Ease of aftermarket head unit install

[NMBurb02]

The Suburban has the stock CD/radio/tape deck head unit, a DVD player (flip-down from the ceiling with the player under the second row seats - not sure if it is OEM or aftermarket), an aftermarket amp, and aftermarket speakers. I am wanting to replace the head unit with a CD/DVD/Bluetooth unit that will send the DVD signal to the existing screen. Finding someone to do that install here in SoCal would be an easy feat but I am moving my family to a new state in a few weeks so we are pinching pennies until the move is complete. There is no car audio shop or anything resembling such in our destination home (Kanab, UT, population 4,468) and the nearest one will be about 90 minutes away in St. George, so I am looking at the option of doing this swap on my own once we are settled in. I have done very little research on specific units at this point as I am still trying to decide how/when it will be feasible.

Typically how difficult are head unit installs in such situations? Should I just plan on having it done here right before the move when the financial piece of the move is figured out or having it done after the move while in St. George on other errands?

 

[tenderloin]

Crutchfield is great at supplying (most cases)all the connectors for an easier install/changing out factory head units/speakers. Not certain about their pricing

Crutchfield

 

[Bgallagher]

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Crutchfield is great at supplying (most cases)all the connectors for an easier install/changing out factory head units/speakers. Not certain about their pricing

Crutchfield


+1 they tend to be cheaper than the bestbuys etc. and their customer service is excellent. They also usually include vehicle specific information for installation.

 

[3800Series]

Shouldn't be hard at all, go to Wal-Mart find your cars harness (they will list make and model) and the mounting hardware for the head unit to secure it in the dash. Get one of those and your set.

Remove the old unit undo all the connections and connect the wire harness it should slide in place from factory wire just a connection. Then match the cable colors up with the replacement is not. Slide into place and secure the mounting hardware.

It sounds complicated I guess but really the hardest part is removing the old unit and matching the wire up by color.

 

[exranger06]

You just need to see if the existing video screen has an input to connect a separate DVD player to. If it does, it's as simple as running a wire from the head unit to the screen. Pretty much all in-dash DVD units have a video output to connect to an external screen.

The rest of the hookup should be very straightforward (no different than any other head unit install), although you may want to change the way the aftermarket amp is hooked up. Since it's currently connected to a stock head unit, it's probably connected via speaker-level inputs. It'd be better to connect to pre-amp outputs on an aftermarket head unit.

 

[DriveHard]

I don't know if your Suburban is new enough, but the newer GM vehicles take a bit more...especially if you have and want to keep your steering wheel controls.

Keeping steering wheel controls means you have to pick up the commands on the CAN, then convert them into commands for the radio...that is another module.

Also, the "chime" on newer GM's is played over the radio. So, you have to get another box that sniffs the CAN bus looking for the chime message. It will then interrupt the signal from the new head unit and play a "chime" over the speakers.

Not impossible stuff, its just getting harder than the old days. Be sure to know what you are getting into before you start. Again, I don't know if this applies to your model year or not.

 

[javacontour]

I will give a thumbs up for Crutchfield. They may not be the cheapest, but they include the wiring and mounting brackets for your vehicle as part of the deal in most cases.

I got an inexpensive $99 Kenwood BlueTooth unit for our Mercury Grand Marquis and then bought another for the Protege5.

If you have Discover Cashback bonus, you can get $50 Crutchfield gift cards for $40 in cashback bonus.

Originally Posted By: tenderloin
Crutchfield is great at supplying (most cases)all the connectors for an easier install/changing out factory head units/speakers. Not certain about their pricing

Crutchfield

 

[Nick1994]

The head unit should be easy to replace. That plastic piece that goes around the radio goes all the way around the instrument cluster too. Tilt the steering wheel all the way down and I believe there's a screw above the instrument cluster, then pull gently and work your way around and take the trim out around the radio and instrument cluster. Then it's like 4 screws and the radio comes out. Make sure you buy the installation kit and the wiring adapter, plug and play.

There's probably YouTube videos of it, look for videos for Silverados and Tahoes, same dash.

If it doesn't send the signal to the screen, you can always take it into a shop, but at least you'd do most of the work and save most of the $$$

 

[NMBurb02]

Thanks everyone for the input. I'm not sure how the amp is curently hooked up but the shop had to use some sort of adapters to make it work with the stock head unit and retain the balance and fade (at first the skimped and didn't use the right number or type of adapters and I took it back in for them to get it right). I think those adapters were to address the speaker/preamp input issue mentioned above. It looks sloppy behind the dash and I don't think it works like it should.

The DVD player is connected to the screen via RCA cables so I guess that should be pretty straightforward.

It's a 2002 model year and does not have steering wheel controls so that makes it easier.

If it is as easy as you all are making it out to be, I may see what Crutchfield's cheaper options are and do a self install before the move in order to make it easier to keep the kids entertained throughout the 6 1/2+ hour drive.

 

[NMBurb02]

Noob question here: if the new head unit has preamp outputs, do I need the wiring harness or can I run cables directly from the preamp outputs to the amp?

 

[CKN]

Where you live there are plenty of places that could do it for a low price. 6th street is loaded with them-and also Riverside as well.

 

[Nick1994]

Another car audio website I recommend is sonicelectronix.com, good prices and kits. I bought my Pioneer deck for my Camry there and 4 PPI speakers.

My brother had built multiple audio systems for his cars and friends cars, subs, amps, speakers, stereo decks etc. and always uses sonicelectronix.com

BTW I'm in no way associated to them, just recommending them.

 

[Rhymingmechanic]

I'll recommend Crutchfield, too. Their help line might be worth a call after you surf the site.

I just installed a pair of door speakers from them in a 2001 Silverado. The included instructions also covered the head unit. Apparently, you remove the trim panel (11 clips) and then push down tabs on either side of the unit and pull it out. There are notes to be careful around the hazard switch, move the shifter to the lowest gear, and disconnect the negative battery cable.

 

[exranger06]

Originally Posted By: NMBurb02
Noob question here: if the new head unit has preamp outputs, do I need the wiring harness or can I run cables directly from the preamp outputs to the amp?

You don't need the harness, just run RCA cables from the head unit to the amp.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I went to Walmart and bought the Scosche dash and wiring harness kits. Took every bit of 10 minutes to install in my car.