1998 Chevy Van needs an audio upgrade!

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My 1998 Chevy van needs a serious audio upgrade! The factory radio sounds OK, has a cassette player won't play half of my tapes. Either kicks the tapes out or keeps trying to switch sides over and over. It also has a detached CD player.

I'd like to install something with MP3 (SD/USB), backup camera and GPS capability (the main thing). I believe the radio in it is a 1.5 DIN. I've found some with flip out screens but I'm thinking it might conflict with the ventilation controls above it.

First of all I'm having finding an installation kit for it. Everytime I enter my make and model into Ebay, it pops up a kit but then says "won't fit my model" or anything before 2005. The thing is GM hasn't changed much on this van in the past 20 years. They are still making this same model (AFAIK) and there is not much difference in the dashboards between 2005 and 1998. So why wouldn't it fit?

Any suggestions from Chevy van owners? Anyway to install a 2 DIN radio? that might require some hacking.

This can also has a plastic faux wood grain cover over the dashboard so that maybe an issue.
 
Check out crutchfield.com I have bought 3-4 stereos from them over the years, excellent prices and support service.
 
You can call Crutchfield or check out their site, they usually provide the installation kit and other parts for free when you buy a new radio. Sometimes they will just sell you the parts at a good discount if the price of the new radio is less than about $100.00. Their tech support is very good and can make sure you get the right parts. It is not very hard to install a new radio in a 98 Chevy van, but you may need to remove the custom wood trim first to get the dash panel off.

The factory radio ejecting tapes and constantly doing auto-reverse is probably due to a broken tape drive belt inside the radio. It is not too hard to fix either, if you can find a supplier for a new belt. I personally would not be real crazy about buying a car radio off Ebay. You are better off by a long shot going with Crutchfield or taking a trip to the local Best Buy. Crutchfield's customer service and tech support really is about the best in the business, but their prices are a little high compared to Amazon, Sonic Electronix and other online stores.

Your Chevy has the GM 2000 J chassis radio and should take a Metra 99-3300 installation kit, a 70-1858 wire harness and an AADP-4 antenna adapter. If it is the commercial passenger type conversion van the kit part number may be a 99-3002. There are other manufacturers of the parts you will need, but Metra is the one I am familiar with. You can check out www.metraonline.com for Metra installation parts, there is a vehicle selector over on the upper right side of the site to plug in your info and see your parts. It is very difficult, but not impossible to install a double din unit with GPS in your dash, but it would take a lot of custom work to make it look right. Most single DIN units nowadays have a USB port, and there are also Digital Media Receivers that have no CD player at all, only a USB and mini-aux jack. There are a lot of good choices available nowadays.
 
You can call Crutchfield or check out their site, they usually provide the installation kit and other parts for free when you buy a new radio. Sometimes they will just sell you the parts at a good discount if the price of the new radio is less than about $100.00. Their tech support is very good and can make sure you get the right parts. It is not very hard to install a new radio in a 98 Chevy van, but you may need to remove the custom wood trim first to get the dash panel off.

That piece is not hard to take off. It's just a cover held on with 2 sided tape that overlaps the original cover. I may have to remove it and leave it off.

The factory radio ejecting tapes and constantly doing auto-reverse is probably due to a broken tape drive belt inside the radio. It is not too hard to fix either, if you can find a supplier for a new belt. I personally would not be real crazy about buying a car radio off Ebay. You are better off by a long shot going with Crutchfield or taking a trip to the local Best Buy. Crutchfield's customer service and tech support really is about the best in the business, but their prices are a little high compared to Amazon, Sonic Electronix and other online stores.


I really have no desire to repair the factory radio.

I've replaced belts on 8 track players (LOL!), I collect vintage audio and 8 track tapes. If I have room I thought about mounting an 8 track player I pulled from an old Montgomery Ward's airline with a bad amplifier in place of the detached CD player if room permits and run the output wires off the 8 track player to the input port on the new radio.


Your Chevy has the GM 2000 J chassis radio and should take a Metra 99-3300 installation kit, a 70-1858 wire harness and an AADP-4 antenna adapter. If it is the commercial passenger type conversion van the kit part number may be a 99-3002. There are other manufacturers of the parts you will need, but Metra is the one I am familiar with. You can check out www.metraonline.com for Metra installation parts, there is a vehicle selector over on the upper right side of the site to plug in your info and see your parts. It is very difficult, but not impossible to install a double din unit with GPS in your dash, but it would take a lot of custom work to make it look right. Most single DIN units nowadays have a USB port, and there are also Digital Media Receivers that have no CD player at all, only a USB and mini-aux jack. There are a lot of good choices available nowadays.


I'm having issues with my company blocking Photobucket but here is a Sirius radio plate I made for my Subaru:

http://s222.photobucket.com/user/turbofiat/library/Subaru?sort=6&page=1

I haven't subscribed to Sirius in ages ever since they wanted to up my substrciption so I haven't removed it.

Here is my van:

http://s222.photobucket.com/user/turbofiat/library/Chevy van?sort=6&page=1

http://s222.photobucket.com/user/turbofiat/library/Chevy van?sort=6&page=1
 
Originally Posted By: TurboFiat124
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Scosche-Gm1504-Dash-Install-Kit-for-1982-2005-GM/14667118



Hey that sounds like just what I need!

The kit has enough pieces to go with it! I noticed the kit says fits up to 2005. That may explain why most of the kits I've seen on Ebay says "won't work on vehicles built below 2005"



I bought the Scosche kit for my 300ZX. Fit like a glove!
 
Hope this doesn't sound like a dumb question but would my 1998 GM van have a CANBUS system?

I think I found what I am looking for:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Single-1DIN-7-HD...119.m1438.l2649

I got the 1 DIN installation kit with wiring harness from Wal-Mart for 1982 to 2000 GM vehicles.

I could have possibly used a 2 VIN radio but this might require some dash hacking and allot of extra work. I'd rather not have to file and hack on the faux wood grain cover that goes over the original dash cover and hopefully the flip out screen won't interfere with the ventilation controls above the original radio.

Here is my question:

About 1/4 down the page it says "we only provide a standard ISO cable without decoder".

This is the first time I've ever heard of a CANBUS decoder. So I looked it up.

My guess would be my van does not have a CANBUS system being a 1998 model and uses a standard ISO cable? This is something found on more modern cars correct?

So in other words the radio's harness would connect to the wiring adapter with the installation kit then I'd plug that to the van's wiring harness and I wouldn't need anything extra to make it work?
 
Last edited:
Did some more research and if the website is correct, this system was installed on vehicles built in 2008 and up so I guess I'm good to go.
 
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