2001 QX4 head unit replacement inquiry

[racingqx4]

Hi, I just found this club from google and did some research on my issue, man this club has lot of info, I spent hours to read here

ok I have a 2001 QX4 with that BOSE head unit, just like many others, I have that ERR2 problem and now the CD player is not working at all. So I just bought a Sony head unit from BestBuy cuz it's on sale. I wanted to install it myself cuz I think it's fun (I did it on two other cars before), and I thought it's easy, I even did my last two cars without the harness (cut wires)....so I thought I'm good at this... but since I'm busy lately, I have decided to simply get the harness this time to save me time...and the Nissan Antenna converter of course.

So I went home, took out the panel, took out the headunit, and then shooT!! How come there're 3 connectors, and my harness has two?? I stole these pictures online, I will upload my own pictures tonight.



I checked the InstallDr manual and general Nissan has two connector just like my harness.... so I have 3 connectors because I have the BOSE system? Is it for the amplifier? or for the steerling wheel control?

I read so many topics regarding audio on this forum, the more I read, the more facts I see and more concerns I have...

1) I read something where saying that I will burn out my front speaker because of the amp?2) I heard I can bypass the amplifier, what exact is that means? How can I do that?3) couple of nice members here puted a link to this harness: http://www.crutchfield.com/p_1...=3486Is this the one I used to "bypass" the amplifier or to help using the amplifier?4) Do I need another harness, or I can use this "dual" one, and simple wire modification is good?

Any help is highly appreciated. By the way, I'm just looking for a cheap way to get this done, I'm not a person who require very high quality of sound, and in fact, I do want to save money

Thank you!

[Qxxx4]

welcome to the forum! were always happy to help. It looks like you have the newer head units so im not sure if i can help you out.

I have a 99 qx4 with a slightly older headunit. I had troubles installing my aftermarket head unit due to no sound coming out of the factory speakers. The problem was my factory amp was not turning on. Im not sure where the factory amp is located in the older qx4's but its definately somewhere besides the head unit. I simply spliced the remote turn on wire from my new head unit to the one on the wiring harness that is in the vehicle, and it worked great.

your factory amp may be inside the head unit itself.

did you try the new deck? are u gettng any sound or anything? id say try that first and see what happens

[racingqx4]

did you try the new deck? are u gettng any sound or anything? id say try that first and see what happens

Thanks for the quick reply

nope, I haven't get to that point yet. All I did was took off the panel, took out the factory unit, bought the new head unit, a harness (with 2 adaptors only) and the antenna converter... and then did research here and realized I am very confused (see my questions in my first post)

I think I really should take photos of everything tonight
Modified by racingqx4 at 9:50 AM 12/11/2008

[Empty V]

Wish I could help, I soldered everything wire by wire after having my first deck pioneer deck installed by someone else a while back. I do know that the amps for the front speakers are located right next to them in the doors and the one for the rear speakers are located in the trunk area driver's side. Here's a pic:

I mounted the plywood there in order to mount my amp.

[racingqx4]

Do I need to take off the door panel and doing something with the amplifier??

hmm... ok, here's my situation now:

I took out the BOSE head unit per instruction I found on a post in this forum (thanks!) Now there are 3 adaptors hanging there:

I cannot find the color code explanation of this plug from the Install Doctor manual...



and this is the head unit, I numbered the plugs where the adaptors came from:

and this is the harness that I bought, which has 2 adaptors only, is it still useful? How should I deal with the last plug (#1)?

and this is the new cd player and the harness that comes with it:

so my next step is.....
Modified by racingqx4 at 7:46 AM 12/13/2008

[timmack]

i wanna say thats for the steering wheel controls? not sure. aint seen slickroger for a while, he could probably help out with that one. i think you also have to bypass the factory amps too, not sure if anyone here has tried to hook an aftermarket radio up to the amps or not.

[Empty V]

i wanna say thats for the steering wheel controls? not sure. aint seen slickroger for a while, he could probably help out with that one. i think you also have to bypass the factory amps too, not sure if anyone here has tried to hook an aftermarket radio up to the amps or not.

You do not have to bypass the factory amps but it's highly recommended. The system will sound sub par. Not the cheapest way to go but I highly recommend a full speaker/amp overhaul.

Billy

[racingqx4]

You do not have to bypass the factory amps but it's highly recommended. The system will sound sub par. Not the cheapest way to go but I highly recommend a full speaker/amp overhaul.

Billy

is "bypass the factory amps " different menthod than "full speaker/amp overhaul"? What exactly is bypass the factory amps? Get to the amp on the door panel and reconnect the wire so that the wire goes directly to the speaker, but not the amp???

thanks!

[Empty V]

is "bypass the factory amps " different menthod than "full speaker/amp overhaul"? What exactly is bypass the factory amps? Get to the amp on the door panel and reconnect the wire so that the wire goes directly to the speaker, but not the amp???

thanks!

You are correct. If you were going to just bypass the factory amps I would just run new wire from the head unit directly to the speakers. From what I remember they has a weird connector on them so some splicing might be involved.

Billy

[racingqx4]

You are correct. If you were going to just bypass the factory amps I would just run new wire from the head unit directly to the speakers. From what I remember they has a weird connector on them so some splicing might be involved.

Billy

oh man... I thought this whole thing would be simple and easy. I don't think I have time to do all the work

ok let's say if I do not bypass the amp, the only down side is the speaker could be burnt out soon? or just the sound quality will be suck? If it is only the sound, then it's all good, I don't care. And if this is the way I wanna go, can I just use the harness to connect the two adaptors and ignore the 3rd one? (#1)

thanks again guys, really appreciated for the input

[Qxxx4]

install dr's colour codes are relating to the common wiring harness....i.e the harness you bought. The factory codes are different. If you read closely (at least for the 97-2000 qx4) there are layouts of the connectors numbering each pin and what the colour connects to on the harness....i had to do some thinking but i eventually got it....ur getting there just keep trying man! were here to help as for bypassing the amp....do that later, your in enough trouble getting the damn deck to work and i feel your pain. I still have my factory amp for speakers and aftermarket for subs....my friends all agree its the best system theyve ever heard....probably not the best out there but it is bose...so it alone is better than most vehicles out there. we have friggin tweeters! lol

ps...my harness is exactly the same....i believe i also had 3 connectors at teh back of my head unit...i forget lol i wouldnt worry about it yet

[Empty V]

....probably not the best out there but it is bose...so it alone is better than most vehicles out there.

Hate to break it to you but bose are some of the sh!tiest speakers on the market. I used to have stock JBL's in my old explorer limited that blew the bose stockers away. The only thing bose made right was their QC Headphones, I've never heard a single bose speaker that I liked, and I do A/V for a living.

Billy

[timmack]

no joke, the bose system absolutely sucks in my opinion. the only thing i like about the stereo is the steering wheel controls and the pillar tweeters.

[racingqx4]

ok I've connected the wires.... now here's what's left:

#1) a orange w/white stripe wire from my new cd player's adaptor, from the manual it say this is for "illumination", anyone know what it is? I don't see anything like this on the Nissan typical color thing on the InstallDr manual?

#2) this is an orange wire from the "H" position of the harness, according to InstallDr this position is "DO NOT USE", but somehow this adaptor has this orange wire, anyone know what it is?

#3, #4, #6) all black wires, I guess I can simply connect them to the metal bracket?

#5) black with white stripe, InstallDr said connect this wire to the radio ground wire... I guess I can connect it to the metal bracket as well?

Thanks!

[slickroger]

connect them all to the ground except the illumination wire.

Wires #1&2

typically you would connect these wires together with my pioneer deck when my auto headlights come on my screen dims. But you have a sony deck if you hook up the illumination wire your volume will always jump to max volume when you try to turn it up, ive done it and it is very uncool. so just cover the ends of both and leave it as is.

the extra connector you have from the back of your factory deck is just the steering wheel controls. you can leave it as is or get an adaptor which allows you to retain those controls after installing a factory deck. i did it its awesome.

I disagree with the bad talk on the bose systems, im still using my bose speakers in my truck and they sound good. i dont have them playing any bass, i let my 2 12's do all of that.

you dont want to bypass the factory amps if your going to use the factory speakers because the factory speakers are only 2ohms and will blow your deck. you simply want the factory amps to turn on if your not getting any sound and that can be done using the amp remote like QXXX4 said earlier.

Good Luckcheck my thread you'll find more info there

[WINNIPEGS_MOST_WANTED]

ok I've connected the wires.... now here's what's left:

#1) a orange w/white stripe wire from my new cd player's adaptor, from the manual it say this is for "illumination", anyone know what it is? I don't see anything like this on the Nissan typical color thing on the InstallDr manual?

#2) this is an orange wire from the "H" position of the harness, according to InstallDr this position is "DO NOT USE", but somehow this adaptor has this orange wire, anyone know what it is?

#3, #4, #6) all black wires, I guess I can simply connect them to the metal bracket?

#5) black with white stripe, InstallDr said connect this wire to the radio ground wire... I guess I can connect it to the metal bracket as well?

Thanks!

As slickroger mentioned wires #1&2 can be left alone. Some decks ground through the wiring harness hence 6 and 3. Since the metal bracket is a good ground and is closer to the source or you could just leave #3 and connect 6 to the metal bracket. Going from memory I think I also had a power antenna which I left disconnected.

Whats confusing me is the second harness. You appear to have 7 wires? I thought this bundle was solely for the speakers (+-) for all 4.

At a minimum you need to have the batt (+12v) ignition (+12v) ground, and 4 speakers connected. Any additional wires (illumination, antenna, other bells and whistles) don't *need* to be connected and you could play around with these later..

As far as the Bose goes, i'd say ditch them. The Bose system operates at a different impedance. You run the risk of burning out the amp in your head unit if you push it hard.

It is a big job (door panels have to come off, rear trim has to be removed to get at the amp, and some additional trim has to be removed if you're running new wires.) but it's well worth it. In my opinion, set a weekend aside and do it all in one shot.

There are three Bose amps (2 in the front doors mounted right to the front speakers) and one behind the drivers side rear panel. I photographed my entire install so if you'd like a copy of the pics I can send them your way.

[Qxxx4]

i might need your help come spring on how exactly you remove the door panels...i want to put foam insulation to reduce vibration a little

[Empty V]

I disagree with the bad talk on the bose systems, im still using my bose speakers in my truck and they sound good. i dont have them playing any bass, i let my 2 12's do all of that.

Roger, they may sound good if you haven't heard any different. If you replaced those with something decent it'll be like a completely different, and much better system. You might also think a ride sounds good without dynamat or some other sound damping material if you haven't heard it with it.

Billy
Modified by Empty V at 5:23 PM 12/15/2008

[Empty V]

i might need your help come spring on how exactly you remove the door panels...i want to put foam insulation to reduce vibration a little

It's really easy just make sure you have a panel popper otherwise you might break the clips or the cheapy cardboard they attach to on the door panel. It's just a couple of screws and then pop, pop, pop you're done(that sounds jacked up).

If you're going to sound dampen your car and attempt to reduce rattling I would highly highly recommend not skimping on materials. Remember your window rolls down into the door so if you spray too much foam or it expands more than you thought it's gonna jack everything up. I rolled out 2 layers of Dynamat Extreme on each door and tailgate. 1st layer went inside the door and the 2nd went on top where the speakers mount in between the door and the door panel. This was really effective, here's a pic of the first layer inside the door:



Billy

[nissandoms47]

How is it after you did all that dynamat??

[timmack]

the head unit plays a big part in how the speaker sounds, the bose speakers might very well sound better with a different head unit and the bass turned down so roger has a good point with sticking with the bose speakers. the reason i have my opinion on it is because bose is supposed to be high end, top notch, and considering the price from nissan for the bose upgrade, its not a good system at all. id be pissed if i bought the pathfinder brand new and it sounded like it does. if youre replacing the head unit and adding some subs like roger, the stock bose speakers may very well be sufficent. i have 2 integras, both 15 years old with 100% stock systems and they both sound as good as the 6 year old bose which was like a $900 upgrade or something like that,thats what my bose opinion is based on. (sorry to threadjack!)

[02pathy]

so what r u tryin to say, that u r only paying for the bose name, i believe u man, sometimes the difference between 2 products is just the name like a pathfinder le and a qx4 for instance minus the lil gadgets, to me (my idea) bose sounds good to middle age and older people who don't turn up the volume, their way of thinkin is (it's bose so it must be good)

btw infinity makes 2 ohms speakers that i think you shoud be able to use the factory amps with, has ne 1 ever tried this i have seen it on here before but only as a suggestion

[Empty V]

My distaste for bose stems at the manufacturing level. Do you guys remember when bose came out with those tiny home stereo speakers that had the "big sound"? They were really small and super overpriced. The reason why they had such a punchy sound was because they build crossovers(equalizers) into every single speaker. What this does is cut your mids and boost your lows, and highs. The problem with this is you're now missing frequencies and not hearing how the music or movie was meant to be heard. Lots and lots of hours go into mixing an album or film and to disregard that by eliminating some of the intended audio is doing yourself an injustice. This is not just the normal I hate Sony deal, this is the "I want to hear what my music is supposed to sound like" deal.

If you go to any car audio shop or real home theater dealer take a look around at what brands are sold. Chances are none of them sell Bose and this is exactly why.

Sorry for the long explanation I'm a bit of an advocate for better audio and video and believe that technology will get better as we invest in the companies that keep pushing it forward.

Billy

[Qxxx4]

wow that was very informative man, i appreciate the info!

i probably would go ahead with swapping out all the speakers, but really its just too much$$$ that i dont want to spend. im very happy with the sound of my factory speakers, compared to most cars their alot better in my opinion.

as for the foam, i didnt mean a spray, i got this 1/4 inch foam adhesive from work that i wanna use all around, mostly between my plastic panels and the metal as thats where i can hear some rattles at certain frequencies

dynamat is wayyy too much $$$ and its heavy as S***!!!

[Empty V]

For the speakers and an amp it's really not that expensive, especially if you do the work yourself. I was surprised at how cheap my rear pioneers were, my front JL's were a lot more but not necessary.

The dynamat can be pricey. It cost me about $400 for the dynamat and that was at dealer cost so I'm sure it cost around $700 if you bought it retail, and I still need at least one more bulk pack for the floor. I drive a lot so that's how I justify the cost, if I didn't drive as much I probably wouldn't have invested so much in the audio system.

Ohh yeah the dynamat also cuts down the amount of road noise dramatically so it's really helps with the bluetooth system.

Billy

[racingqx4]

Finally I've connected everything and put them all back together

Yes yes I'll do something with the hole... I tried to save money that's why I did not even get the kit.

Thank you SO much for all the help everyone. It's been very helpful.

[Qxxx4]

looks good! i love the look of sony decks. dont worry about the hole, i drove around for a week like that before i got the pocket kit thing (which is really useful!)good work!

[Adnan]

just wondering if installing multiple layers of dynamat is worth the trouble and $$

i remember for coop i had to 2 layers in this cherokee and 3 on the rear hatch alone...it was a b**** an 1/2

speaking speakers does anyone use the RE audio mids?they apparently come in dual 2 ohm

[WINNIPEGS_MOST_WANTED]

[QUOTE=racingqx4Yes yes I'll do something with the hole... I tried to save money that's why I did not even get the kit. [/QUOTE]

Do something custom!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2551558/2

[racingqx4]

Do something custom!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2551558/2

wow those are nice!!!