03 Alero CD/Radio install issues

[Underdogg83]

I recently pick up an aftermarket cd/radio to replace the factory installed radio due to the cd player failing. I have conversed with a few mechanics that suggest getting a wire harness and mounting sleeve. I have purchased both the mounting sleeve as well as the harness from best buy. I matched all of the wires together using the cd player wiring harness diagram and the wiring harness adapter.
There are a few wires that I left unconnected because they had no matching wires for the neew radio(two orange wires). I also did not atrtach the blue wire w/white stripe. After taking out the factory unit and installing the new unit into place, I turn the key to ACC after reattaching the ground to the battery and the cd player sounds like it is cycling/starting up but there is no lumination to the faceplate. Did I miss something during the wiring or do I need an additional adapter for this setup? Is there a way to test the radio itself to verify it's working? It is brand new out of the box so I assume it's in working order.

List of items used to install new radio:
Metra IBR-555GM: install kit
Metra IBR-WHGM3: Stereo wire harness
Kenwood KDC-108: Head unit

[Tech II]

Does the wiring harness adapter have the same color wires coming out of it as going in on the other side?

Do you have a diagram of the wires for the Alero? If you don't, that is your problem....you can't just attach the same color wire from the adapter to the same color on the new radio......

Your original radio has two possible configurations.....one with an external amplifier, one without...

I went to Crutchfield.....that model is discontinued....but I checked to see if that model fit......only option was whether it had Onstar or not....tried both, said it would not fit....

[Underdogg83]

First of all, Thank you for the reply! I have the harness and the radio diagrams and have matched them up accordingly. I have also left a few wires unattached as stated earlier(2 orange, 1 blue and white).

How would I be able to tell if I have one or the other? Would there be something under the passenger seat?


I have been on multiple sites/forums and it seems to be a common issue. Unfortunately there are no answers to these posts. I have also returned one of the same radio's to the store thinking it was defective.


Does it make a difference that the factory radio was a theftlock radio?

[Tech II]

No....Theftlock, has nothing to do with the wiring of a new radio.....theftlock is built into the original radio to lock up, if power is lost to the radio....

As I said, the only difference is if the circuit has an external amplifier, and if the vehicle has Onstar......you can tell if the amplifier is in the circuit by looking at RPO codes....if you have U85, you have the amplifier....

One thing that troubles me....you say you have some orange wires disconnected...looking at the wiring diagram, orange seems to be a power source....

[Underdogg83]

The Orange wires are listed as dimmer on the harness diagram, there are no orange wires on the radio harness that is being connected. On the radio harness the only wire that is not connected is a blue/white wire(power control wire), power antenna/ext amp wire. Red/Yellow/Black are the power, battery/memory/ground in that order

I'm apologize but what is RPO? and where would I locate this/it?

[Tech II]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Regular Production Option (RPO) is a General Motors standard coding for vehicle configuration options. These codes are a combination of 3 alphanumeric characters and refer to a specific option or modification to the vehicle. These codes signify how the vehicle is built during production and thus the specific configuration of a vehicle as it exits the factory up to and including the paint color can be described by specifying the base model and the complete list of RPO codes used during production.....

The label(called a SPID label) is usually located in three spots.....back of the glove box door....the underside of the rear trunk lid....on the cover of the rear spare in the trunk...

Looks like this, with all RPO codes listed:

[Underdogg83]

I was able to locate the SPID label in the trunk and did not see U85 on there.

Does this mean I do not have the ext amp? If so how does this affect the installation process?

These last few days I have ripped apart the wiring harness from both the stereo and the harness adapter to make sure things are matched according to the wiring diagram and still the same issue prevails...

I'm one step away from throwing in the towel and sucking up the factory radio w/o a cd player.

Who would have thought that installing a new head unit would cause such headaches!!!

[Tech II]

Then you must have UQ8/UQ8?

What about U2K/U2L?

[Underdogg83]

lets get back to basics:
2003 Olds Alero 2.2 GL1 4dr Sedan

With that said, none of the codes you asked about are on the SPID card.

Here are all the codes that start with U:

UH8, UQ2, U1P, U77

[Tech II]

Sorry, my mistake....

I was suppose to write UQ2/UQ8....

So you have UQ2....

Do these jive with your schematics?

[Underdogg83]

ifyou are asking if this diagram matches what the factory wire harness looks like the answer is yes it is the same.

If you are asking if that is how it looks coming from the harness adapter to the female factory harness it does not match.

[Tech II]

The dotted lines that represent the radio, imagine that to be the end of the harness connector.......now you attach your harness adapter......are the wires from the adapter the same color corresponding to the wires of the original harness?

It really makes no difference.....you just have to follow the wires that come out of the adapter and while reading the schematic....

for example, the original harness is numbered and has an "A" or "B" row.....B1 is an orange colored wire, and it is the "BAT" power into the radio.....now it makes no difference what color the wire coming out of the adapter is, you just need to know that it is the power source for your new radio......now you have to find which wire(could be any color, usually red) on your new radio is the power input, by looking at the new radio's schematic, and attach this wire to it......your new radio probably only has one ground.....take the new radio's ground wire from schematic and attach it to either "A12 "(blk/wt) or "B5"(blk).....you have to do this for every corresponding new wire from the radio to the wires on the harness adapter......there are some wires that won't have attachments, like "A6" and "A7", which is for steering wheel controls(chances are your Alero doesn't have the option).......another one not used is "A1" Class II serial data, since this new radio is not a GM radio......

So recheck your wires one at a time.....