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Take the Noise off your Music System - Remove the Stereo

Just close your eyes and dream of a romantic drive in the car at night. The soft music that drives along takes you to whole new world. Now, can you imagine the same long drive without music? What a disaster that can be! How about showing off your new car to your friends and taking them for a drive? The peppy numbers are only going to add that required streak of luxury.

Rides without music may be unimaginable. But, music coming out of those stereos that come with the car can turn out to be real disasters too. These stereos are never as effective as we want them to be. Most car buyers prefer having their new music system that boasts the required sound effect. However, you need to know how to install an effective sound system in your car. You need to first remove the old stereo from the dashboard.

The option of taking it to the service station can cost you lots. How about removing the head unit yourself? All you need would be a multi-purpose screwdriver and a simple toolkit. This article provides you with a few simple steps to remove a car stereo system quite easily, in no time and without spending a penny at the service station.

How to Remove a Car Stereo

3 Simple Steps to Removing an Unbolted Stereo

Remove the Battery
You need to first remove the stereo wires from the battery. Is it possible to remove the entire battery? If yes, please do so. Short circuits and shocks will not pose as problems if the battery is removed. Once the battery is removed, removing the stereo too becomes very easy.
Removing the Stereo Trim
Car stereos usually come with a plastic trim covering that goes over the head of the system. This plastic frame fits tightly around the stereo and small plastic clips hold the trim. Just get yourself a flat screwdriver and gently and carefully work the trim loose. It can very easily be removed without any damage or cracks. If you are still apprehensive, you may buy a special tool to remove the clips and take out the trim. Remember, you need to re-install it, so don't damage the trim.

Removing the Spring Clip Mounting
4 spring clips generally hold back the car stereo safely in its position. A DIN tool might be the most appropriate device for safely removing these spring clips. All you have to do is, insert the DIN carefully on the side of the stereo. Once the tool is inserted properly, push the stereo outwards. The stereo will slowly slide out with a noise. Once you pull the stereo out of the bracket, you can unplug the antenna coax. Using a screwdriver, remove the wire harness to lift up the clips and unplug the harness.

4 Steps to Removing a Bolted Stereo

Some cars come with stereos bolted to the dashboard, making it slightly difficult to remove. You will, however, not require any special tool or mechanism. So, do not worry. You will first have to remove a few trim pieces to reach the screws or bolts that are holding the stereo. Here's how you go about it:

First remove the trim pieces that surround the stereo. Doing so will help you reach the bolts holding the stereo to the dashboard. Remember, trims always come with hidden clips and these clips need to be pulled decisively. The trims need to be removed from the clips and also take care not to lose any of the clips. If you find it difficult, you may buy trim removal tools. Some help in removing the clips without getting the trim plastic damaged will surely come your way.
Now that the trims are removed, the next step would be to remove the screws and bolts holding the stereo in place. Once the bolts are loosened, the unit will slide out from the dash.
Now, disconnect the electrical connectors at the back of the stereo. Unscrew the antenna cable before unplugging the electrical connectors. The power connector is usually towards the passenger seat.

Finally, remove the wiring harness from the back of the stereo. Once the plastic wire harness connector is removed, the stereo will at once come off into your hand.

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