'89 IROC Z Audio
07-09-2016, 05:56 PM
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'89 IROC Z Audio
Hey everyone!
It's been a long time since I've been on this board. It's great to see that third generation is still running strong. Back then I had a '90 camaro. Now after years (and kids growing up lol) of not having one, I just picked up a great running 89 IROC with some custom body slots and a great running 350 TPI. I'm about to upgrade the sound to a modern touch screen Bluetooth. I've moved the HVAC down to the bottom, and am about to custom cut the bevel to fit in the new radio on top of the HVAC. My question is this..
If I put in a 2DIN radio, it's in a better spot now than it was before with the HVAC on top of it. But I did notice that if I get a flip screen 1 1/2DIN, I can maneuver the radio installation high in the spot and the flip screen would actually be up higher than a regular 2DIN system in that car. But I hear bad stories about the flip up touch screens. Anyone have advise? Should I just stick with putting a 2 in? Thanks!
It's been a long time since I've been on this board. It's great to see that third generation is still running strong. Back then I had a '90 camaro. Now after years (and kids growing up lol) of not having one, I just picked up a great running 89 IROC with some custom body slots and a great running 350 TPI. I'm about to upgrade the sound to a modern touch screen Bluetooth. I've moved the HVAC down to the bottom, and am about to custom cut the bevel to fit in the new radio on top of the HVAC. My question is this..
If I put in a 2DIN radio, it's in a better spot now than it was before with the HVAC on top of it. But I did notice that if I get a flip screen 1 1/2DIN, I can maneuver the radio installation high in the spot and the flip screen would actually be up higher than a regular 2DIN system in that car. But I hear bad stories about the flip up touch screens. Anyone have advise? Should I just stick with putting a 2 in? Thanks!
07-11-2016, 10:02 AM
#2
Re: '89 IROC Z Audio
Glad to have you back in the flock.
Like usual, it comes down to what you want for the car
.
The single din or 1.5 din flip screens are convenient in that they'll fit into the space you have available better, but they can be a bit more of a hassle to use, since they, you know, flip up. I've never heard of the internal motors giving much trouble unless you own them more than 3-4 years but it does add one more mode of failure if you want to keep it simple. I think that's really it for negatives, unless the screen covers something you need in the dash.
Do you still use CD's at all? There is a growing selection of touchscreen media receivers (or 'mechless' headunits) that don't have any moving parts. They still follow the 1 din or 2 din sizes, but are less than half the depth if that's something you need for your car as well. They also have the advantage of connecting to external media like an SSD via usb, so you can plug in a 128GB portable drive with all your music on it and not have to carry anything else with you in the car. If you're concerned about sound quality, some support lossless audio too (like the parrot asteroid, asteroid smart, or pioneer appradio 4).
In my opinion, I prefer to keep things as simple as possible when I can. With a double din you'll have more options for aftermarket stereos and interactivity (GPS, phone connection being the big ones), but you have to modify the dash to install it. Mechless versions can have better longevity since they don't have any moving parts, and modern car media is largely moving to digital formats anyway. If you plan on keeping the car for awhile, you kind of win on two fronts there with a bit of futureproofing. But like I said, If you have lots of CD's you still want to use and have the dash space to install a cd deck, I would avoid the flip ups, personally and wither go with a single din (with a proper install bracket), or a good capacitive touchscreen double din unit (glass screen).
Like usual, it comes down to what you want for the car
. The single din or 1.5 din flip screens are convenient in that they'll fit into the space you have available better, but they can be a bit more of a hassle to use, since they, you know, flip up. I've never heard of the internal motors giving much trouble unless you own them more than 3-4 years but it does add one more mode of failure if you want to keep it simple. I think that's really it for negatives, unless the screen covers something you need in the dash.
Do you still use CD's at all? There is a growing selection of touchscreen media receivers (or 'mechless' headunits) that don't have any moving parts. They still follow the 1 din or 2 din sizes, but are less than half the depth if that's something you need for your car as well. They also have the advantage of connecting to external media like an SSD via usb, so you can plug in a 128GB portable drive with all your music on it and not have to carry anything else with you in the car. If you're concerned about sound quality, some support lossless audio too (like the parrot asteroid, asteroid smart, or pioneer appradio 4).
In my opinion, I prefer to keep things as simple as possible when I can. With a double din you'll have more options for aftermarket stereos and interactivity (GPS, phone connection being the big ones), but you have to modify the dash to install it. Mechless versions can have better longevity since they don't have any moving parts, and modern car media is largely moving to digital formats anyway. If you plan on keeping the car for awhile, you kind of win on two fronts there with a bit of futureproofing. But like I said, If you have lots of CD's you still want to use and have the dash space to install a cd deck, I would avoid the flip ups, personally and wither go with a single din (with a proper install bracket), or a good capacitive touchscreen double din unit (glass screen).
Last edited by RunawayRadio; 07-11-2016 at 08:57 PM.
07-11-2016, 08:55 PM
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Re: '89 IROC Z Audio
I went with the double din. Thanks for the advise. Now I have a really strange problem. Installing the radio, I ran my own power wire (I wasn't getting juice from the existing wire) from the fuse box (off the radio fuse) to the wiring harness for the head unit. Then I ran a constant. Here's where it gets strange.... Everything works... Except when I turn on my lights. When I turn the lights on (even just the running and tail lights ) the radio powers down ��������. I tried running the power to different places in the fuse box with the same result. Lights go on, radio goes off. Any idea of what that can be? A taillight short maybe? I also notice the last owner took out the overhead bulb, because it doesn't go out. Obviously I have a short but can't figure out where. Should I go nuts with this or just run an independent power line with a fuse to a flip switch and bypass the fuse box? Thanks for reading
Last edited by Stratus0202; 07-11-2016 at 08:58 PM.
07-11-2016, 09:13 PM
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Re: '89 IROC Z Audio
I think I may know my problem. I believe I may have hooked up the head unit ground to the illumination wire instead of the actual ground. I'll try that tomorrow
07-11-2016, 09:18 PM
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Re: '89 IROC Z Audio
Glad i could help.
I doubt it's a faulty tail lamp bulb, but it could be the headlight switch or the dash dimmer. They're 30 years old, so the power wire or ground may be shorting out nearby or the switch itself may have corroded contacts. Also check your door convenience light switches to make sure they work; the driver side is known to fail periodically and may stick open. Replace if it's broken. Reinstalling the dome lightbulb to see if anything changes while you're fiddling with these things will help. If you're still having no luck, wiring next to the fusebox will be the next step. Check every wire near the fuse box for cuts, splices and other oddities (like additional fuses) from previous owners. These cars are notorious for backyard "**** it" repairs or shoddy alarm system installs in the 90's and there could be a shorted ground in there somewhere.
If none of this works, it's time to start tracing power wires looking for breaks. There may be two wires curved over a metal edge near the radio that have broken insulation and are shorting out.
A long shot may be the headlight bulb harnesses, they're known to rub against each other and cause all kinds of electrical oddities when the insulation wears off.
This would also do it.
I doubt it's a faulty tail lamp bulb, but it could be the headlight switch or the dash dimmer. They're 30 years old, so the power wire or ground may be shorting out nearby or the switch itself may have corroded contacts. Also check your door convenience light switches to make sure they work; the driver side is known to fail periodically and may stick open. Replace if it's broken. Reinstalling the dome lightbulb to see if anything changes while you're fiddling with these things will help. If you're still having no luck, wiring next to the fusebox will be the next step. Check every wire near the fuse box for cuts, splices and other oddities (like additional fuses) from previous owners. These cars are notorious for backyard "**** it" repairs or shoddy alarm system installs in the 90's and there could be a shorted ground in there somewhere.
If none of this works, it's time to start tracing power wires looking for breaks. There may be two wires curved over a metal edge near the radio that have broken insulation and are shorting out.
A long shot may be the headlight bulb harnesses, they're known to rub against each other and cause all kinds of electrical oddities when the insulation wears off.
This would also do it.
Last edited by RunawayRadio; 07-11-2016 at 09:21 PM. Reason: ninja'd by the OP
07-11-2016, 09:31 PM
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Re: '89 IROC Z Audio
Thanks. Obviously with the dome light staying on (even before head unit installation) there is a ground of some kind. But I think I'll start easiest first with the ground wire. Also (it's been a while since I had an IROC) Im starting to remember a few things. I may not have been able to find the correct power wire and constant because the colors(of the wires) on these Chevys are a mess. Do you know the factory harness color pattern? Is pink power? Yellow constant? Brown (close to black) illumination? I'm pulling the unit tomorrow anyway because the USB and Aux port don't work. Either I have to exchange the unit or....maybe having the ground hooked up to the wrong source is screwing them up? Possible? Ahhhh memories. I'm definitely back knees deep in IROC poop lol. Thanks again for your help!! Once I start to remember this again, I look forward to being active in the third gen community and helping others as well. Thanks!
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