Hi,

I have a 2004 Ex with a stock stereo. Currently I am waiting for my Pioneer Avic-N4 to arrive.

I wanted to know a few things:

Are there harnesses available yet or do we need to follow the instructions in the stickied posts still?

If so, I will need someone else to install this for me. Is there any special instructions I should give to the installer or something I need to know?

Is it possible to wire the Avic-N4 to use the Aux input with out too much trouble?

Is there a post that I can read about removing a stock stereo? I don't have the card that was supposed to come with the Element when I bought it. I did read somewhere that the number on the sticker in the side of the glove box is all I need. Is that true or have i confused that with something else?

Thanks!

I did my first car stereo install this summer on the Element with a unit from Crutchfields. They sent a harness kit that required soldering. (Though I guess you could do it with wirenuts.) The job was easy, even for an aging newby like me. All the wires that need to be joined were color matched. Soldering irons aand solder are cheap and soldering is pretty damn easy. Just heat the joined wire, touch the solder to it and let if flow. Very satisfying and good for the old self esteem :grin:.

I did my first car stereo install this summer on the Element with a unit from Crutchfields. They sent a harness kit that required soldering. (Though I guess you could do it with wirenuts.) The job was easy, even for an aging newby like me. All the wires that need to be joined were color matched. Soldering irons aand solder are cheap and soldering is pretty damn easy. Just heat the joined wire, touch the solder to it and let if flow. Very satisfying and good for the old self esteem :grin:.

You're right about that!

My wife and I did that marker light blinking mod with solder and heat shrink tubing.

If it's that easy I will be happy to do it

Are there harnesses available yet or do we need to follow the instructions in the stickied posts still?

Metra Part # 70-1721 or other brand equiv


If so, I will need someone else to install this for me. Is there any special instructions I should give to the installer or something I need to know?

If it's an installer who ever remotely knows what they are doing for a living, they will need nothing from you


Is it possible to wire the Avic-N4 to use the Aux input with out too much trouble?

AUX input of what? the stock radio? you are not going to replace the stock radio? you should... as the Pioneer has a much better built in amplifier than the stock radio


Is there a post that I can read about removing a stock stereo?

So are you installing this yourself or having someone do it for you? or still deciding between the two?

The radio comes up super easily by prying, from the bottom, the U-shaped panel around the radio and then 4 phillips head screws later the radio can be pulled from the car


I don't have the card that was supposed to come with the Element when I bought it. I did read somewhere that the number on the sticker in the side of the glove box is all I need. Is that true or have i confused that with something else?


The card and sticker is about a code to enter if the stock radio loses constant power, they have absolutely nothing to do with removing the radio

Metra Part # 70-1721 or other brand equiv


AUX input of what? the stock radio? you are not going to replace the stock radio? you should... as the Pioneer has a much better built in amplifier than the stock radio

I was thinking about the Aux in the passenger side dash so i can still plug in another device, ie a computer. It's not a big deal either way.



So are you installing this yourself or having someone do it for you? or still deciding between the two?

Well if I can get the part that you suggest sent to me in Canada, I think I might try it myself. I only want to get someone else if there is complicated wiring to be done as that is not my field of expertise.


I also had another Three questions:

Is the stock subwoofer going to work with my new stereo?

Should the stock amp be removed for the installation of my new stereo?

Are there any other attachments needed, like an antenna adapter?

how didi this end up working out 4 u

how didi this end up working out 4 u

sorry to take so long to reply

I ended up getting it "professionally" installed and they kinda screwed some of the stuff up. I couldn't get the right info to use the factory sub either.

I'm going to sell this unit and switch it with the Clarion VRX785BT - NAX980HD combo as it has blue tooth and a few more options. Hopefully this time I will be able to find the info I need to hook the sub to the new stereo.

I have a Pioneer Avic-D3. Back when I got it, I had it professionally installed. I also had the iPod adapter installed and a rearview camera installed. They all work fine. You may like the system more if you have an actual professional look at it and work out the problems you don't like. The N and the Z series from Pioneer tend to be extremely well liked.

When you go to have your new Clarion unit installed, print this diagram out and take it to the installer:
http://www.elementownersclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3065

Since that Clarion unit has an AUX A/V input, you can wire that up the the OEM AUX input in the dash by soldering male RCA's to the car side of the harness with the green & white wires in it (it's on the diagram, too).

More than likely, your sub is not working because the inputs are part of a separate harness, and the installer did not solder the male RCA's on this harness as required, since they are not part of the Metra plug.

I have a Pioneer Avic-D3. Back when I got it, I had it professionally installed. I also had the iPod adapter installed and a rearview camera installed. They all work fine. You may like the system more if you have an actual professional look at it and work out the problems you don't like. The N and the Z series from Pioneer tend to be extremely well liked.

I did like it but i didn't like the fact that I had to switch my music cds to the nav dvds when driving and the unit never got synced so I didn't have any propper voice commands. Also, as I said above, this unit from Clarion has Blue Tooth built in and I won't have to install another component to get it to work.

I think you're totally right about the system, I'm sure if it was installed properly I wouldn't have much to complain about it. At no time would I say that this unit is a POS. I will say that it was definitely the best unit that fit my needs at the time. Now I'm moving on and will have to sell it. Maybe I could advertise it as "partially unused" since it wasn't installed right and I couldn't use some of the features to work at all :oops:.

Hi,

I have a 2004 Ex with a stock stereo. Currently I am waiting for my Pioneer Avic-N4 to arrive.

I wanted to know a few things:

Are there harnesses available yet or do we need to follow the instructions in the stickied posts still?

If so, I will need someone else to install this for me. Is there any special instructions I should give to the installer or something I need to know?

Is it possible to wire the Avic-N4 to use the Aux input with out too much trouble?

Is there a post that I can read about removing a stock stereo? I don't have the card that was supposed to come with the Element when I bought it. I did read somewhere that the number on the sticker in the side of the glove box is all I need. Is that true or have i confused that with something else?

Thanks!

hey my head phone jack and every cig. power thing works to, i have a z2 and it is way more complex than the one your going with, so i am sure you can keep everything, but the steering wheel buttons was a pain to program but we got it to work.

hey my head phone jack and every cig. power thing works to, i have a z2 and it is way more complex than the one your going with, so i am sure you can keep everything, but the steering wheel buttons was a pain to program but we got it to work.

Thanks for the advice. I have already got the Pioneer Avic N4 installed. Now I'm moving on to the Clarion setup as I mentioned previously in this thread.