Head Unit Installation trouble

[gilbert383]

I just bought a Alpine CDE-9852 cdplayer for my explorer with the mounting kit and the wiring harness...when i opened the cd player there were two little metal things that were taped to the inside of the box?...what are those....also how exactly do i get out the stock stereo...i saw something about using a little tool...where do i get that tool...please help because i need this thing in soon...i'm tired of not having my subs in haha

thanks a lot

GILBERT383

 

[wharriso]

Assist: Gilbert has a 98 4X4 XLT.

 

[davesexplorer]

Although I can picture the metal things you are talking about, a flat silver long odd shaped little bugger, I've never used them so I dont know what they are.

The "tool" is a U shaped piece of metal, available at Wal-mart, stereo shops etc, however a bent piece of coat hanger has been known to work quite well at times, you just stick one of the tools in each sides appropriate holes till they lock in there, then pull er out! Unbolting the black surround and pulling it out a little may help to get the radio out but typically it's not necessary.

 

[98 sport]

The 2 metal strips are simply tools, one for each side, for the radio for when the radio is finally mounted into the vehicle in its "DIN" style mounting sleve. You insert one on each side of the radio and it usually flips two little notches out of the way so you can pull the radio out of the metal sleve.

 

[Parmgeddon]

Just put the 9857 in my 03 Should be the same as yours and it is pretty easy. Just pop the plastic trim panel off around the hadio and temp controls, unscrew the two boldts on the bottom side of the radio and pull out unplug the stock wires. The wiring harness I got from crutchfield matched the alpine wires exactly which was pretty easy but still double check with their wiring diagram, from there just follow the instructions. It took mw about 15 - 20 minutes total. Good Luck

 

[gilbert383]

Problem...help Quick!!

We are trying to install my new deck and as soon as we unhooked everything from the factory stereo we couldn't find anywhere for the new aftermarket harness to connect to...i know this may sound stupid but if there's any way to describe what it goes into i'd appreciate it...the only thing that unplugged out of the factory radio was a little black piece that looked like it almost fit but it wouldn't slide into the harness and a long white strip....please help quick haha i dont' want to be on this project alllll night

thankx in advance

 

[gilbert383]

yea is there any way u can tell me what you plugged your harness into...sounds dumb but we can't find anything to plug it into....reply quick please!

 

[toypaseo]

Sounds like you got the wrong adaptor harness. It should be as simple as connecting the adaptor harness to the new radio harness, and plugging in the harness you pulled out of the back of the old radio.

 

[IZwack]

I'm going to merge this thread with your other one -- they are related and are sequential.
Chillax from the "New Thread" button

 

[davesexplorer]

You should have unplugged a couple things at least from your factory radio... the anteanna wire, and at least one wire harness plug, possibly two. You just need to plug your new wire plugs adaptors into those and wire up the deck.

 

[gilbert383]

yea we unplugged a little black square plug and a longer grey one with like 2 rows.....the little black one looked like it may fit but it didn't and the longer one there wasn't any way that that was going to fit.....the package that i got that had the harness adaptor in it said 98-2002 Ford on it....i dont' know what else to do really......i'm stumped

 

[ap81590]

Yeah you got the wrong harness. I did that too actually, you want one with a little black connector and a gray one. I got mine at Best Buy, i think the different harness was used for the "Premium system" which means you'd have to bypass the factory amp as well. I'm not sure about that but if you have the premium system, youre going to have to bypass the factory amp. There are a lot of threads on this but basically you have to take the rear passenger side mouling off the car and the amp is behind the little cubby hole. Youll need an amp bypass harness for that or you can just match up the wires. Look up a thread called "A Note On Bypassing the Factory Amp" for color codes. Hope this helps and isnt too confusing.

 

[gilbert383]

alright well....is there any way to actually tell if i have the premium system...also u say ur connectors hooked up to both of the things you unpluged from the factory deck? and the one that didn't work was one big white thing that didn't fit anything?...

 

[ap81590]

I'm guessing you do. If you still have the original sale sheet, it'll have something like PREM STEREO. It also says Premium Audio on the back of the stock speakers. You need this harness, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5714999107&category=32812

 

[gilbert383]

i'm like 99.9% sure i don't have it

 

[gilbert383]

wait...since that sayes it's a premium stereo one and it has 2 different hookups that r just like the one on my car does that mean that i do have a premium stereo and i ahve to get that thing for the amplifier?

 

[ap81590]

I'd say so. You can do it yourself, its 8 solders, not too hard.

 

[gilbert383]

dangit haha....so i need the new harness...and a nother harness...where's the amp at anyway?..how do i get to it

 

[gilbert383]

and what would happen if i just used the two wiring harness things for the cdplayer and didn't bypass the amp?

 

[Pdwight]

You don't want to do that

If you have the Premium sound system (go to Crutchfield and answer the questions about your vehicle and it will tell you) the amp will be looking for a high impedance 1volt peak to peak input for the amplifier and you new head will be supplying a low impedance 4 to 8 ohm high wattage output...not a good plan. The amp on my 94 Limited is by the rear tire under the panel. A simple by-pass plug fixed this and I put in my new head unit in 30 minutes.

If this sound overly complicated think of a home CD player and connecting the speaker out puts to the RCA low power inputs......same thing and not a good condition. It will also sound like garbage if it doesn't ruin the outputs on your new head and destroy your inputs on the premium sound system.

Dwight