Right, I know this has been covered umpteen times, but I can't seem to find the answer to my questions by searching.

I bought a new Pioneer DEH-P7900UB stereo and was going to fit it to my Fabia today.

I have the official Fascia panel which I ordered from skodaparts.com

I bought removal keys from ebay:

but I went to use the keys to remove the stereo and they don't bloomin' fit. Too tall for the wee holes (56 plate vrs by the way as there seem to be a couple of different types of symphony stereos) so they just don't fit. It's not just because of the wee 'nipple' at the bottom of the key either as they are still too tall even if I file it off.

So I thought I'd try to remove the blanking plates by the sides of the stereo. But I don't know how. Does anyone know if this would help and if so, how do they come off?

I took a couple of the blank 'buttons' above the stereo out to see if I could get a hold of the thing, but it didn't seem to help.

I cut an old credit card into strips and fitted them into the holes and tried to prise it out from the top with a screwdriver, but I just felt like I was going to pull the front plate off and knacker the stereo (which I don't mind, but I don't want to be hacking lumps out of my car too).

I thought I'd try and get the wee cubby hole out from underneath to try and prise it from there too, but I can't for the life of me work out how to get the farking thing out.

I'm getting seriously annoyed now, can anyone help? I know some of you have done this before, and I know it can be a bit of a nightmare, but I'm begging you.... please help me before I take a sledgehammer to my dashboard!!!!

You dont need the removal tools, jigsaw blades are ideal (be careful not to scratch anything), likewise an old credit card cut into strips length ways also work.

You dont need the removal tools, jigsaw blades are ideal (be careful not to scratch anything), likewise an old credit card cut into strips length ways also work.

Yes, I read the bit about the credit card on here and tried it but I can't seem to get any purchase on the stereo itself (see 3rd last paragraph of original post)....

Is it just a case of brute force once you've inserted the strips?

You should be able to "feel" where the latch is as you insert the card/blade. Once inserted, you need to find something to pull on, a couple of fingers in the cassette hole usually works. Pull firmly but gently, you dont want to pull the facia of the stereo off.

Also junior hacksaw blades snapped in half work ......push them in and if you can take of the blank on the right side .....they can be really tight but will come off with a good tug....then you can check if the "key" has released the lock ...if it has, it should come out but two I have taken out were very hard to pull out and had to be levered out gently

Yup they aint Skoda keys allright..lol

if your Fabia is quite a new one 55/06 on , it will be almost impossible to get the radio out , even with the correct toolage ,

you will have to dismantle parts of the radio surround trim to access the clips , so they can be pushed in by a screwdriver

for some reason the later facelift dashboards seem to be a tighter fit for the radio , whereas on my 04 VRS , you just push the tools in and the radio just pulls out as easy as pie

yes... I beleive the correct word is "****"!

yes... I beleive the correct word is "****"!

Nice:rofl:

yes... I beleive the correct word is "****"!

My thoughts exactly I feel a **** for buying the wrong keys and the word has been uttered a good few times while trying to get the wee b*st*rd stereo out......

Thanks all for your help, I think I'll have one last go tonight and if unsuccesful then head down to my local ICE dealer with a fist full of tenners and cap in hand........

Take the glovebox out so you can push the stereo from behind.

It makes life much easier

ive also found that they are a total **** to get out. last one i took off most of the facias, took off my shoes off planted both feet on the dash and heaved it out for all i was worth! the front of the radio was very loose by the time i was finished but the radio was duff so i wasnt worried

I've got the right keys, and still needed to remove half the dash to get to the release pins and release them manually :(

Didn't have any trouble with either my (post-facelift) or SWMBO's (pre-facelift) HUs - I was using the blunt hacksaw blade method in both cases, if that makes any difference... :confused:

Kenwood keys from Halfrauds worked fine for me. Only £3 a set and guys there let me take them out to my car to try them without paying for them. Could of got them for free

Kenwood keys from Halfrauds worked fine for me. Only £3 a set and guys there let me take them out to my car to try them without paying for them. Could of got them for free

Funny you should mention that, I went to Halfords yesterday and asked their advice, the guy pulled out a pair of these (you're right, they're Kenwood keys)

and took the head unit out for me. No charge! Quality stuff.

Now the new head unit's in and I just need to work out how I'm going to get the wee cubby hole below back in as I needed to take it out to feed the cables through but it's gonna be extremely tricky to get it back in...... Hopefully I won't have to take the stereo out again.

Now the new head unit's in and I just need to work out how I'm going to get the wee cubby hole below back in as I needed to take it out to feed the cables through but it's gonna be extremely tricky to get it back in...... Hopefully I won't have to take the stereo out again.

AFAIK, the only way to get that out is to remove the HU again as it has a ridge along the top that sits against a lip on the bottom edge of the HU. On the plus-side, once the HU's out, the tray thing just slots in...

AFAIK, the only way to get that out is to remove the HU again as it has a ridge along the top that sits against a lip on the bottom edge of the HU. On the plus-side, once the HU's out, the tray thing just slots in...

Yeah I was thinking that, although filing the top bits off seemed like an option last night as it seems to be held in quite securely by the front clips and the big sticky-outy thing (hightly technical term) at the back. Then again, it's probably best to keep them as it'll pack the HU in tightly.

If I have to take the HU out, I'll probably have to take the glove box out as well, otherwise I'll never be able to thread the cables through the back without having some access. Bummer!

If I have to take the HU out, I'll probably have to take the glove box out as well, otherwise I'll never be able to thread the cables through the back without having some access. Bummer!

Not sure whether by 'thread the cables through the back' you just mean getting the HU out to put the tray back in, or whether you're fitting a changer / iPod interface / phone kit? When I was fitting my changer in the boot, I found plenty of little gaps in the footwell trim to feed the cables into without taking the glove compartment off, however if you need any help doing it, this should help:

Clicky linky

HTH

Yes, I read the bit about the credit card on here and tried it but I can't seem to get any purchase....

Have you asked about increasing your credit limit?

Being serious for a second or two...

Mine's a 55 plate and was a right royal PITA to remove. My current method is...

Insert blunt jigsaw blades into slots. grab hold of the oddments cubby and pull/waggle both it and the stereo until they start to slide out.

J.

Funny you should mention that, I went to Halfords yesterday and asked their advice, the guy pulled out a pair of these (you're right, they're Kenwood keys)

and took the head unit out for me. No charge! Quality stuff.

Now the new head unit's in and I just need to work out how I'm going to get the wee cubby hole below back in as I needed to take it out to feed the cables through but it's gonna be extremely tricky to get it back in...... Hopefully I won't have to take the stereo out again.

Correct, use kenwood keys, thats what I have always used on Skoda HU's with no probs at all! And I only have one!!! I have lost all the rest lol!

The problem is getting the new stereo IN! lol! Not enough room etc

Correct, use kenwood keys, thats what I have always used on Skoda HU's with no probs at all! And I only have one!!! I have lost all the rest lol!

The problem is getting the new stereo IN! lol! Not enough room etc

My God, how many Skodas have you lost? :P

As above, I got the new stereo in ok, but overlooked the fact that the wee cubby hole has to be in first, which is, to say the least, a bit of a bugger as I now have to find the time to take the Pioneer out, install the cubby hole and then re-insert the HU without being able to poke my fingers round the back......

This weekend should be fun.... Until then I'll just have to drive around with a gaping hole in my dashboard. Ho hum.

By cubby hole do you mean the facia? :confused: Or do you mean you actually took a lump out of your dash to get your stereo in? :rofl:

By cubby hole do you mean the facia? :confused: Or do you mean you actually took a lump out of your dash to get your stereo in? :rofl:

By 'cubby hole' I mean the wee plastic tray (with the rubber insert) that goes underneath the head unit.

Believe me, I was close to taking lumps out of my dash though.....

I have a related problem... I don't want to remove the radio but I do wish to use the space currently occupied by the oddments box for some ham radio equipment.

I have a Haynes manual which says to remove the plastic strips at the side, which I have done, then undo the screws and remove the oddments box. Well, if there are screws there I'm damned if I can find them! The box feels as if it's attached to the radio unit. Do I have to remove the radio to detach the oddments box?

Any ideas would be gratefully received.

Neil