Car Stereos: Car Stereo Installation Help, car stereo installation, chevy silverado

Question
Hey Brain,
I have a Kenwood KDC-138 stereo with no wiring harness and no mounting sleeve. I'm going to install it myself in my 04' Chevy Silverado C1500. I have the wiring diagram for the stereo and the truck. I just need to know if I can use a universal 16-pin harness? There's one on ebay that says its for the kdc-438U and the kdc-138cr. Will that work? I don't need the chimes to function.. i'm not paying that much. Also.. I'll need to buy a sleeve separately  right? And last but not least.. how the hell do I get the stock stereo out and what dash kit will I need to install the new stereo? I know that's a lot of questions but I want to do this right the first time.

Answer
Hi Aaron,

Sorry about the delay in answering your question.  

Most of the Kenwood AM/FM/CD units use the same wiring plug, so chances are the plug for the KDC-438U would also work for the KDC-138.  There may be some wires in the plug that won't have a function; particularly the blue and orange/white wires, if present.  These aren't required for most installations.

I'd look for an American International GMK420 mounting kit, or a Metra 99-2003.  Either of these kits allows for an ISO-mount option; this means you can install an after-market head unit without using a mounting sleeve. The mounting kit will come with instructions for removing the factory radio, but it's very easy in a Silverado; you just have to pull off the dash panel that surrounds the radio, climate controls, instrument cluster, etc.  It's only held on with clips.  Once it's removed, you'll see the screws that hold the factory radio in place.

Even if you don't care about the chimes, I'd still advise using one of the data bus adapter modules for this installation.  In addition to keeping your safety chimes working, they'll make the installation much easier; without the module, you'd need to do some extra wiring to connect the new deck to an accessory power source.  If you search online for a Metra GMRC-01, you should be able to find the part you need at a much lower price than the local car audio store.

Hope this helps!

Brian