So We had a 2001Cavy come in for radio and 4 speakers the other night and since it was the last car of the night and I had time I took a few pics (unfortunately, with my phone) and figured I would do a write up. The other two installers tackled the rears so unfortunately I didn't get photos, I'll do another write up the next time we get one in, preferably with a 2-door(the 4 doors are quite a bit easier).


First, You need to remove the upper dash vent. To do this, unscrew the screw holding it in. It will pop out. There are two 7mm bolts on each side under the vent. Remove those as well, you'll need to to remove the upper dash pad.


Next you'll want to remove the panels on each side of the dash, the drivers side panel is the one with the fuse panel door on it. Remove the 1 7mm bolt behind both panels. The drivers side bolt sits further toward the back of the vehicle than the pass. bolt. The pic shows the pass. side.


Next, you'll want to open the glove box. There will be 3 7mm bolts on the top edge of the glove compartment you need to remove. After that, Remove the two gold 7mm bolts through the opening in the back of the glove compartment.



This should allow you to remove the upper dash pad.
Next remove the three 7mm bolts from the top of the radio and gauge bezel. Unsnap and remove the cig. lighter plug from the back, and push the dimmer switch through the back of it's opening. It will snap bac when you are done. Remove the dash by lifting up.




One last thing to take apart. you are going to want to grab an accesory source to power your headunit. You can grab this from the ignition switch. Under the steering wheel, remove the 3 7mm bolts. (if your model has a tilt bar, uncrew it first. This model did not)
Unsnap the upper and lower covers.


You should be left with this:


Now, remember that accessory you need to grab? Well, the easier way is to tap into the wiper circuit, but the BETTER way is to grab it at the ignition switch. Under the steering wheel you should find orange, pink, and yellow thick quage wires. You want to splice into the ORANGE. Solder and tape. Be sure to fuse within 6 inches from this connection.


Run your wire to the radio opening, and wire up your harness, plug it in, hook up your antenna adapter,Put it all back together, and you are good to go!


Now for front speakers. To take door panel off first unscrew the screw in the cover for the mirrors:


Then remove the two screws in the door handle:


You'll then want to remove the one screw on the side of the panel and the 3 on the very bottom.


If you have power windows and locks, you can pull the panel out and lift up. Be sure to unplug the harnesses for these.
For manula windows and locks, you'll want to go get you one of these tools, like a dollar at autozone:


Slide this tool behind the window crank and rotate the crank.(you will want to go ahead and roll the window all the way down as you do this, so when you put the new speakers in, you can make sure you have clearance for the magnet) push it through to loosen the "jesus"clip( because you need to make sure you have your hand ready to catch it, when it pops out and flies off, you're like, "Jesus!"). Pull the window crank straight out. You will be left with this:



Now you can pull the panel out, then up to remove. Discard the gold clips off the door, you dont need them and they make putting the door back on more a hassle than it's worth.

You will now see the weak factory speaker:

Remove the 7mm bolts and unclip the harness.

Now, two things I advise purchasing to make this easier and also to protect your investment.
you'll want to buy these:

These will plug into the factory speaker harness and allow you to not have to splice into the wiring. If you don't buy these, you will have to test the wires. I will post the wire colors up later if you choose to splice, I left them at work.

Now, depending on how GM was feeling that day, you will need either these

or these


This particular car used the second set, but 99% of the cavy's I work on, including mine, use the first set. Some cars will use 1 for the front, and the other for the back. GM is stupid. Check before you buy, you'll be able to tell by looking at the harness.

Also, for the weak 4x6 fronts, youl want to buy some bass blockers. They look like this:


They wire up inline with the positive of the speaker. You can use butt connectors ans wire them up to the speaker adaptors as I did in the pic.
Now, secure the loose wiring, plug in the adaptor to the factory harness, and plug the ends into the new speaker.


Now put it all back together and you are done!! One thing, for the window craks, put the clip into the crank first


Then place the ring over it


Then you should just be able to push it back in place on the door.

Oh, and to not get frusturated, be sure to have some crazy asian guy to wear tape on his face in an attempt to look like an old asian guy:


And also dont use a camera phone to take these pics.

Oh, and as a disclaimer, be sure to remove the negative battery terminal before attempting this.

wow you took the way long way to do that..lol



My car may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
JBO lube - they would never have enough in stock and we'd never see RodimusPrime again

well apparently the way long way is the correct not cutting corners way.

You don't need bass blockers if you put in good speakers (i.e one's with cross overs)

Most if not everybody has suggested replacing the 4x6's with at least 5 1/4's or 6 1/2's

Basically everything you summed up in once post has been posted in the stickies.

Radio Info

Speaker Replacements

Walk Through for our Doors and Dash.

It's a good write up, I give you that..................but I take anything from Best Buy with a grain of salt. There are a few ways to do things audio wise that is, on our cars. I am sure this is going to turn into a "this way is the best way" post.

Also I have never spend money on or used wire harnesses from GM because I can read wiring diagram and just use wires. but thats just me.

whats a radio harness? and most of those screws in my car have been stripped out. lol

Good write up...anybody with some common sense should be able to figure out how to do it without this write up, but good write up none the less.

mclonedogmcwad wrote:I take anything from Best Buy with a grain of salt.

but decent writeup




Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, June 12, 2007 1:29 PM

well i work at best buy....when i did my car i out in 6.5 infinity components in the door and i made the adapter plate out of mdf wood myself.. I didnt use a speaker harness and i didnt take off the bottom half of the dash to install my radio. I also flush mounted my tweeters...they look like they were born there! Most of the times best buy customers dont want to pay for that extra labor so w/e. I guess my point is not every best buy got bad installers. Personally i dont see anything wrong with what he did or how he did it. Good write up...btw which best buy you work at?

Dark Fusion wrote:well apparently the way long way is the correct not cutting corners way.

no im jsut saying, you dont have to remove most of the dash to get at the radio/steering column. you also dont need bass blockers if crossover is installed.
there is no cutting corners in the other way. you jsut removed more panels than you needed thats all.



My car may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
JBO lube - they would never have enough in stock and we'd never see RodimusPrime again

Machzel08 (Teh Jew) wrote:

Dark Fusion wrote:well apparently the way long way is the correct not cutting corners way.

no im jsut saying, you dont have to remove most of the dash to get at the radio/steering column. you also dont need bass blockers if crossover is installed.
there is no cutting corners in the other way. you jsut removed more panels than you needed thats all.

copy that. I installed my radio, hooked up new fronts, rears and my sub without taking the entire dash apart. There really isn't a need to.

On this vehicle it didnt have a steering wheel tilt so it was easier to just take the whole pad off and lift up the dash panel. I also wanted to show how to do all that for those who wanted to say..take it off to dye or whatever. I have known quite a few guys to break their dash because they a)cant get to the bolt on the right side of the panel around the radio and 2) try to muscle the dash out past the steering wheel.

My comment on cutting corners was really only directed at the tapping into the wiper fuse...that's just something you shouldn't do...When it comes to wiring, do it right.


And I agree about not needing bass blockers if you have a good crossover network, but honestly, most cavalier owners I know dont, and just buy whatever 4x6's they want. I wanted to cover everything most people would need. (plus, that's what the customer was getting installed.)I personally have 6 1/2 Infinity Components in my cavy's doors.

And I understand about the not trusting most big retailers, I've worked with some dumba$$es. I still do. But I've also known quite a few people get REALLY screwed up cars from small shops because they arent MECP Certified. We are. Any respected car audio magazine will have an article about going to certified shops. Granted, though, We do have some retards in the company. That is something that is actually getting worked on as we speak. (Getting rid of non certified people/bad installers.

Like I said, on this particular model, It was easier, this way, and I knew some people might need to know how to do it this way. I was able to get my own radio out without removing the dash pad. I didn't intend for this to be a "this way is the best way" post.

and illdwes ., I work at Douglasville, Ga store, Near Atlanta.

i will have to say that a mecp certification is not worth the paper it is printed on. The OJT is what makes you as a car audio technician. I learned a lot working at CC but it never failed when there was a big time job or high end car inthe shop myself and another guy were the ones working on it. not the MECP certified ones.

that's strange because it's the opposite here.

But I do agree with the OJT part. A piece of paper doesn't replace experience. But what you learn from getting certified definately helps your ploblem solving skills when something pops up that you havent had the experience with yet.

im not mecp certified....as a matter a fact no one in our bay is! And we are all good installers....some better than others but we are all good. Besides how many company's do you know that have over 600 installation bays? Your gonna have damage claims and screw ups....it is a big company....(BB and CC). There are some retards but you cant call all of BB or CC installers retards. Besides custom shops only deal with so many cars a day...BB and CC deal with probably thousands of cars a day company wide.....just some thing to think about

Indeed.

I would think you guys would have to be pretty good up there, it's a pretty good market for Car audio in NY. Same here in Atl.

I personally just got MECP certified a little while ago...but I can see how I am better able to figure new things out because of it. But 98% of my knowledge comes from experience.

good write up


I can use the dash removal part to do my gague face color change

nonetheless...


nice.

Thrice . wrote:i think you should go back and try to actually order some cam valves. see if he has any in stock. then ask him to give you an actual price and show you the website or anything legit about where he orders from...for all you know he is this dumb, and orders things that don't exist....he's probably got 10 of those ebay transistors that gave him eleventy hundred pony power....what a douche.