[andtheHawks]

Has anyone just simply swapped the radio's fascia panel (the buttons) (4 small screws and 4 clips to remove off radio unit)?

I am asking because my current fascia has some worn buttons, though the unit itself is fine.

I can get some decent, and better shape units that do not have corresponding vin numbers for reprogramming rather cheap, vs ones that have been divorced, or do come with vin numbers to reprogram in DICE (I do have a Tech2 for what that is worth)

difference of about $30-75 dollars depending...

The thing is, my car is a 2004 radio part number 5374640
( WB button changed to just Band, radio button just radio etc)

I am sure this swap would work just fine with the matching part number radio....however 5374640's are fewer on the ground and generally significantly more expensive than the previous year models: 5038138 (for model years 99-2003...there may be another third part number as well for that year range)

I doubt those two buttons will make a swap impossible but just seeing if anyhow has experience with doing this?

thanks!

 

[Jeremy R.]

Is it just the soft-touch finish that's wearing off, and getting sticky and gross? That's happened on the radios in both of my 9-5s. One still looks pretty awful, but on the other one, I removed the radio's faceplate, unscrewed it, and used some adhesive remover to take off the remaining soft-touch finish. The buttons looked great after that. I've also noticed that people have been taking the faceplates off of the 9-5 radios at Pick-n-Pull lately. I'm assuming that someone is trying to piece together a good set of buttons that aren't all sticky and worn.

 

[unclemiltie]

I removed the radio's faceplate, unscrewed it, and used some adhesive remover to take off the remaining soft-touch finish

This

in fact you can do it with the radio in teh car. The good news is that the lettering on the buttons is in the plastic and not the soft coat. What you'll end up with is hard and smooth buttons but all will be good. Same for SID and ACC if you want to go through all of them.

 

[andtheHawks]

Unclemiltie! thanks, I have actually done just this already. The Sid buttons came out the best, followed by the acc buttons, but the radio buttons never seemed as satisfactory. the issue is beyond the old sticky stuff now. for instance the seek button has wear that allows the back lighting to shine through, in fact the black of the plastic is now clear in those areas...

so this is a bigger issue than even the sticky stuff...
there is also a gouge in the faceplate itself from hualing some very long preformed drywall corners.

i just recently replaced the dash itself (the old one was cracking and bubbling) and it looks great but the radio faceplate is letting us all down!

 

[Doug]

Regarding swapping the whole head unit - in the U.K. at least, there were three part numbers, according to which audio system was installed, the AS1, the AS2 Premium or the AS3 Prestige. I don’t know what the difference in the head unit was, as there’s an external amp is there not?

 

[andtheHawks]

I believe US market never got the AS1 (which just has a cd player) and I believe no external amp.
AS2 and AS3 are identical head units (with cassette player) made by pioneer. The difference is the external amps (one is pioneer and one harmon kardon) though i do not think us market used the AS1, 2,3 designations. Linears had the AS2 set up (pioneer) and aero, arc (or earlier SEs?) had the harmon kardon amp. or something like that. Oh yes, and of course the "premier vs prestige" designations as you mention doug.

But with all that said, the same Pioneer head unit can be used for both AS2 and AS3 set ups (not just different amps but different speakers, and speaker configurations (including some differences between 4 and 5 doors)...

The thing is, the pioneer head unit used by both AS2 and AS3 configurations (premier/prestige) changed ever so slightly in 2004... simply the identification on the WB button and Radio button changed...
Furthermore the part number changed from 5038138 to 5374640.

Its not a ton of money wasted either way...so i may just experiment.

 

[EdT]

The faceplate definitely comes off. I had one of these apart to fix some bent cassette parts.

If I recall, the face plugs in with a ribbon cable. I have no idea if you can swap the newer and older faceplates and they would work the same.

It can't be more than $30 to get a junkyard unit with decent buttons. That's what I did when I came across a nice older-style unit. I do use both Weather Band and Dolby C, so I would not dream of "upgrading" to a later unit.

 

[andtheHawks]

The answer is....YES. Yes you can swap faceplate from radio part # 5038138 to the later 2004-2005 radio # 5374640

The WB weather band button functions as simply the "Band" button and the Radio/Band button is just the radio. so it functions as the 5374640 but has the 5038138 button labeling.

I will say this, the radios insides look very very very similar, almost identical, with a few variations, noticeably the cd mechanism...

And I will also say this, the earlier radio, to my touch and eyes has better quality buttons, and cleans up much better.

for what that is worth

But EdT, youve got me wondering if i should program the old radio unit so I can use the Weather Band!
swapping faces took me about 5 minutes, whereas reprogramming my Tech2 and Dice to think it was th donor car vin to divorce the radio, to then reinstall/ marry would have taken longer...

laziness! but successful result.

Lastly, i assume you can swap in reverse too, but i did not try...

 

[Mimmi]

2006-> have different radio, it will not fit.

 

[Jeremy R.]

I wonder if they cheaped out on how the buttons were made on the 2004-2005 radio, like they did on the SID? I've seen a fair number of pictures of 2004 or 2005 SIDs that have the button markings worn away, like you see all the time on NG9-3 and NG9-5 radio and climate control buttons.

 

[EdT]

But EdT, youve got me wondering if i should program the old radio unit so I can use the Weather Band!

Here the weather radio does forecasts in both English and French. It invariably seems that when I want to hear the weather, it's the start of the French segment. As there are local forecasts for multiple locations, followed by extended forecasts, followed by marine weather, it's like 10 minutes. So I've gotten better at understanding French forecasts.

Occasionally my car will pick up Buffalo, from far across the lake.

Weather radio is also one of those things you can point to that make your car advanced and unique. (And you hope they don't just say, "so what?")

 

[andtheHawks]

2006-> have different radio, it will not fit.

Edited my post! typo error! fixed now to 2005...
thanks!