RIP stock audio system

[duhtroll]

Hey -

My radio and CD died this morning. All I get is some very quiet bass rumbling in the form of what I must have been trying to listen to, but can't tell for sure.

Could this be a loose connection after 56K miles, or has this happened to anyone else?

I'm kinda hoping it died so I can replace it with something that will handle mp3s.

Ideas?

Thanks
-A

[KillJoy]

I hate saying this, but do a SEARCH. I think this has been discussed before.

KillJoy

[duhtroll]

Um, did that already...

Nothing. If it's out there it's hiding in a thread that does not have the following search terms.

head unit
stereo
replace radio
any version of radio or sound dead, dying, kaput, etc..

There's tons of stuff on poor reception and ELECTIVE radio/stereo replacement, but nothing I can find on my particular problem.

[magindat]

I got a factory radio for sale if you want it.

[Sully008]

Someone mentioned wiggling a wire harness under the dash on the passenger side and it cured some sort of lack of sound. Could be a loose connector.

[Marauderjack]

They for some reason lose the frequency lock circuit and sound like a distant station...Mine did just that and Ford fixed it under warranty!! If you call the dealer he will order one that has been rebuilt and take yours as a core....takes about 5 minutes to swap them out!!

If you need one I have a new one at a reasonable price....New ones are $500+??

Marauderjack

[duhtroll]

I'm out of original warranty and I have a $100 deductible on my current 100K warranty. In other words, I'm not using the warranty unless it's something over $100. For this if I'm going to spend $100 I might as well spend $200 and get an aftermarket unit of some sort that's better.

Maybe speakers, too.

And a S/C.

Hmm.

[FordNut]

I believe there is a diagnostic mode you can enter by pressing and holding 3 and 6 at the same time. Sometimes it will help if the head unit has just lost its mind.

[SergntMac]

They for some reason lose the frequency lock circuit and sound like a distant station...Mine did just that and Ford fixed it under warranty!! If you call the dealer he will order one that has been rebuilt and take yours as a core....takes about 5 minutes to swap them out!!
If you need one I have a new one at a reasonable price....New ones are $500+?? Marauderjack

Indeed. Exactly what happened to my #3 MM just after I brought it home. As the radio warms up, the stations/CD play fade to black. No CD play, head unit or trunk. You're right on the fix too. 5 minutes, 125 bucks + core radio. My replacement was refurbed by Alpine, according to the packaging.

One other thing popped up while I was exploring my options, the Marauder head unit appears specific to the Marauder, at least as far as I could tell. Refurbs (if you can find them) go for 250-275 on e-bay. Here's some numbers that may help narrow the search.

Ford part number is...3W3T-18C868-AA
This may be the Alpine part number...KAH2XK482
This label looks like a build date...2002.AP.May
There are also two bar code lables which are not identified, and I have no clue what they mean. U9FR98BH20514287 and USURRS301831

The Marauder radio differs from other Ford radios by the rear connectors, in-dash mounting (no rear support used) and dash panel light color.

Hope this helps, carry on gents.

[duhtroll]

I'll have to drop by the dealer and check this out. thanks!