How To: Remove Stock Radio MY05
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Registered User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 199
From: HAwaii
Car Info: 05 WRB WRX Sedan
How To: Remove Stock Radio MY05
I know this SHOULD be somewhere, but I noticed while searching for tips that I could find older models with a different looking deck, and a lot of newer people still saying the same thing as well as asking questions.
So here goes...if you use this, please take the time to let me know
Tools required:
Flathead screwdriver
Phillips head screwdriver
Tape (I used scotch)
Rag
Pliars
Time required: Approximately 15 minutes
Step one:
Eject your CD's if there are any in the deck.
As seen below, grab the shifter trim area, with your fingers forming a vice (and effectively giving you leverage from underneath) around the lower edge of the trim. So you'll have four fingers in the shift boot area...pull up, it will pop right out.
Additional steps: Some people would like to remove the whole bottom trim from the car for easier use. I however did not, and will explain why later. BUT, if you do want to, simply unplug the harness in the back of the ashtray, unsrew your shift **** (you can leave it attached to the boot) and set the stuff aside. If you have an aftermarket ****, follow the directions you used to put it on.
Step two:
As you see in the picture below there are two PH screws revealed when you pull off the shifter trim. If you can't figure out what to do with them, set yourself on fire and contact a professional. For me, it was easiest to put all the screws in the cup holder.
Step three:
Here, if you did what I did, and didn't remove the shifter trim completely out of laziness and speedyness, you'll want to protect your easily scratched silver trim before removing the larger portion surrounding the radio. Simply drape a cloth or something (actually my Army beret was in the car I just used that) over the top edge of the shifter trim. Sound complicated? It's not and when you get to this step you'll see what I mean.
This part was actually pretty simple, though I hear a lot of complaints of it being difficult.
Wrap some tape around the head of your screwdriver. Grab the exposed portion of bottom of the top trim with your left hand, pulling slightly outward...using the small gap you have just created, insert the screwdriver head with tape into the gap, and being to work the tool upward, pulling slightly as you make progress with the screwdriver.
There are two tabs, both of which are towards the top of the trim piece that you are trying to extricate. With an upward motion, prying motion, and you pulling out on the trim, it should come apart pretty quick and flawlessly. The tape is there so you don't scratch anything.
On mine, the trim piece in the process of coming loose on the right, almost forced the left side to come out, so on the left side, all I had to do was use the screwdriver to un-pop the top tab, and voila! Complete!
In the picture below, you are able to see by the arrows where the location of the pop tabs are.
Additional steps: Now you realize why we draped the cloth if you are doing this the lazy way. The top trim piece will fall forward held in by some harnesses in the back. Remove these harnesses and set aside the piece if that is the way you are doing it. If not, just rest the piece on the shift trim piece, and the cloth you layed down will keep anything from getting scratched.
Step four:
As you notice if you look down at the next picture, you have four readily noticable PH screws to remove, as well as by the arrows you can see the locations where the pop tabs insert into. However, not seen in the picture are two recessed screws, below the four above, with one on each side. Although they are not visable in the picture, they are easily located when you get to this step.
Remove all six screws and the radio will come out. There are three connections on the back of the radio. 1) on the passenger's side is a ground wire and harness, pop the tab and slide it off, 2) the wire harness, pop the tab and pull it out, and 3) the antenna. mine was a bit tricky, which is why I said to bring a pair of pliars. Use the pliars on the metal part (or your teeth, when I found myself without pliars) to pull the antenna out.
There, you're done, and if you followed the directions, it should have only taken you about 15 minutes.
So here goes...if you use this, please take the time to let me know
Tools required:
Flathead screwdriver
Phillips head screwdriver
Tape (I used scotch)
Rag
Pliars
Time required: Approximately 15 minutes
Step one:
Eject your CD's if there are any in the deck.
As seen below, grab the shifter trim area, with your fingers forming a vice (and effectively giving you leverage from underneath) around the lower edge of the trim. So you'll have four fingers in the shift boot area...pull up, it will pop right out.
Additional steps: Some people would like to remove the whole bottom trim from the car for easier use. I however did not, and will explain why later. BUT, if you do want to, simply unplug the harness in the back of the ashtray, unsrew your shift **** (you can leave it attached to the boot) and set the stuff aside. If you have an aftermarket ****, follow the directions you used to put it on.
Step two:
As you see in the picture below there are two PH screws revealed when you pull off the shifter trim. If you can't figure out what to do with them, set yourself on fire and contact a professional. For me, it was easiest to put all the screws in the cup holder.
Step three:
Here, if you did what I did, and didn't remove the shifter trim completely out of laziness and speedyness, you'll want to protect your easily scratched silver trim before removing the larger portion surrounding the radio. Simply drape a cloth or something (actually my Army beret was in the car I just used that) over the top edge of the shifter trim. Sound complicated? It's not and when you get to this step you'll see what I mean.
This part was actually pretty simple, though I hear a lot of complaints of it being difficult.
Wrap some tape around the head of your screwdriver. Grab the exposed portion of bottom of the top trim with your left hand, pulling slightly outward...using the small gap you have just created, insert the screwdriver head with tape into the gap, and being to work the tool upward, pulling slightly as you make progress with the screwdriver.
There are two tabs, both of which are towards the top of the trim piece that you are trying to extricate. With an upward motion, prying motion, and you pulling out on the trim, it should come apart pretty quick and flawlessly. The tape is there so you don't scratch anything.
On mine, the trim piece in the process of coming loose on the right, almost forced the left side to come out, so on the left side, all I had to do was use the screwdriver to un-pop the top tab, and voila! Complete!
In the picture below, you are able to see by the arrows where the location of the pop tabs are.
Additional steps: Now you realize why we draped the cloth if you are doing this the lazy way. The top trim piece will fall forward held in by some harnesses in the back. Remove these harnesses and set aside the piece if that is the way you are doing it. If not, just rest the piece on the shift trim piece, and the cloth you layed down will keep anything from getting scratched.
Step four:
As you notice if you look down at the next picture, you have four readily noticable PH screws to remove, as well as by the arrows you can see the locations where the pop tabs insert into. However, not seen in the picture are two recessed screws, below the four above, with one on each side. Although they are not visable in the picture, they are easily located when you get to this step.
Remove all six screws and the radio will come out. There are three connections on the back of the radio. 1) on the passenger's side is a ground wire and harness, pop the tab and slide it off, 2) the wire harness, pop the tab and pull it out, and 3) the antenna. mine was a bit tricky, which is why I said to bring a pair of pliars. Use the pliars on the metal part (or your teeth, when I found myself without pliars) to pull the antenna out.
There, you're done, and if you followed the directions, it should have only taken you about 15 minutes.
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