Removing A Stereo Head Unit

[sprite]

Helloo...

Wondering if anyone can help a poor novice like myself. I had a little peek, but I don't want to prod anything too hard for fear of breaking stuff.

At the moment I've got a Citroen AX with a Kenwood 4031 mp3/cd player fitted and I want to take it out. I'm looking at a Yaris on Thursday and if I like driving it, I'm bound to get it, and taking my Citroen along as part exchange so looking for a valuation on it. So I want to take my stereo out and put the original unit back in - loosely, just in case I decide to put my Kenwood back in and not get the Yaris.

Anyway, I don't want to poke things in the wrong places (ooh-err) so does anyone know the best way to go about getting the Kenwood out? It's in a standard sort of hole on the dash so I'm guessing it won't be too tough just so long as I know where the prongs I need to fiddle with are (this sounds so dodgy).

Guessing I need to use a flat knife or some such (maybe there's a tool in the box) - but are there thingies at the side or on top and which way do I need to push them?

Sorry for asking such an annoying question. I hope to enlist the aid of my brother tomorrow. :)

[alanbradley]

I don't suppose you have a digital camera do you?

A quick piccy posted up (you can host it with a free account at www.photobucket.com amongst others) will help us point to bits and know what the install looks like...

A

[JAHill]

Could be that you need a special tool to remove it. A lot of headunits need little prongy tools to get them out. If the headunit was put in by yourself, have a quick scrounge in the stero box it came in. If not, there are plenty of online audio shops that can help you out. Drop 'em an email with your headunit make/model and they should be able to advise you. Don't go poking around with a knife as you might shiv something you need! ;)

On my Sony unit, firstly you have take off the beveled surround and then you can get to the holes for the prongy tools. Looking at an image of a Kenny 4031 now, it looks like there is a surround. Gently try to ease it off. My sony has like little clips on the top and bottom and I'm presuming this is common.

Hope that's of some help. And get in that Yaris... :)

Cheers,

Jim

[sprite]

I got the surround bit off!! :D Behind that I see how it's sort of in place with silver sticky outty bits but can't see down the sides. I'll take a digital camera pic tomorrow when me and my brother have a look.

I did buy it myself, but didn't fit it... fitting came free you see!

I don't want to have to pay to do this incase I decide not to go for the car you see.. I'd be quite happy to pay to get it fitted in there (it looks a bit scary)

It might be worth giving them a ring actually, as I'm sure they'd understand, if I promised to come back to them with the Yaris lol!

I've taken all the junk out of my car so that's a start, tomorrow my brother will be around so I'm hoping he can help as he helped to fit one of these in his friends car (have also emailed said friend)

[JAHill]

Nice one! Well, I got the Kenwood Audio site up but I can't find the manual. The closest I can find is

http://kenwood.nl.nt.ims.hr/languages/EN/s...2092%20(EN).pdf which might give you an idea of the task ahead! ;)

The one thing you can guarantee about manufacturers support sites is that they will have every blinkin manual apart from the one you want! :) If you need the tools, then they only cost about a fiver from an online merchant.

Cheers,

Jim

[sprite]

Oh:( It looks like there's a screw at the back which means I must have to get under the dash or something.. waaah it only took Halfords man (well, Halfords man number 2, Halfords man number one took two hours and got nowhere) ten minutes it can't be that much surely.. hrm.

I'll see what happens if I do what it says at the sides there... won't pull too hard obviously!

[selfbuild]

You should have a pair of removal tools that came with the head unit (look like 2 flat bits of metal that have been shaped). These go down both sides of the head unit until the middle part disappears out of sight. You then lift or push down on them slightly and pull at the same time. It maybe tight but it will come.... oh, and don't forget the cage aswell once the head unit is out....

[sprite]

Yup I do indeed have the little tools, feeling foolish.

(Typical female eh... but this is how we learn ;))

So it should be quite easy then! Fingers crossed!

[JAHill]

Should be... Just watch yourself when you remove the cage. There always sharp as knives and I've cut myself a couple of times when I've removed a cage from a dash. But then, I'm a clumsy sod so...

Cheers,

Jim