Aftermarket stereo in truck? Compatibility questions

[BobsYourUncle]

In my 2007 GMC, the radio us rather basic. Truck has the Bose sound system, radio and CD but it lacks many of today's features.

In a car I drive often, it has a USB slot and I can plug in a memory stick loaded with my choice of tunes.

I don't like the radio stations due to the stupid incessant rambling and babbling, and the overabundance of idiotic advertising.

I tried satellite radio, but their pricing is absurd and I canceled it largely due to the filthy mouthed announcers.

Maybe I'm being too picky, but I don't care, and I want to control what goes into my ears.

I would like to upgrade to an aftermarket stereo with bluetooth, USB and other features, but one issue I have in mind is the vehicles warning systems that go through the radio speakers.

Does anyone know if there are systems that may have modules or something to make the onboard stuff work with a non OEM stereo?

I'd like to be able to run my phone through it, plug in USB music and anything else that is out there. The radio info display of songs, titles and such is nice to have to. My existing radio has that but it's quite basic.

Anyone done this swap?

[BobsYourUncle]

RSD559 wrote:
Crutchfield is definitely customer friendly. I would also suggest you see if the YouTube channel Five Star Car Stereo has an install video of your application. They're great for identifying wiring locations, installation and wire color and location for your vehicle. I highly recommend.

Thanks for the tip, but it came with a schematic of where all the wires go. It was super easy to install, had it up and running in no time! 🙂
Works great!

[RSD559]

Crutchfield is definitely customer friendly. I would also suggest you see if the YouTube channel Five Star Car Stereo has an install video of your application. They're great for identifying wiring locations, installation and wire color and location for your vehicle. I highly recommend.

[MrWizard]

congrats. enjoy your new sound

[BobsYourUncle]

Update for all you who helped me here:

Took me a while to find the time, but I am now a totally sold Crutchfield customer!

I had an application issue with their site. I input the model year but it wasn't quite right. Mine is 2007 classic, same as 2006. Anyhow, without boring you with details, I emailed Crutchfield Canada.

This is where it got fun.

I promptly got an email back from a CSR named Lex. I went back and forth with him more than a dozen times over this application thing.

I don't think I have ever in my life had a better customer service experience than I had with Lex. Every email I sent, he quickly and cheerfully responded to. Then I got busy and back burnered the project a few months. When I emailed him back a couple weeks ago, he was right there for me again.

I ordered my stereo and install gear for the 2006 application. A few days later it was on my doorstep. Awesome service!

A week ago Sunday I pulled my dash apart, pulled the old unit, got out my soldering gun and shrink tube and got after it.

The instructions were clear and concise, it was a breeze to hook up all the wires to the stereo pigtail. Color codes all matched perfectly.

Got it done, installed it and cranked it on. Wow! Nice! 🙂
Great sound, pairing my phone was a breeze and it works great! Now I have all the functions of a much newer vehicle. I plugged in a memory stick with all my music on it. 2 thumbs up!

I had one minor thing, the steering wheel mute button doesn't work. Most likely I misunderstood the instruction about 1 wire. I emailed Lex. He personally phoned me, patched me through to tech support to figure out why! Talk about super amazing customer service!

I thank you all for suggesting Crutchfield. These guys are truly in a class of their own. 5 Star, 10/10 rating.

I'm a happy guy, got my new toy and it works great.
:):):)

[BobsYourUncle]

:C Thanks for your info.
Not a bluegrass fan myself, however, the older I get the more open my mind becomes! :B

[wa8yxm]

Two answers.
First obtain the owner's manual for your radio. MANY modern radios have a jack, often on the back, and USUALLY it is a special jack where you can plug in all sorts of things.. For example on my Pioneer I have a "LINE IN" adapter.. WOrks well so long as I'm not using battery power to keep my phone charged (Ground loop issues) And I can break the ground loop if I send Bob Heil some money. (He sells the stuff I need to break the loop.. His business in fact is audio stuff).

you may be able to get an adapter to plug in what you want. My options include Satellite radio receivers. THe LINE IN adapter. Multi-Cd changers and more.

Page 2

www.crutchfield.com is just about the largest on-line Car Audio store period (And other audio) THere is one other that comes close (JR music???) but I'd go with Crutchfield.

The radios used in cars and trucks are all "Standard size" now days. DIN, Double DIN or triple DIN (DIN is the initials of I think the German Standard's Institute. Checked it. it is) SO as long as you are replacing a X-DIN with the same X it will fit.

Cable connections may be different but Crutchfield has a page of adapters darn near anything you have to anything they sell so again get the radio you want. the adapter for your ride and it's plug and play.

Finally one other recommendations.. Though I know these folks I have no financial or legal connection to 'em other than "Customer"

https://www.trinityriverband.com/

I have two of their CD's.. Unbroken (latest CD) and "On a Morning Like This" (Christmas) Blue grass group. and so far even people who are not all that thrilled by Blue Grass find this family (yes they are a family) of musicians... Worth the cost of a CD or 2. (NOTE that I'm not all that hot on blue grass myself. but these folks are G*O*O*D!!!!!!!!!!!!)

They have sample tracks.

[BobsYourUncle]

At the suggestions here I went to Crutchfield to have a look. I thought this place was US only until I found the Canadian site.

Thanks for that, nice store! Prices seem reasonable and I note they have a place to input your vehicle to give you a compatibility list along with and stuff you need to make it work, including the steering wheel controls. They even have wiring plugs for the particular application. Cool! :C

After inputting the features I want, USB, bluetooth and such, it returned 9 units that will work, some with a bit of modification to my dash. That's ok I can do that.

Now I gotta figure out which brand name.... so many of them. Maybe it's like the old Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge thing! When I was young Alpine was king. Or close to it.

[BobsYourUncle]

Thanks for the input everyone.

One reason I am leary of another radio is an experience I had with my 2003 truck I had before this one. At that time I still had cassette tapes. The factory stereo was CD only. From the dealer I bought a factory Radio / CD / Cassette unit and swapped it. I had to have them program it to the onboard computer to tell the anti-theft software that the radio was supposed to be there. After many trips to dealer service, lots of money spent, the new factory unit remained incompatible. Although some function was there, I had nothing but trouble with it and the onboard bell and chime warnings never did function. And I never did get the proper volume out of it. Seems it cost me about 800 bucks for the unit plus all the shop time trying to make it work.
Waste of time and money that was!

[folivier]

I recently bought a 2010 Silverado that had an aftermarket radio. I purchased a new OEM pull-out radio from https://oemradios.com/gm_radios.php
that has a USB connection and retains all of the factory controls. The only thing it doesn't have is bluetooth for my phone's radio, but it does have the BT phone function. There may be others that have full BT function.
BUT it is important to get one that is unlocked otherwise you have to have a dealer unlock it. (My local dealer wanted 2 hours just to unlocked the radio)

[ScottG]

Yes, I think lots of them will work just like the oem in regards to other on-board stuff.
I bought Pioneer's best Nav head unit and it will do everything a factory head unit can. It can even control HVAC functions and stuff like heated seats and anything else a modern vehicles stereo does.

With the right kit you can make it look OEM:


Start up screen (you can load any logo or pic you want):

[KD4UPL]

Yes, just about anything you could ask for in the auto sound world is available. It's mind boggling the features on new stereos.
I have also been dealing with Crutchfield for about 25 years. One of their retail stores is in my home town so it made it really easy. They are experts and always give exceptional customer service.

[NEOK]

I bought a radio and I installation kit from Crutchfields for my 2009 GMC. I had a professional do the install and all of the buttons on my steering wheel and any warning messages that show up on the dash information center still work. Just tell Crutchfields what you want to do and the will be very helpful.

[b17drvr]

Go to crutchfield.com.
I’ve gotten many radios from them since the 80’s (when it was a catalog). They have everything you need to install it yourself. They research and know what will work with your truck.