I have a '95 Cavalier POS but, assuming it doesn't die, it'll be my car for the next year or so. I'm trying to replace the speakers as well as add a line in for my MP3 player. Adding the line in to the stereo module is easy, but I can't figure out how to remove the thing. Does anyone have experience with stereos or speakers in Cavaliers? I think most of the stuff is the same from '95 through '02. Darkjedibob, didn't you put an aftermarket radio in yours? The only instructions I can find online cost money.

Help much appreciated!

If I remember right (it's been a few years since I helped a friend install a new head unit in his car, i think it was a cavalier, but i'm not sure) it's a pain in the *** to remove the stereo.

You have to remove the lower part of the dash below the steering wheel first, there should be 4 screws or so on the bottom. Once you have that off (you don't have to take it completely off, just enough to get behind it) there should be a few screws holding the upper part on that were behind the lower panel and maybe one above the instrument panel. You'll have to disconnect anything thats connected to that, headlight controls, car lighter, etc... and then that panel should just pull off and you should be able to get to the stereo then.

I think thats how we did it then, but I may have gotten my vehicles mixed up, sorry if I did.

Yeah, I know what it is I have to do, I was just hoping someone knew of specific directions so I don't waste time prodding and pulling.

You should probably invest in a repair manual. The Haynes ones are pretty decent (in you case, http://www.haynes.com/products/sfID1/3/sfID2/5/sfID3/17/listPage/4/productID/180).

Unfortunately, it looks like you have to take off the front of the dash. A decent explanation of what you need to do can be found here http://chevroletforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=18631, though it probably is not identical to your car's dash.

I removed my stock head unit from my 2000 Cavalier a few years ago and it was a huge pain in the ***. This might be somewhat helpful.

What a nightmare. I recommend one of those tape headphone thingies so you can just put it in the tape deck and connect it to your mp3 player or whatever. If you're only using it for a year it's probably not worth all the trouble.

Here's what ALLDATA has on it. Hope it helps.

I have one, and it barely works. The tape deck is damn near shot. The left channel is really quiet, I have to adjust the balance and jack up the volume for it to sound correct. And even then, there's hardly any treble. It sounds awful.


The trouble is the fun part. Actually splicing a line-in is easy. I'm just going to trace the radio's L/R/G outputs that lead to the amplifier. Then I'll splice in another line, wired to a switch, so I can toggle between radio and line-in. Considering that this is a 1995 model, the circuitry will be relatively simple, with trough hole components and simple wiring. A modern stereo would probably be a multilayer PCB with surface mount components everywhere.

NoESC, that's perfect! Thanks!

Okay, so removing the panels to get to the stereo is really easy except for ONE bolt. I need to remove the top part of the dash just to get to it.

Fortunately I found this guide with photos... http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=321030

Circuit City and Best Buy worked on both my and my dad's Cavaliers, and I do remember something about having to tear apart the dash to get to it.

Ugh... I had to do that same job in the same model car of my friends in high school. What a pain.

I got the stereo out just fine. I was probing to try to find the signal wires. I would've just tapped into the volume control, but it's not a traditional potentiometer control, it's a rotary encoder. The volume control is digital. I didn't manage to find any signal wires and instead fried it when one of the loose boards slipped and solder points touched the chassis.

Just remember when putting things back together only use half the bolts and screws.

yeah, weight reduction.

Yeah, I saw that. If I can't fix mine (might just be a fuse) I'll buy it.

Also remember the grounds if you have them. Nothing pissed me off more than getting my XM radio installed with line-in and then having interference when i'd accelerate....

Ah, yeah, just blew a fuse. I'm pretty sure the volume control is analog (it says 10k ohm on it and looks suspiciously like a potentiometer). I could wire in a jack in series there, but I have to take it apart more to see if I can wire it before the EQ, so I can still use that.

I managed to isolate the signal wires. I spliced in a connector real quick to test it and it works! I have music from my MP3 player. I'm going to wire up a switching 3.5mm jack in series and mount it on some spare space on the bezel. When not plugged in, radio plays. When plugged in, line-in plays. Win.