Found Crutchfield to be very honest with aftermarket installation and providing the full installation kit. Would also have the question as to whether that new radio will also duplicate the programming functions of the OE radio.
They just had to make these new radios a part of the data link system with all these additional programming features. Then they added ID codes to the radios that must match the BCM before they will work, yet another question to ask. Really don't know why they do this, actually I do, went to a police auction in town, had a bunch of these ripped out by desperate druggies. Only these kind of people are dumb enough to swipe radios of this type, OE radios are worthless to anyone else. Besides, these were mess, ripped out instead of carefully taken out.
Most I would do, just me, is stick with the OE radio, get better speakers and external amplifiers. Also just me, not very hot on smudge screens with like my smart phone or GPS. Your body has to have a small electrostatic discharge for these things to work that kind of disappears on cool moist days. Have to wear a polyester jacket and rub my fingers on it to get enough of a charge to use my phone. But okay in a home environment.
Sure others have opinions on this subject.
Another thing with using an OEM radio with an external amplifier is searching to see if it has an external amplifier output to switch it on and off. Got around this on one vehicle by adding a 10 milliohm resister in series with the power lead to that does not affect the operation. It's voltage change with the radio on would trigger an op amp circuit that would drive a relay to switch on and off that external amplifier. Have to do that or wake up to a dead battery.
They just had to make these new radios a part of the data link system with all these additional programming features. Then they added ID codes to the radios that must match the BCM before they will work, yet another question to ask. Really don't know why they do this, actually I do, went to a police auction in town, had a bunch of these ripped out by desperate druggies. Only these kind of people are dumb enough to swipe radios of this type, OE radios are worthless to anyone else. Besides, these were mess, ripped out instead of carefully taken out.
Most I would do, just me, is stick with the OE radio, get better speakers and external amplifiers. Also just me, not very hot on smudge screens with like my smart phone or GPS. Your body has to have a small electrostatic discharge for these things to work that kind of disappears on cool moist days. Have to wear a polyester jacket and rub my fingers on it to get enough of a charge to use my phone. But okay in a home environment.
Sure others have opinions on this subject.
Another thing with using an OEM radio with an external amplifier is searching to see if it has an external amplifier output to switch it on and off. Got around this on one vehicle by adding a 10 milliohm resister in series with the power lead to that does not affect the operation. It's voltage change with the radio on would trigger an op amp circuit that would drive a relay to switch on and off that external amplifier. Have to do that or wake up to a dead battery.
