- hello all.
- since this is my first post i will try to make it as informative as possible as to acheive the best possible answers. thanks in advance!

- well, let me first say i have an '03 Monte, Pace Car Edition with a stock CD/Cassette/AM FM Radio. im generally a car audio head and am acustomed to putting systems in older chevrolets (87-96).
- with that said i know that with these newer cars you cant just take out the old system and replace them the way you used to without the potetial of losing certain functions or worse.
- my questions are:

1. what size is the stock slot? my gut tells me its a DD but crutchfield says its just a regular DIN....not even a DIN and a half. i think they are wrong, as sometimes they are, but i dont want to buy a DD CD player only to find out i was wrong.
2. what functions do you lose? ive read some conflicting threads about what functions you lose when you replace your stock HU.....what are the facts? what are the alternatives??
3. i know some companies offer steering wheel control, the only i know of is i think Alpine, are there anyothers??

and last...
4. crutchfield says i have 6X9's and 6.5's in the car is this correct? i ask because seeing how they probably have the description of the stock HU wrong how can i trust the size of speaker.

- thanks again.

 

the speaker sizes they told you are correct the radio size is din and 1/2

 

Hmm. . .well Knowing personally what the speaker size is (because I have taken them out and replaced all 4 with Pioneer's to match my subs) Yes, you do have 6.5's in the doors, plus a LITTLE tweeter, and 6x9's in the back deck. . .which were a real pain the the butt to change out cause you have to take out the entire back seat and top shelf in the back of the car. And then you have the pain of dealing with the seals on the speakers and yada yada yada.

As far as the head unit. . .from what I have heard, you will at least lose your chimes, and steering wheel controls, unless like you stated you buy a head unit that has a harness for that. I have also heard though of people losing their ability to use their key fob to lock and unlock the car and pop the trunk. And I've heard both ways on the security bit. . .some people have said they lose their alarm, others haven't. I'm guessing it just depends on the head unit and the corresponding harness you buy. I personally went up to Best Buy to ask my friend what all I'd lose, he said no worries, just the wheel controls and chimes. . .possibly the key fob.

Then there's the option of relocating your stock HeadUnit and keeping all that stuff. Which is easy. . .but will cost you if you have a place like best buy do it. So there's alot of options and ways you could go.

I do have subs and an amp, but their hooked to my stock radio and it still sounds GREAT. So I'm not at any loss other than the little display that'll play you racing cars or pretty little fishies. I fine tune my amp and adjust the settings on the radio. I have my equilizer and all necessary adjustments built into my amp.

And as far as the stock radio slot. . .I have no idea. . .but I guess I can go to best buy and find out exactly what size harness you need to fit in there. Or maybe Mickey knows since he's got what I want LOL. Which is a flip up screen.[8D]

MonteRiderLS

 

u lose your door chimes and steering wheels radio controls key fobs and all your other funtions remain the same

 

go to soundgate.com they will have all the interfaces you will need crutchfield said the samething about mine a 2006 I put a dd in mine


it was a nice fit looks great

[IMG]local://upfiles/1196/AF9F486751154030BB37E71ACAE79231.gif[/IMG]

 

you also loose the ability to reset your low tire presure warning light once you put in a new head unit

 

no u wont read your owners manual


[sm=icon_rtfm.gif][sm=icon_rtfm.gif][sm=icon_rtfm.gif][sm=icon_rtfm.gif][sm=icon_rtfm.gif]

 

k i can settel alot of this for you

I have a singel din pioneer DVD indash in my car right now.

the things you lose are
steering wheel controlls
and also the annoying chimes for everthing.

BUT
crutchfeild and even Ebay sell a inter face to give you back both the chimes and the steering wheel controlls if you really want them to funtion or have them back. I bought a radio that came with a remot and never have worried about the sterring controlls missing.
I have also been thrilled about loseing the chime. It is nice to not hear it for everything you do.


You can rest all of the function from the radion in various other ways.

I.E. Oil life is pump the gas peddel 3 time with in 5 sec. and then turn off the key and back on. this should do the trick If it dose not do it again. It will do it. this feture has been on most G.M. cars and mini vans and every thing else for years.

the Tire monitor is turn key to on click out the head light switch to the first click three times in a row with in 5 sec.
This will rest it. I have never tried it but i have watched it done . So i would say it is a pretty good bet the mechanic that did it has done it before.

the myth that you lose all the function to the remote controll key fob is just that a MYTH!! I almost didnt buy my head unit ove rthe fears of all the crap i heard. I did tons of reserch on this before i did it when it comes down to it all we can do is say you will survive . and dont belive everything you read on a chat fourm.

But this one of course .

The speakers in the read deck are in fact 6x9 speakers from the factory and also the doors are 6.5 and they do also have the tweeters seperate depending on with ones you have.

If you look in my photo album here you can see my car and also see the stereo But just incase you cant find it i will post another shot of it.

IF you still fear loseing all of this you can also get a harness that will relocate your stock stereo to teh trunk and allow you to hook in a new one also. So you can reset everything threw the stock head unit in the trunk. I personally could not justify the expence knowing i could do it another way.

Also one more thing the kits for our cars are not hard to put in the dash . and also there is a cut out in the dash behind the stock stereo it is real easy to cut out and or break out to allow extra room for a longer or deeper stereo to fit. I had to take mine out for my stereo .

And one more urban ledgen that seems to be going around is that you cant put the indash DVD players in your car . think the photo speaks for it self but it is B.S.!!! you can do anything ya wan tin your dash it is after all your car. and it will not hit the dash!!

[IMG]local://upfiles/265/3F2F49992A624208887AF713CDA3733C.jpg[/IMG]

 

Here is my radio it has a DVD and CD slot with NAV the nav is from the dvd not a hard drive. I have every thing back steering wheel controls onstar and all and this is a 2006 if it can be done on this it can be done on yours.

[IMG]local://upfiles/1196/6635625353A64CB99158539773A3ACE6.jpg[/IMG]

 

That is one sick head unit.