Hi, just three weeks ago I purchased a 2002 Monte Carlo SS. I am planning to put an aftermarket head unit in my monte but i heard u lose a lot of factory options like the door chimes. I would like to know exactly what features are loss when installing an aftermarket head unit without the GM harness. I would buy the GM harness but i have reada lot of bad reviews for it and the harness is too expensive to be buying if it is unreliable.

Also I plan on installing a remote start system and replacing the speakers/tweeters in the car. Are there any problems when doing those two things?

oh yeah.....my car has OnStar and the factory amp just in case that wasn't assumed.

I love my monte, and plan to get to know you guys on the forum for a while!!!!

Thanks,

MJ

 

I haven't heard of any reliability issues with any products, not saying there isn't, but I'm not aware of any. Stick with brand name products, and stay away from Short Circuit City. Get a good aftermarket deck, such a Pioneer or Alpine, and you can add back the Onstar module (with door chimes) and steering wheel controls. I have remote mounted my factory deck to the trunk, but wouldn't do it again. Once the alarm and lighting settings are where you want them, you won't ever change them. And the oil life and tire pressure monitors are easily reset with other methods, as posted elsewhere on this forum.

Factory speakers are junk, as is the rest of the system, IMHO! Replace it ALL! Factory amp is just taking up space. A good deck will out perform the factory system WITH the amp.

 

if you want to get around the factory amp there is two ways to do it.
1. run new wires to each speaker.
2. take amp out and have some one help you to figure out what wire goes where in the trunk at the amp and then wire it accordingly.

as for what you lose like rockin says it is not worth the time and efforts to remote mount the factory unit. the stuff you lose is not that big of a deal and you can reset anything critical in different ways threw the light switch or foot feed.

the harness can be wired to the chimes and on star parts int he dash to make them still operate like normal.

i will warn you those chimes that replace the factory ones are SO ANNOYING! but they do their job.

if you do a search here for aftermarket hu install you will find tons of posts on here for this same topic and all of them have useful information in them.

 

are you going to add an aftermarket amp for your speakers. if you do its not worth it because you loose the door chimes anyway.

it is expensive but makes it a hell of a lot easier to wire.

 

I was going to replace the amplifier for the speakers because i wasn't sure if the stock amp would work with an aftermarket HU. If the stock amp works fine with an aftermarket HU then I won't even bother changing the amp, would u guys happen to know how much power the stock amp has, and does the amp power the 6x9's,door speakers and tweeters? Or just the 6x9's.

Btw this is the HU I plan on putting in my car:

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.as...mp;dcaid=17902

 

it powers the door and rear speakers and the tweeters. the stock amp is 200w max. it will work fine. but you might find better results with an aftermarket amp.

 

mine was hooked up with the front and the tweets threw the stock amp and the subs the in therear on the after market amp. I wish i could find the link . if you serch here on amp by pass. there is a wireing diogram running around that shows you what wires are what for the imp. they were the same on the 03 monte. after a while i changed it all so i was running tow after market amps. due to the fact that the factory one will cut your power down to protect the speakers, at a certin volume level.
they do it on the stock system also if you listen closely you can hear it after a certin vol. level the system will lose some power to the system to protect it from blowing it drove me nuts so i changed the whole thing out

 

I wondered about this as well. I also want that radio from the link. So you don't have to buy that $100 harness is what the synopsis is? Just use whatever Crutchfield gives you and you'll be alright? Mine has On Star, but I'm not keeping it. Same with XM. I've wired serveal radios before, but this one sounds like a serious pain in the ***.. I would replace everything at once.. Radio, front and rear speakers, and extra amp. Maybe add a sub package too.. I just want to do it all and be done. How much is the steering wheel control adaptor, and it it easy to wire? I lost them in my old car, and it's not that it's a big deal, but I was just curious..

 

It can be done without the harness especially if not using the onstar, xm or the factory amp. one of my friends did that in his 03 cavilier. i have no idea how much the steering wheel adapter is and how to wire it. the only thing the harness does do is make it a little bit simpler for install and UNINSTALL.