2 quick Qs (installing new HU tomorrow night)

[MTBVibe]

I'm sure these have been asked before, but I can't get the search tool to spit out what I want (I either get every post in the forum as a result or none of them), so I might as well ask, right?1) Is there a good/preferred place to stick a ground line from the wiring harness of the receiver? I know that in my last car, I ended up just wrapping the end of the ground in electrical tape because the behind-dash space was so limited that it was impossible to mount it anywhere, and there weren't any problems with that unit for around 50k miles - the car died first, in fact. But I'd really prefer to not do that again because it offends my sense of order...so I'm hoping someone can suggest something for this!2) I'm running an auxiliary line from the back of the unit that terminates in a male 1/8" stereo plug, so I can plug my tabletPC or mp3 player into the sound system with a minimum of effort. Ideally, I'd like to run the line into the back of my glovebox, so that I can coil it out of the way when it's not in use or lock the glovebox with my mp3 player still attached when I park the car. I know I've seen posts which talk about running an aux line into the center console, but I've already earmarked the space there for another future application, and the glovebox seems like a better fit for my needs. I have yet to pop off the shrouding on the dash there to see what it looks like behind, but I'm hoping someone has done the same thing and can give me tips on where I'm going to be looking back there.In case anyone is wondering, the car has the stock base-level sound setup (no factory upgrades) and the unit I'm putting in is one of the newer mid-range Sony products. (I know some people sniff at Sony's car audio stuff, but I've always gotten great durability/reliability/performance out of Sony products, and am already used to how they set their stuff up - my last HU was a Sony too, and the only reason I didn't just move it into the Vibe was because I wanted a little more power/options this time around.)Thanks!-m

[nygiantzz1]

Another NY member, I thought I was the only one. I can offer a little help with the ground. I recently installed an Autodimming mirror and had to run wires through the engine compartment. If you follow the cable for the hood release to the firewall, you can fit the wire through the grommet and ground to the strut tower. There is a ground wire for something else already in place, I used that. I tapped the engine compartment fuse panel for power. It does not interfere with the hood release at all. The wire will come out behind the strut tower, I used a flat head screwdriver to coax it out. I'm not sure about the glove box, I haven't poked around behind there yet. Good Luck with it.

[mcgusto82]

installing a new receiver.. i'd say to go with the aftermarket harness. it has the connecions for all wires. including ground. so basically you'd be using the stock ground. or maybe i'm not understanding your question?..the glove box... never removed it. can't help you there.

[MTBVibe]

*momentarily looks abashed* I just doublechecked the aftermarket harness I picked up, and there's a ground line on it. There wasn't on the aftermarket harness for my old vehicle...because that car's stock sound system didn't have a receiver ground to start with.I'll post whatever I find out about running that lead into the glovebox after I do it - hopefully it'll be easy enough!(New Yorkers unite! Have either of you two been up to the track yet? The Travers was apparently a snooze of a race, although I was at work.)

[nygiantzz1]

It sounds like you're all set. Re: the Track, No, I didn't get a chance to go this summer. The older I get, the less tolerance I have for the crowds. Let us know how you make out with the glove box.

[jwalcik]

Quote, originally posted by MTBVibe »I'll post whatever I find out about running that lead into the glovebox after I do it - hopefully it'll be easy enough!it's pretty straightforward. when you've got the trim panel off, and the stereo out, you can actually see through the dash into the glove box. just push your cable through from the center console and pull it out the glove box. i actually used a piece of masking tape to hold mine to the glove box lid so that i didn't accidentally pull it back through while putting things back together.

[MTBVibe]

Awesome, that's exactly what I was hoping. I'll just duck into my bin of random things and find a spring-loaded clip of some sort to hold the wire at the point where I don't want slack back from, I guess.

[mcgusto82]

no track around here. i'm at the lower end of weschester. i neighbor the bronx, mt vernon, and new Roc. do you know of any track near me?

[MTBVibe]

You know...Saratoga? http://www.nyra.com/saratoga/ ? One of America's oldest thoroughbred racing tracks? =pSeriously though, you're really close to Aqueduct, and Belmont is closer to you than it is to me by far...Anyway, back to topic - installation was done, and I spent the majority of my time putting in the DIN fit kit. Of course, because I was hurrying when I did my wiring harness, I didn't connect the amp line, so the first time I tried to turn it on, no dice. Had to pull the whole thing out and connect the leads, hooray. Worked perfectly after that though.Didn't manage to snag a digicam in time to take pictures of the inside where jwalcik pointed out the gap for me, but it sure was there - I'll try to do a shot from inside of the glovebox tomorrow, as my sister is visiting for the weekend and I have access to her camera. It works out REALLY well, though - the cable can reach into the back seat from the glovebox, and I didn't have to do anything extreme to route it through, like putting the cable in the center console might have required.One thing I'd like to pass along to anyone else who is planning to swap their stock HU for an aftermarket any time soon - when I went to pull out the stock unit, there was a little plastic flexiguide attached to the back of the left mount which a wire bundle had been electrical taped to. It was a huge pain to work off without doing anything that could possibly damage some of those lines, and I never tracked back what they were attached to. Just be ready with a screwdriver and a pair of blunt tweezers, so you can get under the edge of the tape and slide it off the guide.-m

[Jahntassa]

Quote, originally posted by MTBVibe »*momentarily looks abashed* I just doublechecked the aftermarket harness I picked up, and there's a ground line on it. There wasn't on the aftermarket harness for my old vehicle...because that car's stock sound system didn't have a receiver ground to start with.Some systems (I think older toyotas) would actually ground the radio through the chassis of the radio, because they were screwed into place. Thus, no ground in the harness.The big three tracks in NY are great, btw. Saratoga is definitely the coolest of the three. I used to work with the TV crews at races every now and again.