QuestionMy grandmas 2001 lesabre is being passed down to me in about a month, and I have been researching for a new head unit, and would like to go with a double din system with navigation on it. How hard is this going to be to install in this model car, I have very little experience working with cars, but some with electronics, and wiring.
I know I need a new wiring harness, but dont know which on specifically. Am I better off just paying best buy to track down the parts, and install it? if I were to do it on my own what all would I need to pull it off?
AnswerHi Keith,
Sorry about the long delay in answering this question.
Your vehicle is one of the trickier models for installation of any after-market head unit, let alone a double-DIN navigation system. It's certainly not impossible, but I don't think I'd recommend it as a do-it-yourself job; and if you choose to have it professionally installed, you'll want to make sure the installer has some experience.
The factory radio is known as a "dock and lock" type. It's an uncommon design, mostly found in the 2000+ LeSabre, Bonneville and Aurora. Most factory head units use a wire harness and plug; in other words, there's a bundle of wiring that's combined into a plug and connected to the back of the head unit. In your LeSabre, there's no bundle of wires. Instead, there's a fixed set of contacts mounted at the rear of the radio cavity, fed through a plastic ribbon cable. Removing the factory head unit from the radio cavity disengages the deck from the contact terminals, and from a separate antenna terminal.
To make things more complicated, your factory radio is linked to the vehicle's data bus system. The radio is responsible for generating all audible warning chimes: seat belt reminder, door chime, lights-left-on chimes, etc. These play through the driver's door speaker. If you remove the factory radio, you'll lose these functions unless you use a special adapter module to work with the vehicle's data bus system and generate the chimes in place of the head unit.
The factory radio is also turned on and off through the data bus system; there's no key-switched power wire like many other factory radio units. The same adapter module that replaces your warning chimes will produce a switched accessory power output that can be used with the after-market head unit; if you don't use the module, you'll need to find an alternate key-switched power source.
Still more complications: the factory radio cavity is a bit too shallow for a typical after-market head unit. In order to install a double-DIN unit, you'd need to cut out the entire rear wall of the radio cavity. Of course, the rear wall is where the set of contacts is mounted, so you'd need to dismount these first and take care not to damage the ribbon cable. This would make it more difficult to re-install the original radio later, if you decide to sell the vehicle.
Here are the adapter parts you'd need for this project:
Metra 95-2009 mounting kit
Metra GMOS-05 adapter module for vehicles equipped with Onstar, or GMRC-04 if you don't have Onstar or don't need to keep it working
Metra 40-VW10 antenna adapter
Metra ASWC if your vehicle is equipped with steering wheel controls, and you want them to work with the after-market head unit
Hope this helps!
Brian
