So, over the weekend I got to work on wiring and installing a new aftermarket radio in my
2008 Boxster
S. The original radio was a CDR-24 and removing that radio was a piece of cake.
I connected the wiring harness, got power to the radio, and everything was working great. So, I gathered all the wires together, added some zip ties to keep everything tidy, and put the radio into the dash. There was a little resistance, and then the mounting bracket solidly clicked into place.
Happy with my work, I decided to make a call to my girlfriend upstairs and tell her that I was almost done! However, for some reason the microphone no longer worked. Best I can figure is that it might have come unplugged while zipping up the wiring bundles.
So, now I have to remove it, but despite my best efforts, I can't seem to get it back out of the dash. I called Crutchfield for their advice on removing the radio. Their advice was to remove the bezel and squeeze the 4 tabs and pull it out.
I've included a photo here of the dash install kit they sent me. The two plastic pieces mount to the side of the radio and if you look closely, there's a tab at the back which slides into a guide inside the dash to align the radio. There's a raised surface on this tab and I think that is what snapped into place.
So, my question is, how can I release this? Has anyone ever removed a radio installed with a kit like this? I've tried inserting some flat plastic tools I have for trim work at the front of the radio between the bracket and the dashboard wall to open up some space, but because that tab is so far back inside the dash, I don't think it's separating enough to allow the radio to free up.
If anyone has any advice on how to get an aftermarket radio like this back out of the dash, I'd appreciate any advice.
Thanks,
scott nichol
thanks,
scott
We just went through this when doing a speaker upgrade and had to access the back of the
Pioneer head unit
we installed a few years ago. It has four metal tabs, one in each top and bottom corner that all had to be pulled towards the center at the came time while the unit was pulled out. We used cut of Q tips to keep the tabs pulled away from the metal side brackets, then used a panel tool on each side to help pry the head unit out. Hope this helps.
Thanks for your advice. The bracket mounted to the sides of my radio are plastic, no metal parts. However, what you said inspired me to try something new. I have some craft sticks (Popsicle sticks) and wedged some in between the bracket and the dash, but still could not pull it out. Maybe because I can't grip it well enough with my hands. I'm going to try to get some additional tools to give me some more grip.
thanks,
scott
I'm considering a similar installation, how did you get power to the radio?
Also, I have the same harness - to prevent the issue you're having i'm thinking of breaking off the top 2 clips and using the bottom 2 to click into place. Would that prevent this issue while keeping the harness in place for daily use?
Make sure you are pushing the correct tabs. There's actually two sets (of four) The larger ones are just holding the bezel. The small ones lock the radio chassis in the frame. I use wooden toothpicks to hold all four open then pull.
This is a different product, but the concept is the same. You want the #2 tabs
