CACR (Cheap Ass Chinese Radio) Install
12-07-2010, 05:42 PM
#11
JK Newbie
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: arkansas
Posts: 17
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personally I dont care what the bezel looks like. That is cosmetic and I'm sure there are surrounds that you could make fit into the dash around the radio to make it look good. My concern is getting screwed with some worthless radio that only works in chinese or something. Yours looks pretty good though. For a couple hundred bucks its almost worth the chance. Thanks for the pics
12-07-2010, 06:35 PM
#13
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
It's cool, I do understand. I want it to look as professional as possible but because the screen tilts up and down, it kept jamming on the bezel so I had to trim away a little.
I also installed one in my wife's Chrysler 300 but was able to buy a bezel that fit perfectly.
One point was that I tried the PAC C2R-CHY4 and it just didn't work right, the audio kept cutting off radomly. I bought the Axxess version that worked with the amp and it works great. I love that it has a potenteometer that allows small adjustments to clean up the audio but it also came with RCA jacks that had to be cut off and rewired.
I also need to be clear about some things, if you do decide to get one of these you should be very careful on what version you get. Some say GPS but doesn't come with the map software and some look very cheap in price and there is a reason. If you look at the small print there is no GPS at all. Just make sure you read the specs carefully and ensure that it has all that you want.
I also installed one in my wife's Chrysler 300 but was able to buy a bezel that fit perfectly.
One point was that I tried the PAC C2R-CHY4 and it just didn't work right, the audio kept cutting off radomly. I bought the Axxess version that worked with the amp and it works great. I love that it has a potenteometer that allows small adjustments to clean up the audio but it also came with RCA jacks that had to be cut off and rewired.
I also need to be clear about some things, if you do decide to get one of these you should be very careful on what version you get. Some say GPS but doesn't come with the map software and some look very cheap in price and there is a reason. If you look at the small print there is no GPS at all. Just make sure you read the specs carefully and ensure that it has all that you want.
10-15-2011, 03:28 AM
#14
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
I'm updating this thread to provide some insight on my experience with this stereo.
1. You get what you pay for. Although i've enjoyed this stereo and its worth just what I paid for it.
- I started having issue with audio about 2-3 months after install. When starting my Jeep the stereo would have no audio at all, I would have to turn off the stereo completely and then turn it back on for it to start playing.
- Navigation worked great but seemed like it would take forever to grab the satellites.
- The clock would only read 3:55 and everytime you change it, it just changed back to 3:55. One time I got it to change but the next day it said 3:88, HUH? I must have accidently hit the worm hole button or something.
- The stereo involves 2 operating systems. One for the GPS side and the other for the radio side (Radio, MP3, DVD, etc.). Each OS used a different SD card and the side for the radio was very sloppy. Navigating was a pure pain in the butt.
2. Because I had to modify the bezel a little, restoring back to original involved complete replacement of the bezel and that increased cost. I could have installed it positioned farther out of the dash and then would not had to modify the bezel, that would have made for a cleaner install.
3. Besides those issues, it was worth the $218 but then you have to add up the extra's. $218 for the stereo, $70 for the PAC interface and the later $70 for a new bezel. $358, with that in mind, I would say NO! You can find far better on Ebay (maybe a used one but much more reliable and better quality).
The question is, do the inconvience of the issues above weigh heavier than the price. It became too much of a pain in the butt for me.
I hope this helps anyone thinking about getting one of these for their JK. I have decided to restore everything back to original and then got a garmin with bluetooth so I can have NAV and hands free for only $100.
1. You get what you pay for. Although i've enjoyed this stereo and its worth just what I paid for it.
- I started having issue with audio about 2-3 months after install. When starting my Jeep the stereo would have no audio at all, I would have to turn off the stereo completely and then turn it back on for it to start playing.
- Navigation worked great but seemed like it would take forever to grab the satellites.
- The clock would only read 3:55 and everytime you change it, it just changed back to 3:55. One time I got it to change but the next day it said 3:88, HUH? I must have accidently hit the worm hole button or something.
- The stereo involves 2 operating systems. One for the GPS side and the other for the radio side (Radio, MP3, DVD, etc.). Each OS used a different SD card and the side for the radio was very sloppy. Navigating was a pure pain in the butt.
2. Because I had to modify the bezel a little, restoring back to original involved complete replacement of the bezel and that increased cost. I could have installed it positioned farther out of the dash and then would not had to modify the bezel, that would have made for a cleaner install.
3. Besides those issues, it was worth the $218 but then you have to add up the extra's. $218 for the stereo, $70 for the PAC interface and the later $70 for a new bezel. $358, with that in mind, I would say NO! You can find far better on Ebay (maybe a used one but much more reliable and better quality).
The question is, do the inconvience of the issues above weigh heavier than the price. It became too much of a pain in the butt for me.
I hope this helps anyone thinking about getting one of these for their JK. I have decided to restore everything back to original and then got a garmin with bluetooth so I can have NAV and hands free for only $100.
Last edited by SpudNuts; 10-15-2011 at 03:32 AM.
