Just though i would share my pics of the radio I installed this past weekend.

AVIC-D2 - With XM Tuner (w/ Nav traffic) and Ipod interface. I tucked the xm tuner and ipod interface under the driver side panel below the sterring weel.

A shot of the radio and all its glory. Man there is very little room back there for the amount of cables this thing has.

Here is a pic of the ipod cable. I am not sure i want to keep this here and modify the blank space to fill the hole or move it somewhere else. I tried putting it in the glove box but looked like way too much of a pain.

I had an aftermarket standalone xmradio through a fm modulator and this is where i had the antenna for that, it worked well from there so i decided to put the avic antenna's there as well.

One question i do have is that i am getting a popping sound when i turn off the car. I figure that its because the radio is turning off before the amp does. I am still using the factory amp.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Grex,

Nice job. Congrats.

I currently have a 2000 9-3 and am picking up a 2002 9-5 Aero on Friday. I plan to install an AVIC D-2 in the 9-5 so am very interested in any tips you might be able to pass on. One observation, however. You said that you used the OEM amp. My understanding was that the Saab amp had a balanced input and most head units have an unbalanced output. Did you account for this with some sort of transformer?

I look forward to hearing from you. Private e-mail is fine.

It's not a balanced input, just a din cable instead of standard rcas.

I used the DIN kit from GenuineSAAB.com it comes with a wire harness. Worked like a champ. No need to convert the signal. I am having a problem with a popping of the amp after i turn the car off. Still working on that one.

Linky: http://www.genuinesaab.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=47_52&products_id=78

Also make sure you get the audio faq for the saab.

Linky: http://www.mitt-eget.com/saab/faq.shtml

One more thing. The forums at SaabCentral.com!

Let me know how it goes and good luck!

Just hought f something else. If you still want to use the steering wheel controls purchase a PAC SWI-PS. Very easy to install.

http://www.pac-audio.com/products/productsCatagory.asp?mmSearch=Steering%20Wheel%20Interface

Thanks, Grex.

Did you need the sleeve that came with the kit from genuine saab or just the harness? It's not clear to me if the sleeve that comes with the AVIC fits inside the genuinesaab sleeve or if it is used in lieu of it.

I got their kit when I put a Harman Kardon Trafficpro in my 9-3.

I was aware of the PAC steering wheel kit. Is it pretty much plug and play?

No there is some wiring involved with the pac swi-ps. Not hard to do, if you hit www.pac-audio.com you can pull up detailed directions for installing the interface in your car.

I used the sleeve that came with the AVIC fit just fine. The radio sits a little deeper than the other components. I am going to try and shim it so its flush with the SID and Climate Control. Will let you know how it turns out.

Grex,

I decided to go with a D3 and ordered it from Crutchfield today. I am not sure when it will really be available.

Do you recall if the connector to the amp was a DIN plug and, if so, how may pin? Did the kit you got from genuinesaab have a wiring diagram for the plug to the amp? If so, could you send me the pinouts?

Did you ever solve the popping sound problem?

the kit from genuinesaab did not come with a pin-out. I got the pinout from the the saab audio faq. It has both the pinout for the amp and head unit.

http://www.mitt-eget.com/saab/faq_audio.shtml

What you get is a cable with plugs on both ends, one side female and one side male. The cable they give you is for going wither way just cut off the end you are not using. In your case if I remember correctly you want to keep the Female end.

I not yet had a chance to work on the popping sound yet. i plan on working on it this weekend.

Thanks, Grex.

I got my D3 today and hope to put it in this weekend, weather permitting.

Did you cut the RCA plugs off of the audio out on your D2 harness and connect the leads to pins 9-16 on the Saab harness?

I am hoping I don't have to deal with the popping. I've done some digging and apparently sometimes it is an issue, sometimes not. I think ground loop isolation transformers (most readlily available from Radio Shack) in the audio output lines might help.

Thanks, again.

Good idea on the Ground loop isolator's. I will have to give that a try as upgrading the ground wire didn't seem to do anything. I was thinking about putting in a switch to cut off the remote wire for the amp before i turn off the car.

As for the RCA's I simply took a pair of RCA cables that I bought from Radio Shack cut the ends off and connected them to the saab wire harness.

On another note I moved my ipod cable to the center console. Take a look.

GREX,

I actually got two PAC SNI-1 ground loop isolators on eBay for 5 bucks each. They are smaller than the Radio Shack version. I haven't installed them yet. I am waiting for my free camera to arrive from Crutchfield and will do it all at once, probably next weekend.

Nice job on the iPod. I ran the cable for mine to the passenger well where I have an optional Saab holder installed.

My install can be seen at http://web.mac.com/w2tv/iWeb/Site/Library%203.html

Click on a photo for a closer look.

Please let me know if you lick the amplifier thump and I will do the same.

hey grex, that car doesnt look like your sig pic. Do you own the sig car?

I WISH!

Pretty sweet huh.

Grex,

My thump is gone. I installed the two PAC SNI-1 ground loop isolators today and they took care of the thump.