2001 Mazda Protege headunit problem

[srvguitarboy]

hi everyone, this is my first time here, and i recently bought a 2001 Mazda Protege. The stock sound system is BAD, so i have been trying to upgrade it, and finally got around to working on that today. The new head unit is all ready to go (harness all hooked up) and the pocket under the radio is ready.... BUT, i can't get the factory radio out! A friend suggested putting coathangers into the radio pin slots, but unfortunately, that didn't work, and now the radio doesn't either! (and it has a cd stuck in it too Of course, it's one of my favorites (you guys know how that works).. A guy at circuit city was nice enough to try and get the unit out with the proper tools, but couldn't, b/c one of the pins was damaged. Is there some other way to get the radio out, and is there any hope of getting that cd back?? (without going to the dealer, cause it still has a warranty! ) Any ideas??? HELP! This is NOT a good start to the process!

Dazed and Confused

[jnorion]

http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10686

[srvguitarboy]

Thanks for the info, the part about the piece that comes down underneath the steering column was especially helpful. I was able to push the clips in on the side with the glovebox, and even move the radio out a bit! However, after looking at the driver side more closely, it looks like part of the metal clip is stuck on the plastic. It seems like if you could move the radio backwards, it would release the clip, and then it would come out.. or, if you look at this page:

http://www.wihandyman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10692

scroll about halfway down, and there is a picture of the side bracket that holds it in. The picture shows two screws that appear to be holding the bracket on. Would it be possible to somehow get to those on the driver's side, to unscrew it, and release the bracket? (without doing any irreversible damage!) Thanks

[jnorion]

I don't think you can get to those screws while it's in the dash. You should be able to pull the side trim piece off the HU though, which will expose the clips from the front, so at least you can see what you're doing better. If you reach up from underneath where the HVAC controls go, you can probably just push the clip in with your hand enough to pull the whole thing out.

The side trim circled in red should pull straight out.

EDIT: sorry, it's been a while since I read that sticky, I just scrolled far enough to find that picture, I guess from the pictures below it you already knew that part.

[srvguitarboy]

hi, I got the unit in today! Those instructions about taking apart the hvac and taking off the trim panel was what it took.. after that, i squeezed the broken mount, and it decided to pop off.. thanks! There is one little thing, (kind of a nit-pick) there is a little bit of a space between the head unit and the top of the mounting hole. Is there any way to get rid of that?

[jnorion]

Um, push it up until the space is gone? I don't really know, the pocket/mounting frame I had didn't leave a gap. Your guess is as good as mine.

[srvguitarboy]

one more thing..

turning over the pocket seemed to help.. though after driving with the player in the car, it seems to wiggle around a bit.. Is there a way to fix this problem easily? Thanks!

[MisterT]

What kind of pocket do you have? Metra? I had a Metra, but like you, the radio to me didn't seem at all secured. I ended up ordering a Scoshe kit from Crutchfield. IMO, it looks better and it serves more function of keeping the stereo secured in the dash. The sucky part was having to pay for S/H on something that costs $10.

[srvguitarboy]

unfortunately...

Sadly, it is the Metra one.. the thing about it is, after i snapped the face plate on, one of the tabs broke! It is definitely not the answer.. Do you have any problems with the cd player skipping with the Scoshe one? I might try using some strip insulation underneath it to prop it up a little bit, and get rid of the rattling sound the pocket makes.. if all else fails, there's the Scoshe kit.. thanks!

[MisterT]

I don't have any problems with the CD skipping in the Scoshe kit. To see or get an idea of what it looks like, just look at my homepage. My favorite is the MP3 pocket, but they are pretty rare and when people sell them, they won't way to much. The Scoshe's pocket isn't very usable, but I didn't use the Metra one either, so it is more for looks than "functionality."
Also, with the Metra, it is just a pocket, so the radio just "sits" in the dash whereas the "cage" that you slide the radio in can be fit snugly with the Scoshe kit.

[jnorion]

It takes a lot to make a car deck skip.

[TayTay]

Which metra pocket do you have? The universal one, 88-00-9000 or the actual Mazda one, 98-7599?

[srvguitarboy]

No clue which one it is.. but the problem is solved now. There was a small rubber piece and screw to put on the back of the radio to anchor it, and adding it has completely cured the rattling of the pocket, and skipping of the cd player!
If you guys haven't done it, i highly recommend it! Thanks for all your help

Dave