CD player broken, Ford blames Flowmaster

Flie50 · Apr 27, 2004

If you are still wondering what head unit to pick up, I would look into the Pioneers, they make some really nice units and are notorious for being unbreakable/stand up to anything. Check Here . Carmedia is the cheapest place i've found yet. If you are still looking for an amp, check out the Hifonics amps on that website too, they are high end amps for a cheap price because they don't bother with advertising, they just rely on customer recommendations. I assume you already got subs so I'm not going to suggest anything. Any other questions?

Mean03V6 · Apr 27, 2004

Thanks for the input guys. Well, I got the head unit installed today...it's an Alpine. I can tell a huge difference in sound over stock, and that's not even with the subs in yet. So, at this point, I still need one 10, an amp, and a box..and of course I need everything installed. I kinda went over budget stepping up to the Alpine from the Kenwood, but I think it was worth it. Either way, it's sure nice to have some tunes back in the Stang. I'm keeping the broken Ford unit so I can swap the system back to stock should I ever trade my car in (Yeah, right ). This project seems to be taking forever, and I haven't even figured in the cost of the 6 X 9s I need, plus an amp for them as well. But, all in all, I'd say I'm off to a pretty good start.

DroptopSVT · Apr 28, 2004

Hey Mean03,
Glad you're happy with the Alpine. I was just going to add that I've been installing systems since I was 16 and I've always been a huge fan of Pioneer head units, excellent quality and great features. I've had Kenwoods, Alpines, Sony's, JVCs, and Panasonics, and I really like the Pioneers the best. Though the Alpine's were nice as well. Also, you can't go wrong with Kicker Comps, I had 2 15s powered by a Kenwood MOSFET bridged at 300 Watts RMS/channel, and damn did it sound good, of course...before it was all stolen. Anyway, just wanted to say that since you already added custom stereo equipment, you may want to call your insurance agent. They won't tell you this up front but you can get all of your custom equipment covered for like $10 extra a month, it's definitely worth it, take it from me.
Oh and, about Ford, yea, there head units are crap. I have a 2000 vert and the unit clips whenever it's turned up too loud. I know it's to protect the speakers, but c'mon, it's a convertible and you can't hear a damn thing on the highway with the stock radio. I'm upgrading mine, finally, in a few weeks. Have fun.

peyotesands · Apr 28, 2004

Mean03V6 said:
Well guys, I tried another Ford dealer about thirty minutes from here. They claimed the same thing so

Technology is a wonderful thing. All your data from the first dealership is shared on a network with other dealerships. Take it to any ford related dealership and you'll get the same response... take the car to a professional audio shop and you might get a different answer. Sometimes I hate computers...

Mean03V6 · Apr 29, 2004

DroptopV6 said:
Hey Mean03,
Glad you're happy with the Alpine. I was just going to add that I've been installing systems since I was 16 and I've always been a huge fan of Pioneer head units, excellent quality and great features. I've had Kenwoods, Alpines, Sony's, JVCs, and Panasonics, and I really like the Pioneers the best. Though the Alpine's were nice as well. Also, you can't go wrong with Kicker Comps, I had 2 15s powered by a Kenwood MOSFET bridged at 300 Watts RMS/channel, and damn did it sound good, of course...before it was all stolen. Anyway, just wanted to say that since you already added custom stereo equipment, you may want to call your insurance agent. They won't tell you this up front but you can get all of your custom equipment covered for like $10 extra a month, it's definitely worth it, take it from me.
Oh and, about Ford, yea, there head units are crap. I have a 2000 vert and the unit clips whenever it's turned up too loud. I know it's to protect the speakers, but c'mon, it's a convertible and you can't hear a damn thing on the highway with the stock radio. I'm upgrading mine, finally, in a few weeks. Have fun.

Yeah, I've heard the Pioneers are good radios. In fact, I was originally looking at a Pioneer 6600 before I got the deal I got on the Alpine. It's nice to know that, with your experience, it sounds like I got a pretty good unit. I'm sorry to hear about your system getting stolen...that sucks. I was going to call my insurance after I finally got everything in the car, but I guess it's never too soon to cover your rear b/c I definitly can't afford to do this twice. You know, I always wondered how the stock unit sounded in a convertable. Even in my coupe, I was really disappointed with the power. Like you say, I understand that they want to protect the speakers, but man, it's like they aren't even using 50% of their potential. Good luck with your system. If you have the time and happen to see this post, could you give me a recommendation on what kind of speakers I should slap in the corners? Also, i was looking at the Kicker comp 12's before I got the Rockford-Fosgates. They were nice, but I liked the R-F subs better, just on personal preference of course. Thanks for the advice. Oh, and how are Kenwood amps? That's probably what is going to be pushing my subs, so I'd like to know if Kenwood makes a good amp for what I'm doing. Thanks again.

Mean03V6 · Apr 29, 2004

peyotesands said:
Technology is a wonderful thing. All your data from the first dealership is shared on a network with other dealerships. Take it to any ford related dealership and you'll get the same response... take the car to a professional audio shop and you might get a different answer. Sometimes I hate computers...

Yeah..you gotta love that.

DroptopSVT · Apr 29, 2004

I was very satisified with my Kenwood amp powering the 2 15s. I highly doubt 15s would fit nicely in a stang though, since I was using them in a Grand Cherokee. But now that I have a stang, I was actually considering putting a couple of small subs in the trunk (reduced trunk size with the convertible), like a pair of high quality 8s or even one 10. I'm definitely not into loud bass like I used to be, but I do want a little more punch. Oh, I haven't messed with amps since all my stuff was stolen about 5 years ago, just kinda gave up for a while, but I was impressed with the Kenwood line. As far as speakers for the doors, I actually debated that myself as well. After some research, I've decided on 2 sets of Kenwood Excelon series 6X8s. They fit good and I used to have a set of 5X7 regular 3 way Kenwoods that sounded awesome. So I guess you can't go wrong.
Check out crutchfield.com for specs, they have a great site, great tech support, and give you some free goodies, though I still think they are way over priced. I'd stay out of the retail stores as well, like Mickey Shore and Best Buy.
To purchase though, I'd recommend these sites.
www.hookedontronics.com
buyriteelectronics.com
www.etronics.com/
I haven't bought from any, but their prices look awesome. My friend bought a ton of stuff from etronics and had no problems. Hope this helps.

ganador01 · Apr 29, 2004

I've got a fullproof solution. Get a rock. Smash the window of another mustang on the lot during the night and take that cd changer. Since their claims are bs, they should pay! MUAHAHAHAHA! lol

Mean03V6 · Apr 29, 2004

DroptopV6 said:
I was very satisified with my Kenwood amp powering the 2 15s. I highly doubt 15s would fit nicely in a stang though, since I was using them in a Grand Cherokee. But now that I have a stang, I was actually considering putting a couple of small subs in the trunk (reduced trunk size with the convertible), like a pair of high quality 8s or even one 10. I'm definitely not into loud bass like I used to be, but I do want a little more punch. Oh, I haven't messed with amps since all my stuff was stolen about 5 years ago, just kinda gave up for a while, but I was impressed with the Kenwood line. As far as speakers for the doors, I actually debated that myself as well. After some research, I've decided on 2 sets of Kenwood Excelon series 6X8s. They fit good and I used to have a set of 5X7 regular 3 way Kenwoods that sounded awesome. So I guess you can't go wrong.
Check out crutchfield.com for specs, they have a great site, great tech support, and give you some free goodies, though I still think they are way over priced. I'd stay out of the retail stores as well, like Mickey Shore and Best Buy.
To purchase though, I'd recommend these sites.
www.hookedontronics.com
buyriteelectronics.com
www.etronics.com/
I haven't bought from any, but their prices look awesome. My friend bought a ton of stuff from etronics and had no problems. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the input I found that Mobile One was the place that had everything I need for my system, not to mention a knowledgeable, friendly staff. Best Buy just didn't help out, although I still go there for movies, games, CDs, etc.. So I'll probably stick with M.O. for the rest of my stuff. What's with everyone having their systems stolen? I went ahead and activated insurance on my system just in case, but if someone jacks it, I'm still gonna be pi$$ed.

HarleyFordFan · Apr 29, 2004

ummm..... i would go on the sema website and print that stuff up about aftermarket components and take a copy to the dealership. they have to fix it pretty much unless they can prove beyond any doubt that is what caused the system to malfunction.

Pro-Hawk · Apr 30, 2004

Well I'm glad you got a new head unit and I'm really disapointed in Ford about this crap. They probly know the stock unit is a POS and was loosing there shirts on replacing them. So they make up that line about the exhaust so you would have to pay that stpuid high price for a new one which I'm sure you got a way better system for less than a new stocker I could see if you had a very redical V6 that was shaking the car as you pulled in the shop but a stock V6...thats funny. Hell I've seen some pretty wild cars with CD players that didn't brake crap except rear ends I'm also willing to bet that when you went to the other dealers you was in the over all Ford system and that is why they gave the same crappy line about the exhaust. Its either that or Bill Ford sent out a memo saying find away no matter how stupid it is to get out of replaceing these POS head units

Mean03V6 · May 1, 2004

Pro-Hawk said:
Well I'm glad you got a new head unit and I'm really disapointed in Ford about this crap. They probly know the stock unit is a POS and was loosing there shirts on replacing them. So they make up that line about the exhaust so you would have to pay that stpuid high price for a new one which I'm sure you got a way better system for less than a new stocker I could see if you had a very redical V6 that was shaking the car as you pulled in the shop but a stock V6...thats funny. Hell I've seen some pretty wild cars with CD players that didn't brake crap except rear ends I'm also willing to bet that when you went to the other dealers you was in the over all Ford system and that is why they gave the same crappy line about the exhaust. Its either that or Bill Ford sent out a memo saying find away no matter how stupid it is to get out of replaceing these POS head units

I also feel very disappointed that they didn't fix the stock unit. I feel the exact same way you do about their excuse... As you can tell by my signature, I don't have any kind of real engine mods that would cause enough vibration to mess up the radio at all. I think your memo theory may not be as far fetched as some may think...my 00 V6, 01 GT, and now 03 V6 have all had problems with the head units. (no, I don't own 3 Stangs....I've just owned two others in the past.) Honestly, I'd almost bet all the dealership service centers are somehow connected and, as you said, that's why I got the same line over and over. It was $400 for another ford stock unit, and so I said forget that...my Alpine makes me much happier and I got it for $185 (no, it's not a P.O.S. ..it does have 50 X 4 sound.) But, even though the problem is solved, I still feel bummed that Ford would use such crap for a reason to avoid installing a new unit which would have cost them probably about $40, MAYBE. Of course, my '00 Camaro V6 driving brother didn't hesitate to poke fun at the situation either....sad thing is, I can't say I blame him b/c Ford really let me down on this one. Ah well....keep rockin I say

Flie50 · May 2, 2004

If you are looking for speakers to go in your stock locations I would suggest either Infinity References or Boston Acoustics Fx Series. The References run real good off of head unit power, yeah the Kappas sound better, but I have a pair and they absolutely crave an amp, I wish I would have gone with the References. For the Boston's, I have a Boston Acoustics 12" Pro Sub and it sounds absolutely incredible, and I'm ordering a pair of Fx8's for my rear deck soon, they sound amazing. Buy either pair off ebay to get the best deal and you can't go wrong.

BTW, specs on the Infinity's can be found at Crutchfield , and specs and reviews on the Bostons at Boston Acoustics .

Mean03V6 · May 3, 2004

Flie50 said:
If you are looking for speakers to go in your stock locations I would suggest either Infinity References or Boston Acoustics Fx Series. The References run real good off of head unit power, yeah the Kappas sound better, but I have a pair and they absolutely crave an amp, I wish I would have gone with the References. For the Boston's, I have a Boston Acoustics 12" Pro Sub and it sounds absolutely incredible, and I'm ordering a pair of Fx8's for my rear deck soon, they sound amazing. Buy either pair off ebay to get the best deal and you can't go wrong.

BTW, specs on the Infinity's can be found at Crutchfield , and specs and reviews on the Bostons at Boston Acoustics .

Thanks I'll be checkin into those.

Flie50 · May 7, 2004

What'd you end up purchasing??

Mean03V6 · May 8, 2004

Flie50 said:
What'd you end up purchasing??

Nothing yet...still working on getting up the money. Hopefully in the coming week I'll have the other sub I need and my box. Then I just need an amp and I can have that part of the system hooked up. Then it's on to the 6X9's up front, which I'm still unsure what I'm going to go with there.
Oh , quick question by the way. I've been planning on picking up a Rockford-Fosgate amp for the two R.F. subs. The guy at the audio store suggested maybe looking into an amp by Power Acoustic. It's $60 cheaper and runs the same watts, but I've never heard of that company. Have any of you guys tried them? Good or bad? As always, input and suggestions appreciated.

mikeflys1 · May 8, 2004

Thats terrible....if all that resonating shook pieces out of the radio imaging how much damage would have been done if you drove down a really bumpy road or something

Flie50 · May 9, 2004

I would stick for the RF amp. Rf makes good quality amps, and with car stereo, as everything you get what you pay for. Ohh and by the way, your speakers up front are 6x8, not 6x9's, there is a HUGE difference in the speakers.

97v6Silver · May 9, 2004

or you can get a ghetto system off ebay for like $30 hey they get the job done

mustang50v8 · May 10, 2004

just so everybody knows who doesnt already know.....ALL of the speakers in our cars (except the tweeters in the sail panels) are 6x8's NOT 6x9's. if you buy 6x9's you be screwed when you go to install them.

man you guys are takling about entire systems for 5-700 dollars, the amps that i have cost about a grand on their own. although i have this annoying need to have higher end components. i love to drive with the windows down, and i like to go on lots of highway trips, and i also like to listen to my music loud. so i went out with the purpose to have very clean sounding mids and highs, with bass that doesnt fart at high volumes. ass loads of money later i have reached my goal.....but it sounds awesome.

CD player broken, Ford blames Flowmaster

Flie50

Mean03V6

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DroptopSVT

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peyotesands

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Mean03V6

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Mean03V6

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DroptopSVT

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ganador01

Mean03V6

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Pro-Hawk

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Mean03V6

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Flie50

Mean03V6

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Mean03V6

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mikeflys1

Flie50

97v6Silver

it came to $4.56 and i got $0.44 change from a 5,

mustang50v8

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it came to $4.56 and i got $0.44 change from a 5,

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