Hi all,

I picked out a Kenwood KDC715S stereo with removable/revolving Mask faceplate and a Kenwood KDCC715 10 disc changer yesterday, hoping that it could be installed in 2 hours. The sales guy at Circuit City sold me the components above insisting that they had a compatible car mounting unit for the front (whatever that thing is that they use to fill in the big gap that the stock stereo leaves), for the 2001 TL.

To make a long story short, I wasted 3 hours there, as there was a long line of cars ahead of me for the install, so when I came back, they told me that they noticed that the part that they had wouldn't fit my car since the supplier of these parts don't make them yet for the 2001 TL.

I asked them what supplier they used and they said that Metra (?spelling) have none planned for the new Acuras, and AMI *might* have something but they are not sure yet.

I'm not sure what to do at this point. I really want to have the components installed, but I'm not sure whether this roadblock I've encountered is because there really is no part, or if it's because I've been dealing with people who may be too busy to look into this matter further.

I could take all of this back for a refund, or try to find someone with a compatible mounting kit and get it installed (maybe elsewhere).

I'd appreciate any advice .

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2001 WDP TL, factory spoiler, burlwood shift knob, still thinking about other mods.

 

Metra makes dash kits to adapt new head units to stock openings and wiring harnesses that match OEM wires with aftermarket decks. Right now there isn't a harness made for our TLs.

But please don't let Circuit City employees do your car! Go to a professional car audio & electronics shop and they will be able to connect your wiring to a new head unit .

BTW - you're not replacing the speakers & sub?

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<A HREF="http://www.acura-tl.com/_borders/TL_in_Pacific_Grove.jpg" TARGET=_blank>1999 ACURA 3.2TL
</A>

My Mods & stuff....

TL Daddy's pics

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1" FACE="Verdana, Arial">[This message has been edited by TL Daddy on March 13, 2001 @ ]</font>

 

What part is the wiring harness (I'm new to stereo parts nomenclature)? I am refering to the plastic part that holds the new stereo in place, the plastic piece that fills in the space gap between the big Bose stereo and the skinny Kenwood face.

I don't know about speakers and a new amp as of yet - I may consider this after I pay off the car and get this taken care of. I really want a more readable stereo display since I can't see much of the stock stereo display when I'm wearing my sunglasses (the polarized lenses makes it impossible to see anything that's black LCD). Plus, I want to get a CD changer before I drive off the road trying to change one CD at a time! There was no way that I was going to pay $600.00 for the stock 6CD changer when I could get a new stereo and at least a 10 disc changer elsewhere for not much more.

Back to the topic of Circuit City, yeah, I got some bad vibes after I purchased the stuff and drove my car to their "Roadshop" to get it installed. I felt paranoid about leaving my car with the people there once I saw the shop.

Maybe it's an omen that they couldn't do the install - I'll take your advice and take it to a professional car audio place. I'll go throught the archives on this board, but if that doesn't pan out, then the Yellow pages is always a good place to start eh?

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2001 WDP TL, factory spoiler, burlwood shift knob, still thinking about other mods.

 

We have a lot of Bay Area members - someone will give you a good tip as far as a stereo shop. Give it a couple days.

And for mounting your Kenwood where the Bose was - a good shop will be able to do that and probably have some nice material for you to choose to make a surrounding face for your new head unit. Maybe burlwood, black plexi, or even match the factory dash? Just keep checking till you find what you want.

Welcome to the board and congrats on your new TL

 

You know, you could just get a Alpine 6 disc changer with the adapter and have a shop intall everything for you for about $300. It is the same changer as the one the dealer sells.

Try calling Howard at Audio Images in Burlingame. He does high-end Car Audio/Alarm installs. I do not have his number with me but you can look it up in the phone book. Just him Sam Suen sent you.

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Honda-Acura.net TL Forum Moderator.

1999 Silver with factory body kit, spoiler and burlwood instrument cluster and shift knob. Joshua Tree Wood dash kit. Hella air horns. Tint all around. Razo competition pedals. MOMO Sport 18"X7.5" with 225/40ZR Pirelli P7000SS. Weapon-R intake. Comptech springs, exhaust and headers. Inspire Tailights, homemade ram-air and Polarg M-12 front turn signals. Comptech front and rear sway bar. Axxis Metal Master front and rear pads. Mugen front grille. 2 Polk/MOMO 10" subs, Orion Xtreme 500.4 amplifier and Alpine CD changer.

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I had a custom dash plexi glass fit cut. Looks sweet with black on fern. Pics are up on my site.



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2000 Laguana Green / NAVI, Burlwood Shifter, 35% Mirror Tint all over,2 x JL12W6s, Pioneer Premier P920R, MB Quarts Coaxial, PPI 2600.2 and 4400.2 , Pioneer 620 6Disc
My Acura

2002 TL-S NAVI Dark Emerald Pearl on order

 

may i ask why you went to Circuit City??? and why didn't they makesure they could get a mounting kit before they booked you for an install...a custom place could have made you one out of plexi glass...

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1996 2.5 TL Dark Green
HKS Powerflow, HKS Fuel Pressure Regulator, Sebring Exhaust, Jacobs Pro Street, Apex-i AFC, Jet ECU, Powerslot Rotors, Axxis Metal Master Pads, PIAA 1100x, Clarion 9255, Tube Driver Amps, Boston Pro 10's (2) , CD Technologies 6-4-2, Clarion MVA6491 (3), Valentine 1, Cliford Avant Guard 4, Monster Capacitors (2), Jacobs Accuvolt, Trunk and Underdash Neons...
[URL=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/]AlbumIndex?u=1530721&a=11664800&f=0][url]

 

It was close by and I was looking at just getting a simple Alpine 6 disc changer, then I got distracted and started looking at faceplates, which in turn turned into something else.

I didn't realize what a chop shop they run till I drove back there and saw the three guys back there, 10 cars deep, with no end coming. Also, I called two professional car audio places today and one of them was fixing up a hack job on a CL type S that Circuit City had done!

I'm still learning about car audio systems - it's been an exhausting process. My husband doesn't have an interest in this kind of thing, so I'm kinda starting out slowly.

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2001 WDP TL, factory spoiler, burlwood shift knob, still thinking about other mods.

 

About the mounting kit, the guy who sold me the system looked at his list of cars which had compatible kits, and it listed the 2001 TL. I even looked at this to make double sure. I asked him where this component was and he told me that it was in the back, where they install the kit, so I could not verify it before I walked out of the showroom. As it turned out, the manufacturer that I mentioned above only made the kit for the 2000 TL. Seems like the 2001 has a front with sloping sides, and the 2000 has straight sides, so it was an obvious mis-match.

I've been told now that the Kenwood system may be incompatible with the speakers on the car, if the car speakers have the amps built into them, something about the Bose system and the wiring. Arrgh!

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2001 WDP TL, factory spoiler, burlwood shift knob, still thinking about other mods.

 

in san fran, my hometown, i'd go to ASP or this other car audio place on el camino real, i can't remember the name, but they sell ppi and zapco and they are phenomenal...

 

I had Sound Innovations in Hayward fabricate me a billet alumimum piece to hold a single din. Any shop that specializes in customizing can easily do it ... but as TLDaddy put it .. don't go to ciruit city.