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View Full Version : E46 Radio and Climate Control Removal doityourself



az3579
02-03-2013, 05:50 PM
Tools needed:

1) Flat-head screwdriver
2) Phillips-head screwdriver
3) Patience



Procedure:

1. Take your flat-head screwdriver and gently pry up on your passenger-side dash trim piece in the location shown. Be very careful to not damage the trim piece as it is very expensive. It is recommended to put the screwdriver in the shown location and then pull up on it with your thumb on top of the blade so it doesn't slip. You may have to pull hard if you have fresher clips in there.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2488_zpsb73783a6.jpg

When you have that side up away from the dash, pry up on the rest of the trim piece with your hands and remove the trim.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2489_zps7ff055fb.jpg

Pry up on the metal pin holding the center dash trim piece in and remove it. Continue to pry up on the center trim and remove from the dash.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2490_zps495d8fd8.jpg

There are two Phillips screws on either side of the radio. Remove them.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2491_zpsbc1ad075.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2492_zpse943ad79.jpg

Pull the radio out. You can grab it with your fingers from the top right-hand corner above the AM/FM button and on the top left-hand corner diagonally to the left of the volume control knob. Pull straight out.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2493_zps18bf0e8e.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2495_zpsae9feaff.jpg

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2499_zps94052303.jpg

Take your flat-head screwdriver and push up on the black plastic connector of the wiring harness.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2503_zps2be8d6c2.jpg

It should come up about this much before it will just literally fall off the radio.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2506_zps2d403254.jpg

Disconnect the antenna cable.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2505_zps95acdf35.jpg

Radio is removed.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2511_zps4bdf31d3.jpg

To remove the climate control unit, just stick your hands behind it and push it out.
Alternatively, if you aren't removing the radio but only the climate control unit, you can stick a flat-head screwdriver on either side of the climate control and pry it out, side-by-side, until it's "out" enough to pull out. Don't worry too much about damaging your dash; it will have an imprint of the screwdriver for a few seconds but it will "fix" itself and go back to its original shape.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2513_zpsd77191c3.jpg

Remove the four connectors on the back of the climate control unit. The first plug (starting from the top of the pic) has a small tab you must press and just pull it right out. The second large white connector has a small tab in the middle. Press it in, and slide the black connector down to release the cable. The third one is a small black connector just pulls out, though you'll have to give it some force to release it. The last connector has a small tab you must push to be able to pull the connector out.
No need to label them as they only go into their respective spots.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2514_zpsee4ffb7f.jpg

Remove the unit.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2515_zps041dd458.jpg

To remove the sunglasses tray, just pop it out from behind with your hand.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa192/az3579/IMG_2516_zps34c59bb5.jpg


Done. As they say in the DIY world, installation is the reverse of removal.

Note: Putting the radio back in may prove to be a royal and massive PITA, purely because it's so easy for the wire bundle to be 'in the way' of the radio sliding fully back. While creating this DIY today, I must have removed and reinstalled the radio dozens of times over the course of a few hours trying to get the damned thing to sit fully back. Even now, though it's installed, it's still at the point where if I removed the screws, it would most likely pop out of its place, even though it looks fine right now externally. Be prepared to futz around with getting the wiring harness to sit just right to allow the radio to slide back in!

WOLFN8TR
02-03-2013, 06:26 PM
Nice write up!

:like

az3579
02-03-2013, 07:15 PM
Added a note at the end saying that reinstalling the radio was a massive pain in the ass.

:shifty

Tnhl1989
02-03-2013, 10:01 PM
Nicely done. I taken the radio apart so many times already. What's up with the worn zhp knob and two color trim Botond? :P

I got another knob that is in decent condition if you want :)

spoonerDee
02-04-2013, 05:33 AM
Very informative. Much appreciated.

az3579
02-04-2013, 01:26 PM
Nicely done. I taken the radio apart so many times already. What's up with the worn zhp knob and two color trim Botond? :P

I got another knob that is in decent condition if you want :)

My passenger dash trim piece broke like a sonofabizzle and it sticking out on the end pissed me off so I subbed in my old black cube to alleviate that problem.

Buying a new trim piece won't be in the budget for a long time. =(


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