I recently purchased a used 2000 Camaro SS. I'm in the process of fixing a few minor issues with the car and thought I would seek some more experienced help. The owner of this Camaro before me replaced the stock in Dash CD head unit with a crappy aftermarket Kenwood. I've been scouring sites like eBay and searching junkyards to find a used/refurbished original head unit in good condition. The main reasons I want to replace the Kenwood unit are; The steering wheel controls don't work, the 12 disc CD changer in the trunk doesn't work and only 4 of the cars 6 speakers seem to be functioning. I've read a lot about theses cars having "monsoon" stereo systems but I have no idea if my car has that feature or not and whether that means I have to buy a certain head unit to take full advantage of all of the features. How do I tell if I have a "Monsoon" stereo system and where is a reliable place to get a good quality head unit? If you guys here could give me some insight into exactly what I'm dealing with I would greatly appreciate it.

 

check ur decal in the door and look for the rpo UZ7 thats the code for the monsoon stereo

 

If you have 6 speakers then you have the Monsoon system. Non-monsoon cars have 4 speakers. The HU might not be connected with the amp and is why only 4 speakers are playing. I would recommend not getting another Monsoon HU. They are nothing special really. Go to Crutchfield.com and ask them what you need to replace your aftermarket HU; they have great support. As far as I know, they also have a kit for you to be able to use your steering wheel controls with aftermarket head units.

 

I contacted a sales rep at Crutchfield and he said they do not carry any Head units that would be compatible with my 12 disc changer but they do sell the adapter for the steering wheel controls. So now I guess I'm looking for an original head unit to be able to use all of the features. I've read on various sites about having to "unlock" the original stereos and that a dealer usually charges around $100 to do it. That adds a lot of cost, time and uncertainty to buying a junkyard head unit. Anyone know of a reputable site that would sell refurbished unlocked original head units?

 

you can unlock them yourself. there is a phone number you can call to get the code for the unit. I had to do it on my old 97 camaro when i was doing a tune up and unhooked the battery. the locking system is the biggest pain because it locks if the battery is unhooked.

 

The stock HU doesnt have many features, if you want it for the sake of being original I can totally understand that, but you can pick up an aftermarket HU that will do MP3 cds and has an aux port, both of those will hold more than the cd changer. Also note that the stock size is 1.5 DIN, you can use a 1 DIN aftermarket unit, just need to buy the adapater for it,.

 

I have been looking for an OEM stereo also. Turns out, there are TONS out there.

The Factory OEM also fit Chevrolet Blazers, Jimmys, Malibus, S10s, S15s, Camaros and corvettes.

You can go to eBay and pick one up by doing a search for MONSOON STEREO or discountoemradios

I bought one from the junkyard for $25, but the CD didn't work. I traded it for a Firebird only to find the CD didn't work. I am kicking myself, because I think the first one just needed the lens to be cleaned.

Anyways, you can also go to Craiglist and do a search for Camaro under Auto Parts. Lots of people are selling the units. I found a guy who would sell me the Head unit with a cassette plus the 12 disc changer for $40.