How to remove seats and carpeting for wiring...

[Lumberg]

Hey all,

I've installed multiple after market radios in multiple vehicles, but I just bought a beautiful 2004 4Runner Sport and am going to throw the Kenwood DNX7100 inside and wanted to know if anybody had any advice/pics of the best way to remove the front to seats [to install my Sirius underneath] and to run wires back to the other end of the vehicle, etc.

I'm ready to take it to the next step. ;-) Also, I want to mount the GPS/Sirius antenna's without showing wires, so I wanted to know the best way to lift up carpeting/etc. I see tons of pics of people who show wires bundled up running back to amps along the side rails of the car, but is there any easy way to do this besides just trying it?

I'm sorry if there are topics on this already, I looked but perhaps not hard enough. ;-)

Thanks in advance...

 

[airbur]

Nice choice of vehicles! Last weekend I actually re-did my entire system. I had already installed a DNX7100 but this time I ripped out everything else and replaced it. Truthfully, it's a learn as you go process. I almost installed a Sirius unit under the front seat but decided against it...I don't listen to the radio enough. One thing to consider is that the rear-air vents are located under each seat....makes it a bit of a pain to install there.

Anyway....there are alot of good posts on here that show exactly how to remove everything....I was able to run 3 sets of RCAs by only removing the center console (and the front of the dash). Make sure to keep track of all your screws.

Are you attaching the DNX7100 directly to the OEM system with a harness? I did that first and it sounded horrible.

Click the links in my signature below for installation writeups.

Good luck!

 

[Lumberg]

Yeah-- I was planning on running it with the stock JBL system. You say yours sounded like crap? You mean with all the stock wires/speakers? The system in there now sounds pretty good, I'd be hacked off if I put a sweet deck in there and it made it sound worse...

It's not the 6-disc changer, it's the CD/TapeDeck unit w/no changer, but the JBL speaker system. Is that what you did?

If not, would you recommend me just using an amp, or completely replacing all the wiring/speakers?

 

[airbur]

I had the JBL 10 speaker system with the amp and sub. I didn't like the way it sounded to start off with. The TYTO-01 harness that adapts the DNX7100 to the stock system works, but for me, it really made the whole system sound even worse. Obviously, replacing everything is more $ and more work. You might try it with the harness and see what you think, then go from there.

 

[Lumberg]

Interesting.

To be honest, Navigation isn't *that* important to me, but how my Sirius works is of utmost importance, since that's pretty much the only thing I listen to [and my iPod] so I'm not sure if I'll go with the Kenwood or not, but I'm leaning towards it.

I'm pretty sure the wifey would dig the Garmin Nav.

Anyways-- you had mentioned something about how you thought you could adjust the potentiometer and that maybe would have fixed your issues at higher volumes. Did you try that at all?

Anybody reading this post want to comment on a good double DIN system that has a great Sirius interface?

Thank you airbus for all your help by the way! ;-)

ps: since on the 04 you say the vents are under the front seats... where would you recommend putting a Sirius tuner?

 

[airbur]

You could probably fit a XM or Sirius box next to the vents...but I'm not sure. I never did attempt to adjust the pot. on the harness.....it's not my favorite thing in the world to disassemble the dash...it may have made a difference but I didn't try.

As for the DNX7100, I love it. I do use the Nav quite often and it's database is like the yellow pages. You can type in anything and it will find it for you and take you right to it. Another good thing about Kenwood's use of the Garmin Nav is that you can download both software and database updates from their website (www.garmin.com/kenwood) load them to an SD card and complete the update. Try doing that with an overpriced Eclipse or Alpine unit....you've probably seen the 100s of posts on here were people are looking for Nav Update CDs for those other units....just not an issue with the Kenwood.

 

[teddy]

ied go with the 7100 the sirius interface is the best your gonna get their all about the same but back in the day kenwood used to be a sirius unit only so im sure they have the bugs worked out. the harness issue is gonna happen on any car with the jbl system my recommendation tweak it the best u can and be happy with it. i use xm on my kenwood and its alot different then the Sirius interface beacuse it runs through the navigation part but the sirius runs through the unit it self im actually thinking about picking up the Sirius unit so i can have both services

 

[4runner91]

ied go with the 7100 the sirius interface is the best your gonna get their all about the same but back in the day kenwood used to be a sirius unit only so im sure they have the bugs worked out. the harness issue is gonna happen on any car with the jbl system my recommendation tweak it the best u can and be happy with it. i use xm on my kenwood and its alot different then the Sirius interface beacuse it runs through the navigation part but the sirius runs through the unit it self im actually thinking about picking up the Sirius unit so i can have both services

So i know kenwood doesnt have an xm tuner for the 7100, do you just have its hooked up through AUX? I got the car kit for the xm for xmas and just got my 4runner and havent hooked it up yet cuz im getting the 7100 today. My plan was just to hook this up through a spare aux. Wasnt sure how it was working for you or how you did it?

 

[airbur]

So i know kenwood doesnt have an xm tuner for the 7100, do you just have its hooked up through AUX? I got the car kit for the xm for xmas and just got my 4runner and havent hooked it up yet cuz im getting the 7100 today. My plan was just to hook this up through a spare aux. Wasnt sure how it was working for you or how you did it?

XM is controlled through the Garmin Nav screens...odd but works fine.

 

[4runner91]

alright i have the kenwood dnx7100 i will be installing today. It came with a rear camera. donno if its any good but it was free so i figured i would give it a shot. Any tips on how i should run the wiring from the HU to the rear license plate. It does hook right into the license plate so am i going to need to drill anything? is it best to go through the car or under the car?