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Installing a car stereo can seem daunting to even the most avid car enthusiast. But it doesn’t need to be!
As we walk through how to install a car stereo, we explain the process step-by-step, including the tools and materials you need as well as some helpful tips in case you get stuck.
So strap in and read on to learn how to install your car stereo with confidence.
Pulling Out the Old Stereo
Considerations for Old Factory Stereos
Wiring a New Car Stereo
Mounting the Car Stereo in the Dashboard
Review Your Wiring for Errors
Before installing your new car stereo, there are a few essential steps to ensure that your installation is smooth and injury-free. Ensure that your vehicle is in Park, the emergency brake is on, and let us help you get prepped to install your car stereo.
The equipment you will need to install your new car stereo depends on the make and model of your vehicle. Adapt this general list of tools and materials to your car and collect what you need before getting ready to disconnect the battery.
Screwdrivers (usually Phillips – see Bolted-In Stereos below)
Wrench or socket set (for the battery cable)
Din tools or alternative (see Stereos with Spring-Mounted Clips below)
Car trim removal tool or non-metallic pry bar
Wiring harness OR soldering equipment OR crimping equipment (See Connecting the Wires below)
Protective gloves (as needed)
Mounting kit (as needed – see Mounting the Car Stereo in the Dashboard)
An essential safety precaution is to disconnect the battery before installing a new car head unit. Unscrew the nuts on the negative and positive battery terminals, ensuring that they do not come into contact with one another or any metallic surfaces.
Removing the Stereo Trim
The stereo trim is a piece of plastic, usually attached with bolts or screws, covering your radio head unit. After removing the bolts, the trim should pop off, so be sure to check for extra fasteners you may have missed if it does not.
Manufacturers sometimes place screws out of sight by fastening the trim at the bottom. A screwdriver can loosen the trim if it sticks over time. Once removed, place the stereo trim to the side to be reattached after installing the new stereo.
New cars may differ and sometimes use the entire dashboard panel to shield the radio rather than a small piece of trim.
The dash panel is much more difficult to remove and usually needs to be popped off by prying the panel open. Using a screwdriver or metal object as a pry bar may damage the car. In these cases, it is best to use a plastic or nylon bar to slowly pry the dashboard panel back while being careful not to exert too much pressure.
Removing the Old Stereo
It is important to remember that not all head units are the same when you want to install a car stereo. In older cars particularly, electronics and wiring may look substantially different and can be attached differently than common modern practice.
Stereos with Spring-Mounted Clips
Stereos with spring-mounted clips usually need to be removed using din tools. Din tools insert into clips on each side of the old stereo until the unit clicks and is ready to be pulled out. The clips are usually located in two slots and are only accessible by something long and thin. Some newer vehicles include four slots, or holes, with two on each side instead of one.
You may have to purchase a wiring harness if the old stereo does not use spring-mounted clips. Wiring harnesses are discussed further below in Connecting the Wires.
When you install a car head unit, you may also be dealing with bolted-in stereos. Bolted-in head units are usually attached with four Phillips screws which fasten directly to the dash. After removing the trim, you should be able to see if your car stereo attaches to the dashboard using screws. If it does, unscrew the screws on the head unit and pull it forward.
Pulling Out the Old Stereo
After pulling the stereo unit forward, you should see it is wired inside the dashboard. There should be at least one connector, or wiring harness, among the bunch of wires, sometimes called a pigtail. Grab both sides of the connector and pull it to detach the wiring. If a tab or mechanism holds the connector or place, you may need to use your screwdriver to release it.
Considerations for Old Factory Stereos
Some older vehicle manufacturers mounted the original factory radios to guide rails. You should remove these guide rails as they can get in the way of installing your new stereo. However, remember that removing the guide rail means reinstalling the original factory is no longer a possibility.
Old and classic cars built before the 1980s sometimes included shaft-style car radios secured by nuts in their left and right knobs. The wiring may prove more challenging in these older models as heating and ductwork can get in the way but some replacement stereos still fit.
Wiring a New Car Stereo
When connecting the wires to your new car heat unit, ensure that you know which color wire represents which connection. A clear understanding of the wires and connections in your car is essential for an easy and safe install of a new stereo.
There are several different options for connecting your new car stereo wires, but it can be challenging to know which one is the best method to use in your situation.
A wiring harness is often a helpful tool for connecting the wires of your new car head unit, especially if you are new to car wiring.
Custom wiring harnesses exist for some specific car models. These custom harnesses can make your wiring go much smoother and faster if they are available, while also ensuring all parts are working correctly. Wiring harnesses typically include wiring diagrams for connecting the harness to the stereo and the stereo to the car.
If you do not have a wiring harness or the original factory stereo pigtail was removed, wiring your new stereo is likely to be more challenging. In these situations, it is necessary to identify and connect the new stereo wires with corresponding car stereo wires.
These bare wires need to be fastened together, but it is best to avoid electrical tape if possible. Electrical tape will dry up and fall off over time but can offer temporary support when crimping or soldering the wires.
To crimp your wires, you can use several types of connectors, including bullet and butt connectors, if the gauge is correct. Most factory stereo wires are a lighter, 18-gauge, but some ground and power wires use a heavier gauge which may require a different connector.
Before crimping, ensure that you slide heat-shrink tubing over the wires so that you can use it for insulation after they are connected. Once the wires are crimped together, slide the heat-shrink tubing over the newly crimped connection and use the heat gun to shrink the tubing and insulate the wire.
Using solder to join your car stereo wires is often considered a superior method for joining wires to your new car radio. Soldering eliminates the risk that wires will come apart over time when done correctly. The result is a permanent connection that ensures the highest transfer of electrical current.
Under the soldering method, a soldering iron melts solder onto the wiring ends and joins them together. Before joining the two wires, slide heat-shrink tubing over the wire as if you were crimping. After soldering the connection, slide the heat-shrink tubing over the new joint and use a heat gun to shrink the tubing and insulate the connection.
You may also wish to consider some modern, innovative, product-based alternatives to connecting wires by soldering or crimping. Some companies have launched trademark connectors that use a twist-on connection for wiring and eliminate some of the more challenging aspects of other methods of connecting wires together.
Connecting the Power Wires
When installing your car head unit, you must determine whether your car uses a switched or constant power source. Usually, power can be connected to the head unit using a wiring harness, but some models may require connecting the new stereo directly to the power source. As a result, you need to know which power source your stereo uses to wire it correctly.
If your stereo uses switched power wiring, it will only turn on when your ignition is on. Connect the switched power wire, which is usually red, to the corresponding switched power source in your vehicle. This connection ensures that the radio turns off when the car is off and preserves your battery.
If your vehicle uses constant power wiring, your new stereo receives steady power, not just intermittent power when the car is running. These wires are usually yellow and help preserve radio presets and clock settings when the vehicle is off.
Attaching the Ground Wire
The next step during install of a car head unit is to attach the ground wire which establishes a good ground connection and can improve stereo performance. If you are not using a wiring harness, look for an unpainted screw or bolt that touches the metal of your car’s frame.
Ground wires are often black and will slip under the unpainted screw or bolt after you loosen it. Once attached, tighten the bolt to ensure it remains in contact with the bare metal needed for your new stereo to work correctly.
Connecting the Speaker Wire
The number of speaker wires can vary quite a lot from vehicle to vehicle, depending on the age and model of the car.
Typical, four-speaker systems use eight wires with two connections (positive and negative) for each speaker, front and back, left and right. A custom wiring harness can also prove helpful in this situation as some of these eight wires may not be used depending on your car’s current and previous configurations.
Mounting the Car Stereo in the Dashboard
Now that the wiring is complete, the next step to install a car stereo is to mount the stereo in the dash. While this may seem straightforward relative to the wiring, this is another step where you need to exercise caution and check over your work to ensure it is correct.
If the old factory stereo was bolted-in, you may need to remove the mounting brackets from the dash and attach them to the new stereo first. Removing the mounting brackets is rarely required, and it is more likely that you will need a new mounting kit.
If you purchase a new mounting kit, follow the instructions included in the kit to mount your new stereo. The kit usually installs into the dashboard first before the new stereo’s metal mounting sleeve slides into the dash and is secured by bending metal retaining tabs to lock the unit place.
Alternatively, some mounting kits attach to the new head unit first before securing both to the dash, so be sure to review the directions beforehand.
Review Your Wiring for Errors
Before fastening your new car head unit into place, it is helpful to test everything first to ensure it is working. To test your work, you will first need to reconnect the battery, so ensure that your connections and car are safe and clear of hazards before you do so.
After reattaching the battery, turn on your vehicle and test each new stereo function, including the AM/FM radio, CD player, and other inputs. If everything is working correctly, you can finish installing your car stereo into the dashboard and securing any pieces of the dash or trim that you removed.
In this guide to how to install a car stereo, we outlined all the materials, processes, and tips you could need to install your car head unit. Hopefully, this guide equipped you with the knowledge and skills you need to wire your new stereo with confidence and keep you moving with unparalleled sound every time.
If you’ve got any question, don’t hold back, comments are open!
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I’m Robert, a US-based auto electrician, auto mechanic, trained engineer and fanatic about all things motor vehicle. After studying engineering in college I returned to my original passion - car mechanics - and I ran a garage for a number of years serving my local community. Through my garage, I got involved in numerous road safety campaigns in my local area until eventually, I decided to share what I've learned with the world. Know more about me... You can follow me on LinkedIn.