Installing a car radio

davetza

After deciding I don't actually need a new car I would like to ugrade the head unit in my existing 1999 Astra to a Tuner CD player.

Intially I wanted to get the radio installed but the mobile installers that some online stores use can't come at the times I want and Halfords are useless (well at least the Mile End branch).

I would now like to try buying the head unit online and installing it myself but I have not been able to find any sites with information on how to do this. Can anyone point me in the right direction or at least tell me what tools I would need.

I was also keen on getting the JVC model that has a line in on the control panel so I could play my Ipod though the head unit but it seems that then I would not be able to use the steering wheel controls as JVC head units are not comptible with the steering controls on a Astra. Does anyone know of any other modems that have a line in?

I know you can get head units that are "Ipod compatible" but they are a lot more expensive and have not had very good reviews and I am happy with just the line or aux in.

Any help or advice would be appreciated

vansboy

Surprised about your Halfords comments - them & Argos are pretty competetive in offering 'all inclusive' deals.

Certainly their regular specials beat any trade prices.

& if THEY mess up - at least you won't need to pay to put things right!!

VB

arkonite_babe

I'm posting this for my brother who is a trained ICE installer..............

Hmm, not an easy answer to this, lets start at the beginning.

1. If you are a novice I would not recommend that you tackle the installation of stereo equipment yourself. Vauxhall headunits are not particularly hard to remove with the correct tools but can be quite daunting for a beginner due to how they are fixed into the dashboard. I'm not going to tell you how as this is probably a good way to make a mess of things. Also the tools you would require will cost you money!
Vauxhall cars also use a slightly different wiring configuration and are quite tight to neatly tuck all the aftermarket wiring into. I used to spend a good proportion of my week installing stereos or sorting problems created by the home 'expert'. If you pay someone to install your equipment you at least have the assurance that they (should) know what they're doing and are covered if they make a mess.

2. Buying stereo equipment online seems to be a good way to save money but what about warranty issues? If you were to buy a stereo online and it breaks down what do you do? Is it covered by a manufacturers warranty? who would pay carriage costs to return it to the supplier? Go to a high street retailer and at least if you have a problem you can deal with somebody in person who can examine the problem.

3. Depending on your budget my personal recommendation would be the Alpine CDA-9847 with the KCA-420 I-pod adaptor (think that's the model number) you can buy this as a kit for about £250. The headunit is MP3 compatible and the KCA adaptor gives you headunit control of your Ipod, even charges it too!! I think that you can also buy the relevant adapters to link into your steering stalk control. You could use a cheaper unit with an auxilary input but its not the best job as you have no control over your ipod. Some people may also recommend 'Fm control' modules that feed the music to your stereo as a phantom radio channel, don't bother, they really are not worth the money.

4. Quite surprised by your halfords comments, but not shocked. If you go to a halfords store you really need to speak to the ripspeed specialist who, if are trained to the correct standard should have no problem in showing you all the parts you need and should be able to produce their hardwire certificate (not strictly relevant to average installations but inspires a little confidence) I think they also do free fittings on most stereo installations and can price match with local outlets too. If in doubt use a reputable local car accessory shop that should be able to supply and install all the equipment ya need.

As with everything in life you gets what you pays for but i think there is no reason you can't get what you require for a reasonable outlay.

Hopefully this is of some help, if you need more info, pm arkonite, she's my sister and can contact me to help.

Edited to add, if you have an Ipod shuffle, check www.alpineeurope.com for full compatibility.

HTH

Pink.

Hi davetza

Welcome to mse

I hope that you don't mind, but I'm going to move your thread over to the motoring board where hopefully you will get more replies.

Pink

davetza

vansboy wrote:

Surprised about your Halfords comments - them & Argos are pretty competetive in offering 'all inclusive' deals.

VB

The main issue I had with Halfords is that they have wasted my time. I 've visited the store twice now. The 1st time was Sunday afternoon but I left after half an hour as there where no staff avaiable to answer any of my queries.

The second time I phoned up and speceifically saif I want to by a radio from you and I want it installed. I was told it was on a first come first served bases but if I arrived on a week day at 17:00 I would have a good chance to get the radio installed.

Well I left work early and rushed to the store only to be told "oh we only do installations on the weekends". Needless to say I'm a bit hacked off with Halfods at the moment.

scheming_gypsy

if it's the original head unit in the car it 'should' have a connection block that the cables go into rather than loose cables that have been taped together or a 'done it myself' connection block.
If so you should be able to pick up another connection block from Halford straight off the shelf that connects them together...

(pretty sure that's the case anyway but i'm goosed)

boogiemaster

When you buy the radio it comes with a manual, in the manual it lists all the cars the radio can go straight into with no modifications to do.
If your car is in the manual then there shouldn’t be any problems. The new radio will come with a new case incase the new one wont fit in.
If the new radio won’t fit in then pop in the new case and push it home and your done.