Da ESSSQ Bettle: Hi-Fi's Girlfriends 2002 VW Beetle GLS Install

As I'm sure some of you are aware I purchased a Clarion FZ150 Mechless HU last year and well it started shitting the bed a couple weeks ago. Volume would go up and down erratically, it wouldn't always read from the SD card or switch modes. So after a few weeks of trying to fix it I said screw it and decided to replace it with a new non-clarion HU. I eventually settled on a Sony MEX-N4000BT due to it's low price (new in box for $80) and that it has T/A, 10 band eq, HP/LP filters, and 2 RCA out pairs for future expansion. So after helping a friend do a tune up on his car earlier in the day I set to work on installing the new HU. Which turned out to be a royal pain in the ass.


Clarion:
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Sony:
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So after helping a friend do a tune up on his car earlier in the day I set to work on installing the new HU. Which turned out to be a royal pain in the ass.


Seeing as I had installed the clarion the smart way I just needed to attach the sony harness to the adapter harness with crip barrels and after 15 minutes of swearing at failed crimps it's done
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I get the old radio pulled out and fight with the factory harness and connect it up to the adapter harness and realize that there is not enough space for the new HU to fit with the way the harness it routed.

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Fast forward 10 minutes and I realize that this isn't happening to night, I need to take the center dash appart to reroute the factory harness so that the Sony will fit. Well looks like I'll be spending tomorow knee deep in beetle goo, but as they say their are more promising things on the horizon for those who are patient.

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installs like that will make a man out of ya, or a more patient man anyway. goodluck with it. sad when you have what should be quality gear that goes to the grave early in life

It was only 70 bucks and sonic is giving me it as a credit so that will cover the PPI Phantom comps I'm thinking of installing in it this spring. Also, the fact that the sony has a decent little DSP in it means that I don't need a standalone when I get an amp for her.

G'Luck with this, hope it is worth all the PIA trials & tribulations.

Awesome sauce sir! Can't wait to hear yours and hers thoughts on that Sony.

What's a Bettle?

Is this flower mobile coming down to NC this spring?

Before I start let me post some pics of the car, cause I took some for some reason.

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Ok now lets get to down to business. First I need to remove this panel at the top to get access to the first set of screws holding the center pod to the dash. You just slide it forward then use a nylon trim tool to push it the rest of the way then pull up and remove.

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and here are the two screws.

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next you'll need to remove these two by the radio (if you haven't already)

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and to make life easier you should remove the panic bar on the dash, just pop the plastic covers off the ends with a pry tool and remove the two T30 screws.

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Ok with that done you can move down to the bottom pod that houses the seat heater switches and hazard switch. There are two T20 screws holding it in on the underside. I got carried away and didn't take pics until after it was pulled but it was simple enough, just push the switches out the front of the pod to disconnect them from their harnesses, and yes I am in my pajamas. :p

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and here are the last two screws the VW service manual showed, which resulted me in wasting 10 minutes to remove the glove box to see if there were and screws behind where the trim meets the edge of the pod. after that "fun" I found that there were two scews on the under side of the center pod that were still holding it to the dash, so after removing them and getting the Pod out finally I had to put the glove box back in. :shootme:

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Yay, the bastard is finally out and look at all the space where VW could have routed that harness to avoid this problem.

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and now to take the pod to the bench to fix another issue, that it is a nats ass too narrow to fit the HU witht he cage that would keep it secure, luckily I have a dremel. :heh:

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Problem solved. :D

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and all buttoned back up. Oh wait I forgot something!

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That's better.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hi-FiDelity

Ok, That's better.

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Birds FTW !