Title says it all... any hints on wiring, facias, fitting new head unit?

Buy a in-line booster for the aerial for a few quid, well worth it while it's out!

If you intend to have a lot going on behind it, ie: amp cables, ipod adaptors etc etc.. (like me) be prepared to have a fight to get all the cables in behind it, plasters to the ready because your gonna scrap your knuckles A LOT!

Title says it all... any hints on wiring, facias, fitting new head unit?

Get a thin metal ruler to slide on top of the HU and poke the cables into the right places behind it as you slide it in. Remember to round off any sharp edges on the ruler!

Taking the glovebox out makes it very easy to get the cables out of the way.

There is a spacer you will need for the dash.

Part number is on my site here - http://www.fabia-vrs.com/parts.htm

New unit should have ISO connectors and plug straight in.

This all sounds good so far... any special tools needed to get the old one out? Thinking back to the days of twin-pronged wire jobbies you had to insert into holes either side of the front of the unit...

You can cut up an old credit card, ask a friendly ICE dealer if you can borrow their keys, Alpine keys supposedly work, or you get keys from fleabay.

The old unit may well be A COMPLETE PAIN IN THE *** to get out, I know mine was, I had to get a well known master tech to do it, and even he had difficulty...

...So with regards to getting it out, stick with it

I used two junior hacksaw blades, I just knocked the pins out at one end of the blade and they were the perfect tool... I got the HU out within a minute!

I have a set of Skoda keys if you are sort of M27 area.

i used a flat end screwdriver to prise it out! works just as good make sure you take the surrounding side strip trims off prise them off with a knife, and then prise the radio out with a screw driver! make sure you get it right behind front of the stereo or you will clip out the facia:)

Local Skoda dealer said if I stopped by they'd pop it out for me. Won't sell me the tool though, but that's understandable. Anyway I'll try the above in turn until I get to one that works, thanks! (New CD MP3 USB player has arrived so itching to get it in.)

Many thanks folks.

I used two junior hacksaw blades, I just knocked the pins out at one end of the blade and they were the perfect tool... I got the HU out within a minute!

same trick here.... i also removed couple of the blank switches above the stereo to help get hold of it to pull it out

i used a flat end screwdriver to prise it out! works just as good make sure you take the surrounding side strip trims off prise them off with a knife, and then prise the radio out with a screw driver! make sure you get it right behind front of the stereo or you will clip out the facia:)

Bloody hell dont do that!! remove it safely!! thats why holes for keys are provided (dont have to use keys... u can make them - see above post)

With a bit of luck the new unit's keys will fit - they are a flat type. Will there be any problems with power? According to the stereo manual VWs and Audis need a power line bodged in to keep power to the unit when the ignition is switched off.

Skoda or VW should sell you the keys, maybe try another dealer. I'm not at home right now so I can't give you the number.

There is an issue with the power and the K line which is documented here -

http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/aftermarket-radio.html

You can also find out the pinouts from the diagram on my website -

http://www.fabia-vrs.com/carkit.htm

I've got the facia trim and a friendly car audio shop gave me some removal tools to try out. And I've got a steel rule from the £1 shop for pushing cables about.

By the way, is it worth replacing the factory fit speakers with cheapos? I've improved on the Rover ones by installing a £5.99 pair.

Well after hammering and filing the tools a bit... success! Got it out... only to discover it's got a different aerial plug (like a squat TV one) to the stereo so I need an adaptor. Bah.

if you put a good head unit in the origina frontl speakers are quite good only if you want a lot of bass you will need to replace them, the rears are pants

if you put a good head unit in the origina frontl speakers are quite good only if you want a lot of bass you will need to replace them, the rears are pants

Yes, I would agree. The front speakers are not bad. One of my rears started playing up, so I replaced them with a couple of Panasonic TS-E1076. These are better - crisper - but still not that good. Now one of these is playing up, so I am looking around again. What are the 'best' standard fit rear shelf speakers? I don't want to hack things about.

a stealth shelf will look original but hide a nice pair of 6x9s and you will get a lot of base through the rear

My speakers cant keep up with the Alpine anymore its sad to say, shame, i'll have to get some new components

a stealth shelf will look original but hide a nice pair of 6x9s and you will get a lot of base through the rear

"a stealth shelf"? Are these available, or would they be something I have to make for myself?

most good car audio specialist will do these, some make them, some order them in cost is between 60-100 quid without speakers,sounds expensive till you work out how much a new original shelf, speakers and glass cost if you just cut holes in the original shelf and it gets nicked

Well, £4.29 for the adaptor in Halfords and some scraped knuckles and swear words later and it's in. A very tight fit getting the mounting "collar" in, then the stereo wouldn't go all the way in due to the cables behind. Finally figured out the coin/sunglasses/gum tray underneath had to come out to get at the cables to shove them out the way in the limited space. Fits well though and looks perfect, and the stero harness has a couple of swappable bullet connectors to take care of the wiring quirk where the 12+ve lines are the wrong way round.

About stealth shelves, you can knock one up if you're handy with a jigsaw. Basically you replace your parcel shelf with a piece of MDF, mount the speakers underneath and cover it with acoustically transparent cloth so you can't see the speakers. Some people retain the old shelf and bung a sheet of MDF underneath so it looks more natural. I want to do it with my Rover but need to find colour matched beige cloth.

Here's an idea of how to do it - you may feel it's worth paying someone to do it!

http://www.polo-gt.co.uk/styling/StealthShelf.html