cjpett
Newbie
Hey everyone! I've seen threads and videos about putting AUX into a theftlock radio, but I've haven't seen much of anything about putting AUX into a non-theftlock radio, so this is my write-up for what I did to put AUX into my radio. This shouldn't affect cassette functionality, but I can't test it because both of the radios I've done this too had broken cassette players (They were broken before I opened them up). This is a pretty easy thing to do if you aren't scared of cutting and soldering a few wires. This will work with the radio below, the non-cassette variant, and anyone that looks similar. They may look different but the insides should be pretty much the same.
You have to pull out the radio to do this. If you don't know how its super easy. Turn the key to ACC, disconnect your battery, set your parking brake, drop your steering wheel as low as it'll go, pull your shifter all the way down, and pull off the dash bezel. Disconnect the light wire harness and cargo/rear hatch/whatever harnesses. Push down the two clips on the sides of the radio and pull it out. Disconnect the antenna and harness. Or you could just watch this video:
Tools:
1/4in socket and 2-3in extension
Wire strippers
Soldering Iron
a knife, xacto, utility, (something sharp)
Parts:
Wire (I recommend speaker but any will probably do)
Heatshrink
6 pin ON/ON switch (I used this: https://a.co/d/6GPbG5A)
AUX port
Bluetooth unit (If you want it) (I used this: https://a.co/d/8HVK0Ul)
Open up the radio. These pictures might be a little off, I swapped the back chassis plate for another unit, pulled off the clips thats used in the mounting system, and removed the cassette player to try and fix it. The bolts you should have to remove are pointed at with arrows. You'll also have to pull off the front fasica, the knobs, and the bass and treble nubbins. The nubbins come off pretty easy, just pull, and put them somewhere safe or you'll lose them (ask me how I know). The knobs come off pretty easy too. I use a stiff gutiar pick to get underneath them, then kinda just dig underneath them and pull. There are 4 plastic clips on the sides. Be super careful with these or they will break off. If you have a cassette player then disconnect the wire harness that connects it to the rest of the stuff.
Remove the top circuitboard. This one is the FM recivier. We're going to be intercepting the signal from here to the amplifer. There should be 4 bolts plus the antenna on the side. Find the brown/tan ribbon cable that connects it to the bottom circuitboard/amplifer. With the antenna hookup pointed towards you, split out the two wires that are 5 from you, and 1 away from you (It's hard to explain just look at the picture). These are pretty well attached so use a knife to split them apart. Then split these two apart, cut and strip them. You'll need to add length to both the recivier and amp wires so you can hookup your aux.
For this next part your going to want a 6 pin ON/ON switch. The reason you want a 6 pin is so you can keep left/right channels seperate. One side is going to go to the FM Reciver. The other side is going to go to your AUX port. The center set of pins will go to the amplifier. From here things will differ depending on what you want to do, because it comes down to personal preference. AUX is super easy, just hook it up to the switch and find a place to put it. I wanted to add bluetooth, so I bought a little unit with buttons and a screen. I piped the wires out the back of the radio and down to the ashtray. For power I hooked to an unused port in the accessory panel. I had a buddy 3D print a replacement for the ashtray, and shot it with some truck bed liner.
Double check all your connections and test to make sure it works before you put the radio back together. Pulling this thing apart because you messed something up gets pretty annoying pretty quick.
A couple of issues I discovered. I don't know the wattage coming out of the FM reciver, nor how to find it, so if you're really cranking it on aux then you might get a little bit of the radio, and other way around. If you have a cassette radio then make sure you reconnect the harness. If you don't then it'll inturrupt your music and try to reverse the non-existant cassette.
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You have to pull out the radio to do this. If you don't know how its super easy. Turn the key to ACC, disconnect your battery, set your parking brake, drop your steering wheel as low as it'll go, pull your shifter all the way down, and pull off the dash bezel. Disconnect the light wire harness and cargo/rear hatch/whatever harnesses. Push down the two clips on the sides of the radio and pull it out. Disconnect the antenna and harness. Or you could just watch this video:
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Tools:
1/4in socket and 2-3in extension
Wire strippers
Soldering Iron
a knife, xacto, utility, (something sharp)
Parts:
Wire (I recommend speaker but any will probably do)
Heatshrink
6 pin ON/ON switch (I used this: https://a.co/d/6GPbG5A)
AUX port
Bluetooth unit (If you want it) (I used this: https://a.co/d/8HVK0Ul)
Open up the radio. These pictures might be a little off, I swapped the back chassis plate for another unit, pulled off the clips thats used in the mounting system, and removed the cassette player to try and fix it. The bolts you should have to remove are pointed at with arrows. You'll also have to pull off the front fasica, the knobs, and the bass and treble nubbins. The nubbins come off pretty easy, just pull, and put them somewhere safe or you'll lose them (ask me how I know). The knobs come off pretty easy too. I use a stiff gutiar pick to get underneath them, then kinda just dig underneath them and pull. There are 4 plastic clips on the sides. Be super careful with these or they will break off. If you have a cassette player then disconnect the wire harness that connects it to the rest of the stuff.
You must be registered for see images attach
Remove the top circuitboard. This one is the FM recivier. We're going to be intercepting the signal from here to the amplifer. There should be 4 bolts plus the antenna on the side. Find the brown/tan ribbon cable that connects it to the bottom circuitboard/amplifer. With the antenna hookup pointed towards you, split out the two wires that are 5 from you, and 1 away from you (It's hard to explain just look at the picture). These are pretty well attached so use a knife to split them apart. Then split these two apart, cut and strip them. You'll need to add length to both the recivier and amp wires so you can hookup your aux.
You must be registered for see images attach
For this next part your going to want a 6 pin ON/ON switch. The reason you want a 6 pin is so you can keep left/right channels seperate. One side is going to go to the FM Reciver. The other side is going to go to your AUX port. The center set of pins will go to the amplifier. From here things will differ depending on what you want to do, because it comes down to personal preference. AUX is super easy, just hook it up to the switch and find a place to put it. I wanted to add bluetooth, so I bought a little unit with buttons and a screen. I piped the wires out the back of the radio and down to the ashtray. For power I hooked to an unused port in the accessory panel. I had a buddy 3D print a replacement for the ashtray, and shot it with some truck bed liner.
You must be registered for see images attach
Double check all your connections and test to make sure it works before you put the radio back together. Pulling this thing apart because you messed something up gets pretty annoying pretty quick.
A couple of issues I discovered. I don't know the wattage coming out of the FM reciver, nor how to find it, so if you're really cranking it on aux then you might get a little bit of the radio, and other way around. If you have a cassette radio then make sure you reconnect the harness. If you don't then it'll inturrupt your music and try to reverse the non-existant cassette.