I have a 2005 Matrix XR. I am installing an F90BT into it, and have some questions:

1. I read that I have an antenna amplifier...? Where are those wires!? Which wire(s) on the F90BT do I need to hook to something? ...Come to think of it, I think I remember when I had my brother's Kenwood installed I had no AM stations - and this is probably why...

2. Where can I find the VSS wire? Do I need to hook it up? I think I drive through one very short tunnel every day - more like my offramp goes under the freeway... Is this thing only used to determine how far you've gone when the thing loses reception?

if it has an amped ant the "power antenna wire" will power up the amp, with a toyota it is the blue wire in the aftermarket harness (which is usually also connected to the audio amp turn on wire, on the harness, one blue wire, two pins)

VSS? why not hook it up, dont you want your unit to be as accurate as possible?

Speed Sense should be the purple/white at the ECM, second plug from left, pin 17 ,The ECM (Engine Control Module) is behind the glove box.

Which wire(s) on the F90BT do I need to hook to something?

it is the solid blue wire that has a tag on it that reads "antenna control"

Holy crap - that's exactly the information I was looking for...

Most of the time, you post a question and expect half-hearted answers with partial information... But you guys on this board don't play around.

well i'm an installer and i use this forum for all sorts of information, and i think its only fare to receive this info, if in my down time i try to answer all of the questions i can with the databases i have availble to me.

Agreed.

Does anybody know if I'm definitely going to need a trim ring or anything? Crutchfield says that I don't need an install kit - just to use the existing stereo's mounting bracket.

But isn't this thing gonna be a tad bit narrower than the factory unit - therein needing a trim ring or something to fill in the small gap?

...I can't imagine that something like this would come in the box...

yes the AVIC is a little bit narrower than the factory radio, you can get a dash kit that has plastic edges to fill the gaps right, or you can use the factory brackets and then take a small sheet of abs and cut little pieces to glue to the dash board to fill the gaps, if someplace has the double din dask kit in your area i would go that route its a lot quicker and easier and looks real good.

Though a UPS debacle delayed my shipment about 2 days, I finally received the unit last night (F90BT) at 9pm and installed it - had it done by 10:30pm. Installed, bypassed, antenna amp working, everything but the VSS (which I'll do later). Piece of cake - but I DEFINITELY need a trim ring. The sight of the gaps on the sides of this thing mar the entire image of it.

Thanx for your help 1loudls!

I've created a post in another thread for suggestions on trim rings.