Replacement Radio

[MJennette]

This is my first post, and I admit to much ignorance about car matters, especially about the Porsche. I am learning, though, so please bear with me.

I was given a 2000 (or 2001 - it is in the shop, so I can't check - don't laugh) Boxster. The radio died two weeks ago, and then the battery went dead. I replaced the battery, and the car would start fine, although the radio was still dead. After reading here, I assumed that the fuse in the rear of the stereo was loose or dead. The radio is the original Porsche FM/cassette, and has been ok for my purposes (I am not a big audiophile).

Three days after the new battery install, the battery went dead. I took it to athe closest Porsche dealership (3 hours away), and he said that there was a short in the radio that was draining the battery. They disconnected the radio and recharged the battery.

He said they could replace the factory install with a new Porsche CD player for about $800. He suggested, though, that I go to Circuit City and have them install one for less than half the cost and with higher quality (as he says the factory installed ones are marginal at best).

The Circuit City website says that a 2000 or 2001 Boxster dash will not accept an aftermarket stereo. From reading here, I don't believe that to be true.

As I live at least 2 hours from a medium-to-large size city, I would very much like to use a Circuit City or Best Buy, as they can also install it for me. (That is totally beyond my capabilities!)

Specifically, what brand and model of stereo do you see on those two sites that would work in the Boxster? I would like to stay in the $200-$400 range, with a CD player. If there was one that accomodated an iPod, that would be fantastic. GPS would be great, too, as well as MP3 capability. But a minimum of FM and CD.

Thanks so much for your help; this site has been a great source of information for me.

Maggs

[MJennette]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site//olspage.jsp?id=cat03066&type=category

OK - I went to Best Buy, and it says that they have stereos that will fit. I copied the link, and hopefully it will work to take you to the page where they are listed.

Thanks again!

[blinkwatt]

KEEP YOUR CAR AWAY FROM ANY MAINSTREAM CAR AUDIO PLACE!

Not to sound arrogant or anything,but these aren't cars that role into Best Buy or Circuit City's car audio shops everyday. Maybe a Jetta or Corolla,not a Porsche! Call your local dealership and see if they can recommend any shops around town to work on your car.

Good Luck!

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

If the unit is adequate (I think mine works pretty well for a droptop) you might want to check here for either service or replacement. It would just be Plug & Play and you could do it yourself - http://www.beckerautosound.com/ . Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[ray986s]

Any DIN size radio will fit in the boxster. It does not matter the brand or price. "DIN" is basically a code for the size of the radio. Any reputable stereo shop will be able to install your radio very easily. Another great source to look at is www.crutchfield.com they will not only sell you the correct radio for your needs, but also provide you with the proper wiring harness.

[MJennette]

I looked at Crutchfield, but sadly, I couldn't find receivers that fit Porsche? And honest to God, I don't think I could figure out how to install it.

Becker recommended some systems for me, and they even had a few of them at Best Buy. Like the Alpine IDA-X001.

Blinkwatt - is it really hard for them to install a radio like that? My dealer is the one who suggested Circuit City or Best Buy, and I am very satisfied with the dealership so far.

Another dumb question - how many watts do I need? What I have now sounds pretty weak when the top is down on the highway, but I really don't want to mess with doing anything to the speakers now. Damned if I know what a watt is anyway.....

[ray986s]

Originally Posted by blinkwatt

KEEP YOUR CAR AWAY FROM ANY MAINSTREAM CAR AUDIO PLACE!

Not to sound arrogant or anything,but these aren't cars that role into Best Buy or Circuit City's car audio shops everyday. Maybe a Jetta or Corolla,not a Porsche! Call your local dealership and see if they can recommend any shops around town to work on your car.

Good Luck!

I would agree with you on mechanical items, but on the stereo??? Funny you mentioned Jetta, did you know some of the vw including the jetta share the same wiring harness for the stereo. As far as the wiring, Porsche does not do anything too special with their wiring. In fact on the 97-03 Boxsters are quite simple head unit to amp in the front trunk to 4 speakers. I just did a custom double din install on my uncles 99 boxster. I installed the new pioneer avic d3 with navigation and wired it the factory amp. Porsche was even kind enough to easily provide the speed sensor right on the wire harness. I also installed a pioneer navi unit in my boxster, but did a whole upgrade on the amps and speakers. In other words, yes do your research on the shop you want to use, but dont let them think its a bigger job than it actually is. Its a simple radio swap.

[blinkwatt]

Originally Posted by ray986s

In other words, yes do your research on the shop you want to use, but dont let them think its a bigger job than it actually is. Its a simple radio swap.

I was at Best Buy once just looking around and an employee asked me what I drove when I started asking questions and they said they wouldn't even touch it once they found out it was a Porsche. I also remember someone,can't remember which forum/board it was on,but they mentioned how a mainstream shop messed up the install and it resulted in the airbag light going off....

Oh well, I guess something on the car has to easy to work on right?

[SC986]

I'm not sure where you're located, but if you are close to Charlotte check out the guys at Freemans Car Stereo.

They have done some custon and fab work. They do a great job of fitting amd they won't try to over sell you on equipment you don't need.

[Grizzly]

Crutchfield.com lists 127 different receivers to fit your car. Plus if you buy from them, they include the harness to hook it up, along with very, very good installation instructions as well as toll free tech support. You can't go wrong. My dog could install a receiver. Save yourself a couple bucks and do it yourself.

[Cloudsurfer]

Any DIN sized head unit will fit, and you can do double DIN for nav if you are willing to either re-locate the climate controsl or remove your cupholders.

That said, I would stay far away from anyplace like Circuit City or Best Buy. Personally, I wont shop at those places at all for anything more than a random cable or a CD. When it comes to doing custom car audio, you dont want the $8/hr part time employee workingon your Porsche. Find a reputable local shop who is known for high end work on higher end cars and work with them.

Keep in mind also, that while you may pay a few dollars more for a certain component locally (and even this rarely applies now, the market is far too competitive) you will actually get service, and even more importantly, service AFTER the sale from the reputable shop, where when you walk into Circuit City 6 months later to ask why your stereo doesnt work, you're likely to hear something along the lines of " Oh, 6 months ago? Yea, that must have been Jeff or Bob that did your install....neither of them work here anymore so I'm not sure what to tell ya. You're under factory warranty so why dont you call Sony directly." To me, service after a sale is worth its weight in gold.

Patrick

[MJennette]

t'hanks again for all the advice, even if parts are a bit contradictory. I mean, if a dog can install it and I could easily do it myself, then why is it so bad to let a $8 per hour employee at Best Buy do it?

Anyway, Best Buy installed one yesterday in about 40 minutes. Nice guys, polite, knew more about stereos than I did, free installation. I put in an Alpine, and they sold me the new model for the same price as the discontinued old model. They suggested a less expensive model, and I went with a more expensive one based on some things my BF suggested. With the iPod cable (which they hid somehow and comes out in the console between the seats) and the wiring harness and tax, it came out to $405.

Sounds great, less filling.

Thanks again! I am sure I will be back!

PS. BMWM, alas! No cupholders to lose, but there are two cubbies/spaces below the stereo. I guess you mean I can put another component in there?