Hey everyone. I recently bought my daughter a 2002 Chevy Cavalier and as a birthday gift I was going to get her a new stereo where she can hook up her iphone to play the music. I called Future Shop, but they informed me that I would also have to buy a “data stream” for an additional $149.00. I don’t know exactly how he explained it but somewhere along the lines that there is extra memory in the wiring of the factory stereo in a 200 Cavalier and if you remove that, and don’t buy the “data stream” it can mess a lot of things up. I have no idea what this means lol. Can anyone explain to me if this is correct? Any way around it? Other options? Thanks so much!
Sounds like total bunk to me.
The go to stereo recommendation here is Crutchfield. They send you the unit and evrything you need to instal it yourself. You can even call them and they’ll help you out.
Depending on how she wants to hook it to the stereo(3.5, jack, usb or bluetooth) your options should be good.
Looks like they’ve got stereos starting about $60 for your Cavalier
http://www.crutchfield.com/g_300/All-Car-Stereos.html?showAll=Y&tp=5684
Sounds like Future Shop was trying to sell you roku or a similar device to stream music from the I-phone to the car (but i’m pretty sure you’d need a usb connection in the car stereo) you can buy a new radio from Crutchfield or your local car stereo shop that has bluetooth to connect the phone to the stereo for $89 and up with the bluetooth built in.
I think the most simple way to do this is to buy an am/fm car radio that has USB-stick audio-play capability. That kind of radio has a built in mp3 player. No need for Iphone involvement. Besides AM/FM radio, it also plays whatever is on your usb memory stick. Your daughter could just transfer the mp3 files she wants to the usb memory stick, plug it in to the radio, and enjoy the drive.
Note: There may be still be issues with removing the existing radio. On newer cars the radio is often integrated with the rest of the car’s electronics, and removing the existing radio might confuse something else. A knowledgeable car-radio shop or the Chevy dealer might be able to clarify. Best of luck.
I checked the Crutchfield site, the 2002 Cavalier like my 2010 Cobalt uses the radio and speakers for the turn signal/warning chimes. An adapter is required for an aftermarket sterero. Crutchfield sells the adapter for ~$65 (1/2 list price) with the purchase of a new stereo. Spend a little time on the Crutchfield site to educate yourself on the options available.
Ed B.