Spike
Enthusiast
Laurie,
I installed the factory CD changer about two years ago, so forgive me if I've forgotten some of the details. First off, placement of the CD changer itself. This is actually the easy part. I think the instructions talk about mounting it vertically between the frame side and spare tire. I was somewhat leary about drilling holes in the trunk, so I actually mounted it with heavy duty velcro horizontally on the frame portion of the trunk. It works great and I could pull it anytime I need to.
The hardest part involves "threading" the connecting cord between the trunk to the radio itself. There is a small hole in the bulkhead between the trunk and interior. To find it involves removing some interior trim pieces behind/beside the passenger seat. Then you need some contortion skills as well as some way of getting the connecting cord from the trunk through that small hole. I would recommend going from the interior side and fishing it from there to the trunk through the rubber grommet on the passenger side of the trunk (that grommet is removable). That "small" hole is really small and takes some doing to make the pin connection through. Make sure you have the cord correctly oriented since the connections themselves are not the same. I used a coat hanger firmly taped to one end of the chord and used it to fish it all the way to the trunk.
The next task involves finding a way to hide the wire to the radio. I ran the wire under the plastic sill and then above the passenger side kick panel to the radio. You will have to pull the center bezel and unscrew several parts of the dash to actually remove the radio to attach the cord.
Sorry this post was so long, but I wish that the instructions had actually had some of this detail to save me some of the headache of figuring it out myself. Good luck and e-mail me if you run into any problems.
Scott "Spike" Keeton
1993 Red RT/10
2001 Red Ram V-10
I installed the factory CD changer about two years ago, so forgive me if I've forgotten some of the details. First off, placement of the CD changer itself. This is actually the easy part. I think the instructions talk about mounting it vertically between the frame side and spare tire. I was somewhat leary about drilling holes in the trunk, so I actually mounted it with heavy duty velcro horizontally on the frame portion of the trunk. It works great and I could pull it anytime I need to.
The hardest part involves "threading" the connecting cord between the trunk to the radio itself. There is a small hole in the bulkhead between the trunk and interior. To find it involves removing some interior trim pieces behind/beside the passenger seat. Then you need some contortion skills as well as some way of getting the connecting cord from the trunk through that small hole. I would recommend going from the interior side and fishing it from there to the trunk through the rubber grommet on the passenger side of the trunk (that grommet is removable). That "small" hole is really small and takes some doing to make the pin connection through. Make sure you have the cord correctly oriented since the connections themselves are not the same. I used a coat hanger firmly taped to one end of the chord and used it to fish it all the way to the trunk.
The next task involves finding a way to hide the wire to the radio. I ran the wire under the plastic sill and then above the passenger side kick panel to the radio. You will have to pull the center bezel and unscrew several parts of the dash to actually remove the radio to attach the cord.
Sorry this post was so long, but I wish that the instructions had actually had some of this detail to save me some of the headache of figuring it out myself. Good luck and e-mail me if you run into any problems.
Scott "Spike" Keeton
1993 Red RT/10
2001 Red Ram V-10