Traded my LR2 2008 6disc CD for a 2012 1disc CD. Didn't notice it during the trade as I thought 6 was standard. Attempted 3 on-line purchases touting 2012 compatibility but none work. Per dealers, replacements are plug & play and do not require codes and no 2012 LR2 6disc makes were found. My need for a 6 disc overrides the OEM cockpit look. Any suggested alternative brands will be appreciated or a method to make the touted 'compatible versions' work. Tx.

 

Why even trade it in the first place?

 

My '08 had 160k miles on it and the cumulative engine, transmission, and other sensor repair costs justified putting the funds in another. Anyone have success with an alternative radio-6disc CD brand that occupies the OEM slot or a method that allows the on-line touted 'compatible versions' to work? The vendors all have a 'let the buyer beware' disclaimer citing the units work with 2008 - 2012 models and the dealers don't show a 2012 only 6disc in stock. Thanks.

 

"and other sensor repair costs justified putting the funds in another."

What??? No, it did not. One of the cardinal rules with these trucks is that "If it works, don't mess with it." (not my choice of language, I am a former Marine.) I never make unrelated changes when I am fixing something, that's just an invitation for Murphy to screw something up.

Your car is about to become 16 years old and making bets on something being the right part is not a good idea. There is zero difference between a 2008 and 2012 audio control head, and the navi function is useless because the database was last updated in 2012 and will never be updated anymore unless some hacker with nothing better to do than waste money and time on a dead market figures out how to create an updated navi DVD using open source databases.

There are third party units out there, but full compatibility with the LR2 is a toss of the coin, requires a lot of work and a p*sspotful of wiring.

Your 2012 single CD control head may just require plugging the car into JLR SDD and configuring the audio system to work. Even that may be a tossup because it may require some sort of keycode to unlock it. Even my 1995 BMW motorcycle cassette radio is like that. Remember, these are theft-protected. Whomever told you they are freely interchangeable between vehicles in plug-and-play mode is wrong.

This all said, my recommendation for you is to try to get back your 2008 unit and put it back in. Another option is to go to car-parts.com and see if you can find a 6-cd unit from a salvage company.

 

Have you tried the place where you obtained the 2012? Is it the same place where you took the 2008? Sounds like they "mis-advertised" it?

 

Love, love, love the 6 CD storage in my LR2! It's one of the most under-reported yet supremely awesome and totally unique benefits. What other SUV offers storage for music? The LR2 - tiny as it is- has a few crazy ingenious perks. I have stored the CDs onboard, so now when I travel, I just hit play and there it is. When I use bluetooth (playlists from Amazon) it's not as fluid and can be broken up by ads and other annoying suggestions. I also can not move around (from CD to CD or playlist to playlist) as easily as I can with the CDs I've stored on the LR. It's not even close. It's terrific with my stored music vs. clumsy and potentially hazardous when I have to shuffle a bluetooth playlist or CD. Having driven around with it for 9 years, I conclude the onboard storage for music was M.I.T. PHd. NASA level ingenious - I give LR mega props for doing it. I hope to find the feature in ND, whenever I turn in my LR2.

 

I like it too, but for storing music nothing beats the iPod cradle that mounts on the dash and interfaces to the radio. I have my old 160gb iPod on it with endless music (most of which I don't like but my wife's music tastes are different than mine).