OK, I've done both mine and my daughters aftermarket units with the original stereo.

All of the chimes are generated by the original head unit, which gets the command on what to do over the OBD bus of the car. If the head unit is removed, you won't get chimes unless you get an aftermarket adapter kit like the Metra GMRC-01. Check it out at Amazon.com.

The OEM amplifier requires a signal from the radio to turn on. This will be the eltric antenna wire from your new head unit, and connects to a white wire that goes back to the amplifier.

 

I have power to the white wire plugging into the amp. This weekend my mother in law let me barrow her amplifier and swap it out with mine to see if that was the problem. I still have no sound with an amp that I know is in working condition. I swapped the HU's aftermarket for factory, still have no sound. I don't have chimes, beeps, music, nothing. I'm not really sure where to look at this point. Any ideas?

 

just to get the remote possibility out of the picture - are you doing all of your testing with the amplifier grounded - not just sitting on an insulator. i would think there would be a ground wire in the bundle that goes to a ground inside the amplifier itself.

a more likely possibility is that the amplifier is in fact turning on, but isnt getting audio from up front.

does the white wire have 12 volts on it all the time? im going to try to find info to tell me how the amplifier is turned on to make the chime sounds while not drawing enough current to drain the battery when its just sitting.

in the meantime im going to go try to get a look at mine and take pictures. im hoping there is a noticably heavier power lead coming from the front. also i need to nail down how many connectors are on the front. ive seen documentation showing 3 connectors. 1 is support wiring from the car, another is the bundle that goes to the back and a 3rd is for other (aux - sirius, pornstar) audio inputs

 

"(aux - sirius, pornstar)" LOL I think I got ripped off when I got my car!!! Mine did not include aux. functions like that!!! HAHAHAHA