My CD changer has long been broken (CD ERR F0), but I've been getting by with my Ipod connection. As time went on, the AC/stereo controls started acting up, and I'd "fixed" it with a smack to the console. Eventually they stopped working all together and now the AC is stuck on and the stereo won't turn on.

So I bought another circuit board on ebay, installed it, and it nothing changed. I noticed when I took everything apart that the ribbon connector from my stereo has a little tear in it (pic below, look at the top of the ribbon). Would this cause the controls to be unresponsive? I'm not sure if I got a bad circuit board or now I have to go buy another damn stereo for the ribbon connector.



On that note, will a stereo from an '05 work? The harness connectors look the same but I'm not going to get one without asking those who know.

Lastly, I REALLY don't want to spend the $$ to do a double DIN conversion, nor do I wish to lose my steering wheel controls.

Any input?

 

Well, you don't lose steering wheel controls with aftermarket. Not unless you're too cheap to buy the $40 adapter.

The picture's too blurry to see the tear you speak of, but if your steering wheel controls still work, it could just be a torn ribbon cable. If you're careful with a razor blade, you can cut off the torn section and shave off the plastic from the ribbon, exposing the metal inside. It's a bit of work, but I did it on mine just to prove it could be done.

A stereo from an '05 will work in an 05 or newer, but not an 04 or older.



How much was the iPod adapter and circuit board you purchased from eBay?

You could have done a low-low budget install with a metra kit and single-din radio for about $200 and not had the problems you're having now.

If you think doing it right is expensive, you should see the price of doing it wrong several times.

 

Thanks for the response. My steering wheel controls don't work right now, but only because the stereo won't turn on. If it would, then the controls would work.

The iPod adapter is from PAC, I think it was $60 on its own. I didn't add that to get around the CD issue, I did it because I wanted to just use an Ipod instead of the CD changer anyway.

The control panel I bought was $115 shipped. Of course it was the only one available and I didn't know when another would become available. I guess it's not the worst purchase since the buttons on my old one were well-worn and loose, but whatever... I'm more concerned about what the problem is now vs. the money spent on that piece.

I don't want an aftermarket player at all, honestly. It's not a matter of money as much as it is spending it on something I don't want. Not that I want this to keep happening but you can't win 'em all...This has only needed to be replaced once in 8 years time, so those averages aren't too bad.

Here's a better picture of the ribbon. Are you talking about a metal piece underneath the white/gold portions? I may as well give that a shot, this thing is a brick otherwise.

 

Underneath the white of the ribbon is the same metal as what's exposed on the end there, so if you cut off the exposed metal portion and carefully cut the plastic of the ribbon cable off, it will function as normal. It's not really easy to do, but there is sufficient excess in that cable that you can make it reach.

You say it's only failed once in 8 years, but if you hang out in the A/V section, you'll see that there's a near 100% failure rate on these factory radios. Every replacement you get that is still working is probably at the same state yours was before it failed. Just living on borrowed time.

The radio in my wife's 06 has been replaced at least once before we bought the car, and the radio in my 05 was having CD read errors when I replaced it.

There's the bad ribbon cables, CD read errors, mechanical failure of the CD changer and power circuit failure that are all extremely common in these stereos. It looks like you have had three out of four in that radio.

 

I think I'm going to just say heck with it and go double DIN like you suggest. I found your resource page so it looks like I have all the info I'll need. Thanks.

 

Got everything for the DD conversion today and just threw it in the car. I went w/the Metra kit and it's not really bad at all. Fitment was fine, color is a little off, and the buttons aren't as bad as I was expecting. I took the buttons off an old, bad OEM panel in case I ever want to try to swap them in.