Hi blemois. Welcome to the forum. This is a fairly common problem. Unfortunately your choices are finding a good radio in a salvage yard or having the dealer remove it and send it to one of their two remaining authorized repair centers. The cost for the removal, installation, shipping, and repair runs betwen $250.00 and $450.00.
Beginning with '94 models for GM and '98 models for Ford, those manufacturers will not sell service manuals or parts for their radios. They don't want any independent shops taking away the tiny profit. As a result, you are stuck with limited choices, but that really isn't the manufacturers' concern after you buy the car. Sorry to sound so negative, but we fail to see how that benefits the customer.
Be happy you don't have a 2002 or newer Buick. To prevent people from swapping the original radio for an aftermarket unit, they build the Body Computer into it. Without the radio, you won't have cruise control or power windows. That surely benefited the owners too. And, when you replace the radio, it must be programmed by the dealer. It's this kind of nonsense why I still drive a 1988 model.
caradiodoc
Apr 26, 2010 at 2:30 PM
