Shaker 'Skanker' 500

[deepinsleep]

First of all, EXCON, you are right, this thing should be called 'Skanker'!
Anways, going back to to the main issue, I got a call from my dealership a couple of days ago and they tell me my replacement Shaker 500 is in. So I go in last night, all excited that I can finally listen to my tunes without them skipping every 5 mins. They get it replaced, (took 2 hours), and I sit in the car and have not driven .0001 mile, when I noticed that when I turn the headlights on, the lights on the stereo dont come on. So, I turn back and go in and they guy was like why don't I come back in the morning and they will take a look at it. I said OK, cause it was like 9:30 PM and I was tired. So I go in this morning, they take a look at it for another 2 hours, and tell me that all the wiring is fine but there is something wrong with a head unit. So they have ordered it and now I dont know how long it will take before another one comes in. This sucks!
P.S. The CD's continued to skip too.

 

[05 GT Stang]

Wow that sux! i have the shaker 1000 and haven't ever had 1 problem with skipping/bad cd error, and mycar was built in september too! (First month of production) Oh, and 95% of my cd's are burnt at home! Maybe Memorex cd's are better??

 

['01SilverBullet]

Just a run of bad luck. I don't think the stereo is that good either, but I haven't had any of the mechanical problems people have had with them. But it does load CD's too slow, takes forever to switch songs, and we know the speakers aren't the greatest.

 

[ctfordguy]

Wow, sounds like my experience. I brought my car in for the Shaker skip. was told that they will have to remove the stereo and send it out. I told him the TSB was to replace the unit, and he said it is policy to remove and send out the old unit. So after an hour with the sevice tech, the car goes in to have the stereo removed, about 2 hrs. Get in the car and 3rd gear is vibrating, shift boot was installed backwards.

Drive a week without any stereo or radio and get a call that the replacement is in. Go in to get it replaced and tech tell me it will be about 1.5 hrs do I want to wait? Of course I say as I am tired of no music. 20 minutes later the mech comes to get me saying that the car is ready. I get in the car and the shift boot is backwards again and I cant load a CD. Mech comes out and says I just tested it and it worked(bs). Another 1/2 hour and they come and tell me that it was damaged during shipping but they are leaving the unit in the car this time. Next day I try my a/c and it does not work. Wires were not plugged back in on the dash.

Back a third time and 2 hours later the unit is installed and the center console tabs are not lined up, but at least every thing works. I wont be going back to that dealer.

A friend I told said what are you going to do when you run out of dealers, as there are 5 within 10 miles. I told him stop buying Fords, which this Mustang may well be if these dealers cant get their act together.

 

[Glenns]

Great Dealer

I have the shaker 1,000 with the bad disk and the skip. Dealer ordered the unit/read the TSB/Reprgrammed and installed the new head unit in under 45 mins. Oh, the new unit sounds better IMHO

 

[aksaleen]

your problem was that the dealer did'nt properly reflash the head unit. It sounds retarded but it's in the tsb. Your head units not broken.

 

[spectre30075]

I just got my car a week ago, and I'm noticing that my Shaker 500 is clipping off the last couple of seconds at the end of each track, but only on certain cd's (have only tried manufactured cds so far, not homemade ones). Are you guys' doing that, or just skipping randomly? So far, I'm only getting the skipping at the ends of songs, and it bumps ahead to the next track. It's still horribly annoying, and its got to be fixed or replaced.

 

[frdtch05gt]

Yep, if the radio isn't configured using Ford's computerized scan tool, the display will not operate and there will be a module configuration error code in it. Need to either transfer the data from the old one to the new one or load in the configuration data by getting it from Ford's technician website. Sounds like they didn't know about that when they went to change out the unit.

 

[deepinsleep]

I did the self test, and I have the B version, however the test failed. Looks like I will calling the dealer to let them know about flashing the head unit.

 

[trent_ky]

how do you do the self test?

 

[deepinsleep]

Self test can be done by pressing the #3 and #6 buttons when you are listening to the radio. Hold the buttons down for a couple of seconds and the test will start.
Also, I am taking the car in tomorrow to the dealer who is going to flash it. Lets hope that makes everything work. Also, the CD skipping has stopped. I think I have a few CD's that are scratched hence they were skipping. Other than that it seems to be working decently.

 

[Szlachcic]

I don't know why everyone keeps ordering their cars with the shaker units in them. Granted, if you bought it off the lot you are stuck with one, but if you order it why even bother choosing it as an option. I have heard nothing but bad news about the shakers.

 

[cleveland]

My Shaker 1000 hasnt bothered me since my battery died after getting stuck in an area with no open gas stations, it was late on a Sunday coming off Highway 1.

After the entire system went offline from running the emergency lights and headlights for more than 4 hours I finally got rescued by my father and we got the GT's battery charged up again.

I havent noticed a skip since and I have always been happy with the sound quality. No skipping makes it so much better now.

-Dan

 

[05Stangster]

With the V6 or GT Premium, I don't believe you have a choice. Your only choice is to "upgrade" to the 1000 watt system. You have to "upgrade" to the Shaker with a Deluxe model. And, as you know, "upgrade" is definately the wrong adjective. :damnit:

 

[afixer]

also while in the test mode you can press any of the number buttons. one of them gives you the error codes so you can give them to the dealer one tests the display
also make sure they have the latest program. luckly my friend is a ford mech and team leader. He lets me into his bay i actually removed the radio for him and showed the rest of the guys how it comes out because they have never done one yet. He had problems reloding my config. he had to download a patch and use the old style interface the new one wouldnt do it. the bummer is that it only takes about 30 min to r&r the radio but dorking around with the programing took forever. i wish i had waited till they had done a couple but they were glad for my help.
the bottom line i just drove to arizona and back 1000 miles and no skip

 

[afixer]

I don't know why everyone keeps ordering their cars with the shaker units in them. Granted, if you bought it off the lot you are stuck with one, but if you order it why even bother choosing it as an option. I have heard nothing but bad news about the shakers.

acualy i love the radio and the extras (speed volume,RCS and MP3s)

 

[Szlachcic]

acualy i love the radio and the extras (speed volume,RCS and MP3s)

I would rather spend my money on an aftermarket system. I don't need the ability to play MP3s either since I already have an i Pod (someone needs to fix the language filter for this) hookup for my car.