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Radio advice...

H3ALPHA

Well-Known Member
Messages
66
Location
Los Angeles
Been awhile since I have been around.

Starting to focus on my Alpha (2010 H3).

Crazy, the Nav radio, which was replaced under warranty in 2014, the freaking knobs are melting. Go to turn them and the skin comes off in your hand.

Any way, just changed a radio in one of my other cars and so desperately want to have CarPlay in the H3.

Issues I am hearing:

- GM made these 1.5 Din as opposed to the standard 1 or 2, so that means cutting
- XM would have to have a new antenna, etc. as opposed to what I have in the car (we use XM)
- Door chimes come through the radio (is this true?)
- Would lose the hands free aspect of H3 (which we also have a dedicated number for the H3).

Have a back up camera, but that is shown through the rear view mirror.

Any advice?

Thanks.
 

Ghostbuster

Well-Known Member
Messages
861
Location
United States
Been awhile since I have been around.

Starting to focus on my Alpha (2010 H3).

Crazy, the Nav radio, which was replaced under warranty in 2014, the freaking knobs are melting. Go to turn them and the skin comes off in your hand.

Any way, just changed a radio in one of my other cars and so desperately want to have CarPlay in the H3.

Issues I am hearing:

- GM made these 1.5 Din as opposed to the standard 1 or 2, so that means cutting
- XM would have to have a new antenna, etc. as opposed to what I have in the car (we use XM)
- Door chimes come through the radio (is this true?)
- Would lose the hands free aspect of H3 (which we also have a dedicated number for the H3).

Have a back up camera, but that is shown through the rear view mirror.

Any advice?

Thanks.

It is a double din... no cutting. Get a refurbished Kenwood off of eBay. No complaints here. You will need an expensive harness to retain XM and Onstar. No new antenna.

If you have a local car audio shop go talk to them.

It will be a lot cheaper and less stressful if you just buy the parts and have them do the install.

I think the harness thing I got makes the door chime now.
No clue on the hands free thing..

Or you can go to BestBuy, they have an install tech at my local store. They installed my remote start system for me.

Good luck.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Somethingbigandorange

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Location
Arizona
Yep, bite the bullet and spend on the wiring. My adapter was a hundred bucks but it retains nav, chimes, steering wheel control, etc. got mine at Fry’s Electronics. +1 on the double din, put a head unit in mine and it fit perfectly.
 

H3ALPHA

Well-Known Member
Messages
66
Location
Los Angeles
Yep, bite the bullet and spend on the wiring. My adapter was a hundred bucks but it retains nav, chimes, steering wheel control, etc. got mine at Fry’s Electronics. +1 on the double din, put a head unit in mine and it fit perfectly.

You got your harness at Fry's?

They did not have to cut behind the dash at all?
 

Somethingbigandorange

Well-Known Member
Messages
53
Location
Arizona
You got your harness at Fry's?

They did not have to cut behind the dash at all?

A) “They” didn’t do anything, I try to do all my work myself
B) no, no cutting of anything...that’s the idea behind the expensive harness adapters. You connect it to your radio outputs (either soldering or solderless connectors) and voila you have factory plugs on your aftermarket unit. You can get cheaper ones that simply connect power and speakers, but like I said I preferred the more expensive one that retains all the factory goodies.


I did did not read the thread that Happy Hummer linked, but knowing the guys around here it is probably a very thorough and reliable rundown on the subject.
 

H3ALPHA

Well-Known Member
Messages
66
Location
Los Angeles
Thanks.

Sorry, but this is not in my wheelhouse. Did an install, my first, on another car, but that car does not have any bells and whistles.

Here is what I am trying to achieve:

1- retain all the current aspects which include SiriusXM, hands free, door chimes, etc.
2- do so without having to add a new XM antenna or remove the current mic.
3- not lose OnStar, etc.

Looking through Happy Hummer's install (any pics of the final install?) led me to more confusion as to what items are needed, ie.

Mounting Kit choices:

Metra 95-3304 dash kit H/U mount
Scosche gm1595b (didn't fit)

Retain Door Chimes But excludes Onstar

Metra LC-GMRC-01

Antenna Adaptor

Metra 40-GM10

Wiring Harness:

Gm4004/70-2003

It appears in this install, he replaced the H3 Mic with a tweeter, I.would like to retain the mic and Onstar.

Any insight?
 

Ghostbuster

Well-Known Member
Messages
861
Location
United States
I think your best bet is this harness: PAC RP5-GM11 Wiring Interface

Go to Crutchfield.com talk to them if you need to...
You might be able to do exactly what you are wanting to do.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

High Five H2

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,627
Location
West Texas
+1 to crutchfield. I've been using them for close to 20 years. They'll give you everything you need, including wiring your stereo harness to the adapter harness.

Also Schwarttzy has a little adapter that will adapt the factory mic to the radio. I have one but I haven't installed it yet.
 

Traxx

Well-Known Member
Messages
682
Location
PNW
If you have the Monsoon system then just use the Gmos-04 harness, it retains onstar, chimes and rap. Xm/Sirius capability comes from the new head unit and usually does not require a different antenna. A nav head unit will require you to run the gps puck since there is no adapter to use the H3 nav antenna.
 

SlcHummer

Well-Known Member
Messages
368
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
Funny thing is I have spoken with Crutchfield and they told me that H3 is a 1.5 Din and would need to do some cutting.

Never heard of that site, but googled it and wow.

https://schwarttzy.com/product/onstar-microphone-adapter/

Can't speak to the microphone adapter but his skid plates are LEGIT! I'm debating on building some HD rock sliders with my dad but if that falls through I likely would consider his rock sliders given my experience with his skid plates.
 

H3ALPHA

Well-Known Member
Messages
66
Location
Los Angeles
So had this pro installed.

Got a Kenwood Excelon DNX996XR.

$150 for the install, and he was able to keep the current GPS & XM antenna.

Unfortunately, the OnStar mic is the OnStar mic, so had to add another mic to work with the unit.

So that is the only thing that intrudes on the interior (hate those freaking mics).

Unit wasn't cheap (sells for $1399) but got a good deal on it.

That is the update. Been waiting for years to change the old NAV unit, told by GM servicing people it can't be done, etc. Clearly it can.

Thanks for all the help!
 
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