Just wanted to post a pic of my finished install. Everything works good, just need to get to the dealer next week to program my AMP for my surroundings. The AMP came out of a Hummer, so i need them to program it like a sierra denali to make it sound better. Right off the bat this AMP sounds TONS better than the stock silverado AMPs, much more adjustments and sound clearity. Cant wait till its tweeked. There were some small wiring MODs that were needed at the AMP and a little trimming to do to get the 6 disk changer in the console, but it looks sharp, and best of all...it looks like it came from the factory like this. I have to thank SPERRY and Pbuilder for helping me out with the DOCs i needed to make the wiring changes!

Can you repost the pic as it does not appear under your post.

Thanks

sorry....


EDIT: re-posted PIC

Thanks Linda,

It looks really nice. I'd definitely like to do something like that in my Sierra sometime. I'd like to add XM too if possible tho too. I'll have to go back and look throught the previous posts to see what all you needed to put this together.

well, with help from numorous people ive acquirred the needed documents and wiring schematics to do it with ease now. So let me know if your gonna give it a shot and i can make it pretty easy to do for you. The hard part is finding the pieces. The NAV head unit, the AMP, and the 6 disk changer will set you back a few pennies, but in my opinion its a really nice setup. Best of all you retain a nice factory look.

I didn't see any close ups showing the bezel around the changer. I'm guessing that was a custom fabrication or do they put the seperate 6 in dash cd into Tahoes so you could borrow parts. Did the amp need to have the VIN reprogrammed by the dealer like the Nav Headunit? Your install looks great! Great job!

actually it was a custom cut. A steady hand a straight edge and a razor knife was what i used. there is a pocket there on the bezel normaly and what i did was take some measurements on how deep into the pocket i need to go to get a nice tight fit. 3/16" from the face i traced a straight line around the outside of the bezel, except the top of the bezel which needs to be traced on the inside because of the molded plastic reinforcements. The plastic is soft enough that after scoring it a few times it cuts right through. Suprisingly enough to me...NOTHING needed to be programmed to work other than you will need to have the theftlock removed at the dealer. There is a way to get around the theftlock, but its only temporary. Even the 6 disk changer worked perfectly without needing to be programmed. I will however be taking it in to be tweeked to my enviornment.....the AMP needs to be setup as if it were in a Sierra Denali as i have a silverado ext. cab. Also no, there is not an option for the in dash 6 cd changer in the Tahoe...only the Yukon denali and escalades. As of now the AMP and system sounds way better than the other AMP did, i cant wait to hear it tweeked out for my truck. Oh, and here is a close up shot that you wanted......

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/...&cat=500&page=1

linda,
everything looks nice. i'm trying to install the 6 disc changer in my yukon and i can't find the cable to connect the cd changer to the radio. if you don't mind, please tell me where you got the cable (or harness) to connect the 6 disc changer. thanks.

Linda,


It is something I would like to do in the future, definitely. I've seen the other aftermarket nav systems and like how the factory one looks. How are you getting the theftlock problem fixed? I'm also a little confused about you saying the amp still needs tweaking. Right now I have the Bose system with the integrated 6CD unit.

Poonis: In order to make the changer work you need a head unit with changer abilities....i dont think the 6 disk head unit will controll a changer (cause its already a changer). If you have a head unit like the single disk or single disk + cassette, you can probably add the changer to those. What you need to do is get yourself a 9 pin patch cable from GM, part #15312903. Then you remove the pins from the connector on one end (the other end will plug into the changer). Then follow the correct schematic on pluging the pins into the 12 way connector on the back of the head unit. When you get to that point, i can show you where they hook up. Remember, any GM vehicle 2003 and up is using a common classII data wire for communication. If your vehicle is 2003 or newer, you will need a changer that has classII capabilities.

Bigdogs: You can TEMPORARILY bypass theftlock by doing the following:
1. turn the key to ACC
2. wait for the "theftlock" screen to apear
3. unplug the main harness from the back of the radio for 3-5 seconds
4. plug it back in with the key still in the ACC position (ACC...not RUN)
5. radio will work as normal until the key is turned off

when i say the AMP needs tweeking, what i mean is that these high end AMPs are programmed depending on what type of truck cabin they are in. The escalade exts have 6 speakers i think, and the Denalis have 8. I think the Hummers have 8 also, while the sierra denalis have 6. So you program your AMP for the type of cabin you have, so it sounds full and rich.

ahhh ok gotcha... now I understand what you mean. I heard (not sure how true it is tho) that the Bose systems have an amp basically wired onto each speaker. That is why swapping to a different speaker is more difficult with them.

Linda, I drive a 03 Yukon and have the single disc head unit with cassette (just like the one's that came with 03 Denali). I just ordered the patch cable from GMPartsDirect just now and hopefully it will come soon. Now I can get the dust off the 6-cd changer. I hope to talk to you when I get my patch cable so you can show me how to complete the cable connection. Thanks again.

sure....just let me know. Are you sure the changer you have is an 03' or newer? Also, maybe i should have mentioned.....you will need to know how to solder a little as well. You can alsways use crimps i guess, but im a big solder fan.

How can one tell if the changer is 03 or not?

here is a link to one on Ebay....this is the same model number changer i have installed in my truck. I know the seller has it marked as being good through 02' only....but that has to be wrong, as its the same i have in my 2003 silverado.

The 03' and up chevy trucks use a "class II data link" wire (sort of like a LAN wire for your home or work network). Thats why it needs to be an 03' or newer....i think the only way to tell is by model number.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...&category=48612

linda, Is it possible to do this upgrade to an 03 Silverado 1500HD with Bose?

I'm very jealous!

yup, definately. The only difference between yours and mine is i have the 2500HD.

so it doesn't matter how yours starts life? (i.e. Bose w/in dash CD changer no XM or something else)

Also you said you can make this easy for others who might want to give it a go?

do you have a shopping list available?

the BOSE system is a MUST! you have to have BOSE audio system from the get go. If not...you will spend WAY to much for the retrofit.

This "grocery" list will either turn you off, or get you started. To me the price is worth keeping the factory look. Keep in mind these prices are very flexible depending on where you find the parts.....Salvage yard, Ebay, dealer,....etc.

Um8 NAV Head Unit----- #15204335,15204334--------------$1300
Nav Disk----------------- #15105609--------------------------$150
GPS ant------------------ #15207447,15135178--------------$75
Mic------------------------#25705367--------------------------$45
Amp--------------------- #15199992,15199884,15112662---$400
AUX harness------------#15312903---------------------------$25
AUX CD changer-------#15055250---------------------------$180

there are some very minor wiring changes that need to be made at the AMP harness but they only took me about 20 minutes to do, and it doesnt require any cutting, so if you want to return to your original setup, its not a problem.

thanks very much!

i bought my parts mainly from Ebay and saved a lot of $$$....i spent a total of about $1500 on everything. You dont need to have all of those parts if you dont want to, the very minimum is the head unit, the amp, the antenna, and the disk. The Microphone is not really needed if you dont want voice enabling, and the CD changer equipment isnt needed if you can do without the 6 CD changer......i couldnt, so i installed it.

$1500 sounds reasonable for everything.

I do have bose, but no steering wheel controls, no XM

just the in dash 6 disc changer,
I looked on ebay and found two but they wanted 1500-1600 just for the head units. I need to find a better deal than that to get me to bite.

I really like your set up. Do you think after the conversion I would still be able to run a LOC from the subwoofer connection to my JL amp?

Linda, I just recieved the AUX harness to connect my changer this afternoon and got the dust off the changer. Now, I just need your help connecting the AUX harness to the connector on the head unit.

Thanks for the link to eBay, it's the same on I have. I'm excited that I finally get to use the changer after it's been sitting in my closet for six months. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Poonis, shoot me an E-mail this afternoon. I get off of work arount 5-6pm EST. I will send you some documents that will make the hook-up understandable. Send the E-mail to:

gable74@hotmail.com

Also poonis, you will need to solder three wires into the Hu harness, it will only take you a second to do. The three wires we will need to solder too are:

1. + voltage (bigger of the two orange wires)
2. ground (blk/wht)
3. class II data line (smaller of the two orange wires)

Make sure you dont cut any wires off the new harness you got. We will be removing the connector from one end, but we will be just removing the pins from the connector, not cutting them out. The pins that we remove from one end of the connecter will slide right into the 12 pin harness.

I will give you some better info and schematics later tonight.

How did you do Poonis?

Linda,

I installed it last night when I got home around 11pm. It was little hard trying to solder at night but everything went and work great. Couldn't have done it without your help. Thanks.

Next is the Nav unit as soon as I save enough money for it.

Thanks again.

Very nice Poonis! That looks nice and clean. I assume all your sterring wheel controls work fine like mine right? Excellent job. Any problems cutting that pocket out? It was a little tricky for me around the top where those plastic tabs were connected to the upper pocket, but a little shaving and sanding and it worked perfect.

All the control seems to work fine. It was little trouble to get the pocket cut out and shaving it little by little. I too shaved the tabs down to the same level as the lower pocket. I had little black plastic shavings everywhere. Only really frustrating part was trying to get the harness from where the head unit was down to the lower pocket. I just got lucky that when I lowered the harness down as I was about to lose it , it somehow came right down to the hole that was left after the cutting and grinding behind the dash.

well for the trouble it was, im sure it is worth it for you. Im glad it worked out, as far as i know we are the only 2 with this MOD so far....but i have some others beating my door down for help so it wont last long. Good Work!

Sorry for the late arrival!

What is the head unit Linda? What vehicle is it stock on? Any other threads where I can learn more about it? Can't search for Um8 because it is less than 4 char long. Michael

The head unit is the actual radio itself. Your Head Unit (HU) is a sindle disk cassette radio. My new head unit (HU) is a UM8 Navigation radio. Its just a technical term for radio i guess. What you need to do this install is the correct changer (model number #15055250) and the harness (model #15312903). The changer can be found on Ebay all the time...like this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAP...item=2465444560

The harness costs about $20 and by changing a couple of wires in the harness its a pretty easy install. When you get you stuff ready, i will walk you through it, or poonis can help you now too. His install turned out real well.

I'm sorry, I should have asked, what is the UM8 Navigation radio, features etc. what vehicles is it stock on? You have said it sounds better than the original, why do you think that is? You still have the bose amp and speakers?

Great job by the way. I latched onto this, as I was referred to this thread with a desire to do the CD changer as well.

Michael

the (RPO UM8) NAV radio is an option on the yukon Denali's and Cadillac escalades. Yes i still have a BOSE AMP, but its the Luxury BOSE upgrade AMP, not the one that comes in the chevy line-up of vehicles, its the one that comes in the Yukons, and Cadillacs. Its all the same connections, just unplug then old AMP and plug in the new one, as well as making a few very minor wiring changes in the AMP harness (no cutting, just wire swapping). The difference in sound is very obvious, first you get an added "midrange" option to adjust, in addition to the "bass" and "treble" options. Then you get "sound field" options.....such as "spacious", "driver", "passenger", and rear seat, sound field options. Lastly, you get an ambient noise adjustment. So when the cabin volume sounds change, the audio levels change. If you were driving on a gravel road where there might be more bass sounds in the cabin from running over the stones....the bass levels in the audio would automatically increase to compensate for it. Plus it just sounds a lot more rich and full, I would believe there is a wattage increase as well, but im not sure about that.

I didn't know there were 2 different Bose amps on the GM vehicles. I take it then you can't use the Bose amp from the Sierra but need to change to the luxury one?I'm not even sure where the amp is located on this truck.

Ext. cab and crew cab models have the AMP located under the storage compartment in the console. Reg cab models have it under the dash someplace i believe. Yes, you need the luxury AMP for any GM vehicle that you want to put the Navigation radio in.

I would recommend buying a PAC adapter for the bose harness, then you can use any amp you want.

Paying for a Bose OEM amp is a waste of money, JMO, far better sound is available, though preserving the factory look is a plus, and possible with this arrangement. This can be done while bypassing the bose (mystery) amp. I may be wrong, but if you do intend to bypass the bose amp, you do not have to replace it if you are willing to run a higher quality amp on line outputs provided by the PAC adapter. Ooops, sorry, you are correct, the lux Y91 bozo amp is needed for the Nav upgrade. The GPS won't work w/o it. Soon there is going to be a NAV unit compatable with the existing non-lux amp, so I here.

Linda, again, nice work. If you don't already have it, you can add the PAC adapter without changing a thing, for the purpose of getting some real bass (sub box), something Bose is completely unfamiliar with.

But while these Nav units are fetching $1500 on EBAY, it will never be safe in my driveway. Nonetheless, it is tempting, I would buy one at the right price.

well masterP, as much as i agree with you on the BOSE issue.....in this situation it is imperative that the NAV unit run in conjuction with the BOSE AMP, no exception. The 2003 and newer GM vehicles use a Class II data wire through out the system including the BCM. This is very similiar to a LAN cable or network cable. There is info that is constantly being transfered through out the sound system (HU, AMP, BCM) that is needed to keep certain functions operating normaly. While a PAC adapter will help to retain continuity of the LAN and other trivial functions like auto dimming, and door chimes, i dont think it will be able to comprehend the more important data transfer like VSS (vehicle speed sensors), ambient noise volume, and sound field options between the UM8 and the BCM. It is true that BOSE is not the best option for audio performance in the GM vehicles, and a better AMP and a SUB box would sound a hell of a lot better..........however, the Y91 upgrade BOSE AMP does sound 10 fold better than the stock chevy BOSE AMPs, and i love having a factory look with my navigation HU. If you went with an aftermarket NAV unit, then the sky is the limit i would guess, you could use any AMP, speaker, adpter combo you wanted.

PAC adapters are great for replacing the stock with an aftermarket units or adding more AUX inputs, however, the rear dvd and audio controls will not work with PAC adapters for 03 and up (so I heard). And I really like having rear controls in the back and having the feature to let people in the back listen or watch something else while I listen to what I want in the front.

Thanks Linda. I didn't know I would have to replace my Bose amp with the luxury one. I wonder what the difference is between the one I have on mine compared to the other one.

I agree that Bose may not be the best name but like you said if you want it all to work I think you are stuck with it. I still would like to add XM and that does require a third party adapter and Pioneer tuner.

you can find them (luxury AMPs) on Ebay quite often....i payed $40 for mine. If you can find all the right parts, you can add a gm factory XM system to the truck without using adapters.

Thanks Linda, will keep that in mind about the new amp. As for XM I saw one NAV unit that claimed it was "newer" and had the XM tuner built in. I'm not sure if/how true that is. I'd much rather go with a factory setup to keep everything working with each other.

That is good to know Linda, I did wonder about amp continuity being relevant.

Poonis, I am describing a PAC adapter (there are many) specifically for adding amps (presumably to add a sub) that provides a clean line voltage signal. I'm sorry I through everybody off when I mentioned FM modulation (I should have said "LOC"), too many beers. FM modulation has nothing to do with it. Presently the only good way I know of to provide a clean signal for bass drivers. The adapter would keep the integrity of the data bus and preserve its features, adjusting the output volatage as a function of the head circuitry.

I stand corrected on the bose amp requirement, I believe you, Linda, and appreciate not getting slammed, very tactful.

When I posted that I was pissed, I had closed the deal on a changer on EBAY and the idiot went and sold it to someone else, despite our deal. LOCO.

Linda,

"AUX harness------------#15312903---------------------------$25"

Is this for the changer? Is it the same harness for the stock radio? I am assuming you found no changer harness behing the dash.

Michael

I'm not too familiar with the PAC stuff. Do you know if PAC works well when adding aftermarket amps? I'm just wondering because I'm thinking about adding more power.

correct Mike, that harness is the "SLAVE" harness cable thats the same for all GM slave devices since 1998-2002, so we have to modify it a bit to work for us. What you do is plug the one end into your slave device (6 cd changer) then use the fancy "PINOUT" document that I made, to hook the other end to the head unit. The other end needs to have the pins pulled out of the connector and inserted in their correct spots in the 12 way harness on the back of your head unit. The 24 way harness is your main, that includes speaker outs, data bus, voltage, etc. The 12 way harness is your "AUX" input, its used for OnStar, slave devices, and i think thats where XM would tie in also, but im not sure about that one yet. Im still looking for info on the XM hookup. My truck being a Silverado, does not even have an option from the factory for a 6 disk changer in the console. So NO, i had no harness for the changer, just was lucky enough to fall in good with a few guys who gave me pinouts and schematics so i could create my own harness.

Poonis try pac-audio.com. http://www.go2pac.com/oem1kits/aoemresults...for+AOEM-1+kits

Also this retailer

http://www.audiowarehouse.peachhost.com/ct...PR179809543.htm

This harness captures up to 4 channels for additional amplification.

Michael

Linda, is this the same HU you had, or did you have the changer HU? This is a CD changer control head, agreed? It is the same head I have in a 04 2500HD. It is also the exact same HU in the Denali, that has the seperate 6 disc in-dash unit. Why wouldn't the harness be a straight across plug into the HU, like a Denali factory settup?

Poonis, do you have factory XM or DVD? Anything in this changer install other than just plugging in the new harness?

Michael

Mike, the problem with the 03' and newer radios is they use a data bus (LAN) for controling functions. Functions such as "track skip", "NEXT CD", "fast forward", "volume", and pretty much all the steering wheel functions are executed through the data bus wire. 2002 and older do not use this type of communication. The 2003 changers use 6 wires: (even though there are 9 in the wire harness)

1. +voltage
2. ground
3. audio right +
4. audio left +
5 audio common (-)
6 Data bus

Now, only the audio wires tie into the "AUX" harness, the rest are intertwined into the main radio harness to pick up the voltage, ground and data bus wires. So you can see that a straight through harness is not possible anymore. Even the Denali, if you were to trace out the wires in the slave harness, you would see its not a straight through connection anymore.

Also, poonis did not just plug in a new harness to get this changer working, i showed him the document to follow for the soldering of the voltage wires and data bus wire. Ask him about his install.

Yes, that IS a CD changer control head so to speak. In the sense that it has the ability to have a slave unit hooked to it. The difference is, like i explained above, you cant utilize a direct connection to this cd changer anymore via the old direct connect harness. The BCM has to recognize the changer now, through the data bus system. My HU was a 6 cd changer head unit, which is incapable of controling a slave device. The BCM is now in charge of all the goings on in the cabin of your truck, this means door chimes, radio, fog lights, high beams, AMP, slave devices, and a bunch more im not mentioning. The hook up for the 2003 slave device is fairly simple, it just requires tapping into the voltage wires and the data bus wire now, where before, you didnt have to do this. I hope this made a little sense, i seem to have difficulty describing what im trying to say sometimes.

Michael, thanks for the info on PAC.

The cd changer installed in my car, I had to solder three wires to one hu harness and plug three more into the second hu harness from the aux harness. And I wouldn't have been able to figure this out without help from Linda. I tried directly connecting the cd changer harness into the hu, but I wasn't able to purchase or find such harness. I tried several GMC dealers to get the Denali harness and they couldn't find the part. I even got a Denali VIN number and told (actually lied) to the dealer that I needed for my Deanli and they told me the same. I also contected several internet GMC part sellers and I was once again told such harness did not exist. I guess GM want's to keep the cd changer to Denali's and Escalade's.

But, with help from Linda, the install was practically easy as just connecting two harness together. Not to mention making sure I had the correct cd changer. I bought my changer from eBay before I knew that it's almost impossible to buy the orignal Denali cd changer harness. So, I just lucky to be a member of this forum. Besides looking at the part number, it looks like the 03 cd changers have metal tabs on the side and the 02 cd changers have plastic guides on the side.

By the way, I don't have the factory DVD. I do have XM but it's not activated.