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Thread ID: 111874	2010-08-15 06:38:00	Installing car stereos	Nomad (952)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1127901	2010-08-15 06:38:00	Hi, we may upgrade it b/c it a MiniDisc, while we do have a MD at home the recorder head has failed but still reads . So, we buy it, bring it home . How do we take the old one out? Total newbie here . Dismantle the sides? The wires, are they standardised? Like plug and play? Cheers . . .	Nomad (952)
1127902	2010-08-15 06:45:00	If you have never done it before and are not that way inclined, get a pro. to do it for you. I think Super Cheap might install it for you. :)	Trev (427)
1127903	2010-08-15 07:41:00	We talkin' about taking an old uint out of the dash and putting a new one in? There are special release tools to take the old one out - if you don't use them you can mess up the locks or the cutout that the new one will need to be secure in the dash . As far as the wires - they are also pretty modular by now on most autos and trucks - but there are exceptions to that rule fer sure! If you've never done it b4, then I suggest that you get the teenaged kid down the street to help or enlist the aid of a stereo thief who just got paroled . They will know! Did you get the correct 'form-factor' with the new unit too? There are special plates/adapters to make the installation clean and neat . They go on a head model-by-model application chart and YEAR/MAKE/MODEL of vehicle .	SurferJoe46 (51)
1127904	2010-08-15 07:53:00	We talkin' about taking an old uint out of the dash and putting a new one in? There are special release tools to take the old one out - if you don't use them you can mess up the locks or the cutout that the new one will need to be secure in the dash . As far as the wires - they are also pretty modular by now on most autos and trucks - but there are exceptions to that rule fer sure! If you've never done it b4, then I suggest that you get the teenaged kid down the street to help or enlist the aid of a stereo thief who just got paroled . They will know! Did you get the correct 'form-factor' with the new unit too? There are special plates/adapters to make the installation clean and neat . They go on a head model-by-model application chart and YEAR/MAKE/MODEL of vehicle . Maybe American stuff is standard, most JDM stuff is not . You will find wire colours vary from car to car (even if they are the same make in some cases) Most Jap stuff I've seen is bolted in rather than using the tool style install . If its an aftermarket MD player you might get lucky with the wiring if you buy one the same brand . If its factory then you can get adapter looms from repco etc, ie you buy Toyota to iso then iso to Pioneer or what ever . Its really not a hard job .	Alex B (15479)
1127905	2010-08-15 07:56:00	It's their Volkswagan. It's the original VW MD player deck, dunno the specifics. I will go to the shop and ask the dude, great if they can do it for me. They may want to get rear parking sensors if they can also fit it. LOL. Doesn't seem too hard from the vids I looked at.	Nomad (952)
1127906	2010-08-15 08:14:00	Right so its a euro, it will probably use keys as SJ said then. Go buy a loom adaptor, should be very easy.	Alex B (15479)
1127907	2010-08-15 08:33:00	I've almost finished the audio install in my car and that's been a big job so if your new to it be very careful. If your lucky you should be able to unscrew everything and pull the old one out. It will either be screwed in or sitting in a bracket which will release when you shove a thin bit of metal in the groove down the sides. The new head unit will probaly have a bracket thing with it which you might not need but if you do you just have to slide it in the gap and bend the tabs out so it sits in there firmly. To make things easier buy an adapter loom (they come in heaps of different types but you'll want VW + whatever brand the new head deck is) and plug it all in then put it back together. Does the car having any controls for the stereo on the steering wheel? If it does there is a good chance they won't be compatible with the new head unit so worth checking that before buying. Remember to take the battery off when messing with wiring, otherwise you'll likely be taking a trip to supercheap for a bunch of fuses. There is nothing hard about it, just take your time and make sure you keep track of screws and where they go. I'm sorta lucky driving a holden cos they keep things simple but in a VW it could get messy very easily so label everything!	hueybot3000 (3646)
1127908	2010-08-15 09:31:00	it doesn't appear as easy as some other cars, b/c there is no faceplate bracket around it. other than the dashboard wall on the sides. the stereo deck is just sandwiched between the aircon and the empty shelf. but it jsut a std deck from the looks of it. the design etc .. is not too integrated with the other buttons. no, no stereo controls on the steering wheel.	Nomad (952)
1127909	2010-08-15 10:39:00	Post a pic here, might shed a bit more light on the matter. As for the wiring, it's not too hard. Manufacturers have their own specs, so do most branded radios (sony, panasonic, etc, cheaper ones might follow the ISO spec if you're lucky). So, you need a VW to either an ISO or to whatever brand you have. You can also go VW-ISO-brand. Round-about, I know. Or, you can do what normally happens, and just read the pin-out for the radio, and (with a multimeter and small battery) deduce the wiring for the car-side, and cut out the sockets and wire directly. You only need the battery to figure out speaker wires. Use the multimeter first, though.	ubergeek85 (131)
1127910	2010-08-16 05:37:00	Maybe American stuff is standard, most JDM stuff is not . You will find wire colours vary from car to car (even if they are the same make in some cases) Most Jap stuff I've seen is bolted in rather than using the tool style install . If its an aftermarket MD player you might get lucky with the wiring if you buy one the same brand . If its factory then you can get adapter looms from repco etc, ie you buy Toyota to iso then iso to Pioneer or what ever . Its really not a hard job . Even my Japanese 1989 Isuzu Amigo is ISO and standardized - and it was originally sold in Guam . I put a new Sony MP3/DVD/USB player in it and it was all plug-n-play stuff .	SurferJoe46 (51)
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