How to Install a Car Stereo in a Chevy Cavalier
- 1). Raise the hood of the Cavalier to access the grounding cable. The grounding cable is the black wire that connects the negative battery terminal to the frame of the vehicle. Loosen the cable's clamp with the wrench and move it from the Chevy's negative battery terminal. Move to the inside of the Cavalier.
- 2). Pry the panels from the sides of the main dashboard panel with a flat screwdriver or trim panel removal tool. Unscrew and remove the two 10 mm bolts hidden behind the panels with a socket and nut drive.
- 3). Open the glove-box. Remove the two screws located on the left side of the compartment with a Phillips-head screwdriver.
- 4). Remove the center dash panel at the top of the dashboard, with a flat tool. Remove the two 10 mm bolts behind the panel.
- 5). Grab the main dash panel at the driver's side corner and pull it away from the dashboard.
- 6). Remove the screws along the top edge of the stereo bracket. Grab the top edge of the trim panel in the center of the dashboard. Pull the panel away from the stereo assembly.
- 7). Remove the 7 mm bolt screws at either side of the stereo bracket with a socket and nut drive.
- 8). Pull the stereo straight from the vehicle's stereo dock and unplug the wiring connectors from the outlets on the radio's rear panel. Pull the two plastic wiring connectors and black antenna cable from the back of the factory radio.
- 9). Slide the GM stereo installation kit faceplate adapter into the stereo mounting dock. Push the adapter into the opening until it snaps into place.
- 10
Plug the Cavalier's stereo wiring connectors into the corresponding leads of the wiring harness adapter. The adapter will have plastic color-coded wiring connectors to show where the appropriate wiring connections should be made. - 11
Connect the wiring harness adapter leads to the outlets on the rear panel of the new stereo. Plug the leads into the outlets via the plastic color-coded connectors. - 12
Plug the Cavalier's antenna cable into the GM antenna adapter. Plug the adapter into the outlet on the rear panel of the new stereo marked "FM Antenna." - 13
Slide the new stereo into the faceplate adapter until it locks into place. - 14
Replace the 7 mm bolt screws on the sides of the stereo. Place the stereo assembly trim panel over the center of the dashboard and screw in the three screws just above the panel with the Phillips-head screwdriver. - 15
Align the main dash panel onto the Cavalier's dashboard. Screw in the two screws on the left side of the glove-box. Replace the two bolts in the compartments at either end of the dashboard with a 10 mm socket and drive. Press the small trim panels to the sides of the dashboard until they snap into place. Move to the battery. - 16
Place the grounding cable clamp around the Cavalier's negative battery terminal. Tighten the cable's clamp with the wrench and close the hood.
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