Replacing the radio? (vehicle, German, plugs, best)
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Besides a couple older cars I have, I also plan on replacing the radio in a friend's 2006 Elantra. Is this swap pretty straight forward and simple or is there more to it? If so does anyone have some advice and how to method on it?
What are you trying to accomplish? Add CD, MP3, bigger amp, or what?
The older cars are mostly DIN anymore, get a head unit with DIN plugs and it should plug right in.
Call Crutchfield or go to their website for the Elantra. Most newer cars are not that easy to change out the head unit anymore, keep in mind that leaving well enough alone always costs nothing and is a low-risk option.
In any case, you should not have to cut any wires on the car to do this, I would not take even a high-end head unit for free if it won't plug right in.
In the older cars, the radio doesn't work in one, and the other one the radio had been taken out at some point but I've got a parts car with a radio in it that I think I will try replacing it with first.
On the non-working radio, in some cases you will find a small glass-tube type fuse, frequently on the back side of the box - if you pull out the non-worker, check the fuse, if it otherwise meets your needs, replacing the fuse can "fix" it - has worked for me a couple of times in the past.
What are you trying to accomplish? Add CD, MP3, bigger amp, or what?
The older cars are mostly DIN anymore, get a head unit with DIN plugs and it should plug right in.
Call Crutchfield or go to their website for the Elantra. Most newer cars are not that easy to change out the head unit anymore, keep in mind that leaving well enough alone always costs nothing and is a low-risk option.
In any case, you should not have to cut any wires on the car to do this, I would not take even a high-end head unit for free if it won't plug right in.
There are no aftermarket radios that will plug directly into any vehicles, without the purchase of an adapter harness. That harness is available for most vehicles and can be anywhere from $10-$150 depending on the vehicle.
DIN refers to two different things-
1. the standardized size of ~7"w x 2"h, which is one of many things that
is responsible for. That being said, even if a DIN sized radio fits, there may still be a dash kit necessary to provide mounting brackets or fill the opening left by the factory radio.
2. plugs used to connect radios to processors and amplifiers until radio-amp connections were standardized with RCA plugs, in the early 90's.
These have nothing to do with installing an aftermarket radio into a vehicle.
I was an installer from the mid 80's through the mid 90's and have been around car stereo up through the late 2000's. And it's been an interest for my own vehicles since the early 80's. Been there, done that.
I have put aftermarket radios that were DIN size and DIN plug right in to cars (German cars) without using an adapter. That said, yeah, Crutchfield's your uncle, give them a call, they will know what works and if you need an adapter they throw them in for free, or at least always have for me.
So many people make such a damn hash of car wiring - wire nuts, "side tapping" wires, amazing the crap I have seen. Best to not cut the factory wires at all. Not saying no one can cut into a factory wire and have things turn out OK, but I have seen it cause more problems than not.
Even if your newer car doesn't have a standard DIN opening, Crutchfield can still help. I have a Mazda 5 that had the radio sharing a center console with the A/C controls. Crutchfield provided me with a new console trim specific for my vehicle that had the openings for the A/C controls and a standard DIN opening for the aftermarket radio.
So many people make such a damn hash of car wiring - wire nuts, "side tapping" wires, amazing the crap I have seen. Best to not cut the factory wires at all. Not saying no one can cut into a factory wire and have things turn out OK, but I have seen it cause more problems than not.
A fellow installer from years ago told me "not all butchers cut meat" which was ironic because he was a butcher before taking up installation.
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