it looks like im done with performance mods on my s, so it looks like im gonna start to upgrade the sound system. i have a few questions that i hope some of you can answer for me:

i already know what head unit i want (pioneer DEH-P7400)

1. what do i need to actually make the unit plug and play? some kind of harness?

2. i know you need some kind of PAC unit or something to make it work, but what is the differences between the two kinds?

3. i have after market speakers right now will they sound better with a new head unit?

also will i be able to install all this stuff by myself?

thanks in advance guys!

 

oh yup, install yourself is not hard at all....
go visit Lucid's web site, you could find all the info you need tho..!!
and glad you wanna buy the same head unit I have now..!! I paid 265 shipped...!!
well, it depends on what speaker you are running now...
but it supposely will work better... of course, it is always better with an amp if your speaker is good..!

 

Derrick, man...every reply by you makes it look like you're on speedballs or heroin


DJ,

1) Good choice in head units. The use of a harness will depend upon how badly you'd want to return your system to stock. Personally, I knew I would never put the stock system back in, even if I sold the car, so I clipped off the stock harness and soldered on the new one. It's cleaner and takes up less space behind the head, but it's more work if you want to move to a different head manufacturer.

2) The PAC unit you'll need is the SWI-X (which replaces the SWI-3, if that's the second unit you're referring to). I don't know of any compatibility problems with the Pioneer head, but check their website just to be safe (http://www.go2pac.com).

3) While I wouldn't absolutely guarantee it, I would say you have a better than 98% chance the new head is going to give you better sound out of your aftermarket speakers, if for no other reason than you can provide them with a bit more power.

4) Whether or not you can doall of this stuff yourself is not really something any of us can give an absolute answer to. The head is a comparitively easy component to replace...only one panel to remove (by pulling) and 4 screws to remove (holding the head in). If you go with a pre-made harness, such as those sold by Crutchfield, it's almost as easy as pulling out the old, plugging in the harness and putting in the new. The PAC adds a slight amount of extra wiring to the process, but with a color code chart (see my webpage), some electrical tape, and some wire cutters, its definitely doable.

 

I always advise never to clip or remove your stock wiring plugs. People like Macgyver who are EEs can do all kinds of things but the rest of the world can't. If theres an issue with the new deck you put in say a year from now and you have to change its worth the 15 bux for a harness to plug into stock wiring-no guessing which wire is which and you can use it on a new deck or revert to stock.

Theres 2 kinds of pac units - the Shifter changer, and the SWI-X. SWI-X will work with most decks with a wireless remote. Some issues come up with sonys however.

feel free to view my guides:

www.lucidautomotive/guides

That will give you some insight as to what you're looking at.