I have a 2006 Ram 1500 pick-up. The CD player is not working, it will not open. I am on a tight budget and would like to repair/replace it as economically as possible. It is a factory installed single CD, AM/FM radio.
How do I remove it? Do I have to replace it with one from the Ram dealer, or can I look for a bargain somewhere else? How do I know what will or will not fit?
Obviously, I know very little about this and need help.
THANKS
JP07
You could probably pick up an exact replacement at a salvage yard for cheap
Go to tirerack.com (EDIT I meant Crutchfield.com), they’ll have various options, and they come with instructions and adapters to hook up the replacements.
I would look on ebay for a factory cd player.
I would look on crutchfield.com for an aftermarket unit.
I second crutchfield; the prices are a bit higher, but they send instructions and adapters to DIY, so that saves money. Before the era of www, I used circuit city once since they gave free installation with some of the units on sale. I believe best buy does that too.
I am new to the site and appreciate all the help.
I found Crutchfield prices very reasonable when you add in the FREE wiring…FREE shipping…FREE panel kit if needed.
ebay for a factory unit or Crutchfield for a better replacement and wiring kit. Crutchfield is a little more expensive than some, but as MikeInNH mentioned, they generally give you free shipping, wiring, and accessories. Their staff also has pictures and measurements of most cars’ dashes and they can tell you within a fraction of an inch whether the unit you’re considering will fit and if you need to do any tricks to make auxiliary amps, etc. work with it.
On most Chrysler vehicles you just pry off the trip plate and remove 2-4 screws to take out the radio. Some have security screws that make it a little more difficult, but a little creativity with a close screwdriver or pliers usually can overcome this.
Does this vehicle have the VIN matching feature where the factory radio won’t operate if moved to another vehicle? If so, then a used factory radio won’t work.
There are no security features in these factory radios. If purcasing a used radio it must be 2006 or newer (Ram) to be CAN bus equipped, 2005 and older won’t work.