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Kurt04
September 25th, 2006, 21:31
I want to put my Eclipse CD player in but just looking at the dash scares me. I'm fine with wiring but it looks like pulling the dash apart is going to be a PITA. Please tell me this is easier that it looks. Any tips?
5-90
September 25th, 2006, 21:44
Your 1995 should be the same body style as my RENIX rigs...

There are four screws that hold the gage surround in - two over the instruments proper, one overtop the lighter, and one overtop the headlamp switch. Take them out, tilt the steering wheel all the way down (if you have tilt,) and gently pull it toward you. You'll have to finagle it some past the steering wheel - be careful and you'll be all right.

The radio head unit should be held in with two "trim screws" - remove them, and the head unit pulls right out. Remove (keep the bracket - someone here will probably want one...) and connect the adapter harness you'd have gotten to the radio, and then to the in-dash wiring. Reverse the procedure to reinstall.

You'll need an adapter harness (well, maybe not - but it makes things a Hell of a lot easier!) and a radio mount kit (this is a must.) The harness should be somewhere around $5-10, and the mount kit $15-20 - if you don't have them already.

Working with my 88 (the stereo had been stolen before, and the wiring was all clipped...) it probably took me an hour in the truck to get it installed and working. In my wife's rig (wiring intact,) I needed 10 minutes to put the adapter to the radio harness, and then about 20-25 minutes to put the head unit it. It's a lot easier than it probably looks...

The gage surround goes from the telltale cluster on the left to the right side of the radio/HVAC/centre vent - all in one piece.

5-90
Kurt04
September 25th, 2006, 22:06
:clap: Thanks, 5-90. I think I'm gonna tackle this tomorrow.
RichP
September 26th, 2006, 04:40
On the older models what is that big empty space for next to the radio ? Had someone ask me that yesterday...
Menzenski
September 26th, 2006, 05:06
On the older models what is that big empty space for next to the radio ? Had someone ask me that yesterday...
The space on the left of the radio? There was a dash clock option, and some XJ Wagoneers had another gauge there.
Kurt04
September 26th, 2006, 14:29
Anyone else have trouble finding the right adapter harness? Wal-mart didn't have the right one and the audio shop gave me the wrong one. Even after I asked him if he looked up Cherokee instead of Grand Cherokee, but he said, "Oh, they are the same." dumbass... Guess I'll try Auto Zone, if they don't have it I'll just hardwire it, even though I hate doing that.
XJoshua
September 26th, 2006, 14:43
Mine was for a cherokee. It was a rather large adapter to, lots of slack. I would suggest when you start to put the headunit back in, to push as much of the wires behind the glove comparment as possible.
Kurt04
September 26th, 2006, 16:43
I took it back to the audio shop and they found the right one. Now this dash kit is giving me trouble. lol
5-90
September 26th, 2006, 16:44
Anyone else have trouble finding the right adapter harness? Wal-mart didn't have the right one and the audio shop gave me the wrong one. Even after I asked him if he looked up Cherokee instead of Grand Cherokee, but he said, "Oh, they are the same." dumbass... Guess I'll try Auto Zone, if they don't have it I'll just hardwire it, even though I hate doing that.

Give Best Buy a call - they're usually pretty good about that.

If you opt for hardwiring, I've long since decided to use QD "bullet" plugs for audio, and QD "spade" plugs for power leads. Why? Makes it easier to replace the head unit later, and I CAN'T mix up power and speaker leads!

I'll usually use the male type for "ground" potential leads (since they're usually exposed,) and female for "hot" leads (since they're usually shrouded - at least, the ones I buy are...)

5-90
Atl XJ
September 26th, 2006, 20:00
I took it back to the audio shop and they found the right one. Now this dash kit is giving me trouble. lol
You don't really need a dash kit. I used the OEM mounting bracket on my 95 and screwed in into the stereo. It works great and its pretty beefy. The worked for my Alpine and my old POS pioneer (that broke in 13 months :rolleyes:).

Its a PITA to get that trim piece off from around the 95-95 column isn't it?
Atl XJ
September 26th, 2006, 20:01
The space on the left of the radio? There was a dash clock option, and some XJ Wagoneers had another gauge there.
Yeah, but whats the space below it for. I've never seen an XJ with anything there. Its just blank black plastic.
Kurt04
September 26th, 2006, 20:06
You don't really need a dash kit. I used the OEM mounting bracket on my 95 and screwed in into the stereo. It works great and its pretty beefy. The worked for my Alpine and my old POS pioneer (that broke in 13 months :rolleyes:).

Its a PITA to get that trim piece off from around the 95-95 column isn't it?
Thats exactally what I ended up doing. Its not really situated like would like but it works and there no way anyone could steal it.

And yes moving it around the column is a PITA, even taking the box thing off doesn't help much.
Menzenski
September 26th, 2006, 20:10
Yeah, but whats the space below it for. I've never seen an XJ with anything there. Its just blank black plastic.
Just looked it up; it's called "System Sentry": http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?p=699728#post699728.
Atl XJ
September 27th, 2006, 23:54
Thats pretty cool. :D
camarors8992
September 29th, 2006, 18:33
my install was somewhat more complicated. I have plastic trim around my steering column that needs to be removed, however the dash still gets caught up on the colum and you have to pull and bend right until it almost breaks to get it out.
Kittrell
September 29th, 2006, 18:41
No dash kit on my '94. Screwed the factory bracket onto my Pioneer. Redrilled new mounting points a little lower on the dash, and viola.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/Jeep1991/68421140gHtbce_ph.jpg
Kurt04
September 29th, 2006, 18:58
my install was somewhat more complicated. I have plastic trim around my steering column that needs to be removed, however the dash still gets caught up on the colum and you have to pull and bend right until it almost breaks to get it out. Yep, thats how mine was. I'm satisfied with mine but i wish it stuck out alittle and sat lower. I have a full-face that swings down to eject the CD and it rubs alittle on the top of the trim while its moving.

This its my CD player when it was in my old truck.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/Kurt04/Cars/open.jpg
Matts98XJ
February 18th, 2007, 13:17
No dash kit on my '94. Screwed the factory bracket onto my Pioneer. Redrilled new mounting points a little lower on the dash, and viola.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v690/Jeep1991/68421140gHtbce_ph.jpg

You're lucky your Pioneer has holes that line up. I've been fussing for over an hour trying to get this radio back in. Not to mention i can't get the dash piece back in.
TheAlmightySam
February 19th, 2007, 10:03
No dash kit on my '92 either. Just used the factory bracket, but I did have to drill new holes through the bracket to mate it to my POS Kenwood. Not a big deal. Sure looks nice mounted up like that, though.