Stereo trouble

[Alansd]

My 03 TB stereo is barley playing on both of the right side speakers, and really only sounds good out of the rear left one ... is it time to replace the head unit? Or is there some troubleshooting I can do first.

What replacement units are suggested?

I have not opened up the doors to look at the speaker wiring yet, or pulled out the dash unit.

 

[Juicy K]

I would check the speakers. Both of my rears went out.

A little test to see if the speakers are any good.
Take the known good speaker out and hook a 9 volt battery too it. Then take that battery to the other 3 speakers, if they all sound the same I would say its safe to assume all the speakers are good. If not, there is most likely your problem.

It could be as simple as a loose connection though.


As for a decent replacement speaker.... When my STOCK speakers started dying I replaced them with Polk Audio db651 coax speakers. They sound pretty decent on Head Unit power. Another cheaper speaker (I have in the MX-5) is the Infinity Reference 6.5" Coax, they have a better bass response than the Polk's, but I think the Polk's have a cleaner sounding "High end".

I hope this was some kind of help.

 

[IllogicTC]

Simple and free check, if you don't mind me going Dell Tech Support on this one:

Check your fade and balance settings in the radio, especially if you have kids. You just never know sometimes.

 

[Boricua SS]

Simple and free check, if you don't mind me going Dell Tech Support on this one:

Check your fade and balance settings in the radio, especially if you have kids. You just never know sometimes.

something cheap and easy for sure...

both of my back door speakers went out at once as well... I just revamped everything and upgraded to components in all 4 doors. I have AutoTek's in there now, but after I installed Rockford Fostgate Prime series components in my Daily driver and my fathers Colorado, I will be switching to those come spring time. If you have the time to take off the door panels to troubleshoot things, then take a known working speaker, and just swap it out with one of the non working ones. If the working speaker comes on in the rear, then you know you have a blown speaker and not a wiring or stereo issue.

 

[Alansd]

I got the passenger door panel off, and spliced in a speaker to test the system. The wires on the door must have been loose as the factory speaker simply started working better when I messed with them.
I tightened up the connections and it seems to be ok now. Sure was easy to get the panel off. That helped.

I do I.T. support and many, many times the answer is to plug something back in.

 

[Juicy K]

glad you got it.

 

[Alansd]

what upgraded stereos are you guys using? i saw a Pioneer on Crutchfield that looked good. If the chimes don't work... whats the big deal? Is that all that is affected by changing out the stereo?

 

[kickass audio]

What trim is your truck? Do you have Bose, on-star, gps, rear entertainment?

If you have a base truck like mine with no bose, onstar, rear entertainment, gps, etc. then you can just get a cheapo wire harness adapter like this Amazon.com: Metra 70-2003 Radio Wiring Harness For GM 98-08 Harness: Car Electronics

- It does not retain factory chime for your doors being open, check engine being on, parking brake being engaged, key being in the ignition, lights being on, etc.
- This harness does need to be tapped into a switchable wire that turns on and off with the ignition
- I tapped into the fuse in the rear fusebox labeled "amp" with a wire tap and ran the wire up to the front. There is another wire in the dash that is switchable with ignition but idr what color it is. I preferred to connect to the fusebox in the back like I did

edit: might want to fill out your profile on here so when you post questions we can help you out by knowing what line vehicle you have.

 

[Alansd]

thanks for that. Mine is an LS with no fancy anything. I pretty much hate the chimes anway so not having them would be a good thing.

I will fill out the profile.

 

[Juicy K]

what upgraded stereos are you guys using? i saw a Pioneer on Crutchfield that looked good. If the chimes don't work... whats the big deal? Is that all that is affected by changing out the stereo?

I have been using the same Alpine CDA-9835 for 10 Years, I just installed a JVC KW-R900BT Double Din for my Mother and for $150, I like it.

 

[kickass audio]

Okay so in that aspect you can just get the harness I linked and you will be all set. You will not have RAP which keeps your radio on for a few minutes until you open your door nor will you have the door chimes as they run through your headunit to the drivers door speaker.

I recommend soldering and heat shrinking your connections you make between the aftermarket harness and your aftermarket headunit wires. I never EVER want to see someone wire with the wires just covered in electrical tape, it is not a good connection especially in a car with the heat in a dash, the tape can fall off and short out the wires. Plus solder and heat shrink looks a lot cleaner imo.

 

[Juicy K]

Okay so in that aspect you can just get the harness I linked and you will be all set. You will not have RAP which keeps your radio on for a few minutes until you open your door nor will you have the door chimes as they run through your headunit to the drivers door speaker.

I recommend soldering and heat shrinking your connections you make between the aftermarket harness and your aftermarket headunit wires. I never EVER want to see someone wire with the wires just covered in electrical tape, it is not a good connection especially in a car with the heat in a dash, the tape can fall off and short out the wires. Plus solder and heat shrink looks a lot cleaner imo.

Wire nuts are another one that drive me crazy, please DO NOT use them in a car, another thing to add to what kickass mentioned, vibration can eventually work twisted and taped wires apart as well, resulting in a short and possible fire. I would have gone with the cheap harness if the wife wasn't so gungho about keeping the chimes and RAP.

Just keep your truck safe, that is all we are asking.

 

[kickass audio]

Hehehe yeah wire nuts. I plead the 5th. I used it in my truck as a temporary fix until the summer time to extend the leads on my HVAC system where the wires connect to the main control center in the dash. Only had 3 of them have a problem but that was because they were right on the lip in the dash and managed to rub a hole through the wire and go to ground. Oops. It will be fixed with solder and heat shrink this summer though.

OP: Sorry to not have answered your question about the radio. I myself use an Alpine IVA-W205. Its a pretty old headunit now but has a ton of awesome features on it. The only thing that pisses me off with it is the LCD will flicker its image when its cold and you hit a bump or do anything that can make the screen slightly shake. It is super annoying when you have something on the screen. But soon enough there will be no headunit in my truck, only a carputer so WIN on that! haha.

 

[Alansd]

well I confess to using wire nouts on my brake controller. They are taped over too. Sorry!!

I found a JVC on Ebay that looks like it will do what I want. So all I should need is the wiring harness that converts to fit it.

Looking forward to listening to all my burned CDs that don't play now. And the iPod, and maybe Pandora.

 

[kickass audio]

I just used it because it was getting cold and screwing with all those HVAC wires was taking forever so I took a shortcut and did the wire nuts. It looks really ugly but its a temporary fix.

Aftermarket headunits are amazing. Just a headunit alone can make your speakers sound better, then you upgrade the speakers, put an amp on them and you have even better sound quality.

 

[Alansd]

I bought this unit..should have it installed in a few days ..a Clarion Cx201. Had great reviews and one was from a Chevy guy..LOL

I will need to order the harness adaptor to connect it up.

 

[Alansd]

how does this look to you all...says its for GM and fits 2003 TB ,,, 10 bucks.

 

[Juicy K]

how does this look to you all...says its for GM and fits 2003 TB ,,, 10 bucks.

Looks correct, just remember that harness will not retain RAP, or Door Chimes. IIRC you will need to tap in somewhere so that the stereo comes on with the ignition switch.

You will also need a "Dash Kit" so you can physically mount the stereo in the factory location. I just used the Scosche GM1590AB kit to install my Mothers Double-Din in her Trailblazer, she got it for $8 something off of Ebay, it seems sturdy enough.

 

[kickass audio]

Just as juicy said you do need to hook that red wire for the acc turn on to something in your truck that turns on when the key is in acc & on and turns off when the key is in off. You could easily tap into your ignition wire if you have a DMM to figure out which one is switchable with ignition. I am feeling lazy and don't feel like digging through the manuals I have to find out. lol.

And you do need a dash kit with them too. I actually cheated and used the little adapter plates that you can screw directly to the radio as my mounting kit. They screw to the side of the radio and then bolt into the dash. You could also get creative with the cage they come with and just bend the prongs for them and if you do it right you will make it nice and secure and you can skip with getting a dash kit but dash kits are a hell of a lot easier to take out than trying to use the forks that they provide you with to unlock the radio from the cage they come with.

Almost forgot, you need an antenna adapter too. Our radio's have a very small antenna that will not fit into the aftermarket radio's. Don't quote me, it may be the wrong model but you need one like this: Metra 40-GM20 (met-40gm20) Factory Radio w/ Mini "Barbed"

 

[Juicy K]

Thats right, the stupid GM antenna adapter... Almost always forget about those until install day comes around.

Good catch kickass.

 

[AV8ER]

Since you have a 2wd, if yours is like mine there is a plug connected to the back of the little plastic trailblazer logo cover next to the radio (where the 4wd knob should be). It has a pink wire and that is a switched 12v ignition wire. It doesn't give you the RAP but turns on the radio. I had mine hooked to that for a year or so before i learned the LWB have a wire in the roof console that will give you RAP.

 

[kickass audio]

Hey Juicy don't worry about it dude. I forgot to mention the DIN adapter with it. It is really user preference. For how my radio sits there is a tiny gap on the sides where you can barely see the adapters that are screwed to the side of the radio that keep it in the dash so I could easily have gotten away with just spreading open the little fingers on the headunits cage and not had a problem. Each radio has different dimensions but overall will fit in the DIN opening designed for, usually the depth is what screws you.

And one little tip to the OP, make sure your parking brake works great when you get ready to do this. What I did to help facilitate removing the dash panel is turn the key to on, engage the parking brake and shift into 1. This gets the shifter out of your way so you have more room to pull the bezel out and get your screw driver in the places where it bolts the bezel to the dash. I have an envoy but either way the shift knob is in the way a bit when you pull that panel off and try to get the screws out. Also work with a magnetic screw driver and magnetize your socket to prevent you from dropping a screw out of sight.

 

[Alansd]

more stuff to order..thanks for the heads up...back to Ebay for me

- - - Updated - - -

Since you have a 2wd, if yours is like mine there is a plug connected to the back of the little plastic trailblazer logo cover next to the radio (where the 4wd knob should be). It has a pink wire and that is a switched 12v ignition wire. It doesn't give you the RAP but turns on the radio. I had mine hooked to that for a year or so before i learned the LWB have a wire in the roof console that will give you RAP.

Great tip. What the heck is that cover for anyway?

 

[Alansd]

What trim is your truck? Do you have Bose, on-star, gps, rear entertainment?

If you have a base truck like mine with no bose, onstar, rear entertainment, gps, etc. then you can just get a cheapo wire harness adapter like this Amazon.com: Metra 70-2003 Radio Wiring Harness For GM 98-08 Harness: Car Electronics

- It does not retain factory chime for your doors being open, check engine being on, parking brake being engaged, key being in the ignition, lights being on, etc.
- This harness does need to be tapped into a switchable wire that turns on and off with the ignition
- I tapped into the fuse in the rear fusebox labeled "amp" with a wire tap and ran the wire up to the front. There is another wire in the dash that is switchable with ignition but idr what color it is. I preferred to connect to the fusebox in the back like I did

edit: might want to fill out your profile on here so when you post questions we can help you out by knowing what line vehicle you have.

Amazon says this harness does not fit my TB, is that because of the chimes not connecting? I went ahead and ordered it...

Amazon.com: Metra 70-2003 Radio Wiring Harness For GM 98-08 Harness: Car Electronics

 

[IllogicTC]

Amazon says this harness does not fit my TB, is that because of the chimes not connecting? I went ahead and ordered it...

Amazon.com: Metra 70-2003 Radio Wiring Harness For GM 98-08 Harness: Car Electronics

I figure that is probably the case, assuming you don't have Bose, OnStar, or the other stuff he mentioned.

The person you replied to has reported a successful install, so I don't see why it wouldn't work.

 

[Alansd]

I figure that is probably the case, assuming you don't have Bose, OnStar, or the other stuff he mentioned.

The person you replied to has reported a successful install, so I don't see why it wouldn't work.

s'what I was thinking. Cannot wait to get the new tune machine installed. Its not here yet though

 

[kickass audio]

Sorry it took me awhile to get back to you my man. They all say it doesn't work because of the whole problem of not having chimes and RAP. If you are fine with not having those 2 features then that harness will save you a bit of money because the one with RAP and chimes is usually 30-40 bucks. Friggin rip off if you ask me.

Trust me, you have a bone stock stereo without bose, onstar, rear entertainment so that harness will work with your truck. You just will lose RAP and chimes so you need to be mindful of your turn signal being on, door being ajar, key being in the ignition, lights being on, etc because you will have no audible warning and only a visual warning on the dash and switches or looking at your ignition. Hardest part is tapping that red ignition switchable (acc) wire to a source that turns on and off with the key. Other than that its super easy. Some people have reported not having +12v wires in their dash which is total BS, they are right in the radio harness. How else would the radio turn on? lol! And for the ground I can't remember if that harness came with a spade terminal on the end for you to drill and bolt it to a ground spot on the body but I just used the ground wire that is in the stock harness.

If you get stumped at all feel free to let me know and I can help you. When you get ready to put the radio into the dash I strongly recommend checking how far your radio sticks out. That is a common issue I see plenty of people goof up is to have the radio recessed or sticking out too far. It usually won't be even with the dash but some people have it so far off it really ruins the look.

BTW, you aren't going to be adding an amp or anything are you?

edit: to answer your previous question of the 4x4 switch plate, the reason they keep it there is because they have lots of things setup in a generic manner because wasting money for all the different versions you can have is just not worth it. I wouldn't even do it if I made a product. You can change so many features on our vehicle its insane. Its like your wire harness, you may not have a certain feature but sometimes you can put it in or run a few wires to get it. Other times you need to reprogram the BCM or PCM to make it accept the new mod you performed.

 

[Alansd]

I did not get the antenna adaptor yet.. thats a must have to install the radio?

 

[kickass audio]

Yes it is needed. The only way around that adapter is if you feel like having a blast of fun with cutting the 2 antenna cables apart and splicing them together. If you want what you can do is install the radio without the adapter, you just won't have working FM stations. If you had an envoy it would be easy to install the radio without the adapter and then when it comes just peel back the trim panel without unbolting it, reach between the HVAC vents and the radio and plug in the adapter to the radio and then to the antenna. Maybe you can reach it if you drop down the glovebox but it is very tricky in there with how the frame is set within the dash.

 

[Alansd]

Got one off ebay for 6 bucks. Enuf said!

 

[kickass audio]

Did you buy it in the country or from lovely china? lol. That antenna adapter works for a lot of GM vehicles so keep it. I used it on my car before I got the envoy which was a 1998 Oldsmobile 88.

 

[Alansd]

In the USA.
My stereo came today...now I just need those two adaptors..maybe I can do the install on the weekend. Yeah baby

 

[Alansd]

I did not get the dash kit..is that a must have?? I do have a Dremel

 

[kickass audio]

You really do not need the dash kit because you purchased a double-din headunit. If you open the box your headunit came in, you will see that there is a little cage around the radio that has little fingers you can bend outward. That cage is what you can use to mount the radio in your dash. It MUST be secured from the front and back so when you spread those little tabs open make it so its nice and secure on both the outer part of the dash and inner part. Also be warned that by putting it in this way when you go to remove the radio with the little keys it came with it is VERY difficult so be warned.

 

[Alansd]

Ok cool. I have den a lot of stereo upgrades over the years,,starting with an 8 track in a 59 Corvette. HA!

Never had a double din before, looking forward to the features this one has..especially the USB input and the AUX input for MP3s.

 

[Alansd]

I got the connector today. Just getting ready to do this. maybe Sunday. So the connector wires match up to the wires in the TB? Not sure what the arrangement is since I haven't pulled the dash apart yet.

 

[kickass audio]

The only matching that you need to do for the harness adapter is to match them up with the wires on your aftermarket headunit. Like 99% of the time all those wires that come out of the aftermarket headunit are the same as the ones you have on the harness. Its just matching the colors really. I always strongly recommend to double check what the wires on the harness say they are for, if you read the jacket they will have it printed on them like "12v constant", "ACC", etc.

You may find that you will have 3 wires un-used in your setup. Those wires are

1.) Blue with white stripe, this is for your remote turn on for your amplifier. If you don't have a hookup for this on the aftermarket harness you bought just do what I do, loop the wire and shrink wrap it to itself so it can't touch anything and ground out.

2.) Orange, this is for your illumination control. Some aftermarket headunits have this wire where you can hook it up to the wire harness you bought and allow your radio's lights to dim with the rest of your vehicle. Now the thing with this though if you don't have it on your headunit would be to just do like I described in 1 with you looping the wire off and shrink wrapping it.

3.) Red, this wire will be used however you will not find a spot to connect it to on your wire harness. This is the one you have to tap into a wire that switches on with your key and off with your key.

All the other wires just match up the color and description of them, solder them together and heat shrink the wires. If you are curious, I prefer to use 60/40 rosin core solder for when I am doing electrical work.

 

[Juicy K]

^^^^^^^ What this man said!

 

[Alansd]

awesome, I was hoping that was the case. So I can do that on my workbench. Then the plugs mate in the dash. Hope the antenna adaptor gets here before Sunday....
My son had a new Panasonic touch screen deal put in his Infiniti G35 with a sub. It sounds awesome. His old one ate a bunch of cd's.

 

[Alansd]

The only matching that you need to do for the harness adapter is to match them up with the wires on your aftermarket headunit. Like 99% of the time all those wires that come out of the aftermarket headunit are the same as the ones you have on the harness. Its just matching the colors really. I always strongly recommend to double check what the wires on the harness say they are for, if you read the jacket they will have it printed on them like "12v constant", "ACC", etc.

You may find that you will have 3 wires un-used in your setup. Those wires are

1.) Blue with white stripe, this is for your remote turn on for your amplifier. If you don't have a hookup for this on the aftermarket harness you bought just do what I do, loop the wire and shrink wrap it to itself so it can't touch anything and ground out.

2.) Orange, this is for your illumination control. Some aftermarket headunits have this wire where you can hook it up to the wire harness you bought and allow your radio's lights to dim with the rest of your vehicle. Now the thing with this though if you don't have it on your headunit would be to just do like I described in 1 with you looping the wire off and shrink wrapping it.

3.) Red, this wire will be used however you will not find a spot to connect it to on your wire harness. This is the one you have to tap into a wire that switches on with your key and off with your key.

All the other wires just match up the color and description of them, solder them together and heat shrink the wires. If you are curious, I prefer to use 60/40 rosin core solder for when I am doing electrical work.

??
Both the new GM connector and the one from the stereo have red and Yellow labeled power wires one switched one not. Don't I connect these to each other? Then what do I run to the pink power wire from the truck? Confused on those. All else matches up and are soldered. Gotta get some heat shrink later today