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We just bought a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer. We LOVE our new (to us) SUV. It works great... except the stereo. The CD player is broken and only the radio works.
So we went to Best Buy.
For a Sirius/iPod/Aux stereo (pretty basic one) it was $125. To have it installed and retain steering wheel controls with the parts = $550! What the french fries?
Now that I got that out.
What do you guys suggest. We had originally wanted a stereo with nav and bluetooth too but now we are thinking about just buying a boombox and taking it along in our car. This is ridiculous.
Since we are moving, we are looking at national chains to install. But this is... financial suicide.
Can anyone point a clueless car stereo owner to some help?
I checked eBay and could see that you can get a factory OEM radio for your car for between $100.00-$300.00
If you choose a non factory radio then the installer has to fabricate an adapter plate, and a mounting plate to install a non factory radio.
Then he will need to use a wiring harness adapter and possibly an antenna adapter too.
It is normally more expensive to put an aftermarket radio in any car than it would be to put in an OEM replacement.
I would get an OEM radio that works, remove your broken one, then its a simple plug and play,,maybe $150.00 for the install.
We just bought a 2003 Mercury Mountaineer. We LOVE our new (to us) SUV. It works great... except the stereo. The CD player is broken and only the radio works.
So we went to Best Buy.
For a Sirius/iPod/Aux stereo (pretty basic one) it was $125. To have it installed and retain steering wheel controls with the parts = $550! What the french fries?
Now that I got that out.
What do you guys suggest. We had originally wanted a stereo with nav and bluetooth too but now we are thinking about just buying a boombox and taking it along in our car. This is ridiculous.
Since we are moving, we are looking at national chains to install. But this is... financial suicide.
Can anyone point a clueless car stereo owner to some help?
You'll need to itemize that $550 for anyone to make sense of it. I can see where some combo of numerous parts may be needed-dash kit, wiring harness, maybe a factory amp interface, Sirius antenna, extension cable for Ipod/aux-in, the PAC steering wheel controls adapter, then the labor to install each. $550 seems high but until the details are known it's impossible to tell.
I checked eBay and could see that you can get a factory OEM radio for your car for between $100.00-$300.00
If you choose a non factory radio then the installer has to fabricate an adapter plate, and a mounting plate to install a non factory radio.
Then he will need to use a wiring harness adapter and possibly an antenna adapter too.
It is normally more expensive to put an aftermarket radio in any car than it would be to put in an OEM replacement.
I would get an OEM radio that works, remove your broken one, then its a simple plug and play,,maybe $150.00 for the install.
Fabricate an adaptor plate? Not since the 80's for any mainstream vehicle. There are dash kits for just about everything, and wiring harnesses as well. Less than 30 minutes on the bench to assemble the new radio with the dash kit and harness, another 30 minutes in most vehicles to swap the factory head to the new radio. 30 minutes to swap factory head for factory head.
OEM is a great way to go if OP can find a working one with some life left in it. Of course it won't have the newer features OP is interested in.
Radio Kit - Metro Ford Single Din Multi Kit: $20
In Dash Non Video Labor: $60
Radio Harness - Metra Turbokits aftermarket radio wire hardness adapter for select ford vehicles: $20
Steering Wheel Control Interface - Metra Steering wheel control interface black - $105
Steering wheel control labor - $60
XM Install: $50
= $315
He kept rambling about some additional XM charges, and he didn't write them down... but that's a start. Obv, that doesn't include the stereo + taxes.
Thats what happens when you want all that worthless crap added into a car stereo.
Besides the talk stations on sirius/XM...its almost as bad as FM radio and the stations play the same stuff all the time, theres just more selection between stations. theres better clarity but thats not always the case.
Its pretty easy to buy a stereo for $140 max, a good name brand one with bluetooth and ipod adaptor and sirius compatibility.
On top of that you will need a harness adapter from the factory hook-up to the aftermarket stereo..
All that should run you around $200, If the stereo is a different size than the factory then you need an adaptor plate which shouldnt be more than $20.
the expensive part of Sirius is that they need to run wires all over the place and its an exclusive company so everythings at a premium.
If you can solder wires, and remove the old radio, then:
Go to "crutch field.com" ...enter your vehicle brand, model, and year. A list of radios you can replace the old one with will appear on the page. Just select one with the features and price you want.
You will probably find several receivers with the features you want for under $200.00. Crutchfield provides the plugs and harnesses you will need to replace the factory radio. The harnesses of these plugs should be soldered to the wires on the new radio (color coded wires). Remove the old radio, and plug the new radio to the radio plugs in your car.
Shipment is free, the plugs/harness for the new radio, and the instructions as well.
I always find it on crutchfield then buy from amazon. I've asked them to match amazon but they never will, kind of silly since it loses my business for them but oh well. Stereo install is EASY. Dont be afraid theres guides all over the internet. Most new head units have remotes and steering wheel accessories so there may be a way around the controls. Check google to see if anyone has McGuyver'd a way to use the stock controls. As for GPS, I'd buy a standalone unit. They're not too expensive anymore plus you'll get a bigger screen than what would fit, and it can be up near your line of sight.
Can you do w/o the steering wheel controls? Or are you just too lazy to reach over to the radio?
Seriously, your best bet, IMO is to "cut the fat out" and go straight for the meat and potatoes. On an aftermarket job, yes you'll (obviously) need the stereo and the adapter as well as the wiring adapter and antenna adapter (sometimes comes as part of the wiring harness adapter, sometimes not).
The extra stuff like the steering wheel controls....unless your arms are too short to reach the radio, leave that part off. Sure it's nice to have but it's one of those "not really needed" items that people have come to love for whatever reason....that means more money spent when they break.
Or....call up your local salvage yards and see if they have a replacement CD player for your year/make/model....or hit up eBay or even Craigslist.
If you can solder wires, and remove the old radio, then:
Go to "crutch field.com" ...enter your vehicle brand, model, and year. A list of radios you can replace the old one with will appear on the page. Just select one with the features and price you want.
You will probably find several receivers with the features you want for under $200.00. Crutchfield provides the plugs and harnesses you will need to replace the factory radio. The harnesses of these plugs should be soldered to the wires on the new radio (color coded wires). Remove the old radio, and plug the new radio to the radio plugs in your car.
Shipment is free, the plugs/harness for the new radio, and the instructions as well.
I buy occasionally from Crutchfield. You may pay a few extra dollars when you buy from them but the support is top notch.
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