Car Stereos: 03 Envoy replace OEM stereo with Bose, best bet, old radio

Question
The OEM CD/Cass. player in my '03 Envoy's CD player stoped working.  I went on eBay and purchased a Bose replacement (new old stock)that fits all the connections, but gave me a display "need amp" when pluged up and powered on.  It then seems to scroll through stations, but no sound.  What can I do to make this work, or can I?

Answer
Hi Vickie,

If I'm understanding your question correctly, your old radio was not a Bose head unit, but your new one is.  If this is the case, then there's no practical way to make the Bose head unit work in your Envoy.  

The Bose package in the Envoy includes a factory amplifier to power all the speakers; the head unit isn't capable of running speakers on its own.  Just like it's telling you, the head unit needs the amp to produce any sound.  It won't work with an after-market amplifier either--you'd need a Bose amplifier designed for the Envoy or Trailblazer.  Even if you had one, though, it would be difficult to make it work, because your vehicle lacks the wiring for the amplifier.  The speakers and head unit would need to be completely re-wired to include the amplifier in the system.

Your best bet is to purchase a non-Bose head unit for your Envoy--or an after-market unit with the correct adapters to make it work with your vehicle.

Hope this helps!

Brian