Need OEM Radio/Cassette/CD Controls

[BlueDogBandit]

Hey guys, I'm looking for a radio for my EXPEDITION. The one that is in their mysteriously fried this week. I checked all the fuses, then pulled the head unit out--- and verified power going in. It was there. Only thing I could find was some heavy corrosion coming out of the rear corner where the wiring harness goes in. ANYWAY, I know that a lot of the head units are compatible between the Explorers and the Expeditions and trucks, and thought someone may have one that they pulled out of their truck. My Expedition is a '97 EB. The part number is F65F-19B165-BD. I've checked a lot of places online, but couldn't find exactly what I needed. If anyone else has a suggestion, please let me know.

 

[jimbo74]

mr. Watts....havent seen you on here in awhile..... hows it going? are there any on www.ebay.com ? everytime i'm on ebay, i always ee tons of truck stereos

 

[Alec]

Mine is from a 96 X. It is the large HU with cass and changer controls. Uses the factory external amp.

I can go dig for it if you want, but it would take me a while to find it. How much you want to pay?

 

[BlueDogBandit]

Well, I was worried about coming on here to ask about an Expedition part. My Explorer is parked next to our barn up in Montana. It needs to have the heads rebuilt....or just a 302 dropped into it. So, I haven't been doing much EXPLOR'n. Anyway, I can't find exactly what I need on EBAY, or can determine if what on there is exactly what I need. Alec, if you can find it, I'd be interested in knowing what part number is on it. If it's what I need, how does $30+ shipping sound?

 

[cobrajeff]

96 Explorer JBL radio will NOT work in your truck

If Alec's truck had a factory JBL system (radio HU will have a -18C852- base part number), it would NOT work in your Expedition, due to the distributed architecture unique to that system.

If his truck had a Midline system (base part number -19B132-) if will NOT work due to the amp configuration.

If his truck had a factory Premium Sound System (base part number -19B165-), then it SHOULD work in your application.

Basically, you need a HU with the same base part number as what you now have.

Regards,

cobrajeff

 

[Alec]

I'll try to look for it today or tomorrow.

 

[aldive]

I have a HU out of my '99 thay will work. It does, however, have the display problem.

Make an offer.....

 

[BlueDogBandit]

WOULD the '99 version work? I've read conficting stories about the connectors. Didn't they change the connectors in '98? Also, I have the display off my old unit. It was just one simple plug to remove it, I wonder if it would plug right into the unit you have? Is there any way that you couuld take a picture of the rear of the unit, so that I could look at the connections? Or, is there somewhere I could buy an adapter?

 

[aldive]

Here is the pic....

 

[aldive]

.... and the front.

 

[BlueDogBandit]

Thanx for the pics, but I guess we are talking apples and oranges. I need a cassette head unit, with cd changer controls. I would love to have the in dash cd player as well, but I doubt that unit has the controls for my cd changer. Also, the connections are different. Thanks again. I'll keep looking.

 

[aldive]

This HU does indeed have the controls for the Ford 6 disc changer; I have already sold the changer though.

 

[BlueDogBandit]

WOW, do you have the part number. I know that your unit is a lot larger than mine, because on the cassette versions, the top rear is angles down. If I can find someone that has an adapter for the connectors, I'd love it have this unit.

 

[aldive]

The top read does not angle down, its square.

The black area in the upper right is a built-in heat sink.

 

[aldive]

Info tag from top of HU....

 

[BlueDogBandit]

Alan, what I meant was that on my unit, the face is the same size as yours, but at the rear of the unit, it's only about 3 1/2 inches tall. Yours is the same size at the rear as it is at the front, correct. Also, my base number is 19B165. Don't these numbers have to match? Did you say the display doesn't work?

 

[cobrajeff]

Dual Media (18C868) radio will not be easy to adapt

Trying to adapt the Dual Media (base part number -18C868- into your Expedition will create a number of problems.

1) the connectors changed in 1998, so you would need an adapter

2) the Instrument Panel (I/P) was not changed in Expedition to fit the Dual Media radio until 2001; you MAY be able to cut enough out to get it to fit, but that size radio was never used in the earlier Expedition.

3) Heat is a significant problem in the Expedition I/P, so bad that we never offered the single CD radio (with integral amp) from the factory due to high temperature concerns

4) your current radio has the EQ built into an external amp. The -18C868- radio shown in the earlier post has the EQ built into the radio - you'd need to bypass your amp, and somehow rewire it to get a signal to the factory subwoofer amp (coming from the 4 channel amp in the -19B165- radio; coming from the HU in the -18C868- radio)

5) the Dual Media radio described is EQ'd for an Explorer; the factory EQ curves for the Expedition would be different.

I still recommend you stick with a -19B165- replacement, unless you are prepared to rework and rewire everything.

Regards,

cobrajeff

 

[BlueDogBandit]

Thanks Jeff, that is what I was thinking, now you just confirmed it all. Did you happen to check and see if you still have yours? Also, do you have any idea if I was to find the same unit without CD controls, if I put my faceplate on it, would it work?

 

[cobrajeff]

I do not have any radios to sell.

The software to activate the CD Changer controls is programmed into the main micro, so, just changing the bezel will NOT make CD Changer controls active. You will want to look for another unit that includes the CD Changer controls (detectable by the "CD" button) on the radio bezel/faceplate.

regards,

cobrajeff

 

[Alec]

I didn't get a chance to look today. I will try tomorrow.