Hello;

We just purchased a 06 SE and we were supposed to have the 6 disc cd installed in place of the stock single disc. To make a long story short... Dealer wishes to put an after market unit in the truck which imo is unacceptable.

They are claiming the rockford fosgate 6 disc changer will not work properly due to the fact the wiring is different from the S-SE-XE.... Anyone able to confirm if this is true or not? It sounds kinda hokey to me that they would have more than one wiring kit for interiors/radios etc...? I am thinking that if anything the radio should not work it would be because of the fact the sub is not installed?

My personal opinion is that it is because the upgrade costs about 2000 dollars from the dealership and they were thinking they were going to get off with a el cheapo unit...
I know there are Lots of units which are much much better... but this will suit our needs for the moment...

thanks in advance for any advice on this....

Hello;

We just purchased a 06 SE and we were supposed to have the 6 disc cd installed in place of the stock single disc. To make a long story short... Dealer wishes to put an after market unit in the truck which imo is unacceptable.

They are claiming the rockford fosgate 6 disc changer will not work properly due to the fact the wiring is different from the S-SE-XE.... Anyone able to confirm if this is true or not? It sounds kinda hokey to me that they would have more than one wiring kit for interiors/radios etc...? I am thinking that if anything the radio should not work it would be because of the fact the sub is not installed?

My personal opinion is that it is because the upgrade costs about 2000 dollars from the dealership and they were thinking they were going to get off with a el cheapo unit...
I know there are Lots of units which are much much better... but this will suit our needs for the moment...

thanks in advance for any advice on this....

Considering the SE is supposed to come with the RF stereo, I'd insist on it. If it doesnt have a RF, then the truck isnt really an SE, or the stereo got swiped for another truck.
What size rims do you have? 16 or 17"?
do you have an overhead maplight/eyeglass compartment?
do you have foglights?
Did your truck come with an emergency road kit and emergency first aid kit?
does it have fold flat front passenger seat?

These are some of the features that come with an SE.

By the way, Welcome to the club. Lots of knowledgable people here who are all willing to help you! :)

Welcome to the Club!

Someone more knowledgable may have a few more thoughts than I on this topic, but here goes...

Do you have steering wheel controls on the Xterra? Is there a subwoofer under the driver's side front seat?

Much like Boof said, give us a few more details on the vehicle. Do you still have your Marooney sticker (window sales sticker)? What does it say? If it says SE, then the dealership has screwed you and removed a required component. It happens from time to time (like the dealership here that sold an Altima SE-R with LE wheels because the SE-R's got stolen).

Both the standard and the RF head units use the same wiring harness on the back side of the head unit. Where they differ is that the RF unit is set up from the get go to work with steering wheel controls. Second the RF is a non-powered unit, meaning that an amplifier downline before the speakers is required. The basic unit will work with the RF amp (in case someone simply removed the head unit), but the radio will feel like it is very sound sensitive. What I mean by that is that the sound will increase very rapidly, without a ton of adjustment in the knob.

Just food for thought, if you bought an SE, and did not receive the standard items, then the dealership has ripped you off. Point blank they have not sold you what was on the bill of sale. That is a legally actionable position. Second, if you have an SE, and they are telling you that the RF unit costs 2k, they are lying to you. Airbags do not even cost that much.

Finally, just as another side note, the RF package isn't actually made by Rockford Fosgate. It's actually designed and tweaked by Fosgate, but you will find that the parts are made by panasonic, and Clarion. Both are reputable audio manufacturors.

Hmmm, I grabbed the window sticker... my bad... is just a -S.... no fog lights, overhead console etc.... It also has 16" alloy wheels... This is my wife's truck and we have had it just for a couple weeks now... personally, I think I might have driven it or ridden in it less than 3 times hence the lack of info....

When we went to buy the vehicle, she knew she wanted the Xterra after the test drive, they only had the S models on the lot, and one either SE or XE not sure at this point and not important... but, what we told the dealer was that we wanted the 6 disc changer which is in the higher model put in ours with the fog lights and we would take the deal or we would be forced to go to another lot.. so they knocked another chunk of cash off the sticker...

From talking with the manager today he is under the impression that the 6 disc changer will plug in but will not really work properly due to the fact that the wiring harness and pin configuration is different on our truck compared to the higher grade model... There is where my whole question and issue is... Can we install the upgraded radio or do we have to go with an after market unit...

Additionally, the Sales manager said by the end of the conversation the upgrade stereo is 800 dollars... plus the labor to install... and if it does not work... well, we are stuck with it.... but he wants us to be satisfied customers and that the cost is not an issue to him... and that we need to consider other options.... At this time I have not even considered a after market unit so, am at a loss for this... dang, I feel so old now... used to be right on top of that stuff a long time ago... give me the ole pioneer super tuner 3 and I am golden...

Sorry for the miscommunication on the grade Xterra we have.... and hopefully someone can tell if the wiring is gtg for our xterra for this radio or if we will have no choice but to go after market...

[QUOTE=Bjsxt]Hmmm, I grabbed the window sticker... my bad... is just a -S.... no fog lights, overhead console etc.... It also has 16" alloy wheels... This is my wife's truck and we have had it just for a couple weeks now... personally, I think I might have driven it or ridden in it less than 3 times hence the lack of info....

When we went to buy the vehicle, she knew she wanted the Xterra after the test drive, they only had the S models on the lot, and one either SE or XE not sure at this point and not important... but, what we told the dealer was that we wanted the 6 disc changer which is in the higher model put in ours with the fog lights and we would take the deal or we would be forced to go to another lot.. so they knocked another chunk of cash off the sticker...

From talking with the manager today he is under the impression that the 6 disc changer will plug in but will not really work properly due to the fact that the wiring harness and pin configuration is different on our truck compared to the higher grade model... There is where my whole question and issue is... Can we install the upgraded radio or do we have to go with an after market unit...

Additionally, the Sales manager said by the end of the conversation the upgrade stereo is 800 dollars... plus the labor to install... and if it does not work... well, we are stuck with it.... but he wants us to be satisfied customers and that the cost is not an issue to him... and that we need to consider other options.... At this time I have not even considered a after market unit so, am at a loss for this... dang, I feel so old now... used to be right on top of that stuff a long time ago... give me the ole pioneer super tuner 3 and I am golden...

Sorry for the miscommunication on the grade Xterra we have.... and hopefully someone can tell if the wiring is gtg for our xterra for this radio or if we will have no choice but to go after market...[/QUOTE

Not sure about the wiring harnesses, but, screw it at this point. You own it. Go to a stereo shop and tell them what you want. Aftermarket stuff is better anyway.

Hey, since you're going to be a regular member, why dont you snap some pics of your X, you & your wife or whatever & post them in the gallery we've reserved for you?

Look forward to hearing from you,John

Definitely look foward to seeing pics and so on.

Don't worry about it being an S model. That's what mine is, and I have done most of the upgrades to the SE variety. :-) If you look in the Do It Yourself (DIY) section, you'll see how to install the factory fog light kit (all the wiring is already there). You can get the kit itself through a couple different Nissan dealers including Dick Smith Nissan, Courtesy Parts, and our very own Jersey Parts guy.

As far as the stereo goes, I probably wouldn't go with the Nissan factory 6 disc job. As John said there's lots more out there at local stereo shops very reasonably priced. if you go to this [URL="http://www.clubxterra.org/forums/showthread.php?t=536" thread [/URL] then you'll see pictures of what I did with mine. Mind you that was all laying around when I traded in my last vehicle, but even still I only spent about 500 total on it when I bought them.

Any modifications other than stereo that yall are thinking about? The Mrs. here isn't such a big fan of modifications, but she has been pleased with the things taken care of so far on my new toy.

Donald

Did some digging and searching on the forums... it appears I may have to go with the after market after most of what I read.

Now, who if any makes a similar In dash head unit for the Xterra which has a multi changer.... any info would be helpful....

Did some digging and searching on the forums... it appears I may have to go with the after market after most of what I read.

Now, who if any makes a similar In dash head unit for the Xterra which has a multi changer.... any info would be helpful....


Crutchfield!!

Do you want a single din unit with a pocket underneath, or are you looking at something that is a double din unit to fully use up the space in the dash? Have you thought about a 6 disc changer stashed away in the upper glove box unit that you have in the dash?

Clarion, Pioneer, and Alpine all make units that will do what you want in both single din and double din variety. It just depends on what you want to spend.

The next question is do you have interest in mobile video? If so, then you can get everything you have already listed that you want in addition to DVD capability for not a whole lot more. Something to think about.

As Boof just mentioned Crutchfield is a good place to start looking. I have a local dealer I go through here in Columbia, SC who always seems to beat the Crutchfield pricing. That's just me though.

When you finally get down to choosing a stereo it's gotta be something you like. I was an Alpine addict for a number of years, and then they started changing the designs to something I wasn't comfortable with, and now I'm solidly in the Clarion corner for head units and DVD players for mobile application.

definitely go aftermarket with the changer....i had the fosgate system in my old spec v with the nissan factory 6 disc changer below it...it worked for about a month after i got it, then would only play out of the right speakers, and then stopped playing anything that had been burned on my pc....so when i got the x i saved money with the factory setup and swaped everything out as soon as i could afford it. i'm a pioneer guy myself, and went for a single disc player up front with some really nice features....but, like the other guys said, it's all about what you want for your ride...crutchfield.com is great....also check out sounddomain.com and do a ride search for xterra's....it'll give you an idea of what other people are doing, what looks good, and what doesn't....they also have some good price deals from time to time...post some pics when you get it all finished

We are not into mobile video and I looked at the stuff at the crutchfield site. Lots to choose from. We basically are looking for something similar to what I have in my Titan.... which is the RF system.... but since it is not available without major headaches, we would like to get something which has multi disc capabilities in dash in the same location as the stock radio...

We are not into mobile video and I looked at the stuff at the crutchfield site. Lots to choose from. We basically are looking for something similar to what I have in my Titan.... which is the RF system.... but since it is not available without major headaches, we would like to get something which has multi disc capabilities in dash in the same location as the stock radio...


Once again, I insist. Call Crutchfield & tell them your story. They will hook you up with a reciever and the connectors and faceplates all for free.

You cant go wrong with them. If you were my neighbor, I'd trade you my RF stereo for whatever Crutchfield prepares for you.

Hey, as an aside, I just bought a $400.00 camera from them. They called me to see if it had gotten here OK.

Who the F does that?

Customer service all the way.

I

I agree with Boof. I have the RF but I'll probably upgrade to something like this:
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ZKagilbrvjj/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=182350&id=morephotos&pi=1&i=130AVICZ1&display=L#Tab
Crutchfield all the way.

I have an Xterra stereo question, I picked up my mounting kit for my Alpine head unit, to install it into my Xterra. How do you get the stereo out of the dash? I suspect it has something to do with the dished out storage plate/bin over top the radio. Any help would be great.

Wish I haD an 05 to compare the dash difference, maybe I could help you
I'm being as hard as can be on this dammed 04, so I can get a 05/06 but then the delema is all the colors suck....I saw a new pathfinder in the color I want... why don't they offer all the nissan colors on the X? why? Why?

you're correct...you have to remove that storage tray above the headunit...it has 4 little clips that hold it in place, 2 on each side. once removed, you'll see a screw behind it- remove the screw, then the whole dash around the head unit pulls out. be careful when doing this, it's real easy to scratch the dash. remove all of the wiring harnesses from behind it to keep it from hanging there. also, a word of advice- don't turn the key to the truck with the wires for the pax airbag (the little sensor light that can tell if anyone is sitting in the front pax seat) light unhooked- if you do this, you'll trip the airbag circuit and have to take the truck to the dealer to have the computer reset ( i learned this one the hard way) make sure that light is plugged back in before you test your headunit. attached below is the instructions from crutchfield on how to remove the dash- the pic is a little low quality due to the size limit on the forum. if you want a better one, im me or shoot me an email

-john

You actually don't need a mounting kit to put in the Alpine CD player in an 05 Xterra. you do need to spend about 8 bucks at the local Nissan dealer to get the pocket to go beneath it.

To remove the factory radio from an 05 Xterra, sit in one of the front seats. Reach up to the top of the center dash portion where the little tray is. next simply pull forward on both sides of that center piece. It is held by two metal retaining clips. They will pop out. Next, if they didn't pop loose too, then pull the bottom side, and the two metal clips there will also pop out. Your AC and other wiring stuff will still be attached. Simply let it hang down. Now you have the radio visible, and there are four screws, two top and two bottom. remove these screws and the radio and metal brackets will come out.

Once the radio is out, the metal bracket has 4 radio screws on each side. Two on the top, and two on the bottom. Remove all 8 screws and set the factory radio aside. put two screws in the bottom of each bracket to attach it to the plastic pocket. the top two radio sscrews on each side go into the Alpine radio. Then simply use the wiring set up of your choosing and it goes back in.

When I swapped out right after buying mine it took all of about 8 minutes.

Let me know if you need any pics tossed up to go with this.

oops, sorry Hardrock, looks like you posted up while I was doing the same. Sorry to create a double explanation.

Donald

no worries....better to get more than one person to reply than no one at all...i know i wouldn't have most of my stereo mods done if it weren't for what other people posted

john

Well I like to fancy myself a bit of a technician, I was thinking that if I could fix fifty thousand dollar copiers during the day, I could install a radio in my truck. I have a nissan radio pigtail, and a pigtail to the back of my alpine. So I'll need solder those up properly. The thing that caught my attention was the airbag light. Now during the process of removing the radio, do you have to undo the connector to the passenger side airbag indicator? I understand that I am not to turn the key and apply power up the 12 volt system, and have said connector undone. Also any other tidbits would be great.

you can do the install without unplugging the wire, it's just easier to do with it unplugged....if you leave it plugged in, the dash panel that goes around the radio will just hang there, and will scratch up the rest of your dash pretty easily...so, if you do this, put a rag or something behind it to prevent this. when you pull that dash panel off, you'll see all the wires on the back side...each one is on a harness that just unplugs- the one all the way on the right is the airbag light...the rest are for your a/c and heating controls. there's no harm in unplugging it. when i installed my headunit, i had the whole panel off, and turned on the radio to make sure it worked before i put everything back together. when i finished everything and started the truck, the airbag warning light on the dash was blinking. when i took it to the dealer,they fixed it for free, but told me it happens all the time when stereos are installed and power is applied to the vehicle with that harness unplugged. my advice, if you want to play it really safe, leave it plugged in, just fab up something to keep the panel from scratching the dash

-john

For speed if you are careful not to scratch things up, I just leave mine connected and gently lower it down. :) Soldering the pigtails together is a nice touch.

As another minor aside, there is a reset feature that can be done without going to the dealer if you accidently pull out the plug and turn the key. I would hate to take the write up from another site, as I haven't done it myself. It is located on XOC if youa re looking for it.

I finished my harness just a little bit ago, looks pretty good huh? I've done them like this for years, works great. Allows me to swap radios out fast, and put them in different vehicles. After crimping the pins on, I hit them with a 30 watt weller iron and some high quality circuit board solder. They never come loose.

Got my Alpine radio in last night, I was amazed at how easy the dash scratches. I found a way to buff the scratches out though, I have a chemical in my tool kit, I use it to desolve toner deposits when I'm cleaning various parts. It's citrus solvent. I put some on a cotton cloth and rubbed the scratched area, it buffs the outer layer of the dash surface off, thus removing a good deal or all of the scratch.