full installation of new cd player

[oldexplor]

hey i have a 95 explorer xlt and it has the big stock cassette player in it.i have searched and all i could figure out is that i need sum coat hangers to plug in the holes to pull it out i have no clue what to do next.. can sumbody please explain or give me a site that will explain how to take out the old cassette player and put in a new cd player i understand i need the wiring harness and what else will i need..i want to be able to put the old cassette player back in if needed for any reason..well can sumbody please help and it will be greatly appreciated..thanks

 

[ap81590]

Well this may seem odd but you can find everything you need at Wal-Mart. I bought the actual Ford radio removal tools for $4.49 (Don't waste your time with coat hangers....its so much easier with the actual tools.) You just stick them in the two holes on either side and push them both outward. The radio snaps right out. Then you will have to unplug the harness and antenna. Also at Wal-Mart you can find almost any wiring harness and dash kit (about 15 bucks each)Make sure you get the right harness and trim kit (The employee will direct you to the right one if you can't find it.) Then on the back of your aftermarket uint there will be a bunch of wires with stripped ends. Your harness has the same. Attach the right wires on your new radio to the cooresponding ones on the harness. (solder or quick connect thing) Theres a guide on the back of the harness packaging and in the radio instruction manual usually, so this should be quite simple. Then all you need to do is slide the new unit into the dash kit, plug your new harness into the old one, plug in the antenna, snap the dash kit in, and enjoy. I hope this helps, I was in your situation a couple of months ago. Please PM me if you need any more help.

 

[oldexplor]

alright thanks..well the wal mart automotive part is closed for the night but tomorrow i am goin to go get everything and try it out thanks!

 

[ap81590]

The only deal breaker would be if you had the "Premium Sound System" option on your Explorer. If this is the case you would have to bypass the amp and is probably more trouble than you want. But if you have only a cassette player, I don't think it is possible to have the "Premuim" system.

 

[Heavymentill]

You can take the entire bezzle out to remove the radio without the "special tool"

 

[briwayjones]

alright thanks..well the wal mart automotive part is closed for the night but tomorrow i am goin to go get everything and try it out thanks!

I would get the dash kit from a Best Buy or Circuit City the are one piece kits and much easier to work with. The ones Walmart have are two piece kits and very awkward, you can't get a good install with them.

 

[SplashMan]

I got all my stuff from WalMart for my install and it worked perfect. The only thing I had to do was push the kit into place and then slide the radio in... took 20 min with adding harness adapter to the radio. Got the wireing adapter at WalMart too.

 

[hostile413]

i also bought my wiring harness and dash kit from wally world.....went in perfect, no problems. i had the premium sound so i had to buy the amp bypass kit and disassemble the interior trim panel, but it actually went in without a hitch. when i sold my explorer i took the bypass kit too..lol...and stuck all the factory radio junk back in it...that bypass kit cost like 35 bucks

 

[briwayjones]

I got all my stuff from WalMart for my install and it worked perfect.

The one they had when I got it must have been a different type than the ones you guys got.

 

[oldexplor]

ok well i got the wiring harness from wal mart and now i have no clue what to do as far as hooking it up with the wires can sumbody go threw a brief summary of what to do

 

[briwayjones]

Your new radio should have come with a harness that plugs into it. And you got the harness that plugs into the factory harness. You have to take the wire ends of both harnesses and splice the same colored wires together. What ever wires that the new radio harness has that the factory harness doesn't have an equivilant to just cap off. Wrap them up in tape on the end or whatever.

 

[oldexplor]

ok well i got it to turn on once but no sound..my wiring harness comes with one set that says the electical stuff and then i have another harness that says speaker..but the cd player only has one outlet to plug it in and now i jus hooked the factory back in and i might have blown sumthing becuase now the factory cassette player will not work..the lights will light up if i turn on my head lights but thats it..now i have some difficult problems

 

[Mbrooks420]

You have to bypass, or power the factory amp, most likely. It's better to bypass it. As for the factory HU not working, you may have made a mistake in your wiring.