How do I get the head unit out without the tools?

[E30Nova]

Aftermarket head units. I had two sets of those stupid little tab thingies that you put on each side of the head unit to pull it out but I can't find them. Any ideas on what I can use? I tried googling but evidently I fail at that right now.

Matt

[StereoInstaller1]

WHAT afermarket deck?

[E30Nova]

Thought they were all the same, my bad. It's an Alpine CDA-9857.



And lol at Alpine's subliminal message on the head unit. :rofl:

Matt

[ethrty]

with a BFH.

seriously though... piss easy on an E30. ill PM you though.. that sort of thing shouldnt be posted on the internet for security reasons

andy

[accident]

pretty much any metal shim on the sides should work, as long as they fit down the channel, then you just pull the deck forward

[KenC]

Jam a butter knife in on both sides. Pulls right out.

[KenC]

Jam a butter knife in on both sides. Pulls right out.

[StereoInstaller1]

Jam a butter knife in on both sides. Pulls right out.

Jam a butter knife in on both sides. Pulls right out.

[accident]

Jam a butter knife in on both sides. Pulls right out.

Jam a butter knife in on both sides. Pulls right out.

Jam a butter knife in on both sides. Pulls right out.

Jam a butter knife in on both sides. Pulls right out.

[NeoMishMoo]

You can also pop out the OBC/analog clock and see the right tab. Too bad the crack heads that broke into my car didn't have butter knives or common sense. You could do like they did and just punch at the heat controls until the plastic breaks and then rip the whole thing out.

[E30Nova]

lawl

My friend came by the day I made this thread and gave me the tools to remove the head unit.

Thanks, though.

Matt

[hoseklamp]

Jam a butter knife in on both sides. Pulls right out.

[Gruelius]

i just use chicken skewers lol

thats why i dont like aftermarket headunits, so easy for someone to steal :(

in my daily the headunit is screwed in behind the faceplate so it would need a fair bit of effort to steal.

[AndrewBird]

If someone is going to steal it, I'd rather have it easier to pull out so they don't fuck up my dash. Replacing a stereo is pretty easy/cheap compared to having to replace your smashed in center console/dash.

[NeoMishMoo]

If someone is going to steal it, I'd rather have it easier to pull out so they don't fuck up my dash. Replacing a stereo is pretty easy/cheap compared to having to replace your smashed in center console/dash.

Unfortunately this is true. The first time my head unit was stolen I had recently been working on it and it was halfway hanging out, plus I left my door unlocked so they just opened the door and grabbed the unit. That was much easier to remedy than the second time.

in my daily the headunit is screwed in behind the faceplate so it would need a fair bit of effort to steal.

Wouldn't really take that much effort they could just snap the plastic all around the unit and it would come right out. What is your unit anchored into? The unit is screwed into its sleeve? Yeah the crackheads couldn't get mine out of its sleeve so they just smashed on it until it came out. Luckily I had a junk car to get the heater controls out of.

Couple hundred dollars to fix & replace everything for a stereo they'll hock for 25 bucks...