Stock Head Unit Removal Tools (non-Kenwood)

[Sir Nuke]

Hey Guys and Gals.....I am here to tell you its not the easiest thing to do.....BUT...not the hardest either....

AND its NOT necessary to spend any money on special tools you MAY only use once, even if they are only $5...that is $5 I can spend on something else...

NOW....I have heard guys talk about just using a coat hanger (which I did) and making the TWO pieces and go for it....BUT I descovered ANOTHER tool that makes this whole process even easier.....an extra set of hands (another person) would also help...but I did do this alone.

You will see at the bottom of this post a picture of the home made tools with their deminsions.

the first thing you do is remove the little side panels on the sides of the units fact to expose the holes which the tools fit into....you will see that there are THREE holes on each side....the top and bottom holes which are round...and the ones between them which are oval or oblong.

Insert the two "U" shaped tools, one on each side, into the ROUND holes and push then in till you can feel that they have gone under the clips which hold the unit in.....THEN

take the LARGE tool and insert each end into the oblong holes, one on each side......install it so that its INSIDE the other U shaped tools....

NOW, while pushing/pulling the U shaped tools to the side (this FULLY disengages the clips), pull out on the LARGE tool to remove the unit.

the whole thing is in there pretty snug....it took a bit of fiddling for me to do this alone...but with a second set of hands so one of you can operate one tool while the other pulls the unit out....would greatly ease in the removal.

hope this helps some of you out.

 

[vetteguy]

Anyone got some pictures of removing the little side panels that cover the holes to use the removal tools on? Any suggestions on how to remove these side panels, and what to use so I don't damage anything would be appreciated.

 

[1sty]

very thin screw driver with some electical tape over the tip incase you slip.

 

[vetteguy]

Suggestions on where to start prying?

 

[Sir Nuke]

here is a picture of the head unit with the little pieces removed....

what I did to remove them was very simple....I took a paperclip and straightened it out...then bent l little hook on the end....that way you can stick it down the edge of the piece to be removed and get the hooked part behind it...then gently pull out....I moved around to a few places and eased it off....

both pieces are only held on with a few little pegs that stick into the head unit so you don't need to pull very hard.

 

[aydu]

I used the small screwdriver that came with the repair kit I had laying around for fixing glasses. It had a really slim blade and good length handle.

If you have one of those sets Radio Shack sells for working on computers, these would work well too. Slim and narrow head is the key.

Tape over the edge is a good idea to prevent scratches in case you slip.

I inserted the screwdriver at the top of the trim piece and gently pushed the trim piece outward, towards the front seats of the car. Once you get it started, you can just slip your finger nail over the top and remove it. Just two plastic bumps on the trim hold it to the factory radio.

To reinstall, just align with the radio and push back in.

 

[cwwilly]

An Easy Way...

I had a tough time using the home-made removal tools. Instead I used allen wrenches, which I inserted into the four holes. I also ran into trouble releasing the right side, so I quickly removed the glove box, reached up to the stereo, and then pushed the brackets, releasing the head unit.

To remove the glove box follow these steps from ZapWizard:
http://www.msprotege.com/vbb300/showthread.php?t=55382

Hope this helps someone out there.

cwwilly

 

[1sty]

2 sets of ford radio removal tools are all you will need.

 

[cwwilly]

2 sets of ford radio removal tools are all you will need.

True... I priced them out and they were like $7 a set. You'll need two sets for the 6 CD Changer Head Unit... so that's a total of $14 that I saved.

 

[1sty]

True... I priced them out and they were like $7 a set. You'll need two sets for the 6 CD Changer Head Unit... so that's a total of $14 that I saved.

Actualy all 3rd gen protege headunits, except the MSP and MP3 units ofcoarse, require 2 sets of ford keys. However to me the hour or so saved is well worth it. With them the unit comes out in under 10 seconds. Plus they are a very valuable tool to have. Another good one is the metra VW/Audi 3 way keys.

 

[Stormtrooper]

I am having problems removing HU

I am having problems removing HU,the right side does not want to come out

 

[Stormtrooper77]

You couldn't have chosen a different screen name? J/k A little confusion won't hurt.

But anyway, make sure that it's completely unlatched or not caught on anything.

 

[Protege52003]

take out your glove comp and you can get a little more access to the radio if having trouble with the left side.........

 

[Stormtrooper]

I removed the glove box and can see the metal release bracket,does that bracket itself come out??or does it remain behind the dash??Is a metal sleeve left in the car once the radio slides out??Im ready to take a hammer to it...lol

 

[1sty]

The brackets are attached to the radio and the dahs itself locks it in.
I would highly suggest going and buying a set of the proper ford radio removal tools.

 

[Missile_Man]

Ok, ive gotten my head unit out, I have all the right pocket kits, Ive soldered up my wiring harness and have checked to see that all power and connections are good. But can somebody throw up a link here to somewhere that has something like pis of putting the retention brackets back on a new aftermarket deck.

I try the search feature, but it just comes up 400 crap entrys.

 

[kingvitamin]

Might have something to do with the fact that this thread was started 3+ years ago!!! Kidding (kinda). There should be some tabs that fold down, and secure the cage to the dash.

 

[Bodrey]

Is that all there is to it?

Hi, Folks:

New to Mazda forums. My stock HU just died (I think). Well, the radio still works, but I put a new CD in it the other day and it wouldn't play. It also will no longer eject the CD! Anyway, I'm not sure how many holes are in the stock HU (I have a '01 Protege sedan). My question is... once I get the HU free of the retaining clips (wishful thinking) is that all there is to getting it out? Also, how easy is it to install an aftermarket stereo yourself with an installation kit and what kit do you recommend? I'm not even sure where to begin looking for one (btw, I'm in Canada).

Thanks in advance...

 

[chuyler1]

Getting the stock unit out is probably the toughest part of installing an aftermarket head unit. It's not that it is hard...it just is awkward the first time you do it and I can't describe in words why that is.

 

[Bodrey]

Sir Nuke's posting worked for me!

I made the removal tools from a wire coat hanger as per Sir Nuke's posting above and it worked! Well, actually the right "U" removal tool found their marks right away but not the left one. I wasn't able to get the tool to find the stop points on the retaining clips. I ended up using a small flat head screwdriver for the top hole and had to fashion a stand-alone removal tool from the neck of the hanger for the bottom hole. I was able to release the retaining clips on the right side by themselves. I then had to work on the left side. It was harder obviously having to pry two separate retaining clips with only one hand at the same time (I was pulling the deck straight out with the 7" pull tool with the other hand simultaneously) but I managed it! After that getting it out was easy.

For those of you who plan to make the tools please note! The measurements need to be DEAD-ON! I made the 7" bend about 1/4" longer than it should have been and this got in the way of using the two "U" tools. I ended up having to rebend it to 7". Also, the holes for the "U" removal tools are EXACTLY 3" apart so don't deviate from Sir Nuke's measurements at all. The "U" removal tools only need to be inserted about 1-1/4" before they hit the stop on the retaining clips. If the end of the tool goes in any further than that you've missed the mark. Good luck!