Head Unit Install NEED HELP

Alright I went out and got the Alpine IDA-x001 digital media receiver. I neglected to buy the factory wiring harness adapter but I do have the Alpine specific harness that plugs into the back of the head unit. I was just going to match wires and crimp.

Furthermore on the the12volt.com I located a guide to the factory colored wires behind the head unit. However, I've tried matching the labeled ones on the Alpine harness to the ones in the dash and no sound. There are also some wires which don't seem to be used at all which leads me to believe there is a factory amp. I have a 99 tahoe 4door. The front two speakers are components and the rest are coaxial. I have no use for the 4x10s or whatever in the trunk. No onstar or anything. Someone please help.

you need to wire up the power antenna wire (or remote wire, whichever you prefer) to th orange wire from the truck. this will power the factory amp running the rear door speakers.

I have the power wire to the head unit from the orange wire. If only the rear speakers are amped, why won't the front speakers work when connected directly to the head unit.

I am just doing my head unit too and I was wondering if the smaller harness on the back of the stock HU is for the external cd player only? Does anything else I need go into that harness or can I just ignore it now? I have the same 99 Tahoe with the 6 speaker system.

I ripped out that whole wiring strand. I presumed that it just controlled the cd player. Hopefully that's not part of my problem. Does anyone just know which factory colors represent which things?

fmurphy1 said:

I ripped out that whole wiring strand. I presumed that it just controlled the cd player. Hopefully that's not part of my problem. Does anyone just know which factory colors represent which things?

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the12volt.com tells you what each color is. the rear doors are off the amp, and the rear 4x10s are off the head unit, both on the rear speaker channel. the fronts run off the front channel. you then connect power, etc. the cd controls should have been separate wires and would have nothing to do with the main hu wiring.

yeah you can pull out the control cable for the CD player, i left mine in there as its halfway stuck in the dash.

the rear amp shouldn't affect your front speakers at all, as most will post up with the front door speakers and the cargo speakers working but the rear door speakers aren't (hence the amp). so if none of your speakers are working you have another problem.

man its so much easier when you buy the harness

it could be a bad HU. try testing the hu with a house speaker to make sure it has sound.

if it's brand new i doubt it's the head unit.

check this thread out:
how to install a cd player in yer dash

also, check your fuse panel

its an alpine that happens from time to time. check to make sure hu plays

you could get a lemon with anything you buy.