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Ideas needed: running & mounting stereo components

('98-'00)
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1.4K views 1 reply 1 participant last post by  casm  
C
#1 ·
Been reading through a few threads, but nothing's given a really definitive idea on how to do all of this so figured I'd see if anyone else has been through this before.

I picked up a JVC KD-A815 head unit along with the XMDirect2 JVC Car Kit for the SF a few days ago. Getting the head unit wired up and into the dash isn't an issue, but I'm trying to figure out a few things:

- What's the best location to install the XM kit into? Figuring out how to get it completely out of sight but still reach the head unit is puzzling me.

- Along those lines, what's the preferred method for routing the antenna to the roof? I'm trying to keep as little of the wiring exposed as possible (my experience with them has been that they're typically somewhat fragile) and so far have only come up with the idea of going through the firewall, up and under the windscreen seal, and out at the top.

- Finally, if anyone else has located an integrated Bluetooth mic into their car, where did you position it and how did you route it back to the head unit? My best thoughts so far are either on the side of the overhead clock pod or near to the top of the A-pillar.

Any ideas appreciated - we've only got a couple of cool days left before the weather goes back up into the mid-90s, so would like to have this in in the next 48 hours or so if possible.
 
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C
#2 ·
Managed to get the XM antenna and handsfree microphone locations figured out. Antenna first:

Image


Started at the back by running the antenna connector through the rubber boot between the hatch and body on the driver's side; a small notch was placed in the sealing surface to accommodate the antenna cable. That task took nearly 45 minutes due to the shape of the connector, but it eventually made it in. From there, the cable was run under the interior trim and headliner to the A-pillar, at which point the connector was fished down into (and under) the dash. Easy to run it from there over to the radio location.

Here's a detail of the clearance between the hatch and antenna cable:

Image


It looks like there's strain on it, but there actually isn't. There is also no rubbing or undue flexing of the cable when the hatch is opened or closed, though it doesn't look like that would be the case from the photo.

As for the handsfree microphone:

Image


While the A-pillar trim was popped off to run the XM antenna cable, I also took care of the handsfree microphone, routing its cabling to the same location as the XM antenna's. The mounting options for it were a sun visor clip or flat adhesive base; both have a ball joint that the mic snaps onto. The visor clip was out as too much of a visual distraction, so either the top of the A-pillar or overhead clock pod seemed like the most natural locations.

The A-pillar has won out for now, but I left enough cabling behind it in order to relocate to the clock pod if necessary. The sun visor obscures the mic if it's moved to the side position (though clearance is fine with the visor up or down), which may or may not be something I can live with. To place the mic, I just wedged the adhesive base between the A-pillar trim and headliner - my thinking was that if the adhesive was actually used, it'd just fall off again later.

On to the actual head unit install tomorrow. It was just too hot this afternoon to keep going.
 
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