2004 Tahoe Radio Swap

[ueww40]

I am new here and I just bought a 2004 Tahoe LS, which has the original factory single cd/cassette tape radio, no steeringwheel controls and no ONSTAR, but has rear audio controls. It is a Bose System. I would like to replace that unit with a GM approved unit with 6-cd changer and possible aux port. Don't care about the tape part. The important part is upgrading from single cd to 6 cd changer. In my manual there are 3 units shown as options available, one is a plain radio, the next one is what I have now and the 3rd one is the radio with built in 6-cd changer. This is the one I would like to upgrade to. They all have the same footprint and were available as options at time the car was put together. I went to my local Chevy dealer to find out what the correct part number for this radio was and he said it would be impossible for him to tell me that because he plugs in my VIN and he can tell me what's in there now, but not what I would like to put in. There might be a difference in wiring etc, etc. He said the only way that he might be able to help me is if I can find an identical Tahoe to mine which has the 6-cd changer in it and get that VIN number and then he can see what is in that car and chances are it will also work in my Tahoe. And then he said after the radio has been installed it needs to be activated or coded or something like that by Chevrolet. Wow, what did ever happen to the good ol days when you could just yank the old radio out and put another one in? Can anybody shed some light on all of this and hopefully done something like this and can recommend a compatible unit that will fit right in (plug in and play) and have the part number for it. Thanks

 

[jaywoo65]

Do an after market double din unit with a PAC OS-2X unit (it will retain the Bose amp and rear entertainment controls). Tons of stereo selections out there. EBay has kits so you won't have to order anything else. Just search 2004 tahoe stereo.

 

[ueww40]

I would like to stay away from after market devices. Too many adapters and mods are usually necessary to make it work. I would prefer a factory unit, which fits right in. There must be somebody out there that has the same Tahoe as I have, NO steering wheel controls, NO Onstar, NO satellite radio, Bose System, rear audio controls, OEM alarm system, but with a OEM 6 cd changer stereo. I hope to find that person and you can give me the part number to your radio or the VIN and I can have the dealer look it up. Thanks

 

[MCAT069]

GM # 15196055 or 15184935

 

[MCAT069]

There are videos on YouTube on how to unlock them without a Tech2.

 

[sefiro]

Lazy parts guy. He could drill down through parts diagrams to get to the list of possible. Use your vin to confirm his list of possible.

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

 

[ueww40]

GM # 15196055 or 15184935

Great, now we are getting somewhere? But, here comes the but, what is the difference between the 2 numbers? I understand that all of this is very finicky and has to be just right for it to work. If you know precisely what the difference is between the 2 part numbers, I probably will be able to figure out which one is the right unit. Thanks for all your good advise.

 

[Tonyrodz]

http://oem-auto-accessory.com/15196055_am_fm_cd6_2003_06_gm_trucks_and_suv_new_take_out_coded.html
Just Google those numbers.

 

[MCAT069]

Great, now we are getting somewhere? But, here comes the but, what is the difference between the 2 numbers? I understand that all of this is very finicky and has to be just right for it to work. If you know precisely what the difference is between the 2 part numbers, I probably will be able to figure out which one is the right unit. Thanks for all your good advise.

Those should be interchangeable. The radios get more finicky when you try to combine Bose premium with Bose Luxury.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I just found this, which I thought was really interesting. Maybe this info will help others out.

 

[ueww40]

I just found this, which I thought was really interesting. Maybe this info will help others out. View attachment 180879 View attachment 180880

Wow Tonyrodz and MCAT, this is very interesting and very educational. I am really excited now that I have something to sink my teeth in to. So I went right away and looked up my codes now that I know what to look for. My radio code is UB1 and my speaker code is UQ7. if I understand all of this here correctly a 6 CD changer radio with a code UC6 should work, right? Does that mean that any model wirh an options code of UC6 will work. I don't have any Y91 or Y92 codes.

 

[ueww40]

Lazy parts guy. He could drill down through parts diagrams to get to the list of possible. Use your vin to confirm his list of possible.

Sent from my XT1053 using Tapatalk

Do you have a link to the Lazy Parts Guy. Can't find him.

 

[HiHoeSilver]

Do you have a link to the Lazy Parts Guy. Can't find him.

Lol. There's one at every dealership. His name is usually skip or chip or something.

 

[ueww40]

Lol. There's one at every dealership. His name is usually skip or chip or something.

Now I am cracking up and feel pretty stupid too. You got me there. I guess I still have a way to go to be a certified motor head. LOL

 

[ueww40]

I just found this, which I thought was really interesting. Maybe this info will help others out. View attachment 180879 View attachment 180880

Tony, this is great. Where ever you got this from seems to know what they are doing. Maybe I should contact them and get the radio from them. Do you have a link to them? ---- Never mind. I just saw the URL to the site that you posted in your prior post. Didn't realize that it and the "Service Parts ID" pages were related. Thanks.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Wow Tonyrodz and MCAT, this is very interesting and very educational. I am really excited now that I have something to sink my teeth in to. So I went right away and looked up my codes now that I know what to look for. My radio code is UB1 and my speaker code is UQ7. if I understand all of this here correctly a 6 CD changer radio with a code UC6 should work, right? Does that mean that any model wirh an options code of UC6 will work. I don't have any Y91 or Y92 codes.

Tony, this is great. Where ever you got this from seems to know what they are doing. Maybe I should contact them and get the radio from them. Do you have a link to them? ---- Never mind. I just saw the URL to the site that you posted in your prior post. Didn't realize that it and the "Service Parts ID" pages were related. Thanks.

I'm really glad it was useful. Any time.

 

[ueww40]

After about 2 months of research and information gathering and being told along the way multiple times that it is easier to fly to the moon than to swap out the radio on my Tahoe, I am happy to say that I finally got what I wanted. Chevrolet did not help much. Either they don't know, don't want to or have better things to do. I couldn't even get a promise from them that they would be able to program and pair the new radio to my car and guarantee that everything will work. And that was if they order and install the radio. You don't want to know what all of this would have cost me. Then I found a supplier that had exactly what I wanted, a radio with a 6 CD changer and Aux port, but they did not want to assume the responsibility of determining what part number is the right one for my car. I would have to order the radio, install it and then take it to Chevrolet for programming and pairing and if I am lucky it all works. The estimate they gave me the dealer would charge for the programming was around $150 for a 10 minute job. All too iffy, so forget that. Then the next supplier came close. They were very knowledgeable and knew what I needed. It came with a good warranty, return policy and guarantee that the radio will work. They even were doing the programming and pairing. There was a savings of a $150 right there. But the radio didn't have an Aux port. However they would recommend an after market gadget that I can order on Amazon or eBay and do it myself. No thanks, too iffy, too half-ass, too expensive. Then I found a very knowledgeable vendor on Amazon who had everything I wanted. The company is called Factorytunes (Nathan White) in Las Vegas. They had it all. I gave them my VIN and a picture of my service parts ID (found in the glove compartment) and they took over from there. I got the latest possible radio compatible with my 2004 Tahoe. It came with the Aux port in the face plate, all programmed and paired, truly plug and play, guaranteed to work, great warranty and return policy, 5 bucks for 2 day shipping. The swapping out was easier than ringing a door bell. I turned on the ignition, no anti-theft coding needed, everything that was working before was still working the same now, the radio was performing as expected, all pre-set buttons work, changer works flawless, ipod on the aux port never sounded so good. The whole Bose system sounded better than before. Maybe it's because it is a newer, more powerful radio, I don't know. And best of all the price was right. They even took my old radio in trade and gave me 50 bucks for it. Needless to say that I am a happy camper and it all worked out 100%. I can highly recommend this outfit without reservation to anyone that wants to upgrade to a different GM OEM radio and take the guess work out of it.

 

[Tonyrodz]

After about 2 months of research and information gathering and being told along the way multiple times that it is easier to fly to the moon than to swap out the radio on my Tahoe, I am happy to say that I finally got what I wanted. Chevrolet did not help much. Either they don't know, don't want to or have better things to do. I couldn't even get a promise from them that they would be able to program and pair the new radio to my car and guarantee that everything will work. And that was if they order and install the radio. You don't want to know what all of this would have cost me. Then I found a supplier that had exactly what I wanted, a radio with a 6 CD changer and Aux port, but they did not want to assume the responsibility of determining what part number is the right one for my car. I would have to order the radio, install it and then take it to Chevrolet for programming and pairing and if I am lucky it all works. The estimate they gave me the dealer would charge for the programming was around $150 for a 10 minute job. All too iffy, so forget that. Then the next supplier came close. They were very knowledgeable and knew what I needed. It came with a good warranty, return policy and guarantee that the radio will work. They even were doing the programming and pairing. There was a savings of a $150 right there. But the radio didn't have an Aux port. However they would recommend an after market gadget that I can order on Amazon or eBay and do it myself. No thanks, too iffy, too half-ass, too expensive. Then I found a very knowledgeable vendor on Amazon who had everything I wanted. The company is called Factorytunes (Nathan White) in Las Vegas. They had it all. I gave them my VIN and a picture of my service parts ID (found in the glove compartment) and they took over from there. I got the latest possible radio compatible with my 2004 Tahoe. It came with the Aux port in the face plate, all programmed and paired, truly plug and play, guaranteed to work, great warranty and return policy, 5 bucks for 2 day shipping. The swapping out was easier than ringing a door bell. I turned on the ignition, no anti-theft coding needed, everything that was working before was still working the same now, the radio was performing as expected, all pre-set buttons work, changer works flawless, ipod on the aux port never sounded so good. The whole Bose system sounded better than before. Maybe it's because it is a newer, more powerful radio, I don't know. And best of all the price was right. They even took my old radio in trade and gave me 50 bucks for it. Needless to say that I am a happy camper and it all worked out 100%. I can highly recommend this outfit without reservation to anyone that wants to upgrade to a different GM OEM radio and take the guess work out of it.

Pics!

 

[HiHoeSilver]

After about 2 months of research and information gathering and being told along the way multiple times that it is easier to fly to the moon than to swap out the radio on my Tahoe, I am happy to say that I finally got what I wanted. Chevrolet did not help much. Either they don't know, don't want to or have better things to do. I couldn't even get a promise from them that they would be able to program and pair the new radio to my car and guarantee that everything will work. And that was if they order and install the radio. You don't want to know what all of this would have cost me. Then I found a supplier that had exactly what I wanted, a radio with a 6 CD changer and Aux port, but they did not want to assume the responsibility of determining what part number is the right one for my car. I would have to order the radio, install it and then take it to Chevrolet for programming and pairing and if I am lucky it all works. The estimate they gave me the dealer would charge for the programming was around $150 for a 10 minute job. All too iffy, so forget that. Then the next supplier came close. They were very knowledgeable and knew what I needed. It came with a good warranty, return policy and guarantee that the radio will work. They even were doing the programming and pairing. There was a savings of a $150 right there. But the radio didn't have an Aux port. However they would recommend an after market gadget that I can order on Amazon or eBay and do it myself. No thanks, too iffy, too half-ass, too expensive. Then I found a very knowledgeable vendor on Amazon who had everything I wanted. The company is called Factorytunes (Nathan White) in Las Vegas. They had it all. I gave them my VIN and a picture of my service parts ID (found in the glove compartment) and they took over from there. I got the latest possible radio compatible with my 2004 Tahoe. It came with the Aux port in the face plate, all programmed and paired, truly plug and play, guaranteed to work, great warranty and return policy, 5 bucks for 2 day shipping. The swapping out was easier than ringing a door bell. I turned on the ignition, no anti-theft coding needed, everything that was working before was still working the same now, the radio was performing as expected, all pre-set buttons work, changer works flawless, ipod on the aux port never sounded so good. The whole Bose system sounded better than before. Maybe it's because it is a newer, more powerful radio, I don't know. And best of all the price was right. They even took my old radio in trade and gave me 50 bucks for it. Needless to say that I am a happy camper and it all worked out 100%. I can highly recommend this outfit without reservation to anyone that wants to upgrade to a different GM OEM radio and take the guess work out of it.

Mfr. / Model # etc.?

 

[MCAT069]

Glad you got want you were looking for.

QUOTE="ueww40, post: 1148760, member: 62606"]After about 2 months of research and information gathering and being told along the way multiple times that it is easier to fly to the moon than to swap out the radio on my Tahoe, I am happy to say that I finally got what I wanted. Chevrolet did not help much. Either they don't know, don't want to or have better things to do. I couldn't even get a promise from them that they would be able to program and pair the new radio to my car and guarantee that everything will work. And that was if they order and install the radio. You don't want to know what all of this would have cost me. Then I found a supplier that had exactly what I wanted, a radio with a 6 CD changer and Aux port, but they did not want to assume the responsibility of determining what part number is the right one for my car. I would have to order the radio, install it and then take it to Chevrolet for programming and pairing and if I am lucky it all works. The estimate they gave me the dealer would charge for the programming was around $150 for a 10 minute job. All too iffy, so forget that. Then the next supplier came close. They were very knowledgeable and knew what I needed. It came with a good warranty, return policy and guarantee that the radio will work. They even were doing the programming and pairing. There was a savings of a $150 right there. But the radio didn't have an Aux port. However they would recommend an after market gadget that I can order on Amazon or eBay and do it myself. No thanks, too iffy, too half-ass, too expensive. Then I found a very knowledgeable vendor on Amazon who had everything I wanted. The company is called Factorytunes (Nathan White) in Las Vegas. They had it all. I gave them my VIN and a picture of my service parts ID (found in the glove compartment) and they took over from there. I got the latest possible radio compatible with my 2004 Tahoe. It came with the Aux port in the face plate, all programmed and paired, truly plug and play, guaranteed to work, great warranty and return policy, 5 bucks for 2 day shipping. The swapping out was easier than ringing a door bell. I turned on the ignition, no anti-theft coding needed, everything that was working before was still working the same now, the radio was performing as expected, all pre-set buttons work, changer works flawless, ipod on the aux port never sounded so good. The whole Bose system sounded better than before. Maybe it's because it is a newer, more powerful radio, I don't know. And best of all the price was right. They even took my old radio in trade and gave me 50 bucks for it. Needless to say that I am a happy camper and it all worked out 100%. I can highly recommend this outfit without reservation to anyone that wants to upgrade to a different GM OEM radio and take the guess work out of it.[/QUOTE]