DIY car radio replacement. A quick guide to changing your own car radio or stereo head unit.

Doing it yourself: Replacing your radio

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08/18/2014 07:11 AM
The escalating "arms war" in car "safety".
There's an interesting (and faulty) assumption that too many drivers make today : that you need a big car to be safe. In the US especially, super-sized SUVs are regarded as being super-safe because of their size. The problem is that when manufacturer A builds a slightly bigger one, then manufacturer B has to follow suit and then the car buyers see the bigger vehicle and assume that it must be safer. Never mind gas-mileage. Never mind practicality and usability, forward or rear visibility. Never mind that an increasing number of people are so dwarfed by their vehicles that they can't safely operate them. No - size is king, and when it comes to mothers with kids on the school run, absolute size rules at the expense of actual safety, common sense and logic.
This is going to come across as sexist, but it's a simple matter of geometry. Women, generally speaking, are smaller than men. When a decent-sized man can't get in or out of their SUV without adding steps and handles, and has to push the steering wheel down and the seat forwards just to be able to operate it, explain to me how a shorter woman who can barely see over the steering wheel is going to be able to safely operate the car. They can't. But they compensate by having the mental attitude that because it's bigger, it must be safer.
I have, sadly, two direct examples where the bigger vehicle lost out in a good sized smash. The first one was a Ford F-150 that hit my wife in her Toyota Yaris. Both vehicles were written off, so right there the 'bigger is better' mantra is undone because the damage to the F-150 turned out to be much more severe than the damage to the Yaris. Both drivers were injured. My wife only mildly - airbag and seatbelt burns. The F-150 driver was hospitalised for two days and had a broken leg. Again - bigger does not equal better.
The second example was when my own car - my Evoque - was pit-manuevered by a woman in an oversized SUV who didn't see me because she couldn't see around the blind spots and/or was more concerned with her children in the back than she was with the act of driving. The end of my spinout resulted in me hitting a parked Nissan Armada. Both the woman's SUV and the parked Nissan Armada were written off - they folded up like newspaper. It was shocking to see. My Evoque needed repairs, but was not written off because structurally it survived without any faults. The most surprising aspect was exactly how badly the Armada was damaged. The front of my car had a pushed-in bumper, a bent frame-end hangar (where the bumper is mounted) and then obviously radiator and headlight damage. The Armada exploded it's front wheel and tyre, bent the frame on both sides, folded the hood into the windshield, bent the passenger side door so badly it couldn't be opened, and utterly destroyed the roof. The headlight and radiator were done for, as was the a/c compressor, the water pump and most of the other ancilliary items on the front of the engine.
But yeah - bigger is better, right?

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Ok so you have a mechanic's heart - naturally you want to install your new stereo system by yourself. Your friends told you over and over to get a professional to install it, but you held your ground. Let us help ease any stress you may have and give you the breakdown on how to install a new radio into your vehicle.

First things first, purchase a new radio and make sure to buy one that fits into your vehicles existing mounting location. You'd be surprised how many people get home with a radio that doesn't fit! The DIN size radio fits into most vehicles, while a Double DIN radio will fit in certain newer and higher end vehicles. You can get wiring harnesses adapters and installation dash kits that make installing a new radio a breeze; no cutting of the OEM wiring harness or dash required. Do your best to pick up the set required for your vehicle.

Now you will need a few tools to get the job done, here is a generic list, as some vehicles require tools above and beyond the standard:

Time to remove the stock radio from your vehicle. Make sure your car is in park (automatic) or neutral (manual) and the parking brake is set, then disconnect the negative battery terminal cable. Doing this will prevent electrical shock or sparking which could harm you or your new equipment. Make sure to write down any security codes or information that you may need for your electronics before disconnecting your battery.

Most installation dash kits come with instructions on how to open the dash and remove the factory radio. Seeing as each vehicle is different, you will need to refer to your dash kit, factory manual, or online websites for this information. The concept of removing a radio is the same throughout each vehicle; remove dash or trim pieces, unscrew any retaining bolts, slide out the radio and unplug all connections.

Once your radio is removed, keep it around in case you need the mounting bracket or mounting cage for your new radio. The wire harness that comes with the new radio must be connected to the harness adapter you purchased separately. We recommend that you do a temporary install first, join wires together with electrical tape and test them. If the radio functions, remove the tape and solder or crimp all wire connections. The wires on your new radio and the separate harness should share a universal color code so just match the colors and connect them together. Depending on your vehicle and what is being installed, you may not need to connect all the wires, so use electrical tape to protect the ends of unused wires.

Test the functions of the car stereo car stereo, making sure that all speakers work and pay close attention to the fade and balance controls. If everything functions, it means it's time to put everything back together. Most vehicles require a dash kit that converts the opening size to fit your radio as well as brackets to install it. Follow the included instructions to piece it all together. Your radio may have come encased in a metal sleeve; you may or may not need this, so pay close attention to instructions and anything you find online. When the radio and dash is in place, test the functions of the radio one last time in case any of your bridge connectors or soldering disconnected. Make sure to try AM/FM stations to ensure your radio works and that the antenna adapter is in place.

For more information on audio electronics including car speakers, please visit Sonic Electronix.