Changing the head unit?

[Shabs]

So I am not really into ICE and associated things, I like car radios that turn on and make music. Anyway, my BMW radio connects to my iPod and I like this. My Lotus radio does not and this is bad. I spent around 3 hours today putting MP3s onto a SD card and putting that in my Lotus's radio and it doesn't work, so I am pissed orf and am going to buy a head unit that does everything and get it put into the Lotus, I'm thinking something like this:

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/alpine-ida-x305s.h...

Question is, how do I put it into the car? FFS I stared at the head unit for hours today and have no idea how to even start taking it out. Also, given they are different brands, I am guessing that the little plugs at the back will be different as well. Any idea as to how to do this or who to pay and how much it will cost?

Cheers

Shabs

[VerySideways]

Car stereos usually come out with pins that slot down the side.

The stereo usually has a harness that ends in ISO connector blocks or a vehicle specific wiring loom, you then buy a suitable replacement headunit and if necessary a vehicle specific ISO harness.

It's EASY! or go to Halfords and get them to fit it for you for £20 or so.

[Cas_P]

What's in the lotus? alpine have little pins at the side (when you take the face off) that you can push up with a pen and it releases the unit and others you need removal pins for that go into either side of the unit and you use them to pull it out. You can get these from halfords, I generally just go in and ask them to come and pull it out for me rather than having to pay for pins I'm going to use once and they do this for free, done it loads without fail.

Some connectors are widely used and will be a simple plug and play but others will be different though you can easily get adaptors for these (also at halfords) as long as no one has previously gotten chop happy with the wires. It's really a lot easier than it seems and a lot of the time it is a case of pulling it out unplugging it and plugging the new one in...the pain in the arse is usually pushing all the wires in out of the way enough to push the new unit in...which is just fiddly not complicated...

HTH

[Conian]

VerySideways said:

or go to Halfords and get them to fit it for you for £20 or so.

Halfords is £40.00 and when you see what work is involved you will wish you didnt bother.

They will:

Use the 2 pins to remove stereo
Unplug the 2 ISO connectors
Install new cage (push into hole and bend the tabs)
Plug ISO connectors into new stereo
Push stereo into cage

Plus the person doing this will be aged 12 and you'll feel like crap that a child could do something you could do.

[VerySideways]

Conian said:

VerySideways said:

or go to Halfords and get them to fit it for you for £20 or so.

Halfords is £40.00 and when you see what work is involved you will wish you didnt bother.

They will:

Use the 2 pins to remove stereo
Unplug the 2 ISO connectors
Install new cage (push into hole and bend the tabs)
Plug ISO connectors into new stereo
Push stereo into cage

Plus the person doing this will be aged 12 and you'll feel like crap that a child could do something you could do.

Have you got selective reading? I thought i'd made it pretty clear that i thought it was easy, but some people simply don't want to do this stuff themselves (or not the first time at least).

VerySideways said:

Car stereos usually come out with pins that slot down the side.

The stereo usually has a harness that ends in ISO connector blocks or a vehicle specific wiring loom, you then buy a suitable replacement headunit and if necessary a vehicle specific ISO harness.

It's EASY! or go to Halfords and get them to fit it for you for £20 or so.

[Conian]

OK here is what you do...

Go to Halfords, pay £40.00 but dont view it as '40 to fit a stereo' as you will come away feeling utterly conned having seen what it involves.

Go sit in your car and watch them do it, and pay £40 to learn how have it done and at the same time learning how it's done I'm sure the kid doing it will be happy to talk it through as he goes.

(am being sincere here)

[VerySideways]

Good idea

[Shabs]

Awesome thanks guys, going now (wife wants to get plants and Guildford B&Qis next to Halfords )

[Shabs]

OK, so now I have done research (powerful stuff) and have decided that I am going to try to do this alone first, if it doesn't work, I'll pay one of you guys (or buy you beer or something). I mean seriously, if the kid I spoke to at Halfords (probably was 12) can do this, anybody can, it's a pride thing, I will not be beaten by the Halfords kid!

Does anybody have recommendations as to what head unit is best for an iPod?

Thanks

Sabs

[Super Veloce]

What Lotus is this? they are usually on ISO connections with a DIN cage?

pop up the details I should be able to help...

used to work for Car Audio Direct, and Alpine....

Dave

[VerySideways]

Dave (Super Veloce) could install a telly and surround sound in your car if you want, he's an in-car genius.

But if you get stuck with swapping the head units i'm happy to help too

[Super Veloce]

VerySideways said:

Dave (Super Veloce) could install a telly and surround sound in your car if you want, he's an in-car genius.

But if you get stuck with swapping the head units i'm happy to help too

Cheers Pete!

(p.s. when the 330 is back Im looking into a champers Fridge.... )

[Shabs]

Awesome thanks guys. I spent post hoon Sunday looking into this and my research has proven fruitful

So it is a Blaupunkt unit, the Woodstock 54(something) - essentially an antique and it may as well be carved out of wood . It appears (from the pictures) that it is in the usual little metal cage thing and that you need a tool that looks like two stiff metal wire "U" shaped things to get it out, I hear coat hangers work well. I think I am up for this, if I get stuck, Pete expect a

Question on the new head unit, I think I want an Alpine one, can I just buy any single DIN (not sure what that actually means but I think it refers to the thin, normal looking ones and not the bigger ones) Alpine unit and it will just plug in?

Thanks for the help

Shabs

[VerySideways]

If it doesn't just plug in you will need to pop to Halfords or a stereo shop and get the appropriate cable for your car.

For example:
Take out Lotus stereo
Go to Halfords and get a Lotus-to-ISO convertor - plug this in.
Install metal cage for new Alpine stereo
Plug in Alpine ISO connections in to ISO convertor (as above)
Make sure it all works
Slide Alpine unit into metal cage
Make sure it still works

Halfords, and most car stereo places, stock the usual manufacturer-to-ISO convertors.
Plenty on ebay too.

If you'd feel more comfortable with help "on hand" you're more then welcome to come to my house - there is a Halfords a mile away.

[johnvthe2nd]

you can buy the 2 wire removal thingies from halfords for a couple of quid, and will save any damage to the radio

[Super Veloce]

Shabs said:

Awesome thanks guys. I spent post hoon Sunday looking into this and my research has proven fruitful

So it is a Blaupunkt unit, the Woodstock 54(something) - essentially an antique and it may as well be carved out of wood . It appears (from the pictures) that it is in the usual little metal cage thing and that you need a tool that looks like two stiff metal wire "U" shaped things to get it out, I hear coat hangers work well. I think I am up for this, if I get stuck, Pete expect a

Question on the new head unit, I think I want an Alpine one, can I just buy any single DIN (not sure what that actually means but I think it refers to the thin, normal looking ones and not the bigger ones) Alpine unit and it will just plug in?

Thanks for the help

Shabs

Ok this is easy...


U shapped pins you can use 4 small allen keys, or buy them with the Alpine HERE
The proper pins have small tabs in them to make it easier to pull the stereo out, for 2.99 best to order


The Lotus Elise will have ISO wiring (see vauxhall parts bin) and is standard DIN size like the Alpine... see easy


The Alpine will have an ISO loom, the only thing you need to check is the ingnition live... still easy as there will be bullet connectors on the red and yellow cables on the Alpine loom.

Install the stereo (wiring only) and before you put in in the dash programme a radio station. then turn off the ignition remove the key count to ten and turn it back on. if the preset stays put the stereo in the dash, if not swap the red and yellow then put the stereo in the dash.

Really easy on those just pe patient feeding the wiring into the dash slowly, lessons learnt.

There we go the beginners guide to Lotus stereo fitting....

Dave

[Super Veloce]

VerySideways said:

If it doesn't just plug in you will need to pop to Halfords or a stereo shop and get the appropriate cable for your car.

For example:
Take out Lotus stereo
Go to Halfords and get a Lotus-to-ISO convertor - plug this in.
Install metal cage for new Alpine stereo
Plug in Alpine ISO connections in to ISO convertor (as above)
Make sure it all works
Slide Alpine unit into metal cage
Make sure it still works

Halfords, and most car stereo places, stock the usual manufacturer-to-ISO convertors.
Plenty on ebay too.

If you'd feel more comfortable with help "on hand" you're more then welcome to come to my house - there is a Halfords a mile away.

Pete, Please stop swearing, there are so many better places than Helfrauds... sorry but there are, theres and entire industry for this stuff...

John Kleis
Oxford Car Audio
Car Audio Direct.

Helfrauds

[VerySideways]

[Super Veloce]

VerySideways said:

[Shabs]

Super and Very - thanks a million, I am buying the following unit now:

http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/alpine-ida-x313.ht...

and will be in contact re fitting if I have issues