So, I installed all of my stuff this weekend. Here's a quick DIY for installing a head unit (AVIC D3), subwoofer, and amplifier. Hopefully this'll be good enough to get stickied! I used my cell phone for pics, so not the best quality. But it should be enough to figure out what I was doing.
You'll need a T20 and T15. To install, you'll also need a dash kit, wiring harness, antenna adapter, and a lot of butt splices and a few inline wire taps.
It would be Internet pollution if I posted how to get the dash off. We'll start with the trim removed.
EDIT: Here's a link to dash trim removal - http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2480895
Remove the radio:
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Pull out the plugs from the back of the radio. The antenna has a little tab you have to pull out:
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The main harness has a "lunchbox handle" type of connector. Lift up on it and it'll pop out:
![Image]()
Crimp what you can of the wiring harness. You can do the speaker wires (white/grey/purple/green with and without stripes). Also do ground and +12V. Don't do ACC, Antenna, Illumination. Here is a sample pic of the connected harness:
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Plug the harness in:
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When I got my antenna adapter, I saw the extra wire and I was like "what?". Turns out this is for the factory amplified antenna. Hook this wire to the antenna wire coming from the radio side of the harness:
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Next, we'll add the wires we need for the ACC power and illumination. Use an "add a circuit" type of thing for ACC power. Use fuse 41A (rear wiper fuse - on the bottom row of fuses, you should see 3. It's the one in the middle):
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For the illumination, tap the grey wire behind the headlight switch. To remove the switch, push in and twist clockwise. Disconnect the switch and pull back some of the insulation:
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To run the wires, we'll need to get rid of that pesky panel above the footwell. Four T15 screws and it'll fall down:
![Image]()
Use an inline wire tap to attach a new wire to the grey one:
![Image]()
Run the wire into the radio area. Crimp on to the add-a-circuit wire, and put that one into the radio area too. Now is also the time to run your Remote wire and RCAs for an amp, if you're installing one:
![Image]()
To get them back to the rear of the car, just pull up on the trim panels and stick them under. It's important that you do this on the left side of the car, because the Power wire will be on the right. Again, this only applies if you're installing an amp.
For the GPS antenna, I put it on the dash. It came with a sticky pad sheet metal thing, for reception. I installed that right in front of the vent area:
![Image]()
This picture shows where I ran my wires - it's fairly high up, beside the big plastic vent, right below the big white thing. When doing RCAs, it's roughly infinity times easier to push them through here than to pull them through the bottom. This is a pic of where I stuck my 3 RCA inputs for the unit (Video, Audio L/R input):
![Image]()
Plug your new wires in to the back of your radio:
![Image]()
Plug it in and test it (!) and then put your trim back:
![Image]()
Done!
![Image]()
You'll need a T20 and T15. To install, you'll also need a dash kit, wiring harness, antenna adapter, and a lot of butt splices and a few inline wire taps.
It would be Internet pollution if I posted how to get the dash off. We'll start with the trim removed.
EDIT: Here's a link to dash trim removal - http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2480895
Remove the radio:
Pull out the plugs from the back of the radio. The antenna has a little tab you have to pull out:
The main harness has a "lunchbox handle" type of connector. Lift up on it and it'll pop out:
Crimp what you can of the wiring harness. You can do the speaker wires (white/grey/purple/green with and without stripes). Also do ground and +12V. Don't do ACC, Antenna, Illumination. Here is a sample pic of the connected harness:
Plug the harness in:
When I got my antenna adapter, I saw the extra wire and I was like "what?". Turns out this is for the factory amplified antenna. Hook this wire to the antenna wire coming from the radio side of the harness:
Next, we'll add the wires we need for the ACC power and illumination. Use an "add a circuit" type of thing for ACC power. Use fuse 41A (rear wiper fuse - on the bottom row of fuses, you should see 3. It's the one in the middle):
For the illumination, tap the grey wire behind the headlight switch. To remove the switch, push in and twist clockwise. Disconnect the switch and pull back some of the insulation:
To run the wires, we'll need to get rid of that pesky panel above the footwell. Four T15 screws and it'll fall down:
Use an inline wire tap to attach a new wire to the grey one:
Run the wire into the radio area. Crimp on to the add-a-circuit wire, and put that one into the radio area too. Now is also the time to run your Remote wire and RCAs for an amp, if you're installing one:
To get them back to the rear of the car, just pull up on the trim panels and stick them under. It's important that you do this on the left side of the car, because the Power wire will be on the right. Again, this only applies if you're installing an amp.
For the GPS antenna, I put it on the dash. It came with a sticky pad sheet metal thing, for reception. I installed that right in front of the vent area:
This picture shows where I ran my wires - it's fairly high up, beside the big plastic vent, right below the big white thing. When doing RCAs, it's roughly infinity times easier to push them through here than to pull them through the bottom. This is a pic of where I stuck my 3 RCA inputs for the unit (Video, Audio L/R input):
Plug your new wires in to the back of your radio:
Plug it in and test it (!) and then put your trim back:
Done!
