Mark VIII head unit install

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frankjc

Registered
Hi. I am going to be installing a head unit in my 1995 Mark VIII. I got the Metra double DIN dash kit (had to go back to Circuit City and exchange the single DIN kit that they sold my wife). It shows some cars with the "pocket" on top, some on the bottom. I am wondering which way is the correct way for my car. It comes with a piece, which I assume screws to the back of the radio to fit into the "rail" that the stock head unit fits into. It doesn't list the Mark VIII in the instructions, but the installer said this was the kit to use.
Any advice/info/pics would be appreciated.
Thanks.
 
frankjc said:
Hi. I am going to be installing a head unit in my 1995 Mark VIII. I got the Metra double DIN dash kit (had to go back to Circuit City and exchange the single DIN kit that they sold my wife). It shows some cars with the "pocket" on top, some on the bottom. I am wondering which way is the correct way for my car. It comes with a piece, which I assume screws to the back of the radio to fit into the "rail" that the stock head unit fits into. It doesn't list the Mark VIII in the instructions, but the installer said this was the kit to use.
Any advice/info/pics would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

I did my alpine with the pocket on top. You can mount it either way messing with the install kit configuration. I did it for user friendliness only when hand is resting on shifter, it's closer to extend finger and touch scan button with head unit in bottom position closer to console, than to reach up to top position to change channel. I don't know what you could put in the "pocket" as anything i ever stuck in there comes flying out when you leave traffic light anyways.
 
I think my kit listed the ford ranger, any double din ford unit is pretty much the same anyways.

I have always mounted the pocket on the bottom. The pocket on top just looks awkward IMO.
 
Do i have to secure the back of the radio to that "rail" somehow? Does that provide some sort of stability?
 
I never did... the metal sleve that comes with your new head unit should "click" into place with the plastic surrounds.
 
ok well the 95-98 mk8 wiring harness will NOT fir my 93, i had to get the harness for a MK7 and it fits. now i got my cd player as well so im doing this install to. :)
 
I think the first harness they gave me was for a Mark VII. It had a black and a grey plug that were about the same size, connected to a plug that allegedly fit into the Sony head unit. I took pictures of the wiring in the car, and of the stock radio and I brought it back and showed the installer at Circuit City and got one that had a grey connector, and a green connector, and again a connector on the other end that was supposed to fit the head unit...which it didn't. I cut that one off and soldered it to the plug that was included with the new radio, and it works fine. Advanced had a wire harness kit that included an amp bypass harness...that didn't fit either.
 
ok heres how i have my set up. I used the Scosche harness for the MK8 after all. all the illumination works but i get no sound. i have the small square black plug plugged into the black square on the scosche harness, all the speaker wires are hooked up to the corresponsing colors, the rectangular plug is in the right spot. could the amp be fried? no fuses are blown. the factory tape player did the same thing, nothing played but it all was illuminated.
 
All I did was connect the harness that I bought to the harness that came with the head unit and plug it in to the car harness. It sounds fine. I left the amp alone, no bypass harness, no speaker level converter or anything.
I don't know alot about car stereo, but my first guess would be that you have an amp problem, if it is doing the same thing with the new radio. Is there any hiss or any sound at all coming from the speakers? I wouldn't know how to test the amp.
 
I had the same problem with my 97. When I first installed my aftermarket head unit, I used an adapter, scoche I believe, and it worked fine for about a year. At one point, it just stopped working. The HU would light up and looked like it was working, but no sound. I ended up rewiring the system around the factory speaker wiring. I also installed aftermarket speakers.

I have to think in your case, as in mine, that the factory amp is causing the problem.

I also like the look of the slot below the Headunit, I have no problems with CDs flying out on me, Sierra3's car must be alot faster than mine. :(

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