Help Needed 04 OEM radio

[orion_134]

My dad's radio was stolen from his truck while it was in a towing recovery yard. They won't cover it, he won't pursue it, whatever. It's an 04 and he said it had the 6-disc changer. I've heard that dealers need to "program" the HU, is this true? Also, what years will I be able to swap in and know that the plug/wiring in the back will be the same? His truck-side plugs are all there, the thieves were nice enough to leave them. I want to make sure I get the right one.
Thanks guys,
Jesse

 

[W4RLR]

Never heard of dealers programming a radio in a Super Duty. I wrote an article a few years back about adding an auxiliary input to a CD-6. There were no codes to write down, it worked perfectly when it was disconnected from the harness and reconnected later.

Check with a salvage yard, and although your dad doesn't want to pursue the matter, perhaps his insurance company will. Just because I disavow responsibility for an action and tell you you are out of luck does not mean that such a statement is true.

The interface between the radio and the truck changed in 2005 to a format called CAN bus. A newer radio will not work in a 2004 or earlier truck.

By the way Marine, thanks for your service to our country.