The Student Room Group
Reply 1
The fitting was free for me when I bought mine from Halfords.

When I came to putting the old one back in my dad did it and it looked pretty straight forward.
Reply 2
If it is a fairly modern car it will have ISO connectors which are a standard connector for all radios unless it is a Ford in which case you have to get a special convertor from Halfords...or make your own.

Basically, you pull the old radio out by undoing all the screws and then unplug the ISO and aerial , plug the ISO and aerial into the new radio, slot it in and screw it all up. Unfortuantely different cars have different ways of getting the radio out, best of asking Halfrauds as they will probs be able to advise you the best!

Graham
Reply 3
aaaaaah, but guys how much?
Reply 4
Most radios need keys of some kind to get them out-you insert them into the front of the radio until they lock then pull the radio out with them. You should be able to get the keys for the car's radio from halfords or similar, or failing that, from a main stealer dealer for your car.
Reply 5
Halfords and Argos charge £39.99 on top of my head, most smaller indie places will charge around £10-£20.

Many indie places will also make their own ISO to Ford connector and the labour is often cheaper than buying the adaptor.

Edit Halford's will fit most the radios they sell for free apart from the cheapest.
What I usually say is that if you can take apart/build a computer then you can fit a car stereo. As long as you buy the right parts (removal keys, wiring adapter, etc.) then it's easy.

If you're not confident then go to Halfords and get one with free fitting as said above - cost probably around £100-150.
Reply 7
ive installed one or two over the years.
If you are going to do it, make suer you d/c the battery whilst you are farting around with the electrics and make propper automotive connections Do not waste time with block connectors are scotch blocks. Use spade connectors or pins and solder the joints propperly!
I recently bought a Sony CD player. I'm crap at fitting things like this but after removing the previous stereo I just followed the instructions provided. It was surprisingly straight forward.
dont u own an ipod (or equivalent)?? if so why dont you just use a fm or tape converter... much cheaper and easier too.
I paid £70 for a Sony Removable faceplate headunit - been in use everyday for a year - been in two cars.

1) Check to see if the cd player will fit straight into your dash

2) If it does carry on otherwise you have to purchase a dash panel with a DIN slot in it.

3) Check to see if your car has ISO connectors. Again if it does then your cd player will click straight on, otherwise you either purchase a connector lead, this links certain models of car (which have different wiring) to the cd player.

4) Once you have removed your old tape player from the dash, the metal cage that comes with the new one must be installed. Simply push it in as far as you can and bent the metal pins until it is ridgid in the dash.

5) Connect the leads to the back of the cd player - simple push connector

6) Slid the cd player backwards into the DIN

*IMPORTANT* - check to see if you need new leads first

*IMPORTANT* - make sure the cage is installed securely

I bought my cd player for £70 and my dads for £60 - installing these yourself is easy and costless.

Mike.
Reply 11
redbuthotter
dont u own an ipod (or equivalent)?? if so why dont you just use a fm or tape converter... much cheaper and easier too.


becasue its gash quality?
Reply 12
soilman
becasue its gash quality?


Yup. I used one for ages until I got one of the Alpine ones with the built in iPod connector thing - much better :smile:
Reply 13
my car came with a connector for i-pod from new :smile:
Reply 14
My next car does too (well, it was an option from new) but it's only a 3.5mm jack so no snazzy song selection from the headset :frown:
Reply 15
cheers so much for the tips. as for the ipod i'm one of those people that doesn't have one.
Melissa85
as for the ipod i'm one of those people that doesn't have one.

Me to... hi----five!!!
Reply 17
My dad fitted mine and it was a bloody nightmare, but thats BMW'S for you :rolleyes: I think I had to buy about 2 or 3 different connectors in the end for it, and they werent cheap. Just as well really that the cd player only cost me £60!!
It is much cheaper if you fabricate your own wiring rather than buying connectors.
Reply 19
Ive done a few in the past, as others have said, not difficult. Provided you can work a screwdriver.

JC, I've never disconned the battery for a stereo, nor bothered with solder, just some spade ends and gaffer tape, and its still going, 3 years down the line. Depends on how good a job you need I spose.