I have a 2007 Saturn Ion and my daughter broke the aux input on the radio. Tried fixing it and re-soldered but channel output is all wrong. So I decided to get another one on E-bay. I got the correct model, (15878975), but the seller said:

"FACTORY STEREO WILL NEED TO BE PROGRAMMED ONCE INSTALLED".

What do I need to do? Can I do this myself?

 

Well, the stereos in some newer GM products need programmed with a Tech2 scanner to function again... This is something that would need done by a GM dealer, unless you know someone with a Tech2 scanner... Just curious, why didn't you simply go with an aftermarket radio? You could have kept your AUX input, and gained so much more...

 

Hey thanks for the reply! Wow....something so simple as plug and play has become proprietary.

Now I feel like a schmuck spending $70.00 buying a factory radio from a used car parts vendor. I could imagine what a dealer would charge just to plug it into diagnostic tool which is probably already outdated.

The reason why I didn't go with an aftermarket radio is because I'm one of the very few that feels that the factory radio not only looks nice but sounds good enough. I've got a collection of after-market radios with all kinds of bells and whistles but the factory radio just looks like it belongs, (I like keeping things as original as possible). Thanks for your help.

Once I get the replacement radio I'll just have to see if I can swap out the internal aux circuit board since it's attached to a ribbon cable.

 

smart man

 

There ya go... An easy solution... Most dealers only charge an hour of labor to hook up a Tech2 for something like that, but that's still $80-100, these days...


I can respect the notion that the factory radio works well enough though, and they do match the rest of the interior as far as ***** and buttons go...

 

I am an absolute nut when it comes to the original look. I totally loved this car when I bought it from the Saturn dealer. I have been the only owner. When Saturn left us, I was saddened because I thought that this was the way to sell a car and that this car was certainly unique in car history.

I think that this car will become a novelty in the future. A few years later I bought a Cobalt because it was basically the same engine and chassis. But the Cobalt is no way near as good. Now the Cobalt is gone too, (GM is all over the map). But I'm not really as fond of the Cobalt as I am with the Saturn.

 

The radios are also year specific. I'm sure GM could reprogram a different year, but as far as I know you have to go by year.

 

Correct....year specific. The GM Tech2 should be able to handle VIN reprogramming if the radio is of that type and is within the year span. In the words of a famous line in a movie, "Life will find a way"....

 

Well I just couldn't bring myself to hand over the keys to a GM Tech at least not until I've tried everything in my bag of tricks. Plan "B" was to remove the little circuit board with the AUX input from one radio and plug it into the other via it's ribbon cable.

Unfortunately, it was not a plug type ribbon cable meaning it would still need to be de-soldered and then re-soldered which would be risky at a loss of $70.00 if I failed.

But I figured out another work-around. I guessed that the protection would probably be in the case and not the dash pod. So I just swapped it out from one radio to the other and bingo! No lock-out!!!

The radio works as good as new!!

 

havent used my aux in at all yet. But I tried it today and it didnt work. It was like it was playing the sound of the engine. Just noise that changed in pitch as i reved up the gas. Glad you got it working.