Hey!! Does anybody have a Kenwood CD Changer installed in their highline console of your Explorer?? I'm asking b/c I'm gonna get a changer with the factory adaptor from Crutchfield. Is there any problems with the changer if you have one?? Thanks!!!!

I have a Kenwood changer. Hit my site to see how I mounted it in the console...

Jon

Do you have a factory cellular phone in the console? Mine takes up half of the room while the other half has the factory CD changer in it. You can get some pretty good deal on factory Ford changers on Ebay. I know they will mount in there with no problems. I can e-mail pictures if you want. I would post some here but I'm not sure how to.

I've got a kenwood 10-disk changer in my 94. Haven't used it in months though, I assume it still works :). Wouldn't fit in the console, its under the rear seat.

Jon, thanks for the pic!!!! I hope the one I'm ordering has the same dimensions as yours.

Justin, my dad told me he'd rather get a new aftermarket cd changer than getting a used one from e-bay. I don't have the factory phone. How does the phone work?? I'm pretty curious about that. Can you also post some pics??? Hehe.

Matt, the Kenwood I'm planning to get is the KDC-C667 (6-disc). The dimensions Crutchfield gave me, without the brackets, is 10 1/2" x 2 1/2" x 7". I'm gonna check it out when I get my truck back from the dealer. It's been there since last Tuesday!!!! GRRRRRRRR!!!!! http://members.aol.com/riffman80/mad.gif

Billy,
You will need to cut the armrest support bracket, but it is aluminum and easy to cut. About 10 minutes with a hacksaw and a dremel. Let me know if you need more info...

Jon

Thanks Jon!! I don't think I'll be getting it until next month b/c I have to work for it. I have $140 right now and the changer and the adapter costs $270 so... But I'll be sure to ask you questions when I get it.

This shows how the factory phone and CD changer fit in the console. Some of the ones on Ebay are brand new.

http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/standard?pictid={9C3C0A2D-04B0-4286-A8E9-C7CD5BA75BCA}
http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/standard?pictid={00EA0589-D9E8-4BF2-88FD-9F5CC9B73ED7}

Hey Justin, thanks for the pics! Do you use the phone?? I bet it's nice to have a factory phone so you don't have to spend all those money on getting aftermarket hand-free phone, like me. Oh well... My dad doesn't trust ebay anyway, it's technically his truck, since he bought it for me as a graduation present last year so he's the one calling the "shots", if you know what I mean. Hehe.

What type of adapter are you talking about? If it is a FM modulator type changer your CD sound quality will be reduced to FM quality which isn't the greatest. Lots of "noise" is sometimes created which sucks. If you plan on spending $270 you should just look into an aftermarket CD headunit.

Steve

Steve,

The adapter is a little converter thingy which converts the Kenwood's signal into the Ford's signal so my Ford cd-changer ready receiver can use the changer properly. It's not the FM-modulated model. I don't like the sound quality of it at all.

The reason why I don't want an aftermarket system is because on my other car, Honda Accord, has the system stolen a few months ago and it was a pain in the a** to get my money back from the insurance company so I don't wanna go through the whole ordeal again. I hope you understand

Well, I got my truck back Tuesday and did some measuring. It barely fits into the console. If I do that, I'm gonna have to do some drilling to the little sleeve which is bolted down in the console. I'll probably get it next month and install it. I'll let you guys know when I get it installed.

Whats up guys(n gals)....I'm new here and just trying to
add to any conversation I can....

I had a kenwood changer mounted in my 91 xlt....I took a little different approach to getting it there though...
If I can post this pic correctly...check it out...tell me what you think...and forgive the coffee stains and dirt...(it was in between cleanings!).....

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=1649601&a=12643395&p=46882634&Sequence=0&res=high

Wow!! That's awesome! Did you do that yourself?? Unfortunately, I have the high series console, just like the one in your '98 EB with the computer and stuff. But hey, that's cool! Thanks for sharing that with us!!

Hey billy...thanks!...

I drew out the design and my installer cut, glued,and screwed in the appropriate angles .....(a joint effort thing).....for pics of the entire install...follow the link...

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1649601&a=12643395&f=0

Hey guys, this is pretty cool stuff. Very nice install DVS1. Looks like you have a very similar Kenwood CD changer to the one I have in one of my 94 XLT's. After looking at other pics on your link, it looks like you also use a Kenwood head unit. Is that right?

Maybe someone can help me with a problem I have been researching for a while, with little success. The 94 XLT with the CD changer in it was bought used a few months ago from a (Jeep) dealer. (No, I was not looking for a Jeep, but someone traded in the XLT on a Jeep Grand Cherokee....no accounting...) The dealer did not know how the CD changer worked, and would not disclose the prior owner's name.

Changer is mounted in the rear cargo compartment. XLT still has the factory "Premium Sound System" installed and working fine. Hand held control unit for CD changer hangs from a cable which (among others) is plugged into the back of the factory headunit and seems to be part of a harness. Hand held control unit has functions for power, play, stop, next track & previous track. Nothing for volume, bass, treble, balance - all the controls associated with an amp.

Problem: I have established that CD power works, tracks play, tracks advance, track playing time displays etc. All the evidence of an operational unit are there. However, No sound. From your install DVS1, your lower unit resemble the hand held control unit I refer to. You have a middle unit though. What is that for? Am I missing part of the package that connects to the factory amps? I can see no evidence of how to switch the factory head unit between the cassette / FM functions and the CD changer. Maybe it doesn't, maybe there is a critical piece removed by the previous owner?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks guys and gals!

Problem solved. More research, putting together some clues from elsewhere on this forum and some deductive reasoning, and hey presto... we have sound!

Turns out mine is a Kenwood KDC-C462FM. Signal is processed by the FM tuner, in my case on frequency 88.3 in case anyone has the same changer and a similar problem.

Once again, proving the usefulness of this site!!

Hey! Glad you found the solution. I was thinking about that but was not sure so I didn't post anything. Anyways, I'm glad that you found the solution.

Thanks, nothing like the feeling of success. It would have taken a lot longer to figure out without the people and their collective knowledge available on this site.

Oh yeah, I forgot to welcome ya. Welcome to the site!! Yeah, this site is the best Explorer site on the internet. But this site really spoiled me though, not in a bad way though. I've spent a LOT of money ever since I (my parents) bought it last year, appearance wise and maintainance wise. Not as much as the others but it's a lot to me. I've learned a lot about my Explorer and ways to make it better. Well, I dont' want to talk so much so I'll stop. Again, welcome and I'm glad you got you changer to work.

Thanks, it's great to be here. In my opinion, this is the best Explorer site on the 'net. There seems to be a real spirit of community here. It's great to communicate with interesting Explorer owners and enthusiasts from all over the world.

As I am financing acquisitions, mods & maintenance myself, and the Explorers are not the only calls on resources, I've mostly concentrated on keeping the mainly stock trucks running in top condition. To that end this site has been indispensible. Mods may start to come soon though!

Best regards

I got the Kenwood KDC-C667 cd changer and the factory adaptor installed yesterday. It took me about 2 hours...an hour and thirty minutes figuring out how to take the rear quarter panel off, the last half an hour to plug in the wires and put the panel back in. The instruction did not say anything about the "initialization process," so I thought I did something wrong until I called Crutchfield. It's confusing and you need to do it whenever the battery is dead. That's what sucks about it but hey...it sounds great!!