Installing new Car Stereo - Is there a good place to connect to a GROUND?

[JGBuick]

I'm installing a simple replacement car stereo in my 2001 LeSabre. I'm doing this for two reasons:

1. The old unit is acting-up. CD's (Who uses these anymore? LOL... I do.) are skipping and many of the lighted controls (bulbs) are non functional. I never use the cassette.

2. I have my dash apart to replace the Ambient Light sensor. So, it's a good time to do things as I don't want to open this up again...

The new stereo is a basic JVC unit without CD player. No back-up camera or funky android auto/ Carplay stuff. It's got all I need and is a Double Din unit.
I've contacted Crutchfield and they have helped me with a harness (Retains power to radio, chimes etc.) and also a steering wheel harness that allows those features to be used. (Apparently the radio has this ability.) Interesting to know that the 2001 was CanBus for this controls and not analog.

I've got both harnesses ready and it appears that I'm combining multiple "Ground Wires". I'd like to split this up for obvious reasons.

Question: IS there another good source for a negative ground wire connection?

 

[msnott]

My apologies for not answer your question, but I am intrigued by your post because I plan to replace my factory radio in my 2004 LeSabre Limited. (However, I intend to install a rear camera and carplay-style radio.)

Would you mind sharing what the model numbers are on your two harnesses that retain your chimes and connect to your steering wheel controls? Do you have a YouTube video that you are watching to lead your through the process or are you familiar enough with such things to DIY?

If you are using a resource, like YouTube or from Crutchfield, would you mind sharing that info as well?

Very appreciative of any info you might share.

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

I'm installing a simple replacement car stereo in my 2001 LeSabre. I'm doing this for two reasons:

1. The old unit is acting-up. CD's (Who uses these anymore? LOL... I do.) are skipping and many of the lighted controls (bulbs) are non functional. I never use the cassette.

2. I have my dash apart to replace the Ambient Light sensor. So, it's a good time to do things as I don't want to open this up again...

The new stereo is a basic JVC unit without CD player. No back-up camera or funky android auto/ Carplay stuff. It's got all I need and is a Double Din unit.
I've contacted Crutchfield and they have helped me with a harness (Retains power to radio, chimes etc.) and also a steering wheel harness that allows those features to be used. (Apparently the radio has this ability.) Interesting to know that the 2001 was CanBus for this controls and not analog.

I've got both harnesses ready and it appears that I'm combining multiple "Ground Wires". I'd like to split this up for obvious reasons.

Question: IS there another good source for a negative ground wire connection?

for audio ground even for the unit, there should be one in the ip soemwhere. if you can find the IP beam, its made out of magnesium so im not sure you can connect to it withou galvanic corrosion, but the sheet metal on the floor or firewall prob has a raised section nearby you could use. or you could find the grounds on the side walls by the a pillars and ground near there since the ground there can show you its good to ground to .

 

[02LTD]

I installed my JVC digital media receiver along with the adapter harnesses by following the directions that were provided. No extra grounds were needed. I have not had any issues after nearly two years of operation. 😎

IIRC there are two or three ground wires in the radio harness. That should be sufficient. It was for me.😉

 

[JGBuick]

My apologies for not answer your question, but I am intrigued by your post because I plan to replace my factory radio in my 2004 LeSabre Limited. (However, I intend to install a rear camera and carplay-style radio.)

Would you mind sharing what the model numbers are on your two harnesses that retain your chimes and connect to your steering wheel controls? Do you have a YouTube video that you are watching to lead your through the process or are you familiar enough with such things to DIY?

If you are using a resource, like YouTube or from Crutchfield, would you mind sharing that info as well?

Very appreciative of any info you might share.

Sure thing! An were all in the same boat here... just learning.

Crutchfield has really great technical support and that's why I chose them for this particular part:

Axxess LC-GMRC-04 Wiring Interface

Connect a new car stereo and retain warning chimes in select 2000-05 GM vehicles

www.crutchfield.com

If you look at the harness, it just plugs-into the Buick harness. All "you" need to do is make the correct connections from your radio to the harness.

The above part allows for the retention of the door chimes and so forth. From their website:

Axxess LC-GMRC-04
You want to replace your factory radio, but you'll lose your warning chimes. There's a remedy for this: the Axxess LC-GMRC-04 wiring interface retains your GM vehicle's warning chimes, provides 12-volt accessory power, maintains your balance and fade controls, and keeps the Retained Accessory Power (RAP) feature. The interface also provides the outputs you'll need to connect a NAV receiver, including parking brake and reverse. The interface works with non-amplified systems or when bypassing an amplified system.

Now... as far as the steering wheel controls??? (Yes, this get a bit confusing as now you are adding-in another harness:

Axxess ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control Adapter

Connects your car's steering wheel audio controls to select aftermarket car stereos

www.crutchfield.com

For me... this is where I am a bit confused about things. (One would think it's just joining wires, but...?) Based on my previous experiences with car stereos, I'm going to rely on the Crutchfied Tech support person to walk-me-through this.

I've played around with joining the harnesses "temporarily" and it's getting a bit heavy. (In the past, it was just basically power and speaker wires. Simple.) Now... you might be adding a back-up cam and microphones and other inputs. Choosing a stereo that fits (Depth wise) is also a consideration as BOTH harnesses take-up space.. This is where Crutchfield and purchasing from them is a great asset.

Lastly... I'm not even halfway there on this project. I have the dash apart and just have to figure out how things will be mounted prior to arranging and soldering wires etc. (Lots of ways that can be done also.)

The reason I asked about "another" grounding point was that the wires coming from the Buick side seem pretty thin. Hooking up larger gauge grounds to a single grounding wire seems a bit risky to me. In fact, the ASWC-1 part says: "Connect to a Ground".

As another post mentions.... No problems after so many years... I'm curious how it all fit together.

YouTube videos on the "LeSabre Radio" are few and far between. Nothing really good! Lot's of shots before & after without any real installation content.

 

[JGBuick]

I installed my JVC digital media receiver along with the adapter harnesses by following the directions that were provided. No extra grounds were needed. I have not had any issues after nearly two years of operation. 😎

IIRC there are two or three ground wires in the radio harness. That should be sufficient. It was for me.😉

That's great. Did you also use the Axxess ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control Adapter ???

I'm making connections prior to my install. I'm just wondering if you connected "4" grounds together from all the Harnesses?

 

[JGBuick]

My apologies for not answer your question, but I am intrigued by your post because I plan to replace my factory radio in my 2004 LeSabre Limited. (However, I intend to install a rear camera and carplay-style radio.)

Would you mind sharing what the model numbers are on your two harnesses that retain your chimes and connect to your steering wheel controls? Do you have a YouTube video that you are watching to lead your through the process or are you familiar enough with such things to DIY?

If you are using a resource, like YouTube or from Crutchfield, would you mind sharing that info as well?

Very appreciative of any info you might share.

Here's a PDF for you on Dash Removal.

 

[BossHog39]

Just in case you need a little more info here is some from my Double din install all my grounds was well I do not remember that was almost 4years ago LOL Kenwood DDX595 Installed in my 2005 Lesabre it can be done

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

For the 2 cents, ground wire to steering wheel column support bracket nut or fish a wire to the back seat ground.

 

[JGBuick]

Just in case you need a little more info here is some from my Double din install all my grounds was well I do not remember that was almost 4years ago LOL Kenwood DDX595 Installed in my 2005 Lesabre it can be done

Sooo... you went the simple route and with a simple harness - Scosche GM07B Compatible with 2000-05 GM Ribbon Style Connector/Wire Harness

Curious - How did that affect your experience? I'm okay with NOT having the "Chimes"... I'm just wondering if losing the "Retained Accessory Power (RAP) feature" means anything?? Isn't a a moot point? What am I losing here? Isn't switching the ignition "ON" going to work just as well?

 

[BossHog39]

Sooo... you went the simple route and with a simple harness - Scosche GM07B Compatible with 2000-05 GM Ribbon Style Connector/Wire Harness

Curious - How did that affect your experience? I'm okay with NOT having the "Chimes"... I'm just wondering if losing the "Retained Accessory Power (RAP) feature" means anything?? Isn't a a moot point? What am I losing here? Isn't switching the ignition "ON" going to work just as well?

Yeah I do not like door chimes they drive me nuts so losing them was a plus for me and the rap lost that no biggy caught a acc power under steering column for acc 12v do it like old days turn the switch in acc if I need to. It only effected the radio My RAP Windows a still work. cant remember what wire under column I tapped now I just used a test light till I found the acc wire that was hot in both ACC and run positions just watch for air bag Harness do not probe them or you could risk setting the airbag off. Newer models the air bag harness's are in yellow I cant remember if the Lesabre in yellow or Orange. been almost 4 years since I done mine so memory is a little weak LOL

And the RAP is just a delayed off for accessories when switch is turned and or key removed it give like 10-15 minutes before acc shut down or a door opens which ever comes first

 

[JGBuick]

Yeah I do not like door chimes they drive me nuts so losing them was a plus for me and the rap lost that no biggy caught a acc power under steering column for acc 12v do it like old days turn the switch in acc if I need to. It only effected the radio My RAP Windows a still work. cant remember what wire under column I tapped now I just used a test light till I found the acc wire that was hot in both ACC and run positions just watch for air bag Harness do not probe them or you could risk setting the airbag off. Newer models the air bag harness's are in yellow I cant remember if the Lesabre in yellow or Orange. been almost 4 years since I done mine so memory is a little weak LOL

And the RAP is just a delayed off for accessories when switch is turned and or key removed it give like 10-15 minutes before acc shut down or a door opens which ever comes first

Thanks for the explanation on this. Boy... sometimes I miss the old days where things were simple and cars/machines weren't trying to tie our shoelaces or wipe our butts for us. What's wrong with turning the key to the next position? "Manually!" Heaven forbid!

I appreciate the info. Also - Looks like 4-years ago, Radios were much larger than they are today. I'm not cutting anything, but still don't like a bundle of wires that are cramped in there.

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

For the 2 cents, ground wire to steering wheel column support bracket nut or fish a wire to the back seat ground.

depending on what you are grounding that has the chance to be noisy or like an antenna, if i Remember skimming the electrical noise section right lol. Not an audiophile so that may be a non-worry

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

Sooo... you went the simple route and with a simple harness - Scosche GM07B Compatible with 2000-05 GM Ribbon Style Connector/Wire Harness

Curious - How did that affect your experience? I'm okay with NOT having the "Chimes"... I'm just wondering if losing the "Retained Accessory Power (RAP) feature" means anything?? Isn't a a moot point? What am I losing here? Isn't switching the ignition "ON" going to work just as well?

is your chime currently on the "loud" or "quiet" there are 2 volume settings. My aurora was defaulted to loud when I put the original radio in (the radio was given to me but a poor install on a jvc was there)
Holding on the of the buttons per the manual changed the chime volume iirc

 

[02LTD]

That's great. Did you also use the Axxess ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control Adapter ???

I'm making connections prior to my install. I'm just wondering if you connected "4" grounds together from all the Harnesses?

I used those very same interfaces from Metra/Axxess. I used the grounds from the radio harness adapter. The JVC was my second radio install. I initially had a Sony unit from BestBuy but returned it because it didn’t have the HD radio feature that I wanted. I subsequently purchased the JVC from Amazon. My Metra/AXXESS adapters were also from Amazon. I did my research prior to my install by looking at Crutchfield, SonicElectronix, and Amazon. I do not have a backup camera because I feel it’s not necessary due to the very bright reverse lights on the LeSabre.

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

Grounds are usually a afterthought until there's a audio problem, ground loop hum on AC, so while the vehicle OEM units have been designed to eliminate a possible problem aftermarket equipment may require addtional planning for a clean ground source.

As a side note don't believe the wires colors will always match on the interface and the new radio confirm by looking at the diagrams of the wires description. Had this on the Lesabre as two wires didn't match up on the colors vs the description functions.

 

[BuickGirlFromMars]

I used those very same interfaces from Metra/Axxess. I used the grounds from the radio harness adapter. The JVC was my second radio install. I initially had a Sony unit from BestBuy but returned it because it didn’t have the HD radio feature that I wanted. I subsequently purchased the JVC from Amazon. My Metra/AXXESS adapters were also from Amazon. I did my research prior to my install by looking at Crutchfield, SonicElectronix, and Amazon. I do not have a backup camera because I feel it’s not necessary due to the very bright reverse lights on the LeSabre.

#visibility
this is my park avenue but I imagine the lesabre has better if not similar visibility out the rear

 

[02LTD]

LeSabre doesn’t have the rear headrests.

 

[JGBuick]

is your chime currently on the "loud" or "quiet" there are 2 volume settings. My aurora was defaulted to loud when I put the original radio in (the radio was given to me but a poor install on a jvc was there)
Holding on the of the buttons per the manual changed the chime volume iirc

I have no idea about #1 or #2 Loud or quiet chime options. The OEM radio is out of the car. No Chimes.

Waiting for the new head unit to arrive. When I plugged-in the harness by itself, there was a soft chime. Not as loud as the OEM.

I'm not sure if the Crutchfield harness can be adjusted for "Chime loudness options".

 

[JGBuick]

I used those very same interfaces from Metra/Axxess. I used the grounds from the radio harness adapter. The JVC was my second radio install. I initially had a Sony unit from BestBuy but returned it because it didn’t have the HD radio feature that I wanted. I subsequently purchased the JVC from Amazon. My Metra/AXXESS adapters were also from Amazon. I did my research prior to my install by looking at Crutchfield, SonicElectronix, and Amazon. I do not have a backup camera because I feel it’s not necessary due to the very bright reverse lights on the LeSabre.

Yeah... I originally thought I may as well choose to install a back-up cam... and then (Thank God) decided it just wasn't worth the trouble.

I haven't needed a back-up cam in the 45-plus years I've been driving and I just am at a period in my life where Multiple technolgy "inputs" are draining my soul. Nope, Keeping it as SIMPLE as I can.

Like you stated in your post, I've pretty much used all the websites you mentioned. Great minds think alike.

Soooo... Just want to be done with this stuff. I'm seriously thinking about going back to a simple Flip Phone. It's not that I can't deal with technology... it's that I find it sucking the life from me... Google updating and YouTube... Anyhow.... rant over...

Back to the install....