Pitchblackc6

Hello, I presently own a 2005 base corvette with the base sound system and single CD player. I have recently purchased a full Bose Premium sound system (all speakers, amp, and GPS head unit) with the intention of installing it in my car in place of the base system.

Has anyone attempted this before and if it is possible is it a simple bolt on replacement?

Thanks!!

Dano523

Simple bolt in, yes. Simple wiring, no since you will need to change out some wiring harnesses/connectors.

Hence will need to add in the connector and wiring for the bose amp, and then run the power for the thumpers in the doors.

As for Nav unit, will need to install a VSS connector and wiring, install the GPS antenna, then install the mic up in the drivers A cover.

Simply, its the connectors/wiring for the bose system that is different from a non-Bose car that you will need to change to get the system to work, then add in the other added items for the nav system as well. Bluntly, would have been better off just going after market head unit and after market amp and speaker, then to retro the wiring harness/connectors out to Bose instead.

Pitchblackc6

oh man thank you so much! I didn’t realize there would be different wiring but that makes sense, unfortunately I did not get any wiring with the speakers and head unit.

Do you have any idea if the head unit on its own will function if installed on its own, or if there is a different harness for the Bose that I would need to wire in? I wouldn’t be expecting gps or anything like that, just so it looks good and powers the speakers.

thank you very much for taking the time to share your knowledge!

Chevyrelic

Question: I thought that the navigation units had to be programmed to the car? Are they just plug and play?

Corvette_Ed

All head units have to be programmed to the car with a Tech II.

Chevyrelic

Thanks, that’s what I thought. I didn’t see that mentioned in Dano’s post and wanted to make sure the OP knew that as well...👍🏻

TorchRedFred

I would suggest, do yourself a favor and go with an aftermarket head unit. Fairly simple to install and a huge upgrade over the factory navigation unit.

Jason71

It might be petty, but I would miss the C6 corvette logo when the radio is off.

Corvette_Ed

Most of the aftermarket radios allow you upload a custom splash screen so you'd still be able to have the logo.

Jason71

Good to know @Corvette_Ed

Dano523

If you mean that the radios memory has to be cleared with a tech II, so the radio will remarry to it new home in another car, then yes.

As for programming, the clear process is not real programming, but just memory clearing instead.
Radio Programing would be if you are adding XM radio to a unit that never had it before, and you go into the radio to turn on the XM channel button on it instead.

Dano523

This should cover you for the most part.
http://www.kawal.net/USB%20Nav.htm

Hence will need to cut in/add wires for the bose amp connector that needs to be added in for the bose amp.

Will need to add in the VSS connector since it not there on your car,

Will need change the door thumper connectors, and add power wires for the thumpers since they have amps in them.

Will need to add in the mic connector/wiring as well.

Hence bose cars with the standard CD players, already have all the extra wiring connectors/harness in the car, so adding in Nav is a snap. Hence if you ordered a base car with Nav, you got the bose system as part of the deal, since it has all the connector/wiring harness from the start. Non bose cars, and adding in Nav with bose amps, now means that you have to pick up the needed connector, and start adding in the wires. In the case of speaker wires, they need to be cut and feed into the bose amp connector.

TorchRedFred

Pictures of my Corvette themed startup screen and background.

Chevyrelic

Yes sir, that was the reason for asking the question. I had thought that the OP might simply try to install the nav unit (with the appropriate cables/connectors) and the nav/radio unit still wouldn’t function. 👍🏻

Dano523

BCM does not check the radio until you start the car. So when you first install the radio, and just have the car in ACC mode, it does not trigger the security radio lock out yet, and radio works as normal. As soon as you start the car and the BCM does the module checks, this is where the Radio will security lock out, and will need to be memory cleared with Tech II, so the radio will remarry in with the car's BCM infor on the next start up.

Jason71

If you were going to start replacing speakers/HU.......what would you suggest?