DYI: Stock to Aftermarket Head Unit

[ahmed]

I know this isnt a difficult task, but I had time and decided to do it anyways. This diy is for a  96-98 civic. This is my first DIY so bear with me.

You will need:
- screwdriver(s)
- new deck
- harness ($10-20)
- stereo installation kit ($20)
- about an hour of your time. it will take shorter/longer depending on how fast/slow you work and if you are installing any other auxilaries.

1. Remove the 2 screws for the panel with the cigarette lighter



2. Open the glove compartment and empty it. On the left side you will see a piece of rubber held by a screw to keep the glove box from falling to the floor. Push the side of the glove box carefully so it comes out.



3. There are 2 hidden screws. Take them out



4. Remove the panal under the steering wheel. There are 3 screws that hold it in.




5. Take out the center panel and the one under the steering wheel. you will need to disconnect the wire that gives power to the cigarette lighter.



6. Look under the center panel. There are 2 screws that hold in the factory deck. remove them and pull the deck out after disconnecting the wires. You can also remove that little black holder if it helps.



7. Now use your harness to connect the corresponding colour coded wires. Electrical will work, but its a better idea to solder the wires together and cover them with heat sleeves or electrical tape.


8. Install the stereo installation kit. It will seem loose, this is okay because the deck holds it in place.


9. This step may not apply to all decks. Remove the faceplate and take out the part that holds the deck in place (and attaches to the face plate)After that Remove the cage from around the deck.



10. Insert the cage so it sits in the slot provided by the stereo installation kit. Adjust the cage by bending the pivots on the side (of the cage) so it fits nicely and aligns with the rest of your dash.


11. Connect the harness and antenna to the headunit.  In this step you will also connect any auxiliaries that you may have (including amp and/or sub)



12. Slide the deck in the slot. and put the faceplate on along with the border that holds it.





13. Replace the panels and glove box by doing the reverse of what you did to take them out. Dont forget to connect the plug for the cigarette lighter.


Now you're done!

[Vtecno4]

Nice, detailed writeup.

Do you have factory power locks/keyless?  If so, did you have to keep the stock headunit installed somewhere?  I keep hearing that on the 96-98 you have to do that to keep your keyless.

[ahmed]

thx. yah i heard that also. I think u can get a little adapter for it though. My car didnt come with keyless entry so i didnt have to worry about it. my brother got me an alarm and it came with keyless entry so it all works out.

[eyelikemycivic]

fyi: it's DIY not DYI there guy

[Vtecno4]

minor nitpick:

Electrical tape will probably work just fine in Canada, but in Missouri, it gets hot enough to slide right off in the summer.  I know, because in the wild days of my youth, that's how I used to install headunits.

The better way is to use solder and heatshrink.

[ahmed]

thx for the tip. and yes, i noticed that after i posted it  

[CSTurbo240]

they make things called solder sleeves.  we use them at work a lot during aircraft mods.  but these things rock.  just get a heat gun, slide the sleeve over the two wires, heat, and you're done.

[ahmed]

i'll look into that. i'll be pulling it out when i connect my ipod so i'll solder the wires or do one of the things u mentioned.

[SiFactor]

stickied

[ahmed]

I got my own sticky!  

[newcastlecivic]

nice detailed writeup pics could be a little clearer but you can see exactly what you are referring too so i guess im just being picky!

[CSTurbo240]

Damn Brits, being all picky and shit.

[ahmed]

yeah, pics aren't as good as they could be. Btw, those wires have been soldered now ... since a long time ago, actually.

damn audio install is taking me much longer than expected.... and there are wires everywhere! I went crazy with zip ties today organizing all the wires. When I think about it, it seems like everything is pretty much done, but it'll be prolly at least a week till I get everything how I want it.

[CSTurbo240]

Zip ties and solder splices FTMFW!!! Environmental splices also rock....

[SiFactor]

yeah, pics aren't as good as they could be. Btw, those wires have been soldered now ... since a long time ago, actually.

hey ahmed, could you fix the pictures or email them to me?  I want to add the writeup to the articles section of this website.

[ahmed]

Sure, I'll do that tomorrow.

[ahmed]

So it rained today and yesterday so I didn't do anything. But as soon as I take some new pics I'll let you know.

[ahmed]

So I took a few pics today and updated the post. I only changed a few pics because I didn't want to take everything out again. Hope this makes it better, though!

On another note, this is how my trunk looks now... I'm all done with the trunk. Just need to put sound deadner everywhere I can reach and then secure the carpet down.




Still not done with the other side though



ps. even though I'm only giving each sub 500 watts, they're quite loud.

[CSTurbo240]

Looking good so far man, keep it up.

[SiFactor]

trunk looks really good, thumbs up

[ahmed]

Thanks!