Help asap!!! Anyone install a CD player into a 88-93 Chevy Silverado???

[drifterx]

Allright, i'm starting to get downright mad. I just got my new truck, its a 91 silverado. I'm trying put my damn CD player into it. I have most of the dash out, and can't find the frickin radio plug ins! I've looked, and looked, and can't find anything. I hate this 2 piece radio thats in there (one for the radio, 1 for the tape deck)! Its all taped together, and i can't find the damn plugs for the harness!!! Anybody done this before??? I need help quick, so if you have, reply soon. Thanks!!!

[SRH]

Originally posted by drifterx
Allright, i'm starting to get downright mad. I just got my new truck, its a 91 silverado. I'm trying put my damn CD player into it. I have most of the dash out, and can't find the frickin radio plug ins! I've looked, and looked, and can't find anything. I hate this 2 piece radio thats in there (one for the radio, 1 for the tape deck)! Its all taped together, and i can't find the damn plugs for the harness!!! Anybody done this before??? I need help quick, so if you have, reply soon. Thanks!!!

there hard to hook up, we took my cousisn suburban to circuit city and let them do it, i know they had to unhook the radio and its just there but dead and the cd player takes over eveyrthingi wouldnt try yourself.....just my advice...

[drifterx]

Well, i already am into it. I've installed friends systems before, and have some experience. Its not hard to hook up a CD player, i just can't find the damn hook up. Ya, i knew the radio would be dead, and thats fine. Does anyone know how to acutally do it?

[SRH]

Originally posted by drifterx
Well, i already am into it. I've installed friends systems before, and have some experience. Its not hard to hook up a CD player, i just can't find the damn hook up. Ya, i knew the radio would be dead, and thats fine. Does anyone know how to acutally do it?

well if its not hard you should have no problem, go to circuit city or best buy act like you wanna buy a cd player and ask them how they go about hooking up the radio and disconnecting it or w.e u need to know...

[drifterx]

Originally posted by SRH
well if its not hard you should have no problem, go to circuit city or best buy act like you wanna buy a cd player and ask them how they go about hooking up the radio and disconnecting it or w.e u need to know...

I would, if i didn't live 2 hours from both of them. :( I gave up on it though. I looked and looked, and took apart most of the dash, and no go. I just put it all back together with the stock stuff still in it, so i can still get to school tomorrow, and get some actual sleep tonight. Dang! Doesn't that piz you off when you start something knowing what to do, and can't do it! It seems above my head, so i'm going to call up the best buy thats 2 hours away from me, and see if they can install it for me soon, and run my RCA and REM wires too, and maybe the power wire if its not too much more. I installed my whole system in my Grand Prix, no problems at all, my first install. I've helped my buddy with his S-10, and did my whole other buddies Grand Cherokee too. And this truck is tough! I'm going to post some pics of this beast when i get them. The guy who had it before me put a lot of money into this thing. He babied it too. O well, i'll just have to wait for the bass, and CD's. Thanks for the help SRH.

[represent618]

i`m assuming you bought the wiring harness adapter? if not, you are wasting your time, go to a real stereo store and ask for the wiring adapter from OEM to aftermarket single plug stereos, if you cut your wiring to "splice" in a CD player, you will regret it, i have seen many people F-up their harness, sure it can be undone, but why not just do it right the first time?

[quadrcr161]

Originally posted by represent618
i`m assuming you bought the wiring harness adapter? if not, you are wasting your time, go to a real stereo store and ask for the wiring adapter from OEM to aftermarket single plug stereos, if you cut your wiring to "splice" in a CD player, you will regret it, i have seen many people F-up their harness, sure it can be undone, but why not just do it right the first time?

i agree, you need an adaptor and the mounting hardware to do it right. the cd played till not flush mount in the dash and you need the hardware to hold it in the dash. once you have the wiring harness, it just unplugs from the back of the stock pieces and then plugs into the harness. then you hook the wired from the harness to the wires comming out of the head unit. its not hard at all but from reading your post, you just need to take it somewhere.

[killed300ex]

the radio is buried way under the dash beleive it was down and to the right but is way the heck down there took me awhile to get to when i replaced mine its a little shiney box maybe 4x6 an 1 inch thick? I think if memory serves me right chan ged mine a year and a half ago. Good luck

[SRH]

we installed my cd player in my ranger no problem, bougth the harness and dash kit and did it in less than a hour, we couldnt find one for his anywhere and when we asked at best buy he said most places dont carry them or something like that i guess those chevys are somewhat complicated:p so easy even a caveman could do it

you other guys who posted about unplugging one and plugging in another...its not like that with these trucks....at the time that might of been cool but now 10 years later its like wtf were they thinking

[Rastus]

I have a 93' , and it was tough to dig out at first.

I made sure to get the wiring adapter, install kit, and an antennae adpator just to make things easier.

I originally took the whole instrument panel/ climate controls panel off, and then took the radio and tape thingy out. Taking them out saves lots of time getting to the plugs, because the units themselves are jammed close to the firewall or heat ducts. Next thing that makes it easier is to take the middle vents/tape panel out, which gives you a good bit of room. To take it out, there are two clips, one in each bottom corner of the plastic panel. It also helps to unfasten the heater controls unit so you can get alittle more room.


There's not much else I can tell you.., except make sure you have what you need before you start tearing your truck apart, and to have plenty of light. I think I remember the connectors being brown/tan.., but don't quote me on that.


Goodluck.



P.S. Try to do it yourself.., it makes the install a whole lot better when you can say you did it all.

[TheX1992]

Originally posted by killed300ex
the radio is buried way under the dash beleive it was down and to the right but is way the heck down there took me awhile to get to when i replaced mine its a little shiney box maybe 4x6 an 1 inch thick? I think if memory serves me right chan ged mine a year and a half ago. Good luck

On my old 88 C1500 it was right above the gas/brake pedals. Fairly easy to get to.

[drifterx]

Ya, the harness thats on my CD player will work. It was hooked into my 92 pontiac grand prix, and will fit my truck, i've checked. I just can't find the plug ins for it, thats all. I'm trying again this weekend.

[drifterx]

O, and i've got quite a bit of knowledge with audio equipment. I had a big @$$ system in my grand prix, when i had it. The only problem i'm having with my truck, is where the stock harness plugins are. I bought a wiring harness, then realized that the one i already had on my CD player, from my grand prix, will fit my truck also. So that simplifies things, if i can just get them plugged in. I also bought an install kit, that includes the middle vent/tape deck piece, and it fits well. All i need to do is find the plugs. So, you guys say they are behind the instrument panel, above the gas a brake pedals right?? O, and what did you guys do with the radio??? Did you just leave it there, dead, or make something to go in its place???

[bulkdriverlp]

those seperate stereo componets are difficult, have you looked at the owners manual for the truck?? maybe go to chevy dealer and poke ur head in and ask a few questions, or maybe they will photocopy a page out of their manuals for you for couple bucks.

[drifterx]

I might head to the local Chevy dealer, and see if they can let me borrow a service manual, or go across the street to IGA to copy a few pages. I know the guy who owns it, he goes to my church. The regular manual doesn't say much about things like wiring and that. Its just about routing maintenence, and functions, stuff like that.

[DONTBANME!!!]

me and my dad did it are selfs on his 93 chevy silverado.....hard to do....but not 2, 2 hard only took like 45 mins

[kos462]

if im not mistaken the truck i put one in if u lay under the dash on the drivers side and look up there will be a black box that the two plug into becasue the radio and the tape are seperate with a built in equlizer, the one i put in the guy got all the stuff from cruthchfeild and it was a breeze



Hope that helps ya

[drifterx]

Hey thanks! What about the antenna wire though? Anyone know where it is? I didn't see it when i had the radio out, but i could have been mistaken. Thanks!

[drifterx]

Ok, i found the factory harness above the gas and brake pedals. Anyone know where the antenna wire is? Its all i need, then i'm ready to install! :D Let the bass begin!!!!

[drifterx]

Please help! All i need to know is where the antenna is, then i can install! :(

[cknox88]

um.... well i ahve never installed a radio in a truck like this one although i know what your talking about. I think GM really screwed up when they did the 2 part stereo thing it makes for a bad looking dash when an aftermarket one is installed.

and as for your question the only thing i could think of to find the antenna wire is trace it back from the antenna itself.

[drifterx]

I'll check that out today. Thanks for all the help!!! I found that the actual radio tuner is under the dash, above the pedals, and that the dash one is only a display. It probably runs into it, i never thought about that. Thanks again! :D