QuestionQUESTION: i got a 1998 nissan pathfinder i took out the stock cd
player to install a aftermaket cd player once that was
installed it did not come on i unstalled and re installed
the stock one and i noticed if the antenna is not plugged it
will not power on also so is there anyway to avoid that
seeing that the attena will not fit the aftermaket cd player
ANSWER: Hi Cody,
The important thing to remember about a Nissan head unit is that they typically don't have a ground wire in the factory radio plug. Instead, the radio is grounded through the metal mounting brackets. The antenna connection can provide a (very poor) ground path, which is why the factory radio worked when you connected the antenna. I'm betting that when you tried the factory radio again, you didn't screw it back into the dash. Without the mounting brackets screwed down to the metal dash braces, neither the factory radio nor the after-market radio would have a good ground connection.
When you install the after-market radio, you need to take the black ground wire and connect it directly to a metal brace in the dash cavity. That will allow the new head unit to ground properly even if you don't have it mounted. If the head unit has a good ground connection, it won't be necessary to connect the antenna to make it power up, but if you want to be able to listen to the radio, you can connect the antenna plug using an adapter. Your vehicle requires a Metra 40-NI10 antenna adapter.
Hope this helps!
Brian
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: so instad ofg connecting the black grd wire to the wiring
harnness connect it directly to the metal frameing?
AnswerYes, that's right. If you look closely at the wiring harness, you'll probably see that there's no wire in the factory radio plug that matches the ground wire in the adapter harness. If you attach the new head unit's ground wire to the harness, it won't be connected to anything.
