I'm planning on changing my headunit for a better one this weekend but have a few questions.

Ive got a sony headunit which seems to have a recessed aerial socket which the aerial booster doesnt fit into. I take it one of those iso-din aerial adapters is needed?

Where do i connect the power wire from the aerial booster? Ive swapped over the red and yellow wires on the wiring loom, do i try and connect it to one of those?

Am i right in thinking i dont connect the blue wire as it possible could interfere with the vag-com diagnostics?

Just need to pop into the dealer in MK as it is the nearest this weekend to either buy the removal keys or get them to do it.

Halfords sell an aerial adaptor for about £3

Use the Audio Leads adaptor loom from Halfords (or other ICE shop). Its the Volkswagen one to cover the year of your car. This has a bullet connector on it for a 12v feed to the signal booster. If you want to do it properly, solder the blue wire from the booster unit to the blue one on the adaptor loom (marked 12v antenna). If you dont have a soldering iron you could push the barb into the bullet and squash them together until it wont come out (not that I've ever done this )

The adaptor removes the diagnostic port "fault" (which wont affect vag-com anyway, just the dealers official tool)

Dont bother with removal keys, get a junior hacksaw blade and cut/break it if half. Insert each half into the slot until you hear a click - then pull via the cassette slot.

Most head unit leads (Inc Sony IIRC) have bullet connectors to switch the permanant and switched live feeds. Then you just need to remove the blue one as stated above or pull the bullet on that and you don't need an adapter lead as otherwise the VAG ones are straight ISO.

Thanks guys,

The lead does come with bullet connectors so switching the red and yellow wires isnt a problem.

So do i connect the wire from the aerial booster to the blue wire( something to do with a powered aerial) from the radio or from the car loom end?

I'm not convinced about using a sharpen'd cutting blade, plus i have nowhere to actually pull on to get the radio out, CD slot is just a little too small;)

I used the Autoleads loom as mentioned above because I diddnt want to mess with cutting wires etc. to avoid the diag-tool problems. that loom has the 12v antenna wire and thats where I connected the booster. It comes from the HU end and the other end is free.

That wire is only powered when the HU is on.

Trust me, junior hacksaw blades are perfect for the job

Goochie, his leads have bullet connectors so no cutting for him

The other advantage on not using the lead is less wire to rattle around. Regarding the blue wire pop it onto the head unit end and then power is only applied when your H/Unit is on.

What a bloody idiot!

I'm now at my parents but i left the stereo back in my living room in my flat. So i cant go in and get a dealer to pull the radio out, so i'm thinking of trying to do it when i go back on monday myself with whatever i can get.

You can get the tools at halfords but they look like they disengage the lock holding the unit in but not so you can pull the unit out. So what about the two plastic strips either side? can i remove those to get a good grip on the radio? Any idea how to remove them?

Remove the glovebox so you can push the stereo out.

Oh , and the aerial adaptor poewr lead needs to be connected to the blue wire on your head unit