DIY: Head unit install
10-05-2004
#1
Banned
Hey! Look At Me!! I'm a Supporting Member!!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: B.C., Canada
Age: 40
Posts: 51,077
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Rep Power: 761 
DIY: Head unit install
As this was long overdue, I decided to make a head unit install DIY for the 03-04 Civic. This may apply to other years as well, but AFAIK, it is only for the 03-04. This DIY was created using an 04 LX coupe.
NOTE: The first 3 pictures are for an install on an auto, the following 4 will be for an install on a 5 speed. After the first 3 steps for each, there are no differences.
1) Stick your hand under the trim ring and pull
2) The ring comes off easily
3) Stick your finger in the location shown and pull up HARD. It can be very stiff but it does come out. There is a hole there to stick your finger in and make it easier.
4) The console piece does come off but it can be a pain in the *** sometimes. If it seems stuck in one part, look very closely to where the clip is (the console piece will be cut out a little just above it), stick a very small screwdriver and try to push the clip out. It will come out eventually so be persistent.
NOTE: The following 3 steps are for an install on a 5 speed. Following these steps, starting at number one again are instructions that apply to both manual and auto.
1) This is what the 5 speed center console looks like
2) Pull up on the shifter console area like how I am in the picture. You want to pull from inside the shiftboot area. You may want to pull with both hands. One hand on the left side, and one on the right side. Its easier if you do it with both. The only reason I have one hand in the pic, is the simple fact I used the other to take the pic. After you pull the left and right sides up, the front and back should just come off. There is nothing but clips holding this area down.
3) You should be able to turn the area around the shifter sideways. Once this is done, you can follow the steps from the DIY for the auto, its exactly the same. As you can see in the pic, its not necessary to take off the shift ****.
NOTE: The remaining steps apply to both manual and automatic vehicles
1) Use a phillips head screwdriver to remove the 2 screws located near the cup holders on either side of the console
2) Stick your hand under the "horseshoe shaped piece" as shown and pull it out. It is simply held in by clips, 2 on each side. Pull the sides out first and then pull the entire piece out by pulling up and back. Unplug the cigarette lighter and set this piece aside.
3) This is what your dash should now look like, and you can start taking the head unit out.
4) Remove these 2 screws to allow you to take the panel containing your HVAC controls, hazard light and head unit to come out. You can use either a very short phillips head screwdriver or an 8mm socket and ratchet. I highly recommend the ratchet. One screw is in the center and one is towards the right, but they are up underneath the dash and you may have to get under there at a wierd angle to see them, but they are very easy to get out using a ratchet.
5) Stick your hand behind the metal bar that you just took the screws out of and push it kind of up and forward. The top of this bar is part of the panel containing the head unit and the bottom half is part of the car. Push on the bar so that the head unit pops out. It may be stiff if it hasn't been removed before but it does come out.
That's all there is to it, and reassembly is the exact opposite of disassembly.
If you get stuck, please feel free to post any questions in this thread.
NOTE: The first 3 pictures are for an install on an auto, the following 4 will be for an install on a 5 speed. After the first 3 steps for each, there are no differences.
1) Stick your hand under the trim ring and pull
2) The ring comes off easily
3) Stick your finger in the location shown and pull up HARD. It can be very stiff but it does come out. There is a hole there to stick your finger in and make it easier.
4) The console piece does come off but it can be a pain in the *** sometimes. If it seems stuck in one part, look very closely to where the clip is (the console piece will be cut out a little just above it), stick a very small screwdriver and try to push the clip out. It will come out eventually so be persistent.
NOTE: The following 3 steps are for an install on a 5 speed. Following these steps, starting at number one again are instructions that apply to both manual and auto.
1) This is what the 5 speed center console looks like
2) Pull up on the shifter console area like how I am in the picture. You want to pull from inside the shiftboot area. You may want to pull with both hands. One hand on the left side, and one on the right side. Its easier if you do it with both. The only reason I have one hand in the pic, is the simple fact I used the other to take the pic. After you pull the left and right sides up, the front and back should just come off. There is nothing but clips holding this area down.
3) You should be able to turn the area around the shifter sideways. Once this is done, you can follow the steps from the DIY for the auto, its exactly the same. As you can see in the pic, its not necessary to take off the shift ****.
NOTE: The remaining steps apply to both manual and automatic vehicles
1) Use a phillips head screwdriver to remove the 2 screws located near the cup holders on either side of the console
2) Stick your hand under the "horseshoe shaped piece" as shown and pull it out. It is simply held in by clips, 2 on each side. Pull the sides out first and then pull the entire piece out by pulling up and back. Unplug the cigarette lighter and set this piece aside.
3) This is what your dash should now look like, and you can start taking the head unit out.
4) Remove these 2 screws to allow you to take the panel containing your HVAC controls, hazard light and head unit to come out. You can use either a very short phillips head screwdriver or an 8mm socket and ratchet. I highly recommend the ratchet. One screw is in the center and one is towards the right, but they are up underneath the dash and you may have to get under there at a wierd angle to see them, but they are very easy to get out using a ratchet.
5) Stick your hand behind the metal bar that you just took the screws out of and push it kind of up and forward. The top of this bar is part of the panel containing the head unit and the bottom half is part of the car. Push on the bar so that the head unit pops out. It may be stiff if it hasn't been removed before but it does come out.
That's all there is to it, and reassembly is the exact opposite of disassembly.
If you get stuck, please feel free to post any questions in this thread.
Last edited by electric130; 09-28-2008 at 08:18 AM.
but thankx for the update on the sedan 
10-23-2004
#6
Registered!!
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 570
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rep Power: 0 Does everything lock in place nice when you reassemble it? I hate to take it all apart only to find that it is loose and ill fitting once it is put back together. Do the clips you mention have to be replaced once the part is removed? I ran into this on my old car once. The door panel clips were meant to be replaced once they were undone.
10-24-2004
#7
Banned
Hey! Look At Me!! I'm a Supporting Member!!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: B.C., Canada
Age: 40
Posts: 51,077
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Rep Power: 761 Yeah it all locks in
And no they don't have to be replaced. Sometimes they pop off and you cant find them, but if you have MOST of the clips, 1 or 2 don't matter. I stole a few odd clips from around my car when I needed them, but I eventually went to Honda and bought a whole bunch of em
And no they don't have to be replaced. Sometimes they pop off and you cant find them, but if you have MOST of the clips, 1 or 2 don't matter. I stole a few odd clips from around my car when I needed them, but I eventually went to Honda and bought a whole bunch of em
10-25-2004
#8
Registered!!
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rep Power: 0 
I just replaced my stock head unit this past weekend and it wasn't as hard as the pictures look. Hell, I did mine BEFORE I found this post. Very good post by the way... Everything just snaps back together.
10-28-2004
#11
Banned
Hey! Look At Me!! I'm a Supporting Member!!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: B.C., Canada
Age: 40
Posts: 51,077
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Rep Power: 761 You get an aftermarket wiring harness and wire it to your deck wiring harness based on the colors and then you just plug it in. Simple.
No, alarm or keyless do not require any extra parts
No, alarm or keyless do not require any extra parts
10-31-2004
#17
Registered!!
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 570
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rep Power: 0 One more thing...what will I need to make a clean install for a Nakamichi CD-400 head unit. Is it just a trim ring that covers the space around the unit? Crutchfield shows the whole bezel with the storage pocket and everything.
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Jz76wq7...=mounting+kits
I don't want to replace that. I want to keep the stock one with the door over the storage pocket. Does the unit fit with the factory bezel?
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Jz76wq7...=mounting+kits
I don't want to replace that. I want to keep the stock one with the door over the storage pocket. Does the unit fit with the factory bezel?
11-08-2004
#21
One Slow Civic.... But I can take turns pretty well :-)
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Wilkes-Barre, Pa
Age: 39
Posts: 1,121
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rep Power: 0 
EX and I don't have pics. All you need to do is pop the part that has the outlet off and then take the screws out. From your pics looks like you could have done the same. But oh well.
11-09-2004
#22
Banned
Hey! Look At Me!! I'm a Supporting Member!!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: B.C., Canada
Age: 40
Posts: 51,077
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Rep Power: 761 the part that has the outlet is the big long piece that stretches down the center console, so in actuality i DID do the same... you must have a different setup or something... different parts
The following users liked this post:
CivicHybrid03 (05-31-2020)
11-11-2004
#27
Banned
Hey! Look At Me!! I'm a Supporting Member!!
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: B.C., Canada
Age: 40
Posts: 51,077
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Rep Power: 761 i didnt take the center console out, as you can see from the pictures, I only removed 3 pieces that are part of the center console. there is no other way to install the deck other than removing those 3 parts
