probably just wants to make it seem more important to buy so they pocket the money.

[Rubered00]

Circuit City has installed all of my aftermarket stuff and has never said anything about needing something extra and i still have chimes and my fuel gauge definatley works.

[nateb06]

i just froogled the interface and found it for 60$ (instead of 130 at CC) at a place call Zrant.com i think it was

[Ghadsphi]

When I had my HU put in they said I needed an extra module or something to keep the feature where the radio stays on for like 10-20 minutes after I turn the car off until I open the drivers side door. The stock radio also had a feature to automatically raise the volume when the engine noise went up, but I never really noticed it since my music is always either ear bleeding loud or off.

[sound_xtreme]

Originally posted by j_smith@Apr 27 2006, 05:49 PM
^ On my 99 GLS I lost the chimes and that was it, don't know about any other years (if they are different). The fuel gauge was fine. Its been over a year since the install.

Quoted post

ummmmmmmm, you lost chimes on a 99? never heard of that one....

The chimes may have actually been gone beforehand for some other reason lol, but I know that I don't have them now and always just guessed this was why.

[sound_xtreme]

Originally posted by j_smith@Apr 28 2006, 11:22 AM
The chimes may have actually been gone beforehand for some other reason lol, but I know that I don't have them now and always just guessed this was why.

Quoted post

well, i would check the fuse then. cause 99s shouldnt lose em with aftermarket radio.

[exnine@gmail.com]

I've had circuit city, and best buy install the same head unit in my in my car. With two different wiring harnesses. And I've never had any problems with Chimes, Engine Check lights, Fuel guages, or airbags.

I have a 99.
Pioneer h.u.