CD Changer for 2001 Signature

[Surry]

Anyone know what needs to be done in order to get a cd changer connected to the Alpine radio using the installed pre-wire?

Supposingly the 2001 is pre-wired but the wire in the trunk appears to to be a thin rectangular plug. All of the cd changers and their adapter cables that advertise to work with the radio have a square plug. TIA, Surry

[pro-five-oh]

Have you checked with Crutchfield? They have the conversion harness for the older headunits.
http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S-j7DSMHoFa1A/ProdView.asp?s=0&c=2&g=42300&I=469FRDFKNW&o=m&a=0&cc=01&avf=N

[Surry]

Thanks. Yes, I have talked to Crutchfield. They tell me that the pre-wire can't be used, but that the adapter cable should plug into the radio directly. The initial look at the radio seemed to indicate that there wasn't a plug insert which would fit the cd changer cable that is supposed to work on the 2001 TC. I'll have the mechanic look again.

[pro-five-oh]

Surry, I have worked (removed to put aftermarket stuff in) on 3 Lincolns with CD changer ready headunits and they all had an extra port in the back of the unit to put the CD changer harness in. I am not familiar with these new Alpine units, but you'd figure they would be similar.

[Surry]

Thanks. I talked to my mechanic who took the radio out originally and looked at it. He said that the radio sat in a frame and the cables pluggged inot the frame. Maybe the frame has a plug which will be compatible. At any rate he will look at it again on Monday and see what he can determine. Surry

[pro-five-oh]

Wow that is news to me. Someone will make a harness adapter for the Alpine systems, sooner or later. Best of luck, Surry.

[dchester]

I was able to get a CD changer that worked from Autotoys.com. http://www.autotoys.com/

Basically it had some type of adapter that plugged into the prewired cable. The output of that plugged into the CD changer. I got one there two years ago and was able to install it.

The factory changer holds 6 CDs, but this one holds 10, and it works fine with the factory radio, and the buttons on the steering wheel.