Wiring Harness And Head Unit

[MP5s Make Ready]

I...like so many others...have almost no knowledge with dealing in the audio section of cars. Even though I have gotten an aftermarket radio for every car I have owned, all of them have come with free installation so I have never had to install a head unit.

Anyways, I got a an alpine head unit 7893 for my nissan frontier, now they installed it for free, however I sold the truck two weeks after I got the radio so now I want to put it in my mp5. I had it installed at circuit city and they wired the radio onto a harness, however am I correct in assuming that I can't use the same harness that they used on my truck for my mp5?

While I'm trying to see if I can use the harness, I'm attempting to take the factory head unit out but I can't for the life of me figure out how to remove it. I spent over 1.5 hours today searching this message board and another message board trying to figure out. All the information I found was that people used coat hangars, and I found a website.... www.astolfo something .com, however I didn't find the sites or explanations helpful. I have managed to take the trim off the sides of the radio and since I don't have a tape deck I have taken that cover off the radio and can see a huge opening, but I can't find anything that is holding the radio in place. I just don't have a clue....it's too cramped and dark for me to know what the heck is going on. If someone could please help me......THANK YOU!!!!

 

[FuNwaGoN]

Because I just got releif from this same headache I will share. The following site will show you how to take out the radio and run wires for an amp and stuff. Pretty helpful.

http://www.astolfo.com/p5/p5.asp

I think it was the site that you were talking about. As for getting the deck out. I puchased the removal tools from AutoZone for 4.95 Really just little metal hoops but they do have a special made end on them to grab the tabs and pull the radio out. Worth the $5 Had it out in about a minute.

As for the harness. You will need a new one for the alpine deck to match up to the P5. Not sure if they sell the harness yet or not. Just go to any stereo shop and ask them. If the harness is not made yet then you have to decide if you want to cutup the stock harness or rig it or just get the shop to do it. Good luck. i am going to finish the install of my sub and amp tonight and hopefully the pics will come out this time. My pics from last night are just tooooo dark

 

[Mac Daddy]

Do not cut the factory harness. Try finding the Metra Harness #70-7903 which is already available, but might be hard to find. Just call all the stereo shops in the area

 

[1sty]

USe the adapter

DONT CUT OFF THE HARNESS.

Only hacks cut off the harness.

Use the metra harnes listed above. There has been some talk that if you have the 6 disc indash changer you need a diferent harness but I'm not sure.

WARNING V-DRIVE.
the 7893 is equipt with the V-drive amplifier meaning your constant power wire must be connected directly to the battery or the collumns constant power lead. Also do not cut off the fuse or grey box on the power line if you do you could realy F-up the car. One person reported frying their computer from this. The Vdrive amp pulls a BAJESIUS worth of current almost 20 amps so a factory constant wire at the radio, 1 doesnt have a strong enough fuse and is not thick enough guage wire to handle the amperage.

 

[MP5s Make Ready]

I was never even considering chopping up the factory harness....

In reply to the other "problems" such as the v-drive, I dunno about that stuff sounds complicated and KRAZY!!!! I'll probably just pay to have them install it again, I think it's only $40. So if you add $5 for the tools, $10 for the harness, and more money for the headache of the v-drive and running wires to the battery, I think I must just have them install it. However the installer might just say f- that crap I'm not dealing with the v-drive and they'd just install it as if it was a normal radio and screw up my car for me........I just feel like crap for spending over $300 on a radio that I only used 1.5 weeks, and I also got the alpine type r speakers for another $200, I only have used them for 1.5 weeks too. Geez...

 

[1sty]

An alpine dealer knows better and they will probably run it to the column. Some hack shops won't even when asked. Basicly when they are done installing it just slide the deck out and look to see where they grabbed power if its behind the radio GO NUTS THEN THERE AND BADLY, demand your money back and if they give you s*** tell them to call Alpine on speaker phone with you there that way Alpine will tell them to do and be pissed that they got a call like that from a dealer.