head unit 2005 g35 coupe
 

as stated i have a 2005 g35 coupe, and recently my cd player is starting to crap out, at times it would play and after while it would start cycling thru the disks, tried using a cd player cleaner disk thing, and worked a bit better but eventually problem came back, then i moved on and used two different fm transmitter with an ipod, and it just doesnt work well, too much static.

so now i want to look into a more permanent solution and maybe replacing the head unit. im not really knowledgable in in car entertainment but i believe i need a double din?

im not really looking for top notch sound quality, just one that would work and if i were to get a new headunit if needed, i'd like to spend under 500 with installation if thats even realistic.

or even if theres any "add-on's" to be able to plug my ipod or use it would be great.


any suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks a lot!

This problem is extremely common and has been covered extensively on the g35 forums. There are resources on there for everything related to this issue.
Good luck keeping it under 500 unless you install yourself and use a single din. The trim and climate control pieces alone(which you will need) are about $400 new alone, and a midrange double din will run another $400. This isn't even including the steering wheel control adapter, interface, antenna adapter, etc.

This thread covers the parts you will need:

Wrathernaut's Double-Din Installation FAQ, Shopping and Resource List - G35Driver

are there any products that are sort of "plug and play" with the stock bose unit that will allow me to use my ipod?

The 05 is the one year where the G35 didnt come with a tape deck or aux-in, so no. There really is no cheap solution. And the stock Bose head unit is a time bomb. Not only will the CD player stop working, soon the rest of the radio will malfunction as well, and because it is based on the same control board as the climate controls, your HVAC will fail as well.

You have 2 options:

a) replace the broken bose with another bose. the new one will fail as well, any bose head unit is living on borrowed time. the hvac will fail along with it, and you'll have to spend more $ to replace everything again.

b) spend about 1k and put in an aftermarket double din and JDM/Metra trim and climate control board. this will permanently fix the problem.

edit: wow, 2000th post..

Looks like there's something here:

Pac-Audio.com Product Search | iPod Integration for your car and More by Pac-Audio - Connecting you to the future
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I'll tell you right now that whatever you do that doesn't involve replacing the stock HU and climate controls is nothing more than a band aid fix.

That's true, but sometimes people would rather squeeze out a little more life out of their system if it's much cheaper then going with a full replacement.

Just trying to help the members.
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I'm pretty sure the cheapest solution , is to get the most out of the life of the system and plug in a aux through the back of the unit.

I agree with kwy.
Yes, inexpensive solutions work but like he said, its just a matter of time before your HVAC controls fail (which happens more often than not) or the amp will pack it in (which is also very common!). Best bet is to get a double din unit like a Pioneer AVH-P2500 for about $400, get the Metra double din kit and have it all professionally installed. You will get Bluetooth handsfree, Bluetooth Audio, USB, AUX input and the ability to charge and control an Ipod or Iphone. Steering wheel control is also do-able but if you are on a budget, you can always add it later.

Having worked on dozens and dozens of these cars and 350Z's as well (which I own), I have pretty much seen it all. If you like your car like I like my car, it may be worth it to buck up a bit and at least enjoy your sound system instead of fiddling with fm modulators and Band-Aid solutions. Also, the car isn't worth much with a broken radio if you ever want to sell it.