Grounding After Market Stereo/Head Unit

Asked by rafboy Feb 17, 2010 at 12:14 AM about the 2008 Nissan Versa S Hatchback

Question type: Car Customization

Hi,
I bought a Kenwood KDC-MP342U to replace the stock radio in my 2008 Versa Hatchback.
After quite a headache trying to get it (professionally) installed (installer connected the wrong
antenna wire- I got no reception), I got it working fairly well. The one problem I have is that I don't
think I grounded the unit sufficiently. Right now, the black grounding wire is connected the the top
right screw that screws in the head unit chassis. The screw is metal, but the chassis is plastic. I
spent close to an hour to find some metal to attach the wire to inside the dash, but virtually
everything in there is plastic. The metal I DO see, I can't reach. The guy in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ii87KoLvlH0

says that there's some metal from the roll cage tubing behind the dash, but I can't see it or can't
access it. It looks like it may be behind the right vent/duct.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks in advance for any help!

2 Answers

35

Hello. I'm not sure how the installer made that mistake, isn't that his job? Anyways, if you really can't find any metal behind the head unit somewhere, the next bet is to try and locate the ground cable inside the original wiring loom if possible. It's not the best way to do it but will have to do if you cant access any metal elsewhere. It should be a black cable. A multimeter or wiring diagram can be a great help if you need it. Hope this helps you.

Yes. it is his job. He didn't follow the manual when he installed the unit. Kenwood model's are somewhat different than other units in that the power amp/power antenna connection is on the blue wire with white stripe. He bypassed that. The kicker is, when I went back with a print out explicitly telling him to connect to the blue wire with white stripe, he ignored it. Long story, short, I got refunded my installation fee by the major electronics retailer after I connected the right wire. But I digress... Is there some sort of diagram of the Nissan Versa dash/chassis? Anyone know where the roll bar tubing is? How I can access it (without taking apart instrument panels, dash and glove compartment)? Or if I do need to take those things apart to access, anyone have instructions? Thanks in advance!

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