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My Nakamichi CD-45z Installation Manual
Introduction: I created this short manual to assist people in installing a new stereo to their Subaru. I have at-
tempted to provide relevant pictures and diagrams to assist. Some of these have been taken from other websites
and I have tried to reference them where appropriate.
Background: I have owned my ‘95 Subaru Impreza since I was in high school and have loved every minute of it.
When I graduated my parents got me a new stereo for it, an Eclipse 5341R. This is a very nice stereo. One year
later, when in school in California, my parents got me a ‘99 Subaru Outback. I had the Eclipse moved over to this
vehicle. Later, upon coming back to Kansas, I began to drive my Impreza again. It has the standard Subaru stereo
in it which provides truly unacceptable sound. Sometimes I wonder why car manufacturers even waste their time
putting in the horrible stereos they do into cars. They must own large amounts of stock in the companies they
use… Anyways, after suffering with it for a while I became frustrated enough to purchase a new stereo. I decided
to do the install myself despite the entirely lacking amount of information on the web about the wiring on a Su-
baru. The head unit I decided to install was the Nakamichi CD-45z. I got an incredible deal on one on eBay. So,
doing my own install helped to further save me money.
Tools Needed:
Philips Screwdriver (preferably magnetic tipped to aid in not losing screws)
Regular Screwdriver (helps in prying apart some components, remember to be gentle!)
Wire Cutters and/or Needle Nose Pliers that can cut wires
Larger Pliers that can be used to exert large amount of force to crimp things
6 Male Bullet Plugs for 14-16 Gauge Wire
6 Female Bullet Plugs for 14-16 Gauge Wire
The Installation: Below is a picture of where the install both starts and should ideally finish. This is, obviously, not
my original stereo. I had already gone through installing my new Nakamichi before I wrote this manual.
Disclaimer: I am in no way responsible for anything you do to your car, your stereo, yourself, anyone else,
or any other form of property. I suggest that before starting you remove the power from your vehicle. You
could and likely will cause serious damage or possibly even loss of life by failing to do so. Basically, I am not
responsible for anything you do or any mis-statements made in this manual. Remember, you need to do your own
thinking. I am not here to do it for you. If something I say doesn’t make sense, then do not procede. Either I am
wrong, or you do not understand what to do properly and so you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place!
One of the first steps to
start off with is to pull
the parking brake and to
stick the car in first. To
do this you will need to
stick the key in the igni-
tion and rotate it.
REMEMBER, DO
NOT FORGET TO
PULL THE PARKING
BRAKE!!!
The purpose of this is to
give you more space to
use, which in particularly
needed when removing
the center dash unit
which holds the stereo,
lighter, and ashtray.