Is it possible to swap the radio out of a 1999 Ford Explorer and put it in my 2003 Licoln Aviator? Both radios are set up to work with the steering wheel controls.

 

Does your Aviator have the THX system? If so, there will likely be extra speakers and amplifiers in the Aviator that the Explorer radio won't interface with. There were a few "levels" of audio system available in the Explorer, I suspect the Aviators all had higher level audio systems.

-Rod

 

The Explorer is a Eddie Bauer edition, so I'm thinking it is more than likely the top stereo. I don't know what thx is.

 

THX is the LucasFilm branded sound processing. Lincolns are about the only vehicles that have THX-certified audio as an option from the factory and appear to include extra speakers that the lower level audio systems do not. If your Aviator had it, there'd likely be a splash screen stating so every time you turned the head unit on.

Even with the Explorer being an Eddie Bauer, it's not safe to assume that it's the top level unit or that it would be a drop-in with the 2003. In the high end system in 1999 the CD changer would have been in the center console. A 2003 with CD changer would be an in-dash unit.

I suppose you could always pull both units and see if the connectors match up. If I get some time this weekend I'll check the wiring diagrams for the 2000 and 2002 model years to see if there is commonality between those years. I don't have the service manuals for 1999 or 2003, but 2000 and 2002 should be pretty similar.

-Rod