How do I determine a part number for my radio amplifier

[Imzorba]

I have my VIN #. How can I determine the radio amplifier's part # without having to open up the dash and unscrew the radio? Is there a parts site where I can enter the Vin # and find out what radio part # I have. My radio, like many people have said on this site, stopped working and I would like to be sure of the part number to order a replacement. Most websites are offering remanufactured or repaired radios with different part numbers. They claim they will work in my car, however, they always have a disclaimer that says it has to match the original part # exactly. I thought my part # is DR3Z-18C869-EA. However, I can't remember how I came up with that info, and I want to verify it, without having to remove the original busted radio. A lot of Ford dealer's websites say that part number has now been discontinued. Not surprising since these made in China radios seem to break for a lot of Mustang owners. Thanks for any advice or input

 

[86GT351]

I have my VIN #. How can I determine the radio amplifier's part # without having to open up the dash and unscrew the radio? Is there a parts site where I can enter the Vin # and find out what radio part # I have. My radio, like many people have said on this site, stopped working and I would like to be sure of the part number to order a replacement. Most websites are offering remanufactured or repaired radios with different part numbers. They claim they will work in my car, however, they always have a disclaimer that says it has to match the original part # exactly. I thought my part # is DR3Z-18C869-EA. However, I can't remember how I came up with that info, and I want to verify it, without having to remove the original busted radio. A lot of Ford dealer's websites say that part number has now been discontinued. Not surprising since these made in China radios seem to break for a lot of Mustang owners. Thanks for any advice or input

Message me the vin number

 

[Imzorba]

Message me the vin number

My Vin # is 1ZVBP8AM1D5282742

 

[86GT351]

 

[Imzorba]

I guess I used the wrong word "amplifier". I am talking about the part that contains the circuit board. The bigger metal box that has 2 plugs and the antenna wire attached to the back of it, when you removed the front section with all the knobs and controls. It's the part with the 4 7mm screws. Some parts websites call it the
AM/FM CD. Radio Control Unit. RECEIVER ASSEMBLY - RADIO. Here is an example: https://parts.lakelandford.com/p/Fo...Radio-Control-Unit/60530028/DR3Z18C869EA.html

 

[totaljustice]

I guess I used the wrong word "amplifier". I am talking about the part that contains the circuit board. The bigger metal box that has 2 plugs and the antenna wire attached to the back of it, when you removed the front section with all the knobs and controls. It's the part with the 4 7mm screws. Some parts websites call it the
AM/FM CD. Radio Control Unit. RECEIVER ASSEMBLY - RADIO. Here is an example: https://parts.lakelandford.com/p/Fo...Radio-Control-Unit/60530028/DR3Z18C869EA.html

I believe that would be the head unit.

 

[totaljustice]

This is the head unit I replaced on my 2012 V6 a few months ago. I was easily able to get a replacement from a junkyard and it works great. There is a website, https://www.car-part.com/mobile/index.htm that searches salvage yards across North America. It's a great tool for finding cheap stock parts. The only issue I ever had with it though is that a lot of them won't ship to Canada so that may or may not be an issue for you. Anyway I am posting pictures of my unit with the correct part number for my car. I hope this helps.

 

[Imzorba]

Thanks for posting that info. Your unit starts with a CR3T part number. There are a million internet postings that says you have to get the exact part number as the original OEM that came with the car or it won't work. Parts sellers say NO, you can put in one that has a different part # and it will work. I don't trust that though. I have just found a guy in Missouri who will fix my original for $129 plus the cost of shipping both ways. He handles going over the soldering in the original circuit board, which seems to be the issue for many Mustang radios made in China. After a while, the infamous POPPING sound is heard, and the radios stop working. If I can manage to remove my original AM/FM/CD control unit, I will ship it to him. It takes about one week turnaround to get it back, since he gets a lot of business. I checked out his reviews and he looks very competent and legit. Removing the original unit is not that difficult for most people with minimal mechanical skills (mine are extremely minimal!!), and there are several YOUTUBE videos that show that it can be done in 10 minutes or less. I will have to give it a try and not mess up anything, when trying to pop out the plastic parts that cover the shifter and volume and A/C control sections of the dash. Ford Dealers seem to want a grand total of $600 plus for parts and labor. Some dealer websites say the control unit has been discontinued. That would mean only a used unit, or a modern updated system would be the options. I have been with out a music system in my car for almost 2 years. Time for some action on this. THanks

 

[totaljustice]

The act of taking it out goes much smoother than I would have thought except for when you remove the head unit. The three connectors are successively shorter starting with the leftmost harness and the antenna connector on the right was the most difficult for me as there was nothing to get the leverage. I just ended up tugging on it with increasing force until it let go. You can do the job without removing the shift knob if you can twist the piece holding the shift boot out of the way. Just be careful because the head unit has very sharp corners and will easily scratch the plastic as I discovered. Good luck.

 

[Imzorba]

The act of taking it out goes much smoother than I would have thought except for when you remove the head unit. The three connectors are successively shorter starting with the leftmost harness and the antenna connector on the right was the most difficult for me as there was nothing to get the leverage. I just ended up tugging on it with increasing force until it let go. You can do the job without removing the shift knob if you can twist the piece holding the shift boot out of the way. Just be careful because the head unit has very sharp corners and will easily scratch the plastic as I discovered. Good luck.

Amazingly, I was able to remove the head unit on Friday night, and shipped it (via UPS) to the guy in Missouri, who checks out the soldering issues on the circuit board, and hopefully he will correct the problem. His websites and reviews are all very professional and highly rated, and he has produced good videos which show that he knows what he is doing. Time will tell. I had the hardest time getting the largest wire harness on the back of the unit to release with that spring clip that would not let go. Finally it did, after multiple attempts and sweating up a storm. I did shed a little blood on my wrist, reaching around the head unit, and trying to unplug those wires. The metal corners do scratch you, if you are not careful, as you indicated. Also, the antenna connector would not come out. I kept trying and it finally did, after multiple forceful efforts. I also felt an electrical "shock" since my key in the ignition was in the on position, so that I could move the shifter back into neutral, to make room to remove all the plastic center and dash clipped pieces, and then the head unit itself. I had to buy a 7 mm socket and a pry tool. The center piece and the front section with the knobs popped out fairly easily, (although I was hoping I didn't break anything) as shown in the various YOUTUBE videos, where guys show how to do it. I think I watched them all. So in a week to 10 days, I should receive my repaired head unit back here, and I am hoping that when I reinstall it, it will work correctly, and that I can figure out how to get my iphone bluetooth to reconnect again, as it did when the car was new. There are some YOUTUBE videos which cover that issue, so we will see if that works out well. It looks like the modern aftermarket TOUCH Screen units cost over $700 or more, so I did not want to spend that kind of money, and if my iphone plays through the repaired OEM unit, and through the original speaker system, I will be fine with that. Thanks again for your info. I am not all that mechanically skilled, (understatement) so what should have been a fairly simple job was a challenge to me. Two years without music in my Mustang has been a long strange trip!

 

[Imzorba]

Good news! I got my repaired (head unit) Radio back today. The guy in Missouri does a lot of these repairs, according to his Facebook. You can watch his videos. He does a one day turn around. I was able to reinstall it in my Mustang in about 15 minutes, including all the plastic pieces in the console and cup holder, etc. I turned on the key and it started working perfectly. Even the CD player is working correctly again. I was able to figure out how to get my iphone 8 with bluetooth to play through the car speaker system pretty quickly also. The computer voice said that Ford no longer offers SYNC, so I am not sure what effect that has. I guess that had to do with using voice commands to switch functions. I had never really used that in the past, so I am not too sure what that means. Buying a new after market system with touch screen was TOO expensive of an option for me, so this repair job, where the soldering is redone was my best option. Some guys put their circuit board in the oven for 10 minutes, but apparently that only holds for a short period of time, before the radio circuits go bad again. The guy in Missouri gave me a written lifetime guarantee on his work, so that is excellent. Live streaming Grateful Dead tunes, once again. Rock on!