Kizashi Club

Has anyone installed an aftermarket Kenwood Deck??? If so what problems or extra costs did you run into?

Thanks.

I have, but it was years ago in another car. Kenwoods are good units for general use. It should serve you well for everyday kinda stuff. If you are an audiophile or if you're wanting to go competition, I would go for the Excelon line, or move on to Alpine. They hold up better to the rigors of competition.

If you are installing one in your Kizashi, pick up a vehicle specific wiring harness and mounting bracket (Streetwires, Metra, and Schoshe make them amung others, and Ebay and Amazon have them on the cheap). You won't find a universal one that will fit, and even if you do, the quality will be severly lacking and probably won't match. You should be able to pick up both for under $50 and it's the easiest and best way to install aftermarket in a stock location. Some Kenwood units will allow you to retain the steering wheel controls also, so check before you buy as you'll lose all remote controls otherwise.

Whatever you do, DO NOT CUT ANY FACTORY WIRES!!!! Some people think they can save money by patching the aftermarket stereo into the stock wiring without purchasing the $10 wiring harness. This is BAAAAAAAAAD news!! It will severly devalue your car in the eyes of a dealer if they know this, and you're opening the door for TONS of wiring problems down the road. Take it from an ex-installer that charged $200 an hour (my normal install rate was $65 and hour) to fix wiring issues when people thought this was a good idea. If you don't think you can wire the harness yourself (althought it is very simple and most are even color coordinated) hire it done to save the headache later. I repeat: DO NOT CUT A SINGLE FACTORY WIRE!!! there simply is no need!!