Big issues - 2004 Mercury Sable LS Premium

[wingnut691983 10+ year member]

Hi there

First off this site looks very cool and hopefully i will be able to help out where I can and learn where i cant //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

So here is my frustrating problem.

I bought a 2004 Mercury Sable LS Premium today... took it to the local audio joint to get a dash kit so i can install my stereo from my other car (Sony CDX-MP70 deck @ 2 RF Stage2 12" subs) and they tell me that they do not make a dash kit for my car because it has the console that has all the digital crap in it such as digital temperature control versus nobs.

Does anyone have a car like this or can anyone offer any insight into what I can do. I will drive the car off a cliff before i dont have my stereo in it... its just wrong.

ANy help/advice would be great because im feeling dissapointed.

Thanks!

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[wingnut691983 10+ year member]

Here are some picture links to my current setup in my old car just for the heck of it.

http://www.ehrensplace.com/sourceimages/photo/2004/car_greenglow/index.htm

http://www.ehrensplace.com/sourceimages/photo/2004/car_newsub/index.htm

http://www.ehrensplace.com/sourceimages/photo/2004/car_newdeck/index.htm

http://www.ehrensplace.com/sourceimages/photo/2004/car_newbox/index.htm

http://www.ehrensplace.com/sourceimages/photo/2004/car_new6x9s/index.htm

 

[djjdnap 10+ year member]

i'm gonna guess and say yes you can do it but you might need to custom fabricate some stuff.

I'm guessing its like a taurus with that big *** center piece that houses the temp, radio, gas cap, ect..

You will need to get that off 1st.

Then you should be able to take off your stock radio from thier.

Then find the diminsions of you old radio, and you can ask the shop if they have a piece that would fit that size or make something that would house it urself.

 

[THUNDERBIRD 10+ year member]

first off i am gonna say i like ur box. ur probly gonna have to custom fabercate something or put a line out connvertor in and use the factory deck

 

[wingnut691983 10+ year member]

Here is a picture of the actual dash. They make the dash kit for this car with the nobs but this is the LS Premium so it has all the digital crap which is waht poses the problem.

http://www.ehrensplace.com/console.JPG

By line out converter are you talking about the thing to use that you connect to the rear speaker output and connect your subs to that? If thats the case thats nearly out of the question. for one I wouldnt have the line in my deck provides, so no ipod, 2ndly I still would not be able to listen to CD's, 3rdly its just wrrooong //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif . Buddy of mine did that on his sisters car, it bumped a bit but sounded pretty bad. Once he put a new headunit in it sounded 4x better.

Does anyone know of any good custom shops that would be good to at least talk to on the issue even if they are not near where I am to get some insight. I know there has got to be someone out there who has had this same car and found a good way to solve this problem that is no hacked up.

Thanks for the insight so far //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif Keep er commin!

 

[mrteacha 10+ year member]

i would try scosche they make just about every dash kit for every car

 

[wingnut691983 10+ year member]

Checked Scosche's site and for that vehicle it said only "custom"

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

A buddy of mine has a '99 Sable...don't know if FoMoCo changed anything significant between then and '04 but this is what he had to do ~

The controls on the dash panel are only that - controls. The actual "brain" of the radio was in the trunk on the driver's side behind some carpeting. He had to buy a replacement dash panel from the Ford place which had cutouts for the climate controls with the rectangular hole for a single-DIN chassis stereo. He then had to buy a wiring harness adapter (I think also a dealer item) to tap into the wiring that went to that 'brain' located in the trunk. It included power-n-ground and an adapter to tap into the antenna lead as the antenna was on the left rear fender with a very short lead under it leading to that brain rather than coming up behind the dash like most other vehicles.

It's a major PITA and none too cheap but he decided he wanted to keep the factory radio intact in case he gets rid of the car (it was an inheritance) and keep a stock-ish look to the dash.

 

[wingnut691983 10+ year member]

Thanks for that info very much, I will take a trip to the dealer and ask a few questions. The GS model of the sable has the regular climate control dials on it for which you can simply pull off and buy a dash kit for at any audio joint. THe LS premium has the digital ones where you just set the temp you want and it keeps it there, i assume by what you were saying thats what your buddys taurus had, thats what it sounds like anyway because i know they make a dash kit for the taurus too with the dials, my sister has one.

Thanks!!!!

 

[wingnut691983 10+ year member]

Well I think the verdict is in and I have 3 options

1) hack out part of the console thats on the floor in the center and build a recepticle out of fiberglass. About 300 dollars

2) buy a new alpine deck w/ aux in (299), buy an alpine relocation cable to locate the faceplate separate from the brain of the deck (150), plus wiring harness for the car (80) to bring it just over 500 bucks.

3) get a line out converter and leave my good system in my old car and drive that whenever my ears stop ringing to refresh my vibratory senses and buy a new amp and put the extra RF HE 10" sub i have in the sable just to add a little somethin somethin so it doesnt leave me with nothing. This would cost about 200 bucks and not leave large holes in the car if i were to ever sell it since its only a year and a half old.

I will probably go with option #3