Repair or replace the sound system

[Blkhwk]

One thing I'm really loving about owning this car is that they are so fun and easy to work on. This year I've replaced the thermostat housing, flushed the coolant system, replaced the Throttle Position Sensor and a couple of coils.
I find myself looking forward to "what now" with affection and almost excitement.

"What now" is I'm getting "CD ERROR" readout and I've tried most all the tricks, you guy;s have suggested here, but I'm thinking maybe just go ahead and replace it. I haven't done anything before now, because I don't use the system a lot and I'm not "current" enough to "need" Bluetooth, or any of the other things that I don't even know enough about to name.
I would appreciate suggestion on what those of you have replaced with and what you would do again or what you would change.
When I bought the car it came with upgraded speakers and an amp and subwoffer in the truck (I removed them, thinking I'd sell them, but I can put them back ).

I want to say too, how grateful I am for this forum. I would not, could not have the relationship I do with my car, were it not for your commitment and shearing. It's an "anonymous Brotherhood" of service that is a contribution way beyond any single suggestion or helpful comment. My deepest appreciation to you all and particularly those who have initiated and sponsored this site, forever.

[hippy_mailman]

IMO if you do not care about bluetooth or backup camera I would find a factory replacement or repair .curious if the built in subwoofers under the ragtop are still there or even hooked up. the original system in these cars are adequate to pretty good for most people speaker upgrade you have is good. If you replace non factory a double din touchscreen is what many do. A few brands out there

[wcoates]

john, I'm sure many suggestions are coming for what new unit to buy. I have replaced the original unit with a direct replacement and replaced the heated seat switch . In both repairs I found that a set of plastic pry tools ($10 for 6) were invaluable.

[Frank Dreano]

I've found the stock speaker system more than adequate, actually better than most OEM setups in cars I've owned....but the CD changer is so '90s.
I went for a nice Kenwood setup with Apple Car Play, hands free phone, Pandora, etc, with bluetooth, backup camera and Garmin navigation.
Not cheap but I'm very satisfied...

[Fuchsaudio]

I've found the stock speaker system more than adequate, actually better than most OEM setups in cars I've owned....but the CD changer is so '90s.
I went for a nice Kenwood setup with Apple Car Play, hands free phone, Pandora, etc, with bluetooth, backup camera and Garmin navigation.
Not cheap but I'm very satisfied...

THIS ^^^^^^.

Same here. Better sound quality, modern features, reliable, and not all that expensive either.

[Jimmieallan]

One thing I'm really loving about owning this car is that they are so fun and easy to work on. This year I've replaced the thermostat housing, flushed the coolant system, replaced the Throttle Position Sensor and a couple of coils.
I find myself looking forward to "what now" with affection and almost excitement.

"What now" is I'm getting "CD ERROR" readout and I've tried most all the tricks, you guy;s have suggested here, but I'm thinking maybe just go ahead and replace it. I haven't done anything before now, because I don't use the system a lot and I'm not "current" enough to "need" Bluetooth, or any of the other things that I don't even know enough about to name.
I would appreciate suggestion on what those of you have replaced with and what you would do again or what you would change.
When I bought the car it came with upgraded speakers and an amp and subwoffer in the truck (I removed them, thinking I'd sell them, but I can put them back ).

I want to say too, how grateful I am for this forum. I would not, could not have the relationship I do with my car, were it not for your commitment and shearing. It's an "anonymous Brotherhood" of service that is a contribution way beyond any single suggestion or helpful comment. My deepest appreciation to you all and particularly those who have initiated and sponsored this site, forever.

If you’re looking for a stock stereo/6 CD changer for 2002-2005 Thunderbird, I have two that have been tested and 100% guaranteed.
my name is Jim......Cell #. 734-658-3910. Give me a shout, if interested.

[snowbird]

If you’re looking for a stock stereo/6 CD changer for 2002-2005 Thunderbird, I have two that have been tested and 100% guaranteed.
my name is Jim......Cell #. 734-658-3910. Give me a shout, if interested.

How much are you asking Jim ?

[Frank Dreano]

If your retro bird is your weekend getaway car (like going to Key West) then its hard to overemphasize how nice a backup camera, in dash navigation, hands free phone calls and bluetooth music are on a voyage! IMG_1897.jpg

[Poco]

When I purchased the my T-Bird the aftermarket stereo didn't work properly. I had asked the previous owner a couple of times about the sound and he said the new radio didn't work right. After a couple of weeks I had finally decided to take it out and see exactly what the issue was. Lots of issues. I worked through it and corrected some wiring mistakes and now even the sub-woofer works. The wiring loom was a total disaster waiting to happen. Now the sound system works great after an 1 1/2 hours of reading the install guide and making the right connections. Now that I don't have to spend money on a new sound system I can spend it on a new exhaust...Borla time.

[Frank Dreano]

When I purchased the my T-Bird the aftermarket stereo didn't work properly. I had asked the previous owner a couple of times about the sound and he said the new radio didn't work right. After a couple of weeks I had finally decided to take it out and see exactly what the issue was. Lots of issues. I worked through it and corrected some wiring mistakes and now even the sub-woofer works. The wiring loom was a total disaster waiting to happen. Now the sound system works great after an 1 1/2 hours of reading the install guide and making the right connections. Now that I don't have to spend money on a new sound system I can spend it on a new exhaust...Borla time.

That's one advantage of buying from Crutchfield, you can order the pre-made harness to mate your specific new radio to your specific car and its nearly a no-brainer, and, if you do need to call their tech support - those folks are simply outstanding in my experience...

[Sealy]

Confession time: I use Crutchfield mainly for research. I do buy some items from them and they are excellent, but on most bigger ticket items you can beat them.

[Rondor]

While the newest systems hav all the bells and whistles they all seem to be lacking sound quality. However most music Digital sound just doesn't have the range and depth of what most of us grew up with. I recently played some Albums I haven't heard in 40 years as was literally blowed away by the sound difference.