I just bought a used 2001 Fabia. A previous owner has replaced the Skoda radio with a JVC CD player / Radio. Unfortunately it does not seem to be able to store the preset stations.

I'm deducing that the radio is not getting permanent power from the battery. Having seached the forum I have found some messages which suggest that the permanent live wire and the ignition live wire have to be swapped when installing a non-Skoda radio - or am I getting this wrong ?

I think you are right in your findings. Aftermarker Head Units do require you to do as in the live wire / ignition wire threads.

Someone will be along soon to point you in the right direction.

Nope you are exactly right.

Thanks for the reassurance guys.

I don't know the correct way to get the 2 wires out of the connector. I assume there is a special tool - if so where can I get one ? Or can I improvise with a paper clip or something ?

Most aftermarker headunits, let you swap over the wires without having to cutt them or use special tools. They are ussually just simple round plstic coated plugs.

The back of the JVC unit has three sockets. The middle one has a brown connector plugged into it for all the audio wires. The bottom one has a black connector plugged into it for all the power wires. That seems to be it.

So to change wires I have to either remove them from the connector or cut them / reconnect them.

has it got an iso adaptor loom pugged in which converts the skoda loom to the industry standard iso connections??

the loom i'm talking about swaps the yellow and red wires around, i've got one here that i'm not using if you want it, all you have to do is join freedom then it's yours!

i had the same problem with my new head unit you need to swap the red and yellow wires. you should be able to pull the wires out if your carefull enough well thats what i did anyway!

if you do decide to pull the wires be very carefull because sometimes it pulls the terminal off the end of the wire. i dont recommend pulling them ans swapping them, also if you decide to sell your car and put the original radio back in then you'd have to change it back again

Easiest way of doing it is just to pop to maplins and buy a couple of sets of bullet connectors.

You can cut the two power wires on the stereo's loom and fit connectors so they can be swapped over.

Oh , and make sure you put the female connector on the wire leading towards the car so you cant have a live male end shorting on anything metal

The terminals do come out.

Firstly look at the plug and see if there is evidence of a small coloured plastic locking pin (There was on the Fabia I've just been working on) Pull this out and then using a paperclip bent into a U shape push it in from the front, ie the opposite side to the wires. You are trying to release two barbs.

The terminals do come out.

Firstly look at the plug and see if there is evidence of a small coloured plastic locking pin (There was on the Fabia I've just been working on) Pull this out and then using a paperclip bent into a U shape push it in from the front, ie the opposite side to the wires. You are trying to release two barbs.

there is a special pair of pliers for doing that, i've got some but i cant find em at the moment, when i do find them i'll post up a picture so everybody can see what they look like