Sorry Im lame with car stereo installation..can somene help me out : )

[trybaljedi]

Im currently removing a Pioneer single-din headunit from my car. Ive removed all the wires except for the harness. Im not sure if Im suppose to remove the harness directly from the unit (does it even come out..I dont want to break it?) or if Im suppose to cut the wires at the blue connectors (Those little clamps between the harness wires and the factory wires)?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Thanks!
Roshan

[BMW330dSport]

I had a Pioneer headunit in my car,your unit should have a harness between the OEM connector and the Pioneer headunit connector unless the wiring has been chopped and reconnected to suit the Pioneer unit.
I have a short harness about 8-10 inches long joining mine. The OEM connector will be a plug larger than whats on the headunit split it there .

[trybaljedi]

hmm..

The only harness is the one connecting the to the head unit itself. After that further down the group of wires is a group of blue connectors which I assume connect the OEM wires to the Pioneer wires?

Thanks,
Roshan

[Delirium]

sounds like your stereo shop did not use a harness. They chopped off your factory plug.. damn.. good luck

[guest1016]

the blue connectors should be standard butt connectors which connect your pioneer harness to the bmw harness. just follow it back further it should be plugged into a square plug, this is what unplugs and snaps back into your OEM radio

[trybaljedi]

Heres a picture. Do I disconnect wires at point 1 or point 2.

If at point 1, do I simply pull the harness out of the unit?
If at point 2, do I cut before or after the blue clamps?

[guest1016]

neither. there should be a point 3 if you will. on the other side of the blue connectors there should be a plug to undue, this is where you want to be. If not the person that put your radio in didn't use a harness and your going to need to get another plug for your factory radio. It's prob. jammed way back in the dash, but it should be in there

[trybaljedi]

ya, I think you're right...I see a harness way back there...

how should I get at it...just pull on the bunch of wires orrr?

[Delirium]

ah cool, it should be able to come up to the opening, pull it up.

[guest1016]

yes you can pull them out, or, if your are uncomfortable at tugging, if you pop out your heating & AC controls, as well as the two air vents above it (both just snap out for the most part) you can pull out the entire assymbly that holds the radio in, kinda like a plastic shelf if you will. This will gives you loads of room to work. But, in your case, just follow your hand back from the blue connectors into the dash until you find the other plug, and pull that out and unplug it, this will be the part that plugs back into your OEM piece.

[trybaljedi]

sweet!

so after I uplug this ..when I install the new receiver I simply connect it right to the the OEM plug correct...?

Thanks dudes..you rule : )

[Delirium]

wow cls1000 you are good! can you help me answer this onem please?

http://forum.e46fanatics.com//showthread.php?s=&threadid=16303

Also, do you know the best way to run RCA's & speaker wire thru out the car? From the HU to the door speakers & from the HU to the trunk?

[jim]

Trybal:

Your car looks sweet :thumbup: . What kind of suspension are you running? Are those 19 x 8.5 all the way around?

Thanks!

-jim

[trybaljedi]

H&R Race, Bilstein Shocks...

yes, 19x8.5

[guest1016]

yes & no. those blue connectors are splicing together your pioneer harness and the harness for your bmw, there fore there is no cutting. one the harness is pulled out you will have a plug on both ends, one which will mate up to your pioneer is it?......stereo. You need to cut the harness in half, which will leave you with one end that plugs into your aftermarker stereo, with nothing on the other end, and another seperate plug, with nothing on the other end, which will plug back into your factroy harness. The bare wires from this plug will get wired upto the harness of your new stereo. Make sense? You can reuse the ant. adp & dash kit as well.

as far as installing another deck............how complicated do you want it to be? All you need is an antenna adp. dash kit & a wiring harness. Pretty much all audio companies use EIA colors now, which stands for electronic industries association. This means to you that the wiring on your head unit and the harness you buy will match up color for color. whatever is not used you simply tape off and plug it in. It's really that simple. Your factory wiring colors in this situation don't matter for what your doing, now if your adding an amp, it's another story. You will have to hook up the blue/white stripe on your harness as this will be the turn on for your factory amp that's already in the car. you could bypass it and use the power in the deck, but why? It's a lot of work and the benefits, if any, will be negligable.

[Delirium]

ok thanks cls1000, so i will use the stock amp with Alpine Head Unit, but is there a way to disable the Amp in the head unit? Or is there no need? isnt the speaker wires that I connect to the amp's wires already powered by the Alpine Head unit?

thanks again!

[guest1016]

no there is noway to disable it and no need either. the amp will use the output of your alpine as it's input if you will. you will be fine.

[Delirium]

Originally posted by cls1000
yes & no. those blue connectors are splicing together your pioneer harness and the harness for your bmw, there fore there is no cutting. one the harness is pulled out you will have a plug on both ends, one which will mate up to your pioneer is it?......stereo. You need to cut the harness in half, which will leave you with one end that plugs into your aftermarker stereo, with nothing on the other end, and another seperate plug, with nothing on the other end, which will plug back into your factroy harness. The bare wires from this plug will get wired upto the harness of your new stereo. Make sense? You can reuse the ant. adp & dash kit as well.

as far as installing another deck............how complicated do you want it to be? All you need is an antenna adp. dash kit & a wiring harness. Pretty much all audio companies use EIA colors now, which stands for electronic industries association. This means to you that the wiring on your head unit and the harness you buy will match up color for color. whatever is not used you simply tape off and plug it in. It's really that simple. Your factory wiring colors in this situation don't matter for what your doing, now if your adding an amp, it's another story. You will have to hook up the blue/white stripe on your harness as this will be the turn on for your factory amp that's already in the car. you could bypass it and use the power in the deck, but why? It's a lot of work and the benefits, if any, will be negligable.

Help! my harness does not have a blue/white wire! did I get the wrong one?