Well hey guys and gals, just got some great news about having my Replacement 2010 HHR -CD stereo un-lock charge from our friendly neighborhood Chevy dealership of $110.00 i didn't pay but $ 70. for the unit it self!!!!!. OK, just wondering , will I hurt / burn up anything if i just run separate wires or use the existing wires and hook op a simple Kenwood am fm cd player small face with a wiring adpt. kit and a face plate? I will not pay those butt wipes that kind of money. That is highway robbery.
Thanks for any help! Ill even run my own speaker wire if i have to. Just don't want to hurt the existing wiring harness or take a chance and have a FIRE!

 

Look at Crutchfield site, they have the correct adapters from an aftermarket HU to the factory wires. No marshmallows required!

 

Have you checked your speakers; that is the most common failure, not the radio itself.
You don't have to go to a Chevy dealer any GM dealer can do it along with well equipped independent shops.

To answer your question if you don't know anything about wiring in modern cars you can "burn it down".
Harness adapters are available.
You can splice into the wiring if you know what you are doing.
There is no switched power lead going to the radio, you need to provision that from the fuse box. Any of the un used fuse positions on the BCM are switched and on the delayed off circuit..

 

will do. thx

 

when I got this HHR bout 3 weeks ago, the PO installed the radio from a 2010 with the receipt and the vin number so I dont know what come of the original radio from the 2007 i bought . He said the speakers were sounding terrible and that is why he put the replacement oem radio in (from pick and save junk yard) but never unlocked it. (found out what it cost)

 

Without the digital adapter box you will be without the door open and key in and lights on warning chimes.
Here in Fredericksburg the Buick dealer is much easier to deal with.

 

What does it take to unlock it? I have a Chinese clone of the old GM diagnostic tool, will that do it without the add in modules? Never tried to hook it up to the HHR.

Ira

 

Should be simple if there is a "radio" item in the menu.

 

I say this as a person who's always looking for a cheaper way to do stuff - sometimes it cost more money to go cheap than do it right. The harness for an aftermarket radio only runs about $70 without steering wheel controls, $100 with steering. If your old radio is done, you can get a decent aftermarket unit for around $100 in some cases, and it will sound better and have more features like bluetooth and USB. To me, unless you are a real stickler about having a stock appearance, having a ten year old, hit or miss stock radio installed with the possible cost of reprogramming just doesn't seem the cost effective way to go. Same for hacking up wiring to install an aftermarket radio - it just doesn't make sense to mess around with hacking up your stock wiring when you can just get the harness which will make everything work properly and be MUCH easier to install.

 

That’s why I always recommend Crutchfield, they know what’s required, they sell you the right parts that work and provide advice too!