Beaver Marquis Bose Replacement
I am in the process of replacing the audio/video system in my new (to me) 1999 Beaver Marquis. I've taken out the Bose surround sound amp, and Lifestyle player, but can not find the Bose Acoustimass ...
Forum Discussion
Just further notes on my progress with this A/V update if others find this topic while searching something like "replacing radio in beaver marquis".
I did remove the dash panel by moving the cup holder and ducting out of the way, and then I removed the nuts from the dash which fit through the fiberglass dash shell to secure it.
The dash was then able to be withdrawn and freed. I removed the 4 screws holding my computer in place and it releases from the wood grain/metal reinforced dash section. Oh, there was a strap running from the top of the fiberglass dash around the back of the computer and Bose radio and I did undo the nut from the stud on the back of the radio which was necessary to free the radio.
Also during this process, I did undo some wire wraps to make it easier to push wires out of the way in under the dash so that I could work to take those nuts off the dash studs I mentioned earlier.
Just a side note - it is very easy (I've done it more than once) to unhook the passenger side fan connection while working in this area. So, if that fan no longer works just look for the fan housing and you'll see that you've bumped that connection off its post.
Once the computer was unscrewed the only connections remaining were those of the electrical connections to the 4 switches (gen/closeout/rear cam wash/outdoor speaker) and two nuts holding the radio to the dash piece on the metal side of the dash piece. I needed a deep socket > 1 inch deep and 11/32nds to get at one of those nuts as it was between the radio and the switches. All other nuts on those "dash studs" we reachable with a small wrench which loosened them, then I used my fingers to twist them off while laying on my back and working up from under the dash. I may be reached 1 by undoing the center dash top cover - and it also allows more light in if you open that Velcro connected dash piece.
I carefully labeled and recorded on paper the wiring to all switches and now have the dash piece separated from the vehicle.
I took it to CAR TOYS to see if they would cut it for me so that the radio opening would fit the Double Din requirements (its very close, maybe 1/4" to 1/2" short height wise. The width is larger than that required by the double din.
Surprisingly I was told that what they would do is throw out the DIN CAGE which is what requires most of the cutout work and simply place the radio BEHIND the dash so as not to possibly wreck the wood finish on the front side. And it would cost between $100 and $200 for them to secure the radio to the back side of the dash in this fashion.
While it is true that the actual radio face is only perhaps 1/16th of an inch oversized to the existing cutout, it would have to be carefully centered as the DVD slot is near the very top of the radio.
I told them I'd consider it, but there is very little wiggle room and if the radio was to shift at all, the DVD slot might become obscured during travel and then what a mess to try to fix that given that it would basically require me to disassemble the whole dash again and then how would one insure it just wouldn't jostle again!
So, what I've decided to do is to go ahead and try being careful in cutting the larger entry hole, with a fall back plan of simply using a custom sized wood piece over the radio if I goof up and mar the existing trim (in other words cover the marred finish with newly finished wood trim as if it had always been there).
I have to have a trim piece anyway to fill the oversized length of the old Bose radio, so I needed a piece of material (wood I think) behind the opening, so this would just mean I would overlay a similarly sized piece in front. I might try taking the existing dash to an exotic wood store to see if it can be matched. At any rate, the way I am going to do it, any double din can easily replace what I have because I will use the cage and as some of you might know, to remove the radio is simply a matter of removing the wood trim, then using two "keys' to allow the old radio to slide out. Of course in this installation I do plan on putting the strap back on for additional security of the install so one would have to reach up in there and undo that nut as well, but at least the dash would be left alone!
What's nice about the new radio install is that speaker wire already runs up to the TV cabinet where all my existing electronics are. In fact there are two sets of audio wires running there. One set is from the radio which I will use to drive the front R/L original bose speakers and another set was from the lifestyle music center which I will connect to the pre-amp outputs from the radio an into the Vizio surround sound system.
In addition there is another pair of wires (from the old Lifestyle 20 system) will run to the rear bose system so that the radio output can drive the rear stereo as the lifestyle used to before I took it out.
Besides all those wires, there are also 2 additional wires which I assume were used to power the amp (or not) which run from the radio and lifestyle. I don't know much about what type of wires are used for video signals but I think wire is wire so I can now use those two spare wires together to connect the video from the new radio up to my cabinet without running a new video cable. This way the DVD player can be tied into the flat screen video. I'll test to see if that is true or not.
Before I continue with my mod on this dash I would love to hear from anyone who has replaced this vintage Bose Radio with a double din. Can't find anyone online who has posted.
I did remove the dash panel by moving the cup holder and ducting out of the way, and then I removed the nuts from the dash which fit through the fiberglass dash shell to secure it.
The dash was then able to be withdrawn and freed. I removed the 4 screws holding my computer in place and it releases from the wood grain/metal reinforced dash section. Oh, there was a strap running from the top of the fiberglass dash around the back of the computer and Bose radio and I did undo the nut from the stud on the back of the radio which was necessary to free the radio.
Also during this process, I did undo some wire wraps to make it easier to push wires out of the way in under the dash so that I could work to take those nuts off the dash studs I mentioned earlier.
Just a side note - it is very easy (I've done it more than once) to unhook the passenger side fan connection while working in this area. So, if that fan no longer works just look for the fan housing and you'll see that you've bumped that connection off its post.
Once the computer was unscrewed the only connections remaining were those of the electrical connections to the 4 switches (gen/closeout/rear cam wash/outdoor speaker) and two nuts holding the radio to the dash piece on the metal side of the dash piece. I needed a deep socket > 1 inch deep and 11/32nds to get at one of those nuts as it was between the radio and the switches. All other nuts on those "dash studs" we reachable with a small wrench which loosened them, then I used my fingers to twist them off while laying on my back and working up from under the dash. I may be reached 1 by undoing the center dash top cover - and it also allows more light in if you open that Velcro connected dash piece.
I carefully labeled and recorded on paper the wiring to all switches and now have the dash piece separated from the vehicle.
I took it to CAR TOYS to see if they would cut it for me so that the radio opening would fit the Double Din requirements (its very close, maybe 1/4" to 1/2" short height wise. The width is larger than that required by the double din.
Surprisingly I was told that what they would do is throw out the DIN CAGE which is what requires most of the cutout work and simply place the radio BEHIND the dash so as not to possibly wreck the wood finish on the front side. And it would cost between $100 and $200 for them to secure the radio to the back side of the dash in this fashion.
While it is true that the actual radio face is only perhaps 1/16th of an inch oversized to the existing cutout, it would have to be carefully centered as the DVD slot is near the very top of the radio.
I told them I'd consider it, but there is very little wiggle room and if the radio was to shift at all, the DVD slot might become obscured during travel and then what a mess to try to fix that given that it would basically require me to disassemble the whole dash again and then how would one insure it just wouldn't jostle again!
So, what I've decided to do is to go ahead and try being careful in cutting the larger entry hole, with a fall back plan of simply using a custom sized wood piece over the radio if I goof up and mar the existing trim (in other words cover the marred finish with newly finished wood trim as if it had always been there).
I have to have a trim piece anyway to fill the oversized length of the old Bose radio, so I needed a piece of material (wood I think) behind the opening, so this would just mean I would overlay a similarly sized piece in front. I might try taking the existing dash to an exotic wood store to see if it can be matched. At any rate, the way I am going to do it, any double din can easily replace what I have because I will use the cage and as some of you might know, to remove the radio is simply a matter of removing the wood trim, then using two "keys' to allow the old radio to slide out. Of course in this installation I do plan on putting the strap back on for additional security of the install so one would have to reach up in there and undo that nut as well, but at least the dash would be left alone!
What's nice about the new radio install is that speaker wire already runs up to the TV cabinet where all my existing electronics are. In fact there are two sets of audio wires running there. One set is from the radio which I will use to drive the front R/L original bose speakers and another set was from the lifestyle music center which I will connect to the pre-amp outputs from the radio an into the Vizio surround sound system.
In addition there is another pair of wires (from the old Lifestyle 20 system) will run to the rear bose system so that the radio output can drive the rear stereo as the lifestyle used to before I took it out.
Besides all those wires, there are also 2 additional wires which I assume were used to power the amp (or not) which run from the radio and lifestyle. I don't know much about what type of wires are used for video signals but I think wire is wire so I can now use those two spare wires together to connect the video from the new radio up to my cabinet without running a new video cable. This way the DVD player can be tied into the flat screen video. I'll test to see if that is true or not.
Before I continue with my mod on this dash I would love to hear from anyone who has replaced this vintage Bose Radio with a double din. Can't find anyone online who has posted.
