Okay, a few questions about stereos...

'96 Blazer LT, Delco AM/FM/CD. It's making me nuts! Power cuts out intermittently. Sometimes the display goes totally black, but the sound is still on, and I have no control over da controls! WTH? Gotta get rid of it.

Could it possibly be that assinine "theft" crap? How to reset that theft thing?

I would like another one like it, since aftermarket ones are so friggin small...tiny little buttons to try to push while you're bouncing down the frost heaved, potholed, patched, four inch "repaired" cracked roads of northern MN...ugh! I so enjoy big BUTTONS!!

What's the deal with those ones with the sound compensating deal? Do they work well? Can it be disabled? Do they fit without tearing apart the whole kit and kaboodle?

First off...how to get this thing out? I've seen something like horseshoe shaped wire thingies you jam in either side of the radio, spread apart, and pull. Could it be THAT easy? I've also read on here about tearing the whole dash apart, and *b e n d i n g* a piece of plastic by the steering column to get it out...gives me the chills just thinking about doing that!

Some ebay ads say certain Delco radios work for this year, others don't. Crutchfield has some that look like they work, but I've seen pics with some kind of brackets sticking out on the top two corners, and the same stereo will have a pic with brackets sticking out of the sides...just a bit confusing.

Okay, I'm cheap...I wanna get a replacement, but I don't want some kid at Best Buy tearing my dash apart. I've had bad experiences pulling stuff apart on cars...snaps break, "Oh, a screw was there"...after pulling and pulling and prying. Sheeesh!

Any comprehensive sites out there, or ideas from you all?

This thing's driving me batty!

BTW, I really like this Blazer...had it over a month now.

 

My friend makes a living from repairing Dephiclusters, computers and radios. He is one of nine authorized places in the US that do all the dealers warranty work for them. If you want go to GMExchanges.com and get their number and call them. They can fix your stereo for about $180 if I'm not mistaken. They used to do Vistion (sp?) as well but lost the Ford contract. Found that out when my Expedition radio sheet the bed. Of course he fixed it for IT type work in trade....he's a cheap SOB

 

my guess is that the radio is on its last legs. You can find replacements on ebay, (ones that others have pulled just to put in an aftermarket deck).

For tearing out your dash, take the two 7mm screws out of the gauge cluster area, there are above the column. then unclip either side of the dash. unplug harness as you come to them, one for 4wd (if equipped) one for headlights, (think there are three total on drivers side. next, put the column all the way down, then pull top part of dash cluster out from under the overhang. until it is free. then, carefully, pull bottom section of dash and gently lift it over the hazard switch. will have to pry it some. take out the four screws holding the heater controls, then the four that hold in the radio.

Pull radio out of dash, disconnect the antanna wire, and the plugs for the radio istelf. if you are installing an aftermarket cdplayer, take out the 3 10mm nuts that hold the factory pocket on the radio.

Take the new cd player out of the cage(silver sheath that is around it, usually by prying little tabs on each side of the cd player). mount the cage into the new dash kit, and bend down the little tabs inside of the cage, to secure it to the dash kit. Push tabs you pulled out to release the radio back in, actually, push them in a litle farther that they were to begin with. Set aside.

Take wiring haness, metra part number 99-1858, and connect wire for wire(color for color) in each harness, above listed part and one that came with the radio. Use crimp caps, (butt connectors, whatever) I don't use tape, not secure enough. Ignore the orange wires, should be two in one, and then ignore the blues, as they are for power antenna. Set aside.

Take antenna adaptor, metra part number 40-GM10 and attach to factory antenna wire.

Mount the assembled dash kit in the dash, and connect the wiring harness to the factory wiring. Pull them through the cage on the dash kit, (along with antenna wire)

Mount everything back in, put the dash back in , reconnecting all harnesses you pulled out in earlier steps. Then, when everthing is back to looking original, plug radio in and antenna wire, and test system. if all works, push radio into dash, untilit clicks. Done



also, check out this site, the stap by step is pretty much the same, except that you don't have to lower the knee bolster, and there are two screws above the cluster.
INSTALL HELP