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2001 Aftermarket Stereo

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2013 2:20 pm
by Flock14
To anyone who has suffered immensely over installing an aftermarket radio, I plead for your expertise (or electrical engineers will work, masters degree minimum),

I thought this would be like any other car stereo installation, but I was so sadly mistaken. I have tried hooking up my Sony MEXBT39uw into my 2001 Pathy LE (with Bose... dun dun dun) and I got power in the stereo (stores time, hooks to radio, bluetooth works, etc), but no sound was delivered to the speakers, not even a scratchy sound.

I have tested the speaker on another set of speakers, and it worked, so I know it is this illogical Bose system.

Fuses by steering wheel and under hood (not that any control the stereo) are all fine and checked.

I have a feeling the amps with the speakers are the problem, but I would like a definitive answer as how to fix this, and if it is worth it.

Geek Squad at BestBuy wants $220 for the installation with parts and labor (discluding stereo, I already have that). And they want $380 to hook up the steering wheel controls.

Should I bite the bullet and pay the ridiculous amount, or can the amps be dealt with reasonably?

Any and ALL input is appreciated, I have already spent 2 Saturdays trying to work through this nightmare of a sound system!!

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 5:29 am
by fastpakr
I think there's an amp ground in the harness that you forgot to hook up.

Post back if you can't figure it out. I'll try to pop the radio out of my '01 and can post the exact color to color matchup between the factory harness and the aftermarket radio that I'm using.

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:55 am
by Flock14
there were 2 ground wires I found in the stereo compartment. They both looked like they were crimped together, so I only grounded one of them... think I need to ground both or something?

I probably won't have time to give this another try until the summer, but I will let you know how it goes.

I'll take any pics if you ever do that - super helpful!

**Edit: The previous stereo in my car was also an aftermarket stereo (Kenwood), so I feel like I should already have an adapter and all the correct wiring to support my aftermarket stereo (Sony). Could someone comment and agree or disagree with this?

Also, has anyone given a shot at hooking up the steering wheel interface in a pathy?

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:28 am
by fastpakr
Yes, you should already have any required adapters in place if you already had an aftermarket radio. The issue has to be in the wiring you modified for the new radio.

To hook up the steering wheel controls, you'll need this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0039H ... UTF8&psc=1

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 8:47 am
by Flock14
It is very possible I messed up; however, I did hook it up to another set of speakers and it worked on them...

There must be a wire in the stereo compartment I am missing that is essential (I have also been told I needed to hook up an amp wire to the "Accessory" wire coming from my stereo, a wire that is lime green with a red wire...)

Does that sound right, maybe?

http://www.nissanforums.com/pathfinder/ ... tereo.html

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:14 am
by fastpakr
Yes, there should definitely be an amp turn on lead connected from the radio to the amp on wire in the factory harness.

Posted: Tue Apr 16, 2013 9:42 am
by Flock14
Well, I only remember connecting all the power wires plus the speaker wires, so I must have missed the amp on cord (lime green) in all the mess of wires back there... it sounds like that would be a major issue if I missed it.

Another quick question: do the amps each have their own fuses (not located by the steering wheel, but like on the amps themselves) and if so, do they blow often? Or are the fuses all by the steering wheel relevant to the set up?