2003 monte carlo radio

i have a 2003 monte carlo and i am about to put a radio in it. is there anything special that i need to do, the factory radio has rds. when i read the manual on this there is really nothing special it just allows the radio to find the name of the station from satellites.

The RDS system dose not play any significant role in the operation of your factory radio, however your  car is equipped with a class 2 data bus system http://www.velocitymotorsport.com/install_notes/OBDII.htm allot of people make more of a deal out of it then it really is. The best and simplest way to do this would be to purchase a relocation harness http://www.autosoundgear.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jopoenq8 Dash kit http://autosoundgear.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jokopqf0 and an antenna adapter http://autosoundgear.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&specific=jonrmqd8 .Now the relocation harness will allow you to retain all of the radios data bus features as well as provide you with all the speaker and power connections you will need to hook up your aftermarket radio. Now your car dose not have a switched + 12volt for your radio, so you will need to find an external source. I normally tap into the pink wire located in the ignition harness. That will then be connected to the relocation harness supplying everything with a + switched 12volt. When you do the install I would suggest that you disconnect the battery. Don’t reconnect it until you have completed the install and reconnected the radio to the relocation harness. If you need me to go into more detail or have any other questions don’t hesitate to ask me.

thanks for the help. now on that car where do i look to find thid pink  wire? and do i need to connect the wire from the relocation harness and the aftermarket harness into this pink wire or do i just tap it to the relocation harness. sorry if i am being repititious but i want to make sure that i get this correct. i am also looking into getting a 2003 aurora and i understand that it has the same deal. thanks in advance for any help you or anyone else can give

also sometime soon i am going to be adding a couple of amps and subs. will i incur any problems with this or will it work as if i had a regular hook up

The pink wire is under the dash and is usually found in a large bundle of wires coming from the ignition tumbler itself, usually running with the steering column. It will meter +12v with the key in and turned to acc or run. Hook it up as bberman outlined.Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

There is not need to unscrew or remove the ignition tumbler, find the wires that lead from the tumbler and head down the steering column, there are usually quite a few wires of varying sizes.Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.

If you do not want to relocate the radio, you can check out www.soundgate.com. They have a module, the GMCHIME, which will take care of the data bus issues. One thing to remember is that with certain systems in the Monte's you can program certain user settings through the radio. If you remove the radio you will lose this ability.Best Regards,

Rich