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CD car player..Can be done DIY?

altin_2
altin_2 Posts: 557 Forumite
Part of the Furniture
Hi.
Yes I want to fit a CD player for my car.
Halfords charge £20 for the service.
Can it be done DIY?
I have a Astra 2001
thank you.

Comments

  • anewman
    anewman Posts: 9,200 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    It's usually not a difficult job to do. You may need an adapter for the ISO connector, the aerial, and the face of the dash around the stereo if replacing the OEM stereo. You will also need keys to remove the original stereo which should have been supplied with the car - sometimes you can use a bent coat hanger or a hacksaw blade as a substitute. You may also need to swap a red and orange wire on the new stereo.

    I would ask in a Vauxhall forum or hopefully someone will be along with knowledge of your car to detail exactly what needs to be done.
  • altin_2
    altin_2 Posts: 557 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    Thank you for the advice.
    Doesn't look easy....
  • davetrousers
    davetrousers Posts: 5,862 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    altin wrote: »
    Thank you for the advice.
    Doesn't look easy....

    It is pretty easy. An ISO connector is is quite simply a connector that is the same for all stereos and cars (OK this is a bit of an assumption) but quite simply you unplug the existing one and plug in the new one. On some occasions you need an extra connector to go between the new stereo and the car's wiring. But it's all straightforward.

    Agree with above, look for an Astra Forum.
    .....

  • molerat
    molerat Posts: 34,855 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Tools required.

    Allen keys (2.0mm I think)
    Extractor keys (or 4 small nails)
    tx15 screwdriver or 8 mm socket or crosspoint screwdriver.

    Use allen key to remove small screws in holes in head unit.
    Insert extractor key in holes, push outwards and remove unit. (or put 4 nails into holes, put fingers into cassette hole and pull unit out)
    Remove screw at back of black metal cage that was holding head unit using tx15, 8mm socket or cross point depending on which is fitted.
    Squash top and bottom of black cage into centre and pull gently outwards. Push plastic clips holding wiring connector into cage to allow connector to drop out. Push plastic lugs holding aerial inwards and remove aerial wire from back of cage.

    On new head unit swap red and yellow wires to red to yellow and yellow to red using connectors on said wires. Insert aerial adaptor into head unit. Insert audio cage from new unit into hole and push tags into hole to secure. Plug connector into car wiring (only the two plugs that fit are needed, ignore the third larger one). Plug aerial in. Insert new radio into hole (but not all the way) switch on ignition tune in a radio station then switch off ignition. Switch ignition back on and check that radio comes back on to station you tuned into. If it does, push radio into hole until it clicks, go indoors, have a beer and congratulate yourself. If it has lost the radio station connect the red and yellow wires back to red to red and yellow to yellow then repeat the previous steps.

    Can't believe it has taken me longer to type this than it takes to do the job :D
  • Shell out the twenty quid and rest assured that it's done right :D
  • tomstickland
    tomstickland Posts: 19,538 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I wouldn't pay someone £20 to do it. I'd do it myself.
    Happy chappy
  • Then again you know, like me, how to do it, if you're asking something like this you have to expect the poster hasnt a clue what he's doin, so it's easier to stick yer hand in yer pocket and get someone else to fit it so when the car goes on fire after a bare wire shorts to earth, he can at least claim of halfords;)
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