saturn sl1 have radio want to install cd player--power acoustik cd player-- how to do

[ravisher78]

hi
i have a 95 saturn sl1 with only a radio am fm tuner. i have already bought a cd player -- its called power acoustik pacd 506. i wna install this cd player onto my saturn, just need a few tips on how to go about this ......can anyonne help me??

[InstallTech]

Does your car have that weird curve topped factory radio?

[InstallTech]

Anyway...since I'm probably going to be signing off soon..... If you've got the curve topped radio with the 3 switches on the top, you'll want to look on either side of that cover toward the bottom and toward the front of the car. There'll be a fastener on each side. Push the center in, then pull the fastener out from the outside edges. After that, you can pull that radio trim housing off and disconnect the harness that goes to the switches on top. There'll be 2 7mm bolts, one on either side of the radio, toward the top of the radio. Remove those and then you can pull the radio out and unplug the harness and antenna. You'll want to pick up a mounting kit, wire harness and antenna adapter from your local install shop. You'll need all of those to properly install the cd player. The colors from the cd player harnes should match up color for color to the after market harness. Then, just attach your antenna adapter, mount the kit in the same way the radio went in, mount ther radio's mounting cage, plug in the radio, shove it into the cage untill it clicks and turn it on to make sure everything works. Then put the trim back on.

If it's the slightly older version with the regular rectangular radio, then the trim around the radio just snaps off. Pull gently around the vents, cuz sometimes the vents will pop off. Then, it's 2 7mm bolts and the radio will come off. Be careful, though, cuz that radio is held in place by the one piece of plastic that those bolts are screwed into. If that breaks, you'll have a *real hard time* mounting that radio ever again.

[mysatilac]

you'll have to buy a dash kit which will fit an aftermarket radio into your stock location, theyre available at auto parts stores or wal mart

You will also need a wire harness adapter, available at the same places
and an antenna adapter, it just plugs up to your old antenna and fits into your new headunit,

follow the direction supplied with both,

but basically you solder/crimp the wires from your head unit connections to the wire harness adapter, when you have your stock unit out you put in the dash kit, slide in the sleeve that comes with your headunit, and plug it up, then slide it in,

If you're also mounting aftermarket speakers or subs, post and get info about amps, tuning, and amp wiring,

Or post with any other questions, or if you need a few pics, you can also PM me,

EDIT: just saw that this is pretty much a double post, installtech's post wasn't there when I started, but put the two together and you shouldn't have a problem

[ravisher78]

hey fellas,
ill try the stuff u told me to over the weekend.... lets hope things work out good.
thanks for the info.

[headtrip]

Circuit city and Best Buy sell the smart harness adapters that make life even better. no soldering required. one adapter converts your stock harness connectors to a universal Molex and the other converts the Molex to the connector on the new head unit. just plug them in and youre done You will need the model of the new unit at the store so they can give you the right adapter.

[InstallTech]

Smart harnesses are neat easy things, but I have yet to see one for a Power Acoustic. Usually, the smart harnesses cater to Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood, JVC, Alpine and Clarion....The more popular brands.

[ravisher78]

Hey Fellas
I Got The Harness The Antenna Adapter And The Fitting Kit.....i Connected The Harness To The Cd Player Alrite...(dint Solder It Only Twisted The Wires)... But When I Plugged The Harness Into The Car The Cd Player Dint Work At All...i Checked The Wires Again And Again....but To No Avail...i Dont Know What To Do Now....any Ideas???!!??
Help!!!

[InstallTech]

Check all of your car's fuses, and any fuses that the radio may have on it. Double check your wiring. Make sure there are no bare wires and that it's all wired up correctly.... 12 V constant, 12 V switched and ground and all.

[ravisher78]

oh man....
checked the fuses...no probles....checked for naked wires....there arent any...re checked connections....everything is in place..... there could be one problem though....i havent connected the power antenna chord cuz there isnt any in my car....and secondly that theres two wires on my harness one is a positive dimmer and the other is illumination....they are both orange and one of em has a stripe...i think the positive dimmer has a stripe. i dint see these wires coming out of my cd player so i just taped these wires separately....dint connect them to anything....could this be the problem/? i also checked the power wire from the cars harness and it sure is live...it gives a spark when touched to the cars body...so no power is out of the question. i also had all the wires hooked up to the car but the power wire which i connected directly to the battery...but still this thing wont come to life.... dont know what else i can do. what i dint check was the ground wire....maybe i should leave all other wires on and connect the ground wire to the chassis...?'??
hellppp!!!!
HEEELLLPP!!

[InstallTech]

Re checking the ground is a good idea. If you're sure you're getting power and ignition, then check the ground. Did you check the fuses on the back of the radio? Sometimes, they may not look blown, but actually are. Disconnect the harness from the radio and check to see if you have power at the harness going into the back of the radio. If you have power at the car's harness, and not at the radio, then there's a break in the circuit. And yes...the orange wires don't go to anything. It's not neccessary to hook those up. Just keep those tied up seperately, along with the power antenna wire. If still none of that works, take the radio to an install shop and have it bench tested to make sure the radio is still in working order.

[sierrap615]

http://www.saturnfans.com/photos/sho...p/photo/16853/

i don't know if the 95s still used the early harness or not,

remember the CHIME fuse is the unswitched power for the stock radio, it is only 5 amps, so many aftermarket stereos blow it easily, if that is the case for you, you will need to find another power source,just using a larger fuse won't cut it.

[ravisher78]

ok i have finally come to the conclusion that my brand new cd player is not working.... yess....if everything else is right then its gotta be the cd player. im returning that one and getting a new one.

[blackice07]

can somebody help me ...i got the same problem connected everything jus how it is suppose to go....only problem is it wont turn on or anything....someone install a radio before i tried but they didnt use a wiring harness...any suggestions

[RC1488]

Originally Posted by blackice07

can somebody help me ...i got the same problem connected everything jus how it is suppose to go....only problem is it wont turn on or anything....someone install a radio before i tried but they didnt use a wiring harness...any suggestions

http://www.the12volt.com/installbay/...tail/1953.html

these are the correct colors. Make sure your adapter is wired right. your aftermarket wires MAY NOT be the same color code. Therefore, wire based on function, NOT color.

Also, check the radio fuse located in the passenger side kick panel. you could have shorted something and blown it.