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I have an 01 f350 and it will not play cds anymore. It sometimes says no disk or plays horribly if you get lucky. What is wrong with it? does it just need cleaned out? if so how do I go about that?
I agree with the others. I see used factory radios on Ebay all the time. If you bought the same model you have, a swap would be fast and easy. They aren't worth fixing. If you wanted to go with an aftermarket system, then you would have to buy a wiring kit, dash kit, and whatever else. Although, with the systems out there now, you can really get something awesome, with a ton a features. Good luck.
A radio swap is easy - all you need is the puller tool which you can usually get w/ the replacement radio. Simple - plug both tools into the radio & pull. Disconnect the antenna & wiring - plug them into the new radio and slide it back in - shouldn't take more than 10 minutes
An aftermarket radio has much better sound quality, even with the stock speakers. If you want to go OE I would try to pick up a newer CD only head unit out of an 04' MY SD.
It kind of depends on which radio you have and how happy you are with it. If you are satisfied with your radio, then go to Radio Shack or some other electronics store and get a CD cleaning disk. Cheap, fast, easy and will more than likely solve your problem. If you want to upgrade, there are many aftemarket radios that have more features than your original. If you want to upgrade and keep the Factory original look, I recommend the 2007 Escape 6CD Audiophile radio. It has about everything you could want except bluetooth and a bluetooth adapter can be added. It has 6 CD in dash, 80W RMS without external amp, RDS, plays mp3s, etc. and looks like it belongs there. I did a couple of write ups on it and some others added to them and did their own. You can probably search and find the write ups. If you need additional info, post again.
I have swapped radios in all my trucks. The best thing is there are plenty of oem plug and play units available. I would recommend a oem single cd unit with RDS. The 6 disc units usually have reliability issues. The RDS feature indicates a higher end oem unit. With the 2 U shaped tools, clip the tools on each side of the radio, spread apart, and slide out, unplugging the antenna and harness. You could do it in about 1 minute, not the 10 quoted.
Actually it is the Audiophile designation that denotes the high end unit. I have been using four of the 6 CD units for over three years now and no problems with any of them. Some of the OEM units are plug and play and some require an adaptor plug, but they are all easy to install, work very well with the factory speakers, and I have not had a problem with any of them. The 2007 Escape Audiophile radio is my favorite upgrade for 87-93 Mustangs. Just be aware that the Super Duty radio from 2005 and later will not fit as it is a different size.