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hondahauge
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Replacing the Head Unit
First step is to remove the dash pieces on the center section. This is done starting at the top, and removing the center AC vents. I prefer to use a small putty knife, but if you are careful, you can use a small standard screwdriver to pop it out. Vinyl can be easily damaged, if care is not used. Once that is out, remove the trim piece around the shifter. Once that is removed, remove the screws holding the rest of it on. On the bottom, one screw is removed, and then the ashtray must be popped out. Then there is one screw on the bottom, and two on the top. This will allow you to access the HU. Remove the stock unit.
When you purchase your new Head Unit, make sure you get a wiring harness kit for the Maxima. If you buy from Crutchfield, they supply them for free. I STRONGLY recommend using one of these, due to the ease of installation, and the ease of replacing the stock unit should you ever sell the car. Connect the wiring harness of the HU to the adapter wiring harness per the instructions supplied with the harness, matching the correct wires to each other. To connect them, I use simple crimp connectors and then electrical tape on the bundle to secure it.
Once the harness is attached, it’s time to install the new HU to the factory brackets. In some cars, mounting kits are needed to fit aftermarket HU’s in the stock locations. I have found with Maximas, these haven’t been needed. This doesn’t guarantee that they aren’t needed, just that they aren’t usually needed. Once the new HU is screwed into the factory bracket, connect the wiring harness to the factory wiring in the dash.
An antenna adapter is also needed for the Maxima to connect the aftermarket HU with the antenna. Connect this at this time. (If you are installing an amp into the system, connect the RCA cables and remote turn on lead at this time as well.) Confirm that the unit is working properly, by turning on the ignition and playing the radio. Verify that the antenna is rising when power is turned on. Once confirmed everything is working, reattach the console to the dash with the screws, and then reattach the ashtray, shift trim, and air vents.
Replacing Speakers
To replace the front speakers, the door panels MUST be removed to access them. Although it looks like the grill can be removed, it cannot, except from the inside of the panel. There are 3 screws that must be removed. Two on the bottom of the door panel and one in the handle cup, under a plastic button. Once they are removed, pop the lens of the door light with a small standard screwdriver, remove the two Phillips screws, and unplug the light fixture. The last piece that needs to be removed is the plastic trim piece on the door release handle. This can be tricky to remove if it has not been removed before, but by using a small standard screwdriver, it will pop off. Be cautious as you do this, and too much force will break it.
Once that has been removed, it’s time to take off the panel. There are little plastic snaps that snap the panel to the door, and to release them, you can use a tool that Crutchfield sells for about $3 that is a large fork that is slipped around the snap, and you lift up. If you don’t have this tool, a standard screwdriver will do. Set the panel aside.
Remove the 4 screws holding the factory speaker to the mount, and unplug. There is a funky plug that connects to the factory speakers. Cut this off the end of the factory wiring, making sure to leave enough on the plug to reattach if you plan on saving the stock speakers for reinstallation if the car is sold. With the front wires, the solid color is the positive (+) and the half white is the negative (-). Using the crimping tool, crimp female disconnecting spades to the end of the wire. Slip them onto the terminals of the speaker, and attach the new speaker to the factory mount. NOTE Nissan uses "Oversized 6.5" speakers, or 6.75". If your new speakers don’t fit right on the factory mount, using 1\4" luan (plywood), cut a ring to match the speaker with a jigsaw, and attach it to the mount, and the speaker to it. This will ensure a good tight fit, and keep air leaks from lowering the sound quality. Turn on system to confirm that the speakers are working properly. Reattach the door panel and reconnect the door light.
To replace the rear deck speakers, remove the rear seat; by pulling the two pull rings in front of the seat, one on either side. Pull out. There are 4 14mm bolts that hold the rear seat back on. One on either side and two in the middle under the trunk access hole. Once removed, lift up and pull the seat back out. If you have the third brake light, pull back on it to remove it. Disconnect the wire, and set light aside. On either side of the rear window, there is a plastic pillar cover with seatbelt going into it. Using your hands CAREFULLY pry it up to unsnap it. Use caution here, as these panels are easy to crack or break. Once removed, let them hang loose out of the way, and lift up on the deck panel. It uses the same snaps as the door panels to hold it down.
Remove the screws holding the stock speakers on, and disconnect. Cut off the factory plugs just as in the front. Using the crimp tool attach female disconnects to the wires. Positive (+) is solid in color, the negative (-) is half black. Connect the ends to the speaker terminals, and reattach with the screws. Again, as with the front speakers, Nissan uses the same size. If they don’t fit properly, make trim rings from 1\4" luan, and attach the ring to the mount, and the speaker to the ring. Confirm speakers are working correctly, and then reassemble the back section. NOTE Once complete, make sure the seat bottom is locked in place in the tabs. If not, there could be problems if someone’s sitting there and you have to brake suddenly.
Installing an amp
Tools needed: Wire Cutters\crimping tool, Phillips and standard screwdrivers, socket wrench w\14mm socket, Power drill w\assorted bits, Allen wrench set, electrical tape, Amp Wiring Kit (or if bought separate, aprox. 25ft. Red power cable (gauge dependant on amount of watts and number of amps), 6 ft of black power cable (same gauge as power), 1 roll of 18gauge hookup wire (remote turn on), fuse block with fuse, distribution block of using more than 1 amp, appropriate gauge spade connectors for power and speaker cables, RCA cables (enough for amount of channels on the amp), and good quality oxygen free speaker cable. (16ga. For speakers, 12ga. For subs).
This article covers the addition of an amplifier to your Maxima. This does not include those Maximas with Bose system. If you are not familiar with the removal of the Head Unit, front door panels, or back deck, please refer to the installation of a Basic System for instructions.
Cables
This is the fun part. First you must decide on the size of power cable you need. I suggest you make it easier on yourself, and buy a wiring kit. They have everything you need minus speaker wire, and they have different kits for different sized systems. Places like www.partsexpress.com have amplifier installation kits for reasonable prices. Local Stereo shops carry big brand names, and charge a pretty penny for them. There is really not much difference between power cables. As long as it’s oxygen free and nice and flexible, it will work fine. Save your money.
Once you have the cables you need, it’s time to start laying it. At this point you need to determine where in the firewall you plan on feeding the cable through. It’s preferable to route it on the left hand side of the car. There are a few rubber boots that you can take advantage of if using a smaller gauge wire, or make your own, with a drill and appropriate sized bit. With the kits will be a rubber grommet to be used in such hole to keep the metal from cutting into the wire, causing a short or fire. Once the hole is drilled, slip the grommet on, feed the cable though into the engine bay from the cabin, and secure the grommet. In the engine bay, pull enough cable to route it cleanly in the bay and to keep it out of the way. Within 18 inches from the end of the cable that will attach to the battery, cut it. On one end of the cut piece using the wire crimper, strip one end and crimp the ring terminal onto the cable. This will be connected to the battery terminal, BUT DON’T CONNECT IT YET! Strip the other end, and attach it to the fuse holder. DO NOT INSTALL THE FUSE AT THIS TIME! Strip the other cable and attach it to the other side of the fuse holder. Secure the fuse holder if necessary to keep it clear of moving parts.
Now for routing the cable to the trunk. (We’re assuming here that’s where you will be placing it.) I suggest and prefer that both front seats be removed while running the cables. (This isn’t necessary, but it makes it easier to keep power and signal wires separate, especially if using larger gauge power wires. It’s a simple thing to do, with 4 14mm bolts holding each seat in. 1 14mm bolt holds the bottom of the front seat belt on, and that is removed as well.) Feed the power cable down the length of the car, placing it under the carpet. Pull up the doorsills that just snap in place to access the carpet. Remove the back seat bottom by pulling the two rings in front of the seat.
Feed the power cable into the trunk. I prefer to keep the power and remote turn on wires running next to the middle hump on the left side to keep them away from the speaker wires.
Remove the HU and connect the RCA cables and remote turn on wire to the appropriate connections on the back of the unit. If using more than 1 pair of cables, mark both ends to identify which ones are the front, which ones the rear, and if there is a sub output on the HU, which ones are the sub.
Reinstall the HU. Run the remote turn on wire on the left side of the car, RCA cables on the right. If there is a remote wire made into the RCA cable, don’t use it. You will get engine noise in the system. Feed them into the trunk.
If using an amp to power the front speakers, run two lengths of speaker wire up the sides of the car. Remove the kick panels and the door panels.
You will see a rubber boot where the factory wiring runs into the door. Pop that out of the hole, and carefully cut a hole just large enough to fit the speaker wire though. Using a straightened wire coat hanger, slip it through the hole cut in the rubber boot, and into the cabin you should see it come out by the pedals. Using tape, secure the end of the speaker wire to the hanger, and than pull the hanger back out. That will feed the wire through the boot. Then feed the wire though the boot in the door, and terminate and connect to the speaker. If you want, you can use silicon caulk to seal around the wire in the rubber boots. Reinstall the kick panels and door panels. Tuck the speaker wire under the carpet, keeping it away from the power and remote wires if you didn’t remove the seats. Feed them up and into the trunk. If the amp will be powering the rear speakers, cut an appropriate length of speaker wire, terminate, and attach to the speakers. Reinstall the seats.
At this point, you should have a lot of wires in the trunk. Decide where you want to mount the amp and trim the power and speaker wires to that spot.
Terminate them with the spades provided. Strip both ends of the ground cable and terminate. Find a location to attach the ground wire with a bolt on the car and make sure it’s a clean bare metal surface. Connect all the wires and cables to the amp(s), making sure they are secure, and no wires are kinked or stretched. Attach the ground wire to the car.
Back under the hood, disconnect the battery terminal, and attach the power cable to it. Reattach the terminal. Make one more pass and make sure everything is connected properly, and is secure. If everything looks ok, then install the fuse. Turn on the ignition, and test the system. Make sure everything powers up, there’s no smell of smoke, and that all speakers are wired correctly. Fade and balance to verify correct RCA and speaker wire connections are correct
First step is to remove the dash pieces on the center section. This is done starting at the top, and removing the center AC vents. I prefer to use a small putty knife, but if you are careful, you can use a small standard screwdriver to pop it out. Vinyl can be easily damaged, if care is not used. Once that is out, remove the trim piece around the shifter. Once that is removed, remove the screws holding the rest of it on. On the bottom, one screw is removed, and then the ashtray must be popped out. Then there is one screw on the bottom, and two on the top. This will allow you to access the HU. Remove the stock unit.
When you purchase your new Head Unit, make sure you get a wiring harness kit for the Maxima. If you buy from Crutchfield, they supply them for free. I STRONGLY recommend using one of these, due to the ease of installation, and the ease of replacing the stock unit should you ever sell the car. Connect the wiring harness of the HU to the adapter wiring harness per the instructions supplied with the harness, matching the correct wires to each other. To connect them, I use simple crimp connectors and then electrical tape on the bundle to secure it.
Once the harness is attached, it’s time to install the new HU to the factory brackets. In some cars, mounting kits are needed to fit aftermarket HU’s in the stock locations. I have found with Maximas, these haven’t been needed. This doesn’t guarantee that they aren’t needed, just that they aren’t usually needed. Once the new HU is screwed into the factory bracket, connect the wiring harness to the factory wiring in the dash.
An antenna adapter is also needed for the Maxima to connect the aftermarket HU with the antenna. Connect this at this time. (If you are installing an amp into the system, connect the RCA cables and remote turn on lead at this time as well.) Confirm that the unit is working properly, by turning on the ignition and playing the radio. Verify that the antenna is rising when power is turned on. Once confirmed everything is working, reattach the console to the dash with the screws, and then reattach the ashtray, shift trim, and air vents.
Replacing Speakers
To replace the front speakers, the door panels MUST be removed to access them. Although it looks like the grill can be removed, it cannot, except from the inside of the panel. There are 3 screws that must be removed. Two on the bottom of the door panel and one in the handle cup, under a plastic button. Once they are removed, pop the lens of the door light with a small standard screwdriver, remove the two Phillips screws, and unplug the light fixture. The last piece that needs to be removed is the plastic trim piece on the door release handle. This can be tricky to remove if it has not been removed before, but by using a small standard screwdriver, it will pop off. Be cautious as you do this, and too much force will break it.
Once that has been removed, it’s time to take off the panel. There are little plastic snaps that snap the panel to the door, and to release them, you can use a tool that Crutchfield sells for about $3 that is a large fork that is slipped around the snap, and you lift up. If you don’t have this tool, a standard screwdriver will do. Set the panel aside.
Remove the 4 screws holding the factory speaker to the mount, and unplug. There is a funky plug that connects to the factory speakers. Cut this off the end of the factory wiring, making sure to leave enough on the plug to reattach if you plan on saving the stock speakers for reinstallation if the car is sold. With the front wires, the solid color is the positive (+) and the half white is the negative (-). Using the crimping tool, crimp female disconnecting spades to the end of the wire. Slip them onto the terminals of the speaker, and attach the new speaker to the factory mount. NOTE Nissan uses "Oversized 6.5" speakers, or 6.75". If your new speakers don’t fit right on the factory mount, using 1\4" luan (plywood), cut a ring to match the speaker with a jigsaw, and attach it to the mount, and the speaker to it. This will ensure a good tight fit, and keep air leaks from lowering the sound quality. Turn on system to confirm that the speakers are working properly. Reattach the door panel and reconnect the door light.
To replace the rear deck speakers, remove the rear seat; by pulling the two pull rings in front of the seat, one on either side. Pull out. There are 4 14mm bolts that hold the rear seat back on. One on either side and two in the middle under the trunk access hole. Once removed, lift up and pull the seat back out. If you have the third brake light, pull back on it to remove it. Disconnect the wire, and set light aside. On either side of the rear window, there is a plastic pillar cover with seatbelt going into it. Using your hands CAREFULLY pry it up to unsnap it. Use caution here, as these panels are easy to crack or break. Once removed, let them hang loose out of the way, and lift up on the deck panel. It uses the same snaps as the door panels to hold it down.
Remove the screws holding the stock speakers on, and disconnect. Cut off the factory plugs just as in the front. Using the crimp tool attach female disconnects to the wires. Positive (+) is solid in color, the negative (-) is half black. Connect the ends to the speaker terminals, and reattach with the screws. Again, as with the front speakers, Nissan uses the same size. If they don’t fit properly, make trim rings from 1\4" luan, and attach the ring to the mount, and the speaker to the ring. Confirm speakers are working correctly, and then reassemble the back section. NOTE Once complete, make sure the seat bottom is locked in place in the tabs. If not, there could be problems if someone’s sitting there and you have to brake suddenly.
Installing an amp
Tools needed: Wire Cutters\crimping tool, Phillips and standard screwdrivers, socket wrench w\14mm socket, Power drill w\assorted bits, Allen wrench set, electrical tape, Amp Wiring Kit (or if bought separate, aprox. 25ft. Red power cable (gauge dependant on amount of watts and number of amps), 6 ft of black power cable (same gauge as power), 1 roll of 18gauge hookup wire (remote turn on), fuse block with fuse, distribution block of using more than 1 amp, appropriate gauge spade connectors for power and speaker cables, RCA cables (enough for amount of channels on the amp), and good quality oxygen free speaker cable. (16ga. For speakers, 12ga. For subs).
This article covers the addition of an amplifier to your Maxima. This does not include those Maximas with Bose system. If you are not familiar with the removal of the Head Unit, front door panels, or back deck, please refer to the installation of a Basic System for instructions.
Cables
This is the fun part. First you must decide on the size of power cable you need. I suggest you make it easier on yourself, and buy a wiring kit. They have everything you need minus speaker wire, and they have different kits for different sized systems. Places like www.partsexpress.com have amplifier installation kits for reasonable prices. Local Stereo shops carry big brand names, and charge a pretty penny for them. There is really not much difference between power cables. As long as it’s oxygen free and nice and flexible, it will work fine. Save your money.
Once you have the cables you need, it’s time to start laying it. At this point you need to determine where in the firewall you plan on feeding the cable through. It’s preferable to route it on the left hand side of the car. There are a few rubber boots that you can take advantage of if using a smaller gauge wire, or make your own, with a drill and appropriate sized bit. With the kits will be a rubber grommet to be used in such hole to keep the metal from cutting into the wire, causing a short or fire. Once the hole is drilled, slip the grommet on, feed the cable though into the engine bay from the cabin, and secure the grommet. In the engine bay, pull enough cable to route it cleanly in the bay and to keep it out of the way. Within 18 inches from the end of the cable that will attach to the battery, cut it. On one end of the cut piece using the wire crimper, strip one end and crimp the ring terminal onto the cable. This will be connected to the battery terminal, BUT DON’T CONNECT IT YET! Strip the other end, and attach it to the fuse holder. DO NOT INSTALL THE FUSE AT THIS TIME! Strip the other cable and attach it to the other side of the fuse holder. Secure the fuse holder if necessary to keep it clear of moving parts.
Now for routing the cable to the trunk. (We’re assuming here that’s where you will be placing it.) I suggest and prefer that both front seats be removed while running the cables. (This isn’t necessary, but it makes it easier to keep power and signal wires separate, especially if using larger gauge power wires. It’s a simple thing to do, with 4 14mm bolts holding each seat in. 1 14mm bolt holds the bottom of the front seat belt on, and that is removed as well.) Feed the power cable down the length of the car, placing it under the carpet. Pull up the doorsills that just snap in place to access the carpet. Remove the back seat bottom by pulling the two rings in front of the seat.
Feed the power cable into the trunk. I prefer to keep the power and remote turn on wires running next to the middle hump on the left side to keep them away from the speaker wires.
Remove the HU and connect the RCA cables and remote turn on wire to the appropriate connections on the back of the unit. If using more than 1 pair of cables, mark both ends to identify which ones are the front, which ones the rear, and if there is a sub output on the HU, which ones are the sub.
Reinstall the HU. Run the remote turn on wire on the left side of the car, RCA cables on the right. If there is a remote wire made into the RCA cable, don’t use it. You will get engine noise in the system. Feed them into the trunk.
If using an amp to power the front speakers, run two lengths of speaker wire up the sides of the car. Remove the kick panels and the door panels.
You will see a rubber boot where the factory wiring runs into the door. Pop that out of the hole, and carefully cut a hole just large enough to fit the speaker wire though. Using a straightened wire coat hanger, slip it through the hole cut in the rubber boot, and into the cabin you should see it come out by the pedals. Using tape, secure the end of the speaker wire to the hanger, and than pull the hanger back out. That will feed the wire through the boot. Then feed the wire though the boot in the door, and terminate and connect to the speaker. If you want, you can use silicon caulk to seal around the wire in the rubber boots. Reinstall the kick panels and door panels. Tuck the speaker wire under the carpet, keeping it away from the power and remote wires if you didn’t remove the seats. Feed them up and into the trunk. If the amp will be powering the rear speakers, cut an appropriate length of speaker wire, terminate, and attach to the speakers. Reinstall the seats.
At this point, you should have a lot of wires in the trunk. Decide where you want to mount the amp and trim the power and speaker wires to that spot.
Terminate them with the spades provided. Strip both ends of the ground cable and terminate. Find a location to attach the ground wire with a bolt on the car and make sure it’s a clean bare metal surface. Connect all the wires and cables to the amp(s), making sure they are secure, and no wires are kinked or stretched. Attach the ground wire to the car.
Back under the hood, disconnect the battery terminal, and attach the power cable to it. Reattach the terminal. Make one more pass and make sure everything is connected properly, and is secure. If everything looks ok, then install the fuse. Turn on the ignition, and test the system. Make sure everything powers up, there’s no smell of smoke, and that all speakers are wired correctly. Fade and balance to verify correct RCA and speaker wire connections are correct
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