2005 MP3 Facory Radio?

Has anyone have info on getting a 2005 facory radio programed to work in a 2003 vehicle?

I have a facory 2005 colorado mp3 stereo going in a 2003 silverado.

I think i have everyting figured out except, if the dealer will be able to program it being the radio is a 2005 and the computer is a 2003.

i took the truck to the dealer yesterday and and they tried to install software/program radio. Their computer locked up everytime they tried to reprogam the radio. So, they were not sure if the radio was bad or it they had computer problems, all i know it didn't stop them from charging me $45.

that sucks dude. never heard anything about that stuff before.

I am going to try anoter dealer Tuesday just to make sure i wasnt the dealer with problems.

Ok,,,, here is what i found out. I emailed Delphi (maker of GM radios) about installing 2005 radio in 2003 vehicle and here is what they said.

**** "You cannot change out these two radios. The internal software of the 2005 system is different and not compatible with your 2003 vehicle."***

I also called and talked to a technician and he basically told me the same thing.

He said when they try and download software to the radio the computer first asks for you vin number (in my case would come up 2003) and then it gives you a list of avalilable downloads for radios available. (2003 radios). Thus, the 2005 MP3 radio isnt listed and no download is available.

And if you try and download 2005 MP3 software and try and put in the vin it would give you an error because the vin would indicate a 2003.

He said you can try and download the software but it would get about 80% complete and then would lock up.

That is exactly what the dealer i went to was having problems with.

The technician said that if they made a download available to put a 2005 radio in a 2003 it would also make it able to put a 2003 radio in a 2005 which they(GM) dont want. They want you to have to spent $900 on a 2005 radio instead of $100 on ebay.

So i am going to try one more time at another dealer, they said they would not charge me if it didnt work.

I'll cross my figers and hope it might work anyway.

I stopped at the dealer yesterday, and after they said they would do it for $45 and only charge me if it worked, then they said it would be $90 and they had to charge something and wouldn't Guarantee any results. I decided not to waist my money and left.

SO, I had gotten an email reply back from Delphi (GM's radio manufacture,) They game me a phone number to Delphi's Tech Support.

It ended up being a dealer help like but the helped me anyway.

The Tech. told me that when a new GM radio is installed in the vehicle, it is basically blank, and needs programming. Once programmed to that vehicle, that is the ONLY vehicle that the radio will work in.

The Tech. said that even the dealers were having problems swapping same year radios ( for customers want upgraded systems when buying new vehicle). The dealers couldn't get the same year radios to work in other same year vehicles even after trying to program them.

It looks like if you have a radio in a 2003 or newer vehicle and want to upgrade to another factory radio, Make sure you talk to your dealer (a dealer that knows what they are talking about) and make sure what you have planned is possible or you will end up with a $100 radio that is useless like me.Even better, contact Delphi.com, I got 10 time more help from them, than from the 4 dealers I talked to.

Here is the final out come of my 2005 mp3 to 2003 silverado experence.

The dealer tried to install the radio but the programing would not take.

So, they left the mp3 radio in the truck. When i switch it back to the factory radio it didn't work right.

The volume would only go up half as loud as usuall. I took it back to the dealer and they had not returned the setting back like the where.

After the reprogramed it back to the factory radio it works as it should.

Final Outcome:

The new GM radio are so intertwined into the computer that it wasn't possible to get the mp3 to work.

I might go with an aftermarket stereo but again the door chime, headlight chime, ect are played through the radio. With the aftermarket radio you lose all of that.

I gave up and decided to install a cd changer or mp3 player using a rf modulator.