DEFENDER2.NET - View topic - Help with fitting a new head unit please? [Solved]

↓ Advertise on Defender2 ↓

Home · FAQ · New Posts · My Posts · PMs · Search · Members · Map · Calendar · Profile · Donate · Register · Log In

Home > In Car Electronics > Help with fitting a new head unit please? [Solved]

Page 2 of 2

Print this entire topic ·

bluebottle

Member Since: 08 May 2015
Location: Not in my Landy enough!
Posts: 705

Gentlemen,

Thanks for your help - and words of encouragement. I plucked up the confidence to just try it myself.

First problem solved was the cage - it does fit, I had a tab bent slightly out of true and it was catching on the underside where I couldn't see it. Fortunately I discovered this before I got the knives out!

Once the cage was in I was amazed at how sturdy it turned out to be with a few bits of bent tin holding it steady.

I routed the mic to the A pillar (discovering in the process that a previous owner hadn't been entirely careful with counting the screws out and back in again when removing the dash top at some point) and tested everything. I don't know how effective it will be with a TD5 at full chat less than two feet away but apparently the sound quality is great with the engine off...

So here it is:

Click image to enlarge

24th Jun 2015 5:45pm

Martin
Site Admin

Member Since: 02 Apr 2007
Location: Hook Norton
Posts: 6610

2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Montalcino Red

Nice work

1988 90 Td5 NAS soft top

2015 D90 XS SW

24th Jun 2015 9:48pm

Clive

Member Since: 21 Mar 2014
Location: Littleborough
Posts: 467

2004 Defender 90 Td5 X-Tech LE Zambezi Silver

Glad you got it sorted

Liking the display colour of the new head unit too, should go well with the instrument displays.

25th Jun 2015 7:24am

C90

Member Since: 19 Nov 2024
Location: Essex
Posts: 17

Ten years later nearly, I am having the exact same problem. Pioneer aftermarket head unit but the holding cage doesn't fit within the slot that the factory headunit came out of!!

Tempted to dremel the slot a little bit bigger but was hoping for someone to give me an obvious solution that I hadn't thought of.

19th Nov 2024 6:59pm

C90

Member Since: 19 Nov 2024
Location: Essex
Posts: 17

I was hoping that I had a tab slightly bent out too so just tried again and that isn't the case for me but I can see that on either side there is a metal plate stuck on which I guess holds in the factory one in that reduces the size of the recess by a mm or two each side. This is what's stopping my cage going in! I have no idea how to get them off. Sleep on it and come back with fresh eyes tomorrow.

19th Nov 2024 8:04pm

landy andy

Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
Posts: 5725

2006 Defender 110 Td5 USW Zermatt Silver

A small metal plate each side??

I don’t recall that on the fascia. Got a pic?

19th Nov 2024 8:18pm

swt

Member Since: 24 Aug 2018
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 163

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey

My 2008 has a little metal clip on each side of the radio aperture. You can relatively easily prise them off with a small screwdriver to make the aperture marginally wider, or to allow more significant enlargement work if required. If you don't alter the plastic surround, the same clips can be put back on when you install a head unit which is a more comfortable fit.

I seem to remember that they aren't shown as a separate part, just part of the centre panel, but I may be wrong about that.

19th Nov 2024 9:18pm

C90

Member Since: 19 Nov 2024
Location: Essex
Posts: 17

Thank you for your help so far fellas!

I actually did exactly that this morning, took a little screw driver out and popped the clips off thinking I'd cracked it. Tried again and the poxy thing still doesn't fit. Proper WTF moment, I have fitted a million steroes into cars in the past and they always just slide in (that's Land Rover for you I guess

)

I REALLY don't want to cut anything away, thinking about returning the Pioneer that I have and buying a factory Alpine from the 2.2 and hope that fits in perfectly.

Here's some pics

Click image to enlarge

20th Nov 2024 11:08am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20441

I took those off mine too along time ago, it’s hard to notice those are there but will crush the din cage in and make it too tight a fit if they aren’t taken out.

They blend in very well to the dash edges you’d hardly notice they are there until the din cage is difficult to fit in. $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R
🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪

20th Nov 2024 11:34am

swt

Member Since: 24 Aug 2018
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 163

Circa 2009 I fitted a JVC head unit that was marginally too wide, even with the metal clips removed. I just gently and evenly ground down the plastic on either side with a dremel until it fitted. It only took a miniscule amount and could equally have been achieved with sandpaper.

12 years later when I came to fit a new head unit the aperture was bigger than really necessary. It could probably have managed with the bendy fixings on the single DIN cage, but I had acquired a spare centre panel by this time, so just swapped that in (complete with little metal clips!).

20th Nov 2024 10:04pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20441

Yes very true, there is some fine differences there so any plastic material removed, you can’t go back so be very cautious doing that and keeping the clips is worthwhile.
If you need to find them years later that might be a bit more difficult though.

$W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R
🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪

21st Nov 2024 9:55am

C90

Member Since: 19 Nov 2024
Location: Essex
Posts: 17

I just went back to try again one last time before I did the deadly deed and started removing plastic, which I REALLY did not want to do.

Whether it was something to do with a change in temperature, because I was trying again in daylight or if I was just being a K110B (or all three), with a bit of a waggle but surprisingly easier than expected it blooming fitted this time!!

So... I am now sorted without tampering with the hole (so to speak).

Click image to enlarge

25th Nov 2024 2:10pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20441

$W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R
🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪

25th Nov 2024 6:15pm

swt

Member Since: 24 Aug 2018
Location: Cumbria
Posts: 163

Something very familiar about that "wasted a whole afternoon and then the following morning it all just worked first time" feeling!

25th Nov 2024 8:37pm

Page 2 of 2

All times are GMT

Jump to

< Previous Topic | Next Topic >

Posting Rules

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum