i have just bought a cd/dvd player of a friend off mine. now i am wanting to fit this to my fabia vrs. but how do i get the standard head unit out? do i need to buy the keys to get it out? or is there a way it can come out?

PLEASE HELP i hate the ugly site of the standard head unit!!!!

You can do one of the following things.

1. Buy the skoda removal keys from a skoda dealer, or order them in through halfords.

2. Buy kenwood radio removal keys from halfords for approx £3.50, which will fit. Put these in to the two vertical slots either side of the HU and pull.

3. Pop in to a skoda dealer and see if they'll remove the HU for you free of charge - a skoda dealer has done this on 3 occasions for me in the last 24 months, they are humans you know.

4. Use 2 mini hacksaw blades if you have any small enough, as radio removal keys.

I believe strips of credit card can also work (search), might help if you pulled out the cubby hole below to get some grip on the HU.

thanks for the quick reply. i think il go into skoda and see if they will take it out for me thanks once again.

I've tried cut-up-credit cards : didn't work.

I did look at using hack-saw blades, but decided against it after searches here revealed you can end up butchering the dash.

I popped down to halfords, asked the staff to see if the kenwood keys worked, which they did, but i then didn't buy them

Keep an eye on the power connector at the back of the new HU as it might foul part of the plastic cage that forms part of the dash.

I had to take my whole dash apart to pull out the plastic cage that everything sits in - just so I could cut abit out so that the power connector would sit right.

I only realised that it didn't fit when the obtrusion sheared all the power cables on the ISO connector.

I got the dealership to pop mine out just remember to get the wiring the right way round, its different in VAG cars!

the standard hu isn't bad imo, has two pre outs too.

I bought Pioneer removal keys and just cut the slightly ridged bit off the end using wire cutters. Worked a treat

Has anyone done a 'how to' guide for fitting / removing a stereo or is it really that easy?

Just weighing up the option of getting a new head unit with BT or get a Parrot kit, the 9200i that we already have in our jazz

Cut up credit cards,take out the cubby hole for grip and pull!

Worked for me,very easy done.

It's dead easy, although you need to bear a few of things in mind:

1) The standard HU is a bit taller than DIN, so you will need a fascia adaptor. Aftermarket ones don't fit and/or look right, but the Skoda one is cheap and does the biz perfectly. If you're going to the dealer to get that, you might as well get them to remove the HU too!

2) You will need to get an aerial signal booster if you want to listen to the radio, as they're integral to the standard HUs, but not aftermarket ones...

3) The switched live is on a different pin to that on aftermarket HUs, so you will either have to switch them yourself or buy a harness adaptor.

HTH

It's dead easy, although you need to bear a few of things in mind:

1) The standard HU is a bit taller than DIN, so you will need a fascia adaptor. Aftermarket ones don't fit and/or look right, but the Skoda one is cheap and does the biz perfectly. If you're going to the dealer to get that, you might as well get them to remove the HU too!

2) You will need to get an aerial signal booster if you want to listen to the radio, as they're integral to the standard HUs, but not aftermarket ones...

3) The switched live is on a different pin to that on aftermarket HUs, so you will either have to switch them yourself or buy a harness adaptor.

HTH

Cool, thanks bud

So this and this? or is a booster something totally different :confused:

So this and this?

Yup, looks like...

Yup, looks like...

cool, thanks fella

Now I need to persuade the wife that I can get a new HU instead of getting the Mk9200i Parrot kit fitted that we have on the Jazz. I am after getting this so I can use my old changer and ipod interface that I can't seem to sell

Did mine last week mate ,, and I aint an expert at all believe me. Halfords for the fascia adaptor and a vag wiring loom adaptor and a aerial booster and adaptor (forgot this first time round had to go back !!), they popped out the old unit as well. Very very easy to do, like other people have said, the cubby hole underneath just pulls out to help you get your new unit in and out. Good Luck !!

Anyone had issues with the radio, the reception wasn't great with the original and its just as bad even with a booster. Could it be the aerial itself?

Anyone had issues with the radio, the reception wasn't great with the original and its just as bad even with a booster. Could it be the aerial itself?

Water ingress in the aerial base!

Worth a look. Just take the aerial out and look in?

Worth a look. Just take the aerial out and look in?

Yes, But you'll be swearing, A lot

There's a PCB in the aerial base that isn't happy about getting wet.

Do a quick search i remember seeing 2 or 3 threads on this issue

Yes, But you'll be swearing, A lot

There's a PCB in the aerial base that isn't happy about getting wet.

Do a quick search i remember seeing 2 or 3 threads on this issue

Cool, shall have a look now

I bought Pioneer removal keys and just cut the slightly ridged bit off the end using wire cutters. Worked a treat

I just forced my pioneer ones in the hard part was getting them out again