Will it fit my '96 XLT?

[Kamaaina]

I got a plain OEM AM/FM/Cassette unit in my '96 XLT. I've seen on ebay a lot of OEM Cd players and most say 1998-to-whatever. Will these units fit into my dash using the factory mounts? I notice that the Cd units have the same four holes on the face for the removal tool. Also, do these Cd units require an external amp and any mods to the harness? I'm not really an audiophile, I just want to be able to play my Cd's and retain the factory look. Thanks all.....

 

[jeff96]

Any second generation cd player should be able to fit into your explorer. But if you want to maintain the factory look ever thought about a cd changer with a fm transmitter? You could put the disc changer in your console.

 

[Kamaaina]

Thanks for the reply. I don't really need a changer, a single disc OEM player is just fine. I read the post above about "audio specs" an it seems that the '98 & later units are 90mm height front to back while mine is 90mm front and drops down to 50mm in back; just wondering if the extra height will bang into anything like ducting or wiring harnesses. I guess I'll just have to pull out the "old" unit and look to see if all is clear. The specs also said that the amplifiers are built into the units themselves ('98 & later) and not external, is this correct? That would be great for me if it is. My biggest concern is the harness plug, if it's different is there someplace where I can purchase the plug for the later head unit? Sorry, I'm not an "audio guru"....I'd just like to put in a OEM Cd unit as simply as possible.

 

[Blee1099]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the 98-01 wiring harness for the stereo is different from the 95-97. Where's CobraJeff or any of the other gurus when we need a question asked.. I could have swore that they used different wiring harnesses but I can be mistaken.

 

[Kamaaina]

So far it looks like I'll need to get another plug to match the "'98 & later" head unit and splice it into my existing harness. Now I need to check if the opening in my existing dash fascia is the same as the '98 or is the opening larger. I just want to do my homework before I tackle this purchase and installation......I hate surprises!