I picked up my new Fabia yesterday and the dealer tried to remove the radio. The mechanic ended up breaking one of the keys and I think it's still stuck in the HU. I've tried hacksaw blades the right hand side of the unit seems to unlock but not the left.

Any ideas how I can get it out I need my Alpine HU I can't stand listening to the same CD over and over! :(

Have you tried removing some of the switch blanks above it to help give it a tug when the keys are in :confused:

Hadn't thought of that, seem to remembering doing that on the vRS to remove the radio now you say it! Cheers!

The mechanic ended up breaking one of the keys and I think it's still stuck in the HU. (

If that's the case then it's up to him to sort his **** up not you!

Get it back to the dealer and insist that someone with a little more intelligence that the last guy looks at it.

If that's the case then it's up to him to sort his **** up not you!

Get it back to the dealer and insist that someone with a little more intelligence that the last guy looks at it.

Believe me if it's the garage I am thinking about...the last thing you would want to do is take a car back there

i don't understand how/why he had a problem , they come out soooo easy with the correct keys , just had mine out 5 minutes ago to fit the cup holder assembly underneath

i don't understand how/why he had a problem , they come out soooo easy with the correct keys , just had mine out 5 minutes ago to fit the cup holder assembly underneath

Have had to take the side trim off of two I have done as the just would not unlock ....just gently lever the trim off and you can get to the catches ...also helps to remove them if they are a really tight fit

ian is that a symphony cd player you are taking out?? i'd be interested in taking that off your hands of it is...

ian is that a symphony cd player you are taking out?? i'd be interested in taking that off your hands of it is...

if you happen to be replacing an old tape deck with his CD player.. i'll be happy to take that off your hands!!

Wheeling and dealing

@ Octygone! Spot on mate. Unfortunately it does have to go back for a few little things.

Radio is out! Having removed all switches above it, the trim down each side and a little cover under the left hand side trim. Luckily the left hand release was the one not functioning and a poke with a screw driver from the side released it.

Sorry to say radio is owed to dealer for my radioless ex-vRS they have. God knows why you'd want it, it sounds bloomin awful my Alpine (£129.99 jobby) is a hundred times better.

Cheers Richard for reminding me to remove those buttons.

Cheers Richard for reminding me to remove those buttons.

i will now sympathise with you BarneyB , earlier this evening i thought i would swop the VRS cubby hole for the Elegance slide draw on my brothers 56 plate VRS , could i get the Symphony unit out , could i f##k , release tools stuck in etc , removal of the side trims and i could just about release it , bu66er to push back in and get locked , its like the newer dashes have less room behind the audio unit :(

I found the easiest way to remove the CD player out of my vRS was to put the keys into the stereo, and then pull on the cubby hole beneath it. The cubby hole locks behind the stereo, so pulling the cubby out, will bring the CD player with it.

two hacksaw blades in each side, works a treat, gets lots of push then then i removed the swtches and used a large allen key to nudge unit forward!! hey presto

Any ideas how I can get it out I need my Alpine HU I can't stand listening to the same CD over and over! :(

change the CD?

I think the symphonty is good. sound quality in my car is marred by the vibrating passenger speaker.

I wish I had an mp3 cd player though.

Stick in a Solisto or dension kit and you can play MP3s off a USB pen drive

thing is for similar price to the dension kit you can get a new good qulaity mp3 head unit.