'03 TJ stereo interchange

So, I have an '03 Wrangler X, lovingly referred to as a 'TJ' by Jeep people. The thing came with the low-end "RBB" sound package, which is just a tape deck and four-speaker sound. I got bored with that stereo, so I put in a Clarion DXZ545MP along with Infinity Reference 5002i speakers in the sound bar and 6402cfp speakers in the dash. It sounded nice and the Clarion allowed me to play stuff from mp3s burned on to CD.

Unfortunately, someone else decided they wanted that Clarion, and since my TJ has a soft top and half doors it was pretty easy for them to get that Clarion. After the Clarion was stolen I put the "RBB" tape deck back in.

I got tired of not being able to play CDs, so I started looking at OEM CD players that would fit in my Jeep since "stock" stereos don't get stolen very often. I like the looks of the later "RBK" stereos since they have no physical balance/fade/equalizer controls, but no one could tell me for certain whether the later RBK stereos would fit.

I decided to find out, so I picked up a later "RBK" CD player on eBay to try. It fit just fine and worked great, except the CD player part didn't play CDs. I'm still working with the seller on getting this situation resolved.

Since I wasn't sure what head units would fit, I'm guessing other people have also wondered if there was a better OEM head unit available for their Jeep. This page exists as a reference for people looking for OEM stereos that will fit with no wiring hacking in their later ('03-'06) TJs.

Most everything '02 and newer from Chrysler, except for certain vehicles, will physically interchange. They all use the newer-style twenty-two-pin plug and most have the extra ten-pin plug used for accessory input, CD changer control and steering wheel control.

Older stereos have the same shape and will physically bolt in. The antenna will connect just fine, but the older stereos use the older, eight-pin, dual-plug wiring instead of the single, twenty-two-pin wiring. Right now I'm not sure whether or not any of the older stereos also support connecting accessories or the like. You can make the older stereos work with a wiring adapter, but they are not a "direct" interchange and are not included in this page.

Vehicles that should have stereos that will work in the later TJs are:

There may be more years, and I'll update the list as appropriate.

Model number Sales code Digital or physical balance/fade/EQ controls CD (in-deck) Six-disc changer (in-deck) Tape External CD changer control Satellite radio support Steering wheel control support RDS* Rear audio support Notes
CD-only, digital balance/fade/EQ controls
P05091506AD RBK Digital Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown 1
P05091506AE RBK Digital Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown 1
P05091506AF RBK Digital Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown 1
P05091506AG RBK Digital Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown 1
PO5091507AE RBQ Digital Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown 2
CD-only, physical balance/fade/EQ controls
P05064354AJ RBK Physical Yes No No Yes Yes Unknown No Yes 3
P05064354AI RBK Physical Yes No No Yes Yes Unknown No Yes 3
PO5091512AA RBK Physical Yes No No Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Yes 3
P56038589AN RBK Physical Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown 3
P05091958AA RBK Physical Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown 3
P05091556AF RBK Physical Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown 3
P05091556AH RBK Physical Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown 3,4
P05060354AJ RBK Physical Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Unknown Unknown 3
P04858584AG Unknown Physical Yes No No Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 5
P56038589AL Unknown Physical Yes No No Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 5
P05064335A1 Unknown Physical Yes No No Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 5,6
P05091979AD RBQ Physical Yes Yes No Unknown Yes Unknown Yes Unknown 7
P05091979AF RBQ Physical Yes Yes No Unknown Yes Unknown Yes Unknown 7
CD/tape, physical balance/fade/EQ controls
P05064300AB Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 5
P05064300AB Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P05064042AB Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P05064042AC Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P05091606AC RAD/RAZ Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P05064300AC Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P05064300AD Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P05064125AD RBP Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P56038586AG Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 5
P05091888AA Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 5
P05091605AC Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P05091605AD Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 5
P56038555AJ Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P56038555AM Unknown Physical Yes No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Yes Unknown 5
P056038620 RBU Physical Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown Yes 5
CD/navigation units, digital balance/fade/EQ
P56038629AI RB1 Digital Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown 8
P56043286AF RB4 Digital Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Unknown 9
Cassette units, external CD changer controls, physical balance/fade/EQ
P56038588AM RBB Physical No No Yes Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown 10
P05064335AJ Unknown Physical No No Yes Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown  

Notes:

  1. Newer-style RBK unit ('05+); all-digital balance/fade/EQ.
  2. RBQ in '05, digital balance/fade/EQ, need more info on this one.
  3. Older-style RBK unit (late '02-'04), physical balance/fade/EQ, more info needed.
  4. Hollander # 638-01481C.
  5. Oddball; little or no information available about this one besides a pic and a part number.
  6. Questionable part number; more info needed.
  7. Believe this one has a six-disc changer, but not 100% certain.
  8. Manufactured by Alpine Electronics.
  9. Manufactured by Harmon International.
  10. The original stereo in my '03 TJ.
* - RDS == Radio Data Systems, a system for displaying information about the station and what's playing broadcast by the station.

The vast majority of this information comes from eBay auctions and web pages found through Google. I didn't make much of an attempt to infer anything about the radios due to similarity in part numbers, etc. Please send corrections/additions.

Page created 20061006 01:15 CST.
Page updated 20061108 16:13 CST.
Comments? Suggestions? Hate mail? Send them to hemi@puresimplicity.net.