Hummer Forums by Elcova - GM 6-CD Changer Installed

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by hummer17:
Klaus,

Remember we were talking about doing this for some time!!

Great that you carried it off!!!

Questions:

1) How much did you pay for the changer?

2) Do the factory controls work?

3) Does the CD information display properly?

4) Where did you put OnStar? (Please tell me the rear-view mirror - and if you did please post pictures!!)

Finally, please give me some more detail on the install, etc.

I can't believe this is possible and GM doesn't offer it as an option on the 2004 (No idea on what will happen on 2005 with the new Touch Screen Nav - still with no Changer..!!)

You are the man!! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

1. I paid $125 on E-Bay for the changer, and the cable was about $30 from GMPartsDirect.com

2. Yes, the factory controls work fine. Steering wheel, radio, and rear seat controls work fine.

3. Yes, the display shows the disc number, track number, and time. It does NOT show CD Text info. If you look at the picture above, you will see that the Nav unit is showing that CDX (changer) is playing D1 (disc 1), T23 (track 23). If you look at the changer, button 1 is illuminated in orange, to show it is being played. Button 2 is green, indicating that there is a disc in slot 2. Buttons 3-6 are dark because slot 3-6 was empty. To access the changer, you press the CD button on the Nav unit, or the source button on the steering wheel.

4. I put OnStar in the pile with my old integrated changer unit.

I thought about relocating OnStar (I even have a mirror I bought on E-Bay), but in the end, OnStar just isn't worth it to me. I usually carry at least 2 cell phones with me. That's enough! Besides, I still plan on installing XM Direct when it is released, so I wanted to leave any open space under the dash for it, not the OnStar box. However, there is no technical reason why OnStar wouldn't work if relocated. Since I didn't use the OnStar, I connected the Nav unit to the OnStar GPS antenna on the roof instead of the dash mounted antenna. This gives the nav unit a much better view of the sky.

To install the changer, you first have to remove the OnStar assembly. Once it is out, you will need to cut out the rear support bracket for the Onstar, which is molded as part of the dash. A dremel and a large pair of pliers will do the trick. The hole in the dash is JUST BARELY deep enough for the changer, IF you remove the connector from the back of the changer and lay it on top of the changer.

The cable is another trick. It is a 9 conductor cable. You will need to remove the wires/pins out of one connector of the cable. 2 of the wires are not used, so they can be cut. 4 of the wires with their pins will be ADDED to one of the head unit connectors. For the other 3 wires, cut the connectors off of them. You will need to extract 3 pins/wires out of the other head unit connector, and solder these wires to the existing wires/connectors. You have to be careful not to use too much solder or to not overheat the wires. Then you just push the pins back into the connector. Run the other end of the cable to the changer and plug it in. The system will automatically recognize it, as it is connected to the class 2 data bus.

The Chevy Avalanche guys have been doing this for quite some time, and they have been helpful to me as well. Between their instructions and the H2 info I have, it was just a matter of wiring it up. I have a spreadsheet showing the connections, if you are interested.

There is the potential to make a real mess of your wiring harness, so proceed at your own risk.