aftermarket stereo installation w/ monsoon

[doute9]

So after getting fed up with listening to the radio for a while I finally decided to buy an aftermarket stereo for my 04 with the monsoon system. I bought a pioneer off of crutchfield.com and when checking out was prompted with two options to add to my purchase: the [h=4]PAC RP5-GM11 Wiring Interface or the Metra VT-GMOS-04 Wiring Interface. The PAC was another $92 and retained the OnStar ability, the factory amp, and the steering wheels controls. The metra was another $50 and claimed to retain onStar, the audible safety warnings and chimes, and the Bose audio system. Figuring I could just buy the necessary harness that allows just the actual radio to work without all that extra stuff for more money, i bought one for 5 bucks off of ebay instead of choosing one of the options from crutchfield. I got it hooked everything up and put in in my car and turned it on and nothing happened, the stereo didnt even turn on. Looking back at the stuff that I was prompted to buy and what i ended up buying, Im thinking that the harness i bought for $5 off ebay doesnt work with the monsoon system, only the regular audio system? any thoughts? If so, is there anything I can get for around 5-10 bucks that would allow it to work or am i stuck buying the 50$ metra harness? I installed an aftermarket stereo in a different car using one of these cheap harnesses and it worked fine.[/h]

 

[Peirce1970]

You have to run a separate power wire to the fuse box to make it work. I've used that harness in a 04 with monsoon before but I wasn't using the factory amp and you lose on star and the door chimes.


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[bobc455]

The Metra device is what tells the radio to turn on/off. It acts as the interface to/from the canbus system. It also becomes a chime module since you will lose the one in the car.