Did you try putting the radio back in? I can't speak to Ford radios newer than '98 models, but I DO know the****** at General Motors started building the car's Body Computer into the radios to force you to have the radio repaired, at a very high cost, when they fail, rather than replace it with a better quality aftermarket radio. Without their radio installed, none of the other computers on the car work including the Engine Computer. I haven't heard that Ford copied that nonsense but it wouldn't surprise me because whatever GM comes up with to separate owners from their money after the sale, other manufacturers tend to follow a few years later.

Answered by caradiodoc (expert)
17,322 answers provided