Installing a stereo in an '03 Civic - easy? Not so much?

[Jschmuck2]

What are the odds that someone with little to no car audio installation experience (but is moderately handy otherwise) can pull off an aftermarket head unit install?

Apart from the stereo, I know I'd need a new wiring harness and the faceplate for the dash, although I'm not quite sure where to get that second bit. Any advice from other civic owners or stereo-installers??

 

[SearchMaster]

I don't know anything about Civics but I've installed several aftermarket H/U in my time. Assuming the new unit will fit okay (a lot of newer cars have nonstandard openings), it's nothing a novice can't handle.

 

[thomsbrain]

I think you can do it as long as you have instructions for how to take apart the necessary interior pieces and have the appropriate harness adapter. You'll need to do connect up a ton of wires to the harness adapter, but any computer geek will find that easy enough. Usually the harness and faceplate adapter (if necessary) are available at crutchfield.com or most electronics stores. If you buy from crutchfield, they give you instructions for your car for free, although some googling could probably turn up instructions for most cars, too.

In short, I think you can do it!

 

[Jschmuck2]

Hmph - would that involve splicing bare wires together or is there a premade wiring harness I can just pop in?

 

[QueBert]

You can get a wire harness, while it's not absolutely needed. I wouldn't want to do a HU installation without one. It makes things MUCH easier, and much quicker.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Where's the best place to get one quebert? The hu is being purchased from
amazon but so far, that's all we've got.

 

[Arkaign]

I'd look for a local place, around DFW we have a chain called 'Car Toys'. It's nice to be able to grill the experts there, as well as trade/exchange if you need to a bit easier.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Good advice.

Skim this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ME8UuEFWjmI

Jesus - it's a three parter - that seems like an awful lot of trouble to replace a damn stereo. Although that's a video for an '04 and I'm dealing with an '03.

I apologize for my complete and utter noobishness. Call me names if you must.

 

[QueBert]

Being a noob and asking tons of questions is better than thinking you can do it yourself. Once you've done it, it's really not that hard. But the first time can be a bitch. You want to do it right, I paid somebody to install a HU for me about 5 years ago. It seemed to work fine, but it was constantly draining my battery. By the time I had figured out what was wrong my battery had balloned up and was close to bursting.

Ask questions, watch videos, take your time. best advice I can give you. As to where to get the harness, I'd just go to Best Buy or a local stereo shop. They're not teribly expensive even at a big chain. The installers at a Best Buy might even be able to give you some tips. They're not the greatest installers in the world, but they generally know a decent amount.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Thanks que in re: the harness though - is that just a plug and play sort of deal or will I have to connect bare wire to bare wire or will the harness just pop in?

 

[The J]

When I bought me head unit from Crutchfield, they sent me a harness with bare wires on the end. The head unit came with its own harness--also with bare wires. The one for the head unit plugs into the head unit, of course, and the one from Crutchfield plugs into the original harness that was for the factory stereo. I soldered the wires together, though I think you can buy special splice connectors for solder-free wiring.

 

[QueBert]

Thanks que in re: the harness though - is that just a plug and play sort of deal or will I have to connect bare wire to bare wire or will the harness just pop in?

You'll have to splice the old wires and connect them to the harness, they'll include a pin out diagram. It's not difficult, will just take some time. Without a harness it will be a bitch to do, it can be done but it's not fun.

If I'm wrong somebody correct me, I only have installed head units in my 2 Tauruses so it might vary for other makes of cars (doubt it though)

 

[PricklyPete]

I haven't read this post, but I recently replaced the HU in my wife's '04 Civic a few months before she totaled it. It was extremely easy. Do yourself a favor and just order from Crutchfield. Not only will they send you instructions with everything you need, but they will include a faceplate and wiring harness as well for "free". You can also call them up and they will walk you through any questions you have..and their support is fantastic. Their prices may be a bit higher than Amazon, Ebay, or wherever...but it is worth every penny...especially if you are not experienced in installing one.

 

[AMCRambler]

Check out Installdr.com. Sometimes they have a nice detailed how to depending on what year your car is. It looks like the Civic stuff goes up to 2000, but if they didn't change the dashboard design it will be the same.

http://www.installdr.com/InstallDocs/Honda/Civic.html

For a harness adapter and face plate I like Crutchfield. You might be able to get it cheaper elsewhere but I've never gone wrong with Crutchfield. Other places have messed me up.

And yes you can do it. Just take your time and be careful. The dashboard plastics are fragile and a lot of times are held in with clips that require you to put force at the right spot to pop them loose otherwise you'll crack the plastic. So feel your way along. If it feels like it's taking too much force to pop something off, you're probably not prying at the right spot. Getting it apart is the hardest part. Putting it back together is a snap because the clips allow you to pop it back in.

 

[Zap]

What are the odds that someone with little to no car audio installation experience (but is moderately handy otherwise) can pull off an aftermarket head unit install?

I did, once. 1998 Ford Contour SVT. Bought the HU at Crutchfield and they sent a "free" wiring harness with it, plus some radio pullers (whatever those wire things are called to remove a HU). Was reasonably easy, but still took me way longer than it would have taken someone more experienced. I also tried to install new speakers into the door using some Metra 5x7-to-6½ adapters, but that failed because the adapters were off a hair on one end. Ended up spending several hours futzing with it.

 

[zerocool84]

Search the Honda forums for tips on how to do it. I'm sure there are walkthroughs on the many Honda forums on how to disassemble the dash. It's actually very easy.

 

[yhelothar]

I did it for my miata.
The hardest part is knowing how to take apart the dash.

 

[BassBomb]

I did it for my miata.
The hardest part is knowing how to take apart the dash.

Not knowing how (because crutchfield will give you the info, or its easy to find) but taking it apart without leaving a scratch or scuff is the hardest part IMO

I had a hard time programming the aftermarket unit to keep using my steering wheel controls

 

[AMCRambler]

I did, once. 1998 Ford Contour SVT. Bought the HU at Crutchfield and they sent a "free" wiring harness with it, plus some radio pullers (whatever those wire things are called to remove a HU). Was reasonably easy, but still took me way longer than it would have taken someone more experienced. I also tried to install new speakers into the door using some Metra 5x7-to-6½ adapters, but that failed because the adapters were off a hair on one end. Ended up spending several hours futzing with it.

My Contour was one of the easiest stereo installs I ever did. The stock unit is a single din and the dash accepts the aftermarket stereo without any extra adapters. You don't even have to take the dash apart to do it. You just make the special tools out of pieces of coat hanger, poke it in the holes on the stock deck, push them outward as you pull and the deck comes right out. Plug your harness and your new stereo in, slide it into the slot and you're done.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

Crutchfield usually sends adapter kits for free when someone buys a HU which is cool. Ease depends on what car you are installing it into. Some cars allow you to just use a molex type of adapter thing and avoid soldering. I solder my speakers if possible just because it's a better connection, but I wouldn't want to solder in the console on a newer car.

 

[PhoKingGuy]

You can totally do it. I put a radio in my GFs 2001 Accord with no problems at all, all I did was find some PDF online with some pictures of how to do it and went from there. I just disconnected the negative terminal, popped off the dash trim, plugged in the harness, routed the ipod cable, then reassembled. Couldn't have been easier and your ego gets a huge boost from doing it successfully.

I bought the honda harness and dash kit off of ebay and wired it to the pioneer harness that came with the radio, some wire cutters and crimps and I had a perfect harness in 15 minutes. Crutchfield is expensive but they make it easier with you, I had a friend who worked at bestbuy get the head unit for me with a fatty employee discount.

 

[jlee]

Not knowing how (because crutchfield will give you the info, or its easy to find) but taking it apart without leaving a scratch or scuff is the hardest part IMO

I had a hard time programming the aftermarket unit to keep using my steering wheel controls

Flat screwdriver wrapped in electrical tape.

 

[Jschmuck2]

Flat screwdriver wrapped in electrical tape.

Really? Does that work? Clever idea if it does.