I am having a hard time removing an old aftermarket deck from my 1996 CX hatch. It just won't come out, I remember when a shop put in my alarm, they couldn't get it out either.

It has four holes, one on each corner of the deck. At the shop a while back they used a piece of bent wire that would go into the two holes on one side (and another piece for the two holes on the other side). Then yanking on it with these two "handles" it still would not come out.
The holes are very deep too (I know because I put a wire in there to see how deep it was, thinking that there might be screws in there or something, and the wire accidently fell right through the hole and I heard it fall somewhere in the center console).

I need to get this old cassette deck out, and I can't. What would be the easiest/quickest way to get it out?
Thanks.




Modified by mugenpowered at 12:34 PM 6/4/2006

 

what kinda deck is it. usually they have like 2 sticks that you put in the side and pull it out

 

It's an old Sony deck. Old enough that it is cassette and no CD. I don't know much about it, just that it was in the car when I bought it.
I could go look at the model number if that will help.

 

What generation is this? (eg or ek)? Regardless of the model though you should be able to remove the trim below the deck and im assuming there are two bolts on either side of the deck that connects it to a metal support which is then bolted to the car. please be more specific to allow others to help more

 

My Sony deck wouldn't fit onto the space with the sliding brackets, so it's directly bolted to the car

Take the dash panels off and check to see if maybe yours is the same

 

2 stick in the side and pull

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Ghetto Civic HX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My Sony deck wouldn't fit onto the space with the sliding brackets, so it's directly bolted to the car
Take the dash panels off and check to see if maybe yours is the same</TD></TR></TABLE>
Which dash panels would you recommend removing?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by h22 civic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">2 stick in the side and pull</TD></TR></TABLE>
What do you mean? Because the shop did use two things in the side and pulled on it but it wouldn't budge.

And for the person wondering which generation, it's an EK.

 

deck is probably mounted in the back or something.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by john666 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">deck is probably mounted in the back or something. </TD></TR></TABLE>
How do I unmount it?

 

I guess you can say I had the same problem only that mine was a 95 coupe...but anyways if it's an after market one go to Best Buy or somehwere and just buy a new one and they'll stall it free for you if they offer that and will be able to take it out if it means needing to take out dash...BUT if you are doing it yourself and before I bought a new cd player I freaken tried everything but wasn't really stuck but I just couldn't get it out...so yeah it was stuck or something but ANYWAYs the guy who put in my radio said that all you had to do was if it's an aftermarket one use the same brand stick thingy and hook it out basically what he did and expletive made it look like grabing candy from a baby...I was like expletive and I tired just about everything but risking taking out the dash which I didn't know how...so yeah just use a sony hook thingy to put it out..if it don't help good luck...but easy way if you're not doing it yourself do what I say buy new one...don't know if it helps but yeah...

 

depending where you mounted your radio, try to look on the sides or bottom, im guessing whoever installed the radio installed the metal bar thing with it.. (one end of the bar screws onto the back of your radio and the other end screwed to your car.)

 

john666, I looked in my Haynes manual and it says that the OEM deck is secured the way you are suggesting, so I think it is possible that this aftermarket one is secured that way too. The Haynes manual says I will be able to reach up the back of the radio by removing the centre console, does that sound right? I thought there would be stuff in the way.
If that's not possible, would I be able to remove the whole climate control and get at the radio that way?


JDMegCoupe, maybe I should just go and get it installed at Futureshop, I bought my new deck from them online, but maybe I could still go take it in to them and tell them to install it.
What is the Sony hook thing you are talking about? Where do you get it?

 

You would have to remove the lower center console panels to get access to the stereo mounting brackets. The deck is screwed into there. Here are some instructions that might be useful:

http://www.handa-accessories.c...o.pdf

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AutoXer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You would have to remove the lower center console panels to get access to the stereo mounting brackets. The deck is screwed into there. Here are some instructions that might be useful:

http://www.handa-accessories.c...o.pdf

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks, that's a lot of work but maybe that is what I have to do.

Does anyone know if it will make a difference that I have a 1996 Civic, and therefore, not an electronic climate control like those instructions cover for the 99-00 models?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mugenpowered &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Thanks, that's a lot of work but maybe that is what I have to do.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

It looks like alot, but it's really just a few bolts / panels. I've done it so many times, and I can get it done in about 15min now. A stereo shop should be able to do it for $40 or so if you really don't want to bother.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mugenpowered &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Does anyone know if it will make a difference that I have a 1996 Civic, and therefore, not an electronic climate control like those instructions cover for the 99-00 models?</TD></TR></TABLE>

The mounting is still the same:

http://www.handa-accessories.c...d.pdf

That was just for illustration of the mounting; you dont' need to mess with the center console, but that's the only instructions I could find for the '98s

 

^OK, sounds good. I am going to follow those instructions for the 1998. Thanks for the help .

 

(I was planning on taking my old deck out this weekend, but I decided to wait until the one I ordered online from Futureshop came. A friend showed me this link, it is very detailed instructions for installing a deck: http://www.installdr.com/Insta...3.pdf)


My question is, will the plug that is connecting the OEM harness to the the old Sony after market deck right now, be the same as the plug I will need to connect the new deck to the OEM harness, or do the plugs change over time?
Because if they do not change then I wouldn't have to solder in a new OEM harness-to-deck set of wires, right?
Anyone know?

 

Removal -

Step One, Grab onto both sides od deck with both hands.
Step Two, plant left foot on center of steerong wheel(top of steering wheel is you have SRS).
Step Three, Plant right foot on glove box.
Step Four, Get your friend to pull you towards rear of vehicle..

Worked for me.
But then again i was replacing my whole dash....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mugenpowered &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">(I was planning on taking my old deck out this weekend, but I decided to wait until the one I ordered online from Futureshop came. A friend showed me this link, it is very detailed instructions for installing a deck: http://www.installdr.com/Insta...3.pdf)


My question is, will the plug that is connecting the OEM harness to the the old Sony after market deck right now, be the same as the plug I will need to connect the new deck to the OEM harness, or do the plugs change over time?
Because if they do not change then I wouldn't have to solder in a new OEM harness-to-deck set of wires, right?
Anyone know?</TD></TR></TABLE>

More than likely, they are different.

And you don't HAVE to solder. You can use crimp connectors

I would recommend soldering though

 

DAMN IT!!!

I took apart those three panels of the lower dash and took a look at how the deck was secured, and it was in fact a screw at the back.
But the freaking screw was screwed so damn tight that it was already stripped. I tried to remove it but all that did was strip it even more! And now it is impossible to remove that screw. That one stupid screw is preventing me from getting this deck out.

How am I going to get it out now, considering that the screw I need to remove is on there is so tight and is also stripped!?

 

Stripped screw in a very awkward place. How can I get it out? Thanks.

 

get a left handed drill bit and pray

 

Hammer + Chizzle, chizzle the head of the screw off. It will come off then, and from what you're saying you probably won't need to worry about the leftover part of the screw.

 

From what I've seen with other setups, the screw is probably flush mounted.

Get a drill bit larger than the size of the screw threads. Then you'll be able to drill the head of the screw off, and pull the deck out. If you want to re-use that screw hole, you could use an easy out.

 

Just to conclude this thread-

The stripped screw had a fat enough head that I removed it by clamping vice grips onto it and using those to twist it off.

Also, the plugs for the two Sony decks were not the same, the old one didn't even have a plug, just wires coming out of the back.

Finally, I was able to reuse the wires that plug into the OEM harness, just chopped the back of the old deck and soldered the wires from the new deck so that they connect to the part that plugs into the OEM harness.

So half a month later I have my new deck installed , thanks for all the input.