joefoss
Member
- Joined
- June 8, 2021
- Messages
- 27
- Reaction score
- 6
- City, State
- Battle Creek MI
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- Police
- Callsign
- WD8BVL
I have a 2014 Ford Police Explorer. It does not have XM radio. I obtained an 2014 radio from the junkyard which has XM. They look the same but I had to change the mounting Brkts. The junkyard radio seems to have enhanced audio as it has a heatsink on the side' probably to reduce the heat from the audio chips. I swapped it out with my radio but it will not chance frequencies or bands. I crank-up the audio and the screen displays the audio increase but no audio out. All displays work. When removed and the old one put back in, I noticed that the new radio was warm, indicating that the audio amp may have been working. I have talked to several supposed experts and they don't thing I could ever swap a factory XM radio with a Explorer which did not have one. The one plug seems to plug-in OK. Seems OEM is trying to keep people from recycling radios. Aftermarket companies need to push for legislation. I'm told that the factory prevents radio swapping to prevent thefts. They also put the chip in the key. However, fleet vehicles and this police Explorer has keys without any chip and I can get regular keys from any machine for cheep. So, they can wave that silly logic if they want to. So, does anybody know if I can swap this radio or should just throw-out the XM radio I got out of a regular 2014 Explorer and get an aftermarket add-on? Thanks guys for any help you can get me on this.
