stereo questions

[odie]

Time to finally replace the factory radio & tape combo....any advice on pulling the old units?

The radio looks to be standard DIN size so I hope I can just pull it and install a standard CD player.

The tape deck I hope can be pulled while retaining the cruise control switch. Or maybe just left alone.

Is there a factory wiring harness adapter available for the old Maxis or is it cut & splice?

[asavage]

Worse than that: it's wired through the Bitchin' Betty module for the Voice Warning System.

Pictures of the module are in this post.

I assume that there are no adapters for it, but I could be wrong.

You'll probably want to leave the factory tape player installed, even though it won't work with your new head. If you remove it, it'd look funny.

[odie]

well, if the voice module is "down stream" from the head unit, then I would think that it would work just the same with a new head unit. Mine only seems to come fromthe drivers speaker so I guess it's tapped into that speaker wire and not integrated any closer to the stereo.

As for the tape deck, I'd like to ba able to install or fabricate some kinda dash storage pocket thing. The aftermarket stereo mount kits offer that kinda thing for cars with 1-1/2 and double DIN factory stereos. But the Maxi appears to be physically two seperate units and two seperated dash/console locations.

[asavage]

well, if the voice module is "down stream" from the head unit, then I would think that it would work just the same with a new head unit. Mine only seems to come fromthe drivers speaker so I guess it's tapped into that speaker wire and not integrated any closer to the stereo.

Yes, it ought to work as you guess. Possible gotchas are that the Voice Warning System module likely disconnects the amp from the speaker during warnings, and some amps may not like that. Because the module can issue warnings without the radio being on (or even installed, I think?), it might be possible to wire it to its own speaker. I'm not too sure about that, but it sounds good (pun intended).

See my notes about it in this post.

Also, your amp probably pushes a lot more current to the speakers than the OEM head, and the module probably isn't rated for the higher current. I just don't know.

As for the tape deck, I'd like to ba able to install or fabricate some kinda dash storage pocket thing. The aftermarket stereo mount kits offer that kinda thing for cars with 1-1/2 and double DIN factory stereos. But the Maxi appears to be physically two seperate units and two seperated dash/console locations.

Yup. You will have to be creative. I'd love to see what you come up with, should you go that way.

[odie]

well, Sorsche and Metra web site provided some answers, or lack of them.

Metra have a dash kit but its a multi year/model kit. There is a page, A PAGE, not 2 or 3, on the 1gen Maxi. Does not look like much, appears to be a plate that attaches to the top of the radio and to the bottom of the AC controls. No face or trim plate. Pretty minimal.

Niether offered a wiring harness.

I'm going to be TAD for a week so I'm bringing two spare CD players, factory manual and my electical "toy box" to play with at the hotel after hours. I'll see what I can come up with. There is a decent stereo shop at my destination with a very, very large selection of adapters and mounting kits in stock. Maybe they have one collecting dust?

But with CD a dying technology, my MP3 player and FM modulator is doing fine for now. But more power and a aux input jack or USB port would be alot nicer.

[asavage]

I have a wire w/jack in mine. My uncle put it in for me about eight years ago. It connects to the OEM cassette's preamp, IIRC, and is about 2' long, so I can plug it into my DiscMan. Don't use it much these days, I've become an NPR listener, instead of music :-> Gotten old.

[odie]

well, no harness available anywhere. the metra kit still looks iffy. i've looked at maybe installing a FM modulator, not a wireless one, the sound quality is bad.

but my just end up cutting the factory radio pig tail and make a harness in the end. for some reason the old Maxi is just an old ball.

[odie]

anyone know the wiring on these cars? I have the FSM but I am very disapointed in the schematic. not really any help as to what color is what speaker or which color wire is power, ant, etc.

Or I am just really bad at reading this spagetti chart.

[asavage]

I don't seem to have a 1983 FSM here at home (I've got several, but they're all at work or in storage), but in the 1982 FSM, page EL-129 ("WIRING DIAGRAM/RADIO AND CASSETTE DECK"), the stereo wiring looks straightforward. As I mentioned earlier, all the speaker wires are all the same color: Black and Black/White. But the position of each speaker is reflected in the connector diagram -- connectors 70M and 71M -- so that's not really a problem.

[odie]

yeah, all the speaker wires are black, but on the radio's plug they are color coded.

The other power/ground/antenna plug is a little trickier. red, blue, black, gree, green/yellow.

I have a 1982 FSM and my car is 1983. not sure how much difference there is but the smaller "power" plug shows 6 wires in the 1982 FSM but my 1983 car only uses 5 of the 6 wires. And 1982 FSM shows 3 of the six going back to the radio body and only 3 wires going to the car wiring harness.

[odie]

OK, I threw in the towel....I cut the pig tail off the factory radio to make my home made adapter.

I traced all the wires in the FSM and had to "flip" them since it appeared to show the open face of both male and female sides of all the plugs.

Guess I got it right...all the speakers worked fine (balance & fade) and power, and memory battery and even the power antenna. First try too.

Anyway.....DO IT!!!!! I dropped a Basic Sony model into the dash and the sound improvement was amazing. I had already installed JVC speakers before but was only margianally happy with the results.

It's just simply the factory radio does not have the power out put or S/N ratio to compare with modern stereos.

I still have to figure out how to actually mount the radio, it's just kinda floating in the hole.

Anyone want an old factory radio? I'm not sure but I will probably not keep it, some one might can use it for parts.

[asavage]

OK, I threw in the towel....I cut the pig tail off the factory radio to make my home made adapter.

So I don't need to scan the '83 FSM wiring diagram tonight? Oh, good.

I still have to figure out how to actually mount the radio, it's just kinda floating in the hole.

Yup, it's a problem all right.

Anyone want an old factory radio? I'm not sure but I will probably not keep it, some one might can use it for parts.

I have spare broken radios with various problems; I can cut off the connectors from one of those if need be. Yes, I'll pay shipping to 98368 for yours. PM me if you want to follow up. This is only if someone else doesn't want it.

I also have a factory reman radio in the Nissan box for sale, should someone need one.

[odie]

wish i knew you had old broken radios. I would have traded pig tails for my working radio.

I'll ship you my radio if you want. probably 10 buck should cover it.

it works except the display is intermitent

[asavage]

Oh, I already have intermittent display heads, don't need another one. Pretty sure I know what causes their failure (an electrolytic cap) but the labor is pretty high to replace it.

Thanks, but toss it -- not worth $10 to me to store it here.

[HowlerMonkey]

I had another tape deck console so I installed the new stereo in it and left the stocker in it's place.

The hardest part on these cars is the getting rear speakers into the rear of the car.

I used 1/4 all purpose ply board and cut two pieces just smaller than the stock covers and bolted them and the speakers to the stock thin rear deck cover.

Then it's easy to remove the fabric from the covers, paint them the right color and fit new fabric of the color you choose.

I mounted infinity kappa component speakers and it sounds great in the back and I used cheap two way pioneers for the doors with a capacitor that trims off the lowest of the bass.