Installing Aftermarket Radio, 2001-2004

Aleromaster · 11-20-2003, 07:59 PM

Here is how to remove and install an aftermarket radio in the 2001-2002 Alero's. Start by removing the radio trim.
The folling instrutions Quotes from Silentalero
Submitted by Silent Alero

Ok step by step here is what you do to remove it completely (remind you I have torn my interior apart about 20-30 times already)

1) Pull the pin out of the front of the gear shifter, and pull the gear shifter off.

2) Ok now your gear shifter is off, now the center plastic piece that is directly under your gear shifter (the piece with the P R N D 3 2 1 on it) no take a screw driver and pry that up. Ok now reach under it but only pull it to where the wires will let you, Now do this, find the plug for the light under the P R N D 3 2 1 and turn it half a turn and pull it out. Now push the 2 clips on the side of the ETS Trac button and push it up through the top. now disconnect the button by unclipping it. Now you can pull the bottom center console piece off completely.

3) Now that the bottom center piece is removed you can remove your main center console piece (with the hvac and radio fit into it) actually now it will be easier. just pull it forward untill you have no clips holding it in. then you will need a 7mm wrench to remove the hvac controls (heater/ac). There are 4 bolts on the back of the WHITE plastic piece (white from behind the console, you will know once you get back there) they are black just incase...Ok now the 3 knobs and the 4 int/ext ac/defroster buttons will come out with it, this is just one big piece.

4) Once the hvac is off now you have to pull off the lighter plug, which is just connected by a clip (find the way and unclip it). Then take the center light (which lights up the dark cave in the center under your heater controls) and turn it half a turun and just pull it out. Now the center console piece will come out.

End of Quote

After you have the trim off remove the 3 7mm bolts holding the radio in place and slide the radio out and dissconnect the harness and antenna.

You will need a Radio Relocation Harness avalible at most Mobile electronics stores (ex. Best Buy, Circiut City) for aprox. $60. If purchased at Circuit City you also have an option to puchase a "smart connector" which is a simple plug and play harness that goes from your aftermarket Radio to Radio Reloc Harness, otherwise you will have to solder or butt splice your aftermarket harness to the Reloc Harness.

This part gets a little more difficult. You will need to remove the center consol or at the veryleast lift it up. To do that you need to remove the 2 bolts inside the armrest compartment under the rubber mat. There is also a bolt on each side of the consol at the front of the vehicle under small plastic caps. There are two spring clips in the same area that have to be released. There is also a support of some sort by the seats as well.

You will also need to remove the bottom of the rear seat. To do so use a Flat head screw driver andplace in the slot under the seat in the front on each of the driver and passenger side of the seat. you can also remove the seat back to make it easier but its not required. To do so look over where the seat back splits and down where it pivots the is a latch you can push then its just a matter of lifting and removing the seat.

Run the Reloc harness through the center consolmaking sure to secure it away from any moving parts. Run it through on of the openings in the carpet and fish under the carpet to the area under the rear seat. Run it up under the trunk carpeting to the driverside of the trunk at the rear of the trunk. If you peal back the carpet on the driver side between the wheel hump and coner you will see a hole that will hold the factory radio nice and tight and out of view. Place a peice of tape over the cd and tape slot to prevent dunt from entering thos holes. plug the harness into the radio and place in the whole. At this point I would plug the other end of the reloc harmess into the factory harness and make sure the factory radio powers up. Make sure you leave the factory radio turned off after you check. If you plan on installing amps now would be the time to run your RCA's and remote turn on wire. You may now reassemble your rear seat and center consol. Ther will be a red wire in the reloc harness that has to be run to an ignition switch sorce. I usually runthe wire through the dash to the driver side fuse panel.

You may now install your dash adapter. You will have to connect an antenna addapter to the Factory antenna cable and connect it to you new radio.

There will be a 2 wire connecter attached to the Reloc harness that is desinged for a speaker availible by the manufature of the harness. I cut that off and install the factory front door speaker to the wires but if you are not replacing yuor speakers than you will need to purhase the reloc harness speaker. i install the speaker in the lower front area of the center consol. You may now reasemble the radio trim.

Oh yeah and finally, ENJOY

10-19-2004, 10:27 PM

i don't get why you take apart everything and put your stock radio in your trunk? unless im reading it wrong?! lol!
are you just installing a new deck? why does it sound so hard? i think im just crazy, please let me know whats going on here.
thanks

FormulaNERD · 10-19-2004, 10:51 PM

the newer ones have the "chime" sound for all your warnings and stuff built into the stereo, so you have to relocate it to keep the chimes.

10-19-2004, 11:31 PM

do i need to do that? or if i don't want the chimes can i just take the stock stereo straight out?!

FormulaNERD · 10-19-2004, 11:36 PM

yea, if you dont want chimes or RAP, go ahead and chuck the old deck out.

10-19-2004, 11:42 PM

thanks!

10-20-2004, 11:03 PM

HELP!!
ok, so i started installing my deck today. so i got the wire harness by dash solutions that is for olsmobiles 1988-2003, it was the only oldsmobile one i could find. yea, its not the right one. so i found out that the chevy/gmc/pontiac/toyota one for 2000 and up fits but the wires are in a different order. i can't seem to find where the colour codes are for the wiring in my alero. if someone could help me out and let me know which colours are which in my alero then i can change around the wires in the wiring harness to match.
please and thank you!
unless someone has another idea of what i can do to fix this.
thanks again

Vtolds · 10-20-2004, 11:22 PM

I had to order the harness for my 2000 Alero from a speed shop normally you just cant go out to walmart and get the right harness for a Alero trust me I tried 2 walmarts and I also had to get the mounting kit from a speed shop and it wasnt even marked as a Alero kit but a Grandam kit but it still worked the same. There is also a Harness that you can get that costs about $80.00 Dollars I dont know what it does but I may replace the chimes when they showed me that harness I told them that it couldnt be right. And also when you put everything back together you may have a pisser of a time getting the head unit to fit without moving around the wiring harness to you can slide it in, atleast I had a problem with the harness getting in the way. Since I guess you a new at installing radio's I would have bought it from www.crutchfield.com all there head units and everything else they sell comes free with the right harness and mounting kits for free.

queen_b · 10-21-2004, 09:35 AM

i went and got the one that they had in stock for the aleros at a store here in nc and havent had ne problems out of it but i think it was for an 02 or something but it worked i didnt have to order one..

10-23-2004, 01:59 PM

thanks everyone for your help! i finally got my deck installed. i went out and bought a wiring harness by axxess. its a gm class II data bus interface for alero's from 2002-2004. my alero is a 2001 but this harness works for it as well. it comes with a little speaker that you can mount anywhere out of the way so you still get the chimes without relocating your stock deck! made life so much easier. i wasn't looking forward to wiring my old deck in my trunk. so yea, it cost me about $95 canadian and took me like no time to install.
just thought i'd let everyone know unless you already knew then this post would be pointless!
thanks again everyone

-Alero- · 10-31-2004, 03:29 AM

what sort of fitting thing did you use to fit the new deck, and leave a piece of plastic on the bottom section of the old radio. cause i wanna put some of my switchs on that little plastic panel

10-31-2004, 08:53 PM

where i got mine they had a big sale and got all the kits for 75% off total for instll kit and wire harnes and antana kit for 13.84 u.s. and hopefully next week get bull dog security and remote start for half off 275.00 installed.

slowandlow · 11-22-2004, 02:32 AM

when i had my deck done when it was new they dident use one of thoes. i just dont get the beeps when my dooe is open lol

06-11-2005, 01:07 PM

Wow when I did mine I went to a local install shop bought the wiring harness for 20bux and got the ant. converter for 11bux...but then my Rotti ate the new Deck while I was outside so it was all for not as the factory deck is back in there...d@mn dog ate the cardboard box the stropfoam and then the deck face plate RCA's and cage...300bux gone like that!!!

gavin · 05-29-2009, 01:05 AM

any1 have a DIY for a 2000 alero? or is it just everything listed here minus the trunk part?
Thanks,
Gavin

TheEdgeofSanity · 05-29-2009, 01:36 AM

HOLY JESUS THREAD RESURRECTION!

lol, jk, thanks for using the search button. can you be more specific with your question so we can better help you?

gavin · 06-06-2009, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheEdgeofSanity

HOLY JESUS THREAD RESURRECTION!

lol, jk, thanks for using the search button. can you be more specific with your question so we can better help you?

lol no problem........to install a aftermarket head unit in a 2000 olds alero, would i do the same as stated on the DIY, except fot the putting the oem radio in the trunk?

zzyzzx · 05-24-2010, 10:03 AM

Good instructions, but I was able to complete the job without disconnecting any of the wiring on the bottom shifter plate and only disconnecting two of the connectors on the HVAC panel and moving it aside. If I had to do it again, I'd probably set aside more time and figure out how to remove that bottom shifter plastic plate better though.

vikz99 · 09-22-2010, 10:36 PM

So i have a 04 alero, i dont want to loose chimes on it, nor do i want to relocate it in my trunk.

Many people are saying to use the walmart one, and it will work.

Which one should I go for?

spc2125 · 11-28-2010, 05:17 PM

i did not relocate my stock radio to my trunk but i got all the wires to work and everything and it turns on and sounds good.
HOWEVER
IT DOES NOT FIT

i bought the kit and it would not fit. the after market radio i have has the harness on the left side (looking at the front). and there is a big steel bar that is preventing it from fitting. WHAT DO I DO?