Pioneer AVIC-D2 with SIRIUS tuner install in Dennis Reinhart’s 2004 Mercury Marauder.

Install by Rich Williams aka Magindat. Pictures, by Leslie.

 

This install is the same for 03 and 04 as well as AVIC-D1 and D-2.

 

We’ll start by unpacking all the stuff.

This layout shows all the harnesses from the radio, SIRIUS tuner and PAC-PS. We did not connect the reverse sensor wire due to the fact that this install did not include the reverse camera.

 

This is a close-up of the radio wiring harness. Highlighted here (though blurry) is the cellular mute wire. We will remove this wire from the harness by pushing back on it’s plastic tab and pulling it out.

 

Here, the Cell Mute wire is out.

 

Next, we will place the Cell Mute wire back into the only blank space in the harness.

Though difficult to see, it is next to the existing grounds.

This process completes a European available feature override allowing the passenger to work the navigation functions while the vehicle is in motion. Without this override, one must park the vehicle and apply the brake before plotting any course or looking up any points of interest, etc.

 

For easy removal of the factory radio, we’ll cut 4 approximately 4” lengths or wire coat hanger. There is a Ford Factory radio removal kit available from any APS, but I constantly lose and bend mine, so I have taken to using wire hanger.

 

Simply insert each length into each of the 4 holes on the factory radio. We will push the hangers in with pliers until we feel the ‘click’ (about 1.5”). This disengages the clips.

Now, we’ll stick a finger in the cassette door and pull out the radio.

 

Unplug each of the three harnesses and the antenna.

 

We will be interested in only the antenna and the largest harness. The other two smaller harnesses will be tucked up and over the right hand side of the radio tray in the dash.

 

For clearance and to avoid scratches, we will remove the dot matrix trim piece from the dash. Start at the right with the passenger door open and pry forward on the ‘wrap-around’ portion with fingers only. Each clip will free as we pull up and move towards the steering wheel. We move slowly and carefully noting that the trim around the AC controls is part of this piece and also has 2 clips below the AC controls. Set this piece aside in a safe place.

 

Next, we’ll trim the bottom ‘lip’ of the radio cavity off with a rotary tool. Steady yourself and be careful not to slip. It is helpful to cut a guide line in by scoring the 90 degree edge where the lip meets the dash with a razor knife.

 

We will repeat this procedure with the top lip which is a little taller.

 

DO NOT cut the side lips off.

 

If a rotary tool is not available. These lips can be trimmed off with a sharp razor knife in about 10 -12 passes.

 

Though difficult to see, here’s a pic.

 

Finally we will use a rotary tool to remove any vertical portions at the rear of the radio ‘tray’. A vertical portion is visible in the above picture to give orientation. This will allow the wiring bundle, noise suppressor, and PAC to fall behind the AC controls. Without this trimming, the radio WILL NOT FIT!

 

We will now return to our wiring bundle.

This is the connector to interface the car’s harness. We will connect it to the radio’s harness, the PAC, and the SIRIUS wiring.

Best Kits BHA 5800

 

In all installs, we would like to connect grounds first. In this case, we will connect the ground from the PAC, SIRIUS, car harness, and radio harness together. To these grounds, we will add the Parking Brake lead and the former Cell Mute wire from the radio harness.

 

We will make multiple connections to avoid over-filling the crimp caps.

 

Next, we’ll move on to the PAC. It requires only the white wire be connected to Pin 14 of the car harness. We will cut the rest of the unused wires to uneven lengths to avoid shorting and wrap them up. This will be covered with electrical tape, later.

 

We will now connect the red power from the PAC and the red from the radio to the car harness.

 

We will connect the yellow from the SIRIUS and the radio to the car harness.

 

We WILL connect the pink speed sensor wire to pin 18 of the car harness (also pink in this case).

 

We will connect each wire from the car harness to the radio harness color by color.* No illumination wires (oranges) will be used. No more accessory wires (browns) will be used. Power Antenna will not be used. Reverse will not be used. There are a few others that may not be used. It is recommended to separate out the blue/white remote turn on wire for future amp upgrades. For each unused wire, cut and cap it to avoid shorting.

*This assumes we are using the radio’s own 50W per channel to power the stock speakers. Amp installs are beyond the scope of this how-to.

 

Here is the beginning of the bundle.

 

We will add the satellite antenna wires and the SIRIUS wires.

The strategy is to bundle wire ends together for where they connect to. The SIRIUS needs P-bus, the white clip connector, and its antenna. The radio needs its main harness, the other end of the P-BUS, the PAC 1/8” connector (forming a loop to the PAC), and it’s satellite antenna wire.

We will form a ‘tether’ with the long length of yellow/black to the noise suppressor box. Then, a tether to the PAC which we will need access to later. Then, a tether for the SIRIUS connections. Loop up any excess length and protect it with tape.

 

Be sparing with ZIP ties since the cut ends are sharp. Use quality pinch type caps. NEVER TWIST CAPS. Wrap everything in electrical tape.

 

In the end it will look like this.

 

Now, we will remove the AC controls and fish the bundle into the car. The SIRIUS and PAC bundles will fish behind the tray and down to the right into the space behind the AC controls. The noise suppressor tether will fish behind and to the left of the tray. The large factory plug will connect together and fish to the back left of the cavity. The two satellite antennas will fish behind and to the right of the tray and be guided through the AC cavity and out below the dash behind the left hinge of the glove box. The bundle for the radio connections and the factory antenna wire will now be left as the only wires in the dash cavity.

 

We will place the SIRIUS into the cavity behind the AC controls. There’s a hole in the bottom portion that will hold one of the SIRIUS unit’s legs. Make all three SIRIUS connections and place the SIRIUS unit. Tip up and then pull back to seat the leg of the SIRIUS into the factory hole. One zip tie will keep it from moving around.

 

Next we will pull the PAC forward from inside the AC hole and leave it hang for programming. We will temporarily connect just the radio harness and the PAC connector to the radio and program the PAC according to the instructions.

 

We will disconnect the radio. We will remove the ‘cage’ from around the radio and screw the back strap on with the tail of the back strap pointing down.

 

This is the hardest part:

We will plug in ALL radio connections. We will then carefully begin to insert the radio with the back strap BELOW the bundle. We will reach into the AC cavity and pull the back strap down and toward us and help fish the wire bundle back and down. There is almost no clearance. It WILL take several attempts and our new stiff wire bundle will need to be ‘trained’ to take on its shape.

It may help to use a thin piece of wood (not metal to avoid scratching) to push in on the ‘ears’ of the radio. We will be done when the ‘ears’ are touching those un-trimmed side lips.

Once ‘in’ we will curl the back strap toward us to wrap around the back of the ‘tray’ and this will secure the radio in place.

 

Replace the AC controls and run a quick test to be sure no bundles or tethers have interfered with any actuators or doors and that nothing came disconnected while ‘wrestling’ with the radio.

 

Replace the dash trim by setting it in place and carefully smacking it down with hand pressure only from the steering wheel, to the AC control and the to the end.

 

The above pic is Magindat’s Marauder since the DR pic did not flash.

 

Finally, remove the passenger door sill by prying up with hand pressure only. Lift away the rubber door trim up to the a-pillar. Pull straight toward the rear tire to remove the plastic kick cover. Guide the satellite antenna wires along behind the glove box support toward the kick area. Take both antennas in hand and lay the wires in along the edge of the dash behind where the rubber door trim goes. Guide the wires between the a-pillar trim and the dash. Clean the dash and apply the metal sticky pad included with the radio to the black part of the dash about 1”-2” in from the pillar trim. Let both antennas magnet to the sticker. Coil up excess wire and zip tie the bundle and tuck it into the kick panel area. Replace the kick panel, rubber trim, and the door sill. Apply zip ties as needed behind the glove box support.

 

Take the car for a short drive. The unit needs to ‘hear’ the speed sensor and acquire satellites. Follow the unit directions to set the time FIRST. Proceed from there.

 

www.sunshinestatemarauders.net/info/243552417AVICD1OperationManual.pdf

 

Enjoy!