HELP ME PLEASE!!!! P5 stock HU trouble.

[ssd_pr5]

It just won't come off. I read the sticky. Put the "wire" through the 4 holes...tried pulling it out with the middle holes. Didn't work. Took my Glove compartment out and tried to get better leverage. Didn't work. Popped out the middle cover where the Minidisc player should be..stuck my arm inside and grabbed the HU from the back and tried pulling it out. It's stuck. :wtf: I know it has to do with the "locks" on the sides that are supposed to be "unlocked" when the wire is put in. But I feel like I have all 4 in the right spot. I even think that both on the left side are no longer on and all i have to do is reapply the "u-shaped wire" into a better spot. But I've tried it over and over and nothing is working.

Can anyone help me?! THanks guys.

-Nolan

 

[reeves_toy]

if you look down the side between the face of the head unit and the dash you should be able to see the clips that hold the hu in. you should be able to use a screw driver ( gently ) and compress the clips. thats what i ended up having to do my removal tools wouldn't work

 

[ELEmental59437]

Its tricky the first few times, once the metal clips get bent in and out a few times it gets easier. I used a screwdriver a few times too, it helps to have a nice small one laying around.

 

[crashed]

I tried the coat hanger method w/o success so I bought 2 sets of radio removal tool. Had the entire HU out about an inch in seconds but realized I forgot to tape the surrounding area. Tried pushing the HU back in but the left side will not go in completely even with the aid of the tools. Now I can neither completely reinstall nor completely remove the HU. The problem is the tools can no longer move the clips on the right side of the HU because the HU is now sitting slightly to the left.

After 30 mins of struggling & straining my lower back I'm going to get a flat tool bar & pry the right side out tomorrow. Anyone has any idea on getting it completely in and completely out?

 

[ssd_pr5]

I finally got it out after a couple hours. It wasn't easy but I did it. Now there's a new problem. IN the middle of the installation, all my dome lights went out. After checking the rest of the car, I found that the HU and key remote-lock/unlock/panic button isn't working. I don't think I disconnected or messed with any wires but there were a few I was close to. It's late and I'm tired..it's been a long day.

Tomorrow I'll be checking up on all the wiring that I might've touched. But if anyone else has had this problem or knows how to go about fixing it..please feel free to chime in. Thanks a bunch.


-Nolan

 

[aydu]

I have an 02 ES sedan. In my car the dome lights and the radio are controlled by the same fuse. You probably just blew it.

It is always a good idea to remove the negative battery cable when doing any work on your sound system or any electrical work in general.

I had read about all the horror stories about getting the factory unit out of the dash on our cars. I used the 2 sets of Ford radio removal tools and had it out in less than a minute. Well worth the cost.

There are actually 3 holes on each side of the radio. Using the Ford tools, the top part of one tool uses the same hole as the bottom of the other. If you put the wires through the "4" holes, you probably were leaving one clip on each side still engaged.

Now that the radio is out you'll be able to straighten any pins and see their location. Getting the radio back in just requires it clearing any wires behind it, and making sure that the rubber plug in the back of the unit aligns with the hole in the bracket in the dash opening. You will hear it click in when it is in the right place.

The fuse is down by the drivers left foot. I believe the fuse panel shows which one it is. They are available anywhere that has automotive stuff.

 

[1sty]

How the hell did you blow the radios fuse taking out the radio?
Tell me you didn't cut the harness!

 

[aydu]

If you touch the bare connector in the rear of the factory head unit - where the mini disc plugs in - you can blow a fuse. I'd guess he might have come in contact with this connector somehow trying to get the radio out using various tools.

 

[ssd_pr5]

fixed it!

Thanks to this forum..the search button and a member who's only 2 posts were regarding this very problem.

http://msprotege.com/vbb230/showthread.php?threadid=23055&highlight=headunit

Thanks danbc and everyone else.

I had checked the Radio fuse and it was fine. I was baffled for a couple hours and decided to search the forum for ANY thread even mentioning "headunit". His thread came up and the rest is history. It's weird how this "room" fuse controls power to the radio, the dome lights, and the keyless but since I switched the fuse from the defroster everythings up and working again.

Hope this helps in the future..I still don't know how the fuse blew but now I know how to fix it.

 

[Reitrof]

In the shop manual you are supposed to disconnect the battery before removing the radio. This is probably why.

 

[1sty]

The shop manual don't know s***!

 

[Rider69]

I suggest that to everyone who has trouble removing the radio, take the car to your local Mazda service center and have them remove it for you. They will probably do right there in the service bay and probably not charge you one cent. That way it is out without problem.

 

[crashed]

I might be beating this subject to death by this additional post but I just removed my OEM HU, installed the cassette unit into the HU and reinstalled the HU. This entire task took less than 30 mins. Here's how it works:

1. Disconnect neg ground wire from battery.
2. Tape console area surrounding HU with masking tape.
3. Insert the 2 sets of Ford radio (it's worth the money) removal tools into the 3 holes on each side of the HU.
4. Push out on all 4 of the tools simultaneously while pulling the HU out. Stop when the HU is about 2 inches out.
5. Remove the 4 tools from HU and then pull the HU completely out.
6. Disconnect the the antenna and the electrical connector.
7. Do whatever you need to do and then reinstall the HU in reverse order.

The trick to getting the HU back in properly is to push on both sides so the HU will go in evenly on both sides. If one side snaps in before the other you'll have to pry it back out with a flat tool before you can reinstall the HU.

 

[gizzard]

Back from the dead!

Can anyone tell me which tool it is? There are two different parts on the website, but the product image is identical:

Part 1

Part 2

Since I plan on replacing my OEM CD player w/ an OEM CD changer, are there any additional tools that are necessary?

Thanks.