So I've been wanting a Monte Carlo for awhile and finally was in a position to buy this last week. I went to a few dealerships, found an '02 SS I loved and was in great shape, and picked it up.

I have a few questions. I work at Circuit City, but in the TVs department. I am in a position to do a bit of customization, so any input will help out alot.

There is an aftermarket deck installed (Sony). I have heard that there are two wiring harnesses available for decks, one that bypasses the functionality of the factory deck and one (tremendously more expensive) that supports most of the factory features. I still have door chimes, so does this mean I have the nicer harness? I'm going to have the guys at work take a look at it in a few days, but I didn't know if this was enough to figure that out or not.

Second, what do I lose by using an aftermarket deck with an '02 SS? My cruise control doesn't work currently - does that have to do with the deck or is that just a separate issue?

I plan to install a Python 990 remote start/security system - any input on this? (drawbacks, install issues, problems it may cause with the car, etc.)

I've heard about approx. every 20k-30k miles that the intake manifold needs to be replaced in these cars. Is this true? How can I tell if I need to do it?

Any reccommendations and input to these questions or just personal commentary you may have is greatly appreciated. I like having a place I can go to talk about people who know, love, and drive the same car as I do. The guys at Bonneville club were great helps with my previous vehicle, so I hope for an even better experience here and will give as much input as I can. I will have pictures of the car somewhat soon, but work two jobs and rarely get time to myself that isn't best spent sleeping.

Thanks so much,
-William

 

welcome to monte carlo forum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
well.. on the head unit you will lose on star and the chimes (no gas, air pressure low, ext) and the wheel controls your cruise control might work make sure the light for it is on (left side of wheel) as for the intake manifold i have 94k on my ss and never had a problem with it and lets just say i drive mine hard. as for mods look into cai, and a u-bend and res delete and a pcm tune from zzp or 3800p .com thats a good 25-30 hp depending on the pcm have fun with your new monte, william the more you look around the place the more you learn about your car and how to get the most out of it 1

 

I've got chimes and I've seen a low fuel warning. But the Cruise Control isn't responsive to the buttons on the wheel. Every once-in-awhile the light on the dash will come on (by itself) but the buttons on the wheel to set, accel, etc. remain non-responsive. I am headed into the dealership tomorrow to see if maybe its something they can fix as the car is still under the no-lemon warranty.

I have to be honest, you said:
"as for mods look into cai, and a u-bend and res delete and a pcm tune from zzp or 3800p .com thats a good 25-30 hp depending on the pcm"
..You lost me the whole time. I have never owned a car worth anything before this one. (History: 90 Olds Toronado, 97 Dodge Stratus, 93 Merc Sable, 94 Pontiac Bonneville) - I finally made the upgrade to something I enjoy driving and feel comfortable investing in. So if you could be a little more entry level with the terminology that would be phenomenal. I have a decent amount of experience for a 19-year-old, but the performance aspect has never been an issue with any of my previous cars.

A quick overview of my plans for the coming weeks/months:
-Python 990 Security/Remote Start/Keyless Entry
-Pioneer head unit (model tba)
-Kicker CV-R 10" Sub running off of a 400W mono Kicker amp
-Kicker 6x9s, 6 1/2s, 4-ch amp (models tba)
-Magellan GPS (tba)
-Red underglow/engine/trunk lighting
-Floormats (ha)

I am also interested in performing this re-mounting of the factory head unit into the trunk - I plan on putting in a single Kicker CV-R 10" sub and I'm building my own box, so I could use half for the sub and then make it look fancy on the other half with a nice panel for the factory head unit and possibly some other functions... hmm

 

Welcome to the Forum!

Your question about the head gasket: The 3.4 litre 3400 engine is famous in all GM vehicles for having leaky gaskets. I used to own a 99 Grand Am with that engine, and I had to have the Lower Intake Manifold gasket replaced. Most people on the grand am forum I used to be on had the same problem.

The 2000-2005 SS Monte Carlos have the 3.8 litre 3800 series II engine. This engine is a very good engine and practically bullet proof if properly maintained.


As for your question about the stereo, wiring, cruise control, steering wheel controls, etc...
Moderator Mickey hasa lot of experience in this with his 2003 Monte SS. Especially when it comes to taking the steering wheel apart to work on the steering wheel controls.

However, Mickey isn't the only good source. Many members here have experience dealing with your situation. Hopefully you'll get a good answer soon.

 

[8D]lol my bad cai stands for cold air intake alot of members have gone with the k&n setup but there are alot of different ways to do this mod. if you look under the car there is what we call a u-bend right after the cat it has your air flow sensor pluged into the top of it and right after that is your resonator both are very restrictive and replacing both with just a long pipe lets your car breathe better giving you more power when you want it and slightly better gas milage read some of the posts on the web site to learn more. now for the pcm the pcm is the brain of the car and you kindof have to let the car know what you are doing to it to get the full power out of it like i said before there are alot of post dealing with all of these simple mods they dont all have to be done at once but thats the quickest way to more power. as for your system i like were you are going with it i am running two kicker comp 15's and a 2000w amp to my pioneer head unit (hu) and its plenty loud for me i would love to improve on my highs as everything else is stock but for right now its good. good luck and have fun