I've got a 2003 Expedition with a six-disc changer. I want to get satellite radio by swapping another Ford radio that has Sirius satellite capability.

I've found some radio's on Ebay that have the SAT button and know I'll need a satellite tuner, harness(probably), and antenna.

What else do I need to know?

Please, no suggesstions of aftermarket Sirius or XM. I don't want to do that.

 

I'm thinking of doing the same thing. I don't like the aftermarket Sirius radios. I have heard that the 2004 won't fit in the 2003 due to wiring incompatibilites, though.

 

The satt. reciever should come with the proper harnessing.
As for the antenna, I mounted mine above the windshield, centered. I ran the wire along the windshield rubber trim to the fender and into the engine compartment. I ran through the gromet in the firewall for the accelerator cable. You have to fish a little around the air ducts but its not bad.

You can also keep your OEM unit and get an interface satt reciever. I did that originally when checking out satt. radio. This way you can keep your cd changer and your OEM unit together. You tune to a preset channel, like 89.9 and turn on your satt. unit and its rock'n'roll time! The new interface systems are small and fit almost anywhere. I kept mine in my center council, they are easy to install to.

 

Just a heads up here, but apparently there is a software problem with at least some of the Audiophile Radios (6-disk w/SAT button). My 2004 EB is in for the second time having the radio replaced because of 2 issues: 1) is that the clock loses time (couple of minutes/day) and 2) the RDS display is messed up. This issue requires that the radio be re-programmed by the factory, so if you're buying off ebay you might want to confirm with the seller that the unit you buy has been re-programmed (or at least isn't one that has just been removed and replaced for this issue). As far as I can tell it doesn't affect other aspects of the unit (i.e. functionality or audio quality). Since I don't have Satellite, I don't know if it affects the display of Satellite data, but suspect that it might.

HTH

 

I asked an Ebay seller who has Ford Sirius tuners(item 7949952073) about my situation.

Ted said there were three different six-disc radios sold with the '03 Expy's. Besides that, if the radio isn't SAT capable, then it either has a COMP button (which signifies a Premium radio) or a DSP button (which signifies an Audiophile radio). Audiophile units have a sub amp and sub speaker. In either of the two aforementioned cases, retrofitting a SAT head unit will probably require wiring harness modifications and if not an Audiophile model, then the addition of the sub amp & sub.

I could give a !@#$ about a sub and Ted didn't say it was required, so I wouldn't wire it up. Do you NEED a sub for the SAT radio? I'm going to try to locate some electrical drawings & detail drawings for the radio connectors for the '03 & '04 Expy radios. Anyone got some schematics? (Yes, I'm sure the Service Manual has them)

 

Go and get a Haynes book (about $11), you'll get the wiring schematic for the whole truck in the back, plus a lot of other take apart info.

 

I would love to get a Haynes book, but they aren't available for the 2003 my.

 

Wow, didn't know that, have you gone to the Haynes site to check that? If they don't then ask the parts person at Ford for a schematic. He/she can take it right off the puter they look up parts for. I don't know the detailing, it varies per schematic, but at least you can look at it before printing it.

 

This is the first time I have read about this "problem". Any further information on where to go to get the affected unit serials or production dates?

I am updating an 03 Cobra non SAT enabled unit to an 04 Expy SAT enabled unit. The only differences are the power plug and 4 wires on connector c290b (referencing 2003 Cobra schematic). The power plug can be cut and the new one re-wired, and c290b will physically plug into the back of both units.

The pigtail for the head is permanently wired into the dash stub and is NOT separately available. You'll have to either cut a junkyard harness (NOT likely, as the recycler will want to sell the whole harness and he can't do that if some hack has cut it up) or find someone who cut their factory harness to hardwire an aftermarket unit in instead of using a Scoshe adapter or similar. I was fortunate enough to find someone that had cut their factory harness so I could get the plug.

EDIT: the Sirius downlink unit DOES come with a separate harness that stretches from the back of the vehicle (downlink mount location) to the head.

 

I have the factory installed 6 disk in dash CD player in my 03 Expy EB. I would like Sirius satellite radio through a Ford factory in dash CD changer. Can I just buy a new Ford factory CD player with the SAT button, pull out the existing radio, install the new radio, and have Sirius?

I do not want to go the FM transmitter route if I don't have to.

 

Ni, they use different connectors. This has been written about in the past.

You might find more using search. I also have seen it talked about on other boards.

Bob

 

As near as I can tell, ALL of the Audiophile radios exhibit the RDS issue. After having my dealer replace the radio twice without fixing the problem (the RDS displays its data out of sequence...mixed up Song Title/Artist/Station Name) I asked to check a few of the '05's and discovered the same issue with them. I have since lodged a complaint with Ford, but have not heard back from them as yet about resolving the issue.

 

Interesting...I have yet to have an issue...? Mine has been installed and working flawlessly for over a year...

 

you can buy a repair harness to make it work. You will have get schematics to match up the pin locations (wire colors are not the same). I made it work on my 03, was alot of work making the harness. Go to www.radiosandmore.com they were a lot of help.

 

I have an 03 XLT that I changed the radio to an 05 with the SAT button on it, that can handle a subwoofer, hook into existing wires with no problems and I don't have the subwoofer yet, but I am looking to get one to hook into the system. I got the sirrus kit from Radio and Mores with the cable harness that you plug in the back of the radio, then you plug the vehicle harness into it, everything is display on the radio display, also install ford bluetooth kit on it. Incoming calls are display with "phone" and mutes after 2 ring then you just talk in the car, voice is piped through car system.