Ugh... I have had my stereo replaced 3 times under my extended and I even got a new circuit board put in 2 months ago... I have to bang the console just tobget the lights and the stereo sound back. If I turn on my headlights, the displays disappear and maybe come back, hell, the AC willl sometimes come on.... So I should look at this ribbon thing, or look at the solder points or what?

 

The problem here guys is that the factory head unit in all of our G's are Clarion head units which are shet to start with. The only the thing Bose are the amp and speakers. We replace about 5 head units a week at the dealership and yes it even happens on 05 and up models as well. 2 out of the 10 head units that we install don't work when we put them in if that gives you guys a clue as to the quality that Clarion brings to the table...

 

Always good and interesting to get some inside knowledge.

 

No problem,that's what we are here for. To help each other out.

 

I finally took the head unit/face plate off with the help of a buddy. He knew of an electronics repair place that has fixed many of these. Ended up being some cold solder joints that needed to be redone. Hopefully I can put it back in today and see if that fixes it. Repair cost me $175

 

Just installed my JDM kit and a fairly basic $180 Clarion BT/USB/Aux double din receiver. I had no idea the Bose system could sound so freaking good. The hardest part of the install was cramming all that extra gear (specifically the converter harness) behind the headunit.

 

Dave I really like that head unit. Is the orange the exact orange of our Dash?

 

It's very close, but not quite as deep orange. The HU has the ability to switch between 12 different colors.

 

What's the model number? I don't know if I want a touch screen in my car

 

It's a Clarion CX501. I got it from Amazon for $180, but now 2 weeks later it's $250. Weird. Crutchfield sells it for $220 with an installation kit which includes the antenna adapter and connector harness to work with the OEM system. If you have a Bose system, I'd recommend getting the $30 PAC harness and not the Metra harness that Crutchfield will give you. Some reviews of the Metra harness aren't that great.

Touch screens are really nice, but I wasn't willing to spend $480-600 on a HU when the car will be sold in another 3 to 4 months. The HU is really nice because it has a USB port in the lower right hand corner which I have a micro 8gb flash drive installed so all my music is right there. The BT works perfectly with my HTC EVO and I can play music through it as well and control the EVO mp3 player somewhat (pause, ff/rev, play).

 

How much was the jdm double din? That was a deal breaker for me

 

$325 from Phil at Grubbs. He's the only one that sells the JDM titanium/willow trim kit. The Metra kit looks cheesy and doesn't match at all since they paint the vent "ears" titanium instead of the OEM setup which has willow or black ears.

I seriously considered doing what you did, but it was going to cost me around $320 when it was all said and done and I'd be without the HVAC or radio for at least a week. Either way I knew I had to do something; therefore, I choose to do an aftermarket setup that looks fairly OEM and has the new audio options most people want in a car. Hopefully it will help sell the car quicker.

 

I don't know if I want to do a touchscreen! This looks great as an alternative!

 

i had a similar issue and it was just a popped fuse in the fuse box inside the car...its labeled as mirror..upper row 10a fuse..when it popped my cluster went out(lights only..speedo tach temp and gas still worked)..radio didnt work, and ac was on and couldnt control it...also couldnt adjust outside mirrors..

 

That's not what's going on in my car