My girlfriend has a 2000 Eclipse with the factory stereo, without the CD-changer. I’ve thought she would enjoy getting a CD changer for it and wanted to take advantage of the CD-changer controls that are on the face of the stereo. Talking to the local dealership, I learned that between the changer (6-disc, no frills: $450.00), a connector cable (50.00) and labor (???.??) I’d be looking at over $600.00. Seems a bit pricey to me.
I’ve heard, via another message board, that the factory changer is a Pioneer. My question is this: Does anyone know if I can buy a Pioneer CD-changer and the $50 cable from the dealership and expect them to work with her existing setup ? That is, is there anything unique about the changers that the factory uses that would mandate using only those changers with the factory stereo (I know I could get an FM modulated changer or a whole new stereo/changer setup, but she really likes the factory setup and I’d like to use it to control a changer, if possible) ?
Don’t know for sure the answer to the question you’re asking; Pioneer could possibly produce a changer to Mitsubishi’s spec, so that an off-the-shelf Pioneer changer isn’t compatible, but I don’t know.
But I’ll bet you could replace the entire stereo system (installed) at Best Buy for much less than the dealer wants to add a changer.
That’s what I was thinking, CookingWithGas, if it comes down to that. I’ve priced what BB has and I can get a nicer stereo with a CD changer for a lot less than Mitsubishi wants for just the changer. The thing is, though, that in the factory setup, the display is roughly a foot away from the stereo itself (in an LCD further up the dash) and I haven’t seen any aftermarket stereos set up like this, so my first choice is to keep the factory stereo, if possible (it’s a standard single-din sized unit, so I know there are plenty of replacements out there, but neither she nor I like the idea of the display on the dash just being dead; an rf-modulated changer is another choice, but I’d really like to be able to use the controls that are on her existing stereo, rather than another controller).