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OT: Need to update car radio, what kind?

R

redtom

Well-known Member
I know its not a car forum but I need to replace a radio. I havent changed a radio since the late 70's when you still had a metal dash. My daughters factory fm cd in grand am is going blank so I thought an aftermarket would be the way to go. Boy am I lost. What do you buy and what abut face trim? Is there pigtail and electronic lockout issues? Its all gotten so foreign in 30 years
 
Just get a stereo you like and then get an adapter kit. The kit will come with pigtail and all you need to mount it useing the factory wiring, amp and speakers. Just go to wal mart or preffered store and they can help you pick out what you need. You can even go to crutchfield.com as they have about everything you'd need. I've been replacing a lot of stuff with alpine. Alpine is now making an affordable stereo with decent quality although not as good as their high end stuff. I have a few sony brand also. Most brands are o.k. but pioneer has really fell off the mark in the last 10 to 15 years. They rank up there with the old kraco stuff!! Good luck.
 
I should mention that some kits are just a dash mount kit for the stereo and the pigtail kit is sold seperatly but some have dash and pigtail so look closely at what is contained in the kit.
 
due to some newer cars with eletronics, alarms, theift secerity systems tied into cars, depending on year/model you have, check if any after market brands are adaptable,, check with some of these after market car stero bussiness, if they can adapt..
 
Go to Crutchfield dot com. They are absolutely the best and most helpful. I think they have an online chart where you enter the car make-model-year etc and it gives you choices at various price points. I"m not sure I"d trust a Walmart clerk or ? to get me the correct information. Hope this helps.
 
It really does depend on the year and options.
My sister's car uses the radio to reset the "Change Oil" light after you change the oil.
Your cheapest/easiest way out may be to get the correct one out of a salvage yard.
 
No radio,...Ohhh what do i do now!!?? sounds like the world came to end. :shock:

Time to trade the car in :wink:
 
Wal Mart, Best Buy and other electronics stores that sell adaptor kits should have a chart to help you match up the needed plug-ins and dash kits for her car. As stated by someone else go with a decent brand. IMO bang for the buck if going as cheap as possible is SONY.

Most of the elsetric adapter kits have wiring that connects to the radio/cd player and then into the OEM system in the car using the car factory wiring to the speakers and for power to the radio. Most modren radios require a low and high feed. Low is to keep the programing when the main power is off.

If needed some radio kits include speakers with the radio. Most of these speakers are supposed to fit int he OME mounting holes.

Rick
 
E-bay has used factory replacements for 10-50$ why encourage someone to break your window to steal the new one a some party your daughter goes to. Plus its plug and play my.02 cents
 
I learned this lesson.......find a mobile electronics place that installs....they will do it right. the radio's are cheaper then you can buy AND carries a warrenty! can't do it yourself as cheap as they will do it!!!!!!!
 
I agree with Patrick. Crutchfield.com is the way to go. They tell you what stereos fit what cars and include electrical adapters as needed. You can email them or talk to them as needed. They can walk you through an installation if needed.
 
I agree with the ones that said go to the yard and get the same radio from the same year car and save a lot of headache. The yards are full of those cars, all years.
 
If glare bothers anyone who might be driving it, I would find a junkyard unit. Unless you go high-dollar, any new head unit is going to have such bright lights that it can really cause problems with glare. The one in my Cummins is dimmable, and if I am tired I still have to shut it off, or hold the wheel differently so as to block it from my line of sight, even on dim.
 
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