installing head unit

[jimcav]

Getting ready to put a single din sony in a 1998 beetle any helpful hints, also what is the best install kit and wiring harness and where to buy.

Thanks
jim cav

[VW Lady Bug]

can't help too much with the technical end of things - but i just bought everything from circuit city on friday and they did the install for free in less than an hour and a half. good luck - the sony's seem to fit perfect too!

[apodaca]

If you've got the original HU in the car now, you need the removal keys to get the radio out. The best thing to do, (if you are not in a hurry) is to get everything on ebay.

Here is a link of someone selling everything you'll need in one kit.
http://cgi.ebay.com/VW-Volkswagen-Ne...QQcmdZViewItem

Wire harness, Ant adapter, and Mounting kit. Removal keys are about 5 bucks from this same guy. He actually included them free for my sale. All this for 23 bucks with shipping included. Compared to 50 bucks from what Circuit City quoted me. And the 50 did not include install. Seems like they hook some people up and others they shaft. After all the kit items were received, it took about 1 hour to install the actual radio. piece of cake with the proper equipment.

Good luck!

[TheInvisibleDork]

I've always bought from Crutchfield. They give you a full installation guide specific for your car, a wiring harness adapter so you don't have to cut your stock harness, the mounting kit, and any specialized tools like the removal keys for FREE when you buy a head unit from them. Also, their phone support is great if you get stuck on anything.

[warren]

i've also been a long-time crutchfield customer...i've used their tech support a few times. very helpful folks, especially when glitches arise.

oh, and pretty painless returns/exchanges if some of the gear you buy doesn't work out...

[sb_beetle]

Originally Posted by TheInvisibleDork

I've always bought from Crutchfield. They give you a full installation guide specific for your car, a wiring harness adapter so you don't have to cut your stock harness, the mounting kit, and any specialized tools like the removal keys for FREE when you buy a head unit from them. Also, their phone support is great if you get stuck on anything.

What TheInvisibleDork suggests is really the least expensive way to go. If you're handy do the installation youself (pride of completion without the headaches of hourly paid employees).

[jiggseob]

I put in a JVC hu with a usb input. Thats great, I carry all my noise on flash drives. If you plug an i-pod and cable into that, it treats the i-pod like a flash drive, which works, but the hu drives the i-pod, not the other way around.

The install is easy. You can make the removal tools out of flat sheet metal - 20 guage or so.

The easiest is to find a plug-n-play harness for your head-unit and car. The head unit will have a certain plug, and one end of the harness will plug into that. The other end plugs into the car harness thats left after you take out the factory radio.

The next easiest thing to do (what I did) is build your plug-n-play harness yourself. You obtain the end of the harness that plugs into the car harness, and splice it onto the harness that comes with the hu. Solder and double-shrink insulate the connections, it takes up less room inside the dash.

The ugliest way to go is cut the factory radio plug off the harness, and crimp-connect the hu harness to that, guessing which wires are for what. I don't know anyone who does it that way any more. Thats the best way to melt a harness or something. Even the quick-shops that do installs have figured out that a minimum wage kid with a good selection of plug-n-play harnesses can do 99% of the installs with no trouble in no time, and have happy customers.

You will need an adapter for your antenna. The type of plug that goes into the back of the factory hu won't fit the standard replacement hu antenna hole. Just get the adapter.

You will need an adapter to make your flat-face hu kind of fit the round face of the Beetle dash. If your hu has some sort of flipdown face, it may not work too well in the recessed hole in the dash that the Beetles have. Mine bumps into the edge a bit, but the CDs still just barely go in and out, but it could work better.

Whatever you get, the tools, the full plug-n-play harness, the half harness and build your own plug-n-play harness, the face plate, and the antenna adapter, the place you don't want to buy it is where you bought the stereo, they will ho$e you on the price. Get it at Crutchfield or an e-bay store, it will be $10 instead of $50.

Its easy, if I did it anyone can do it.

98 Beetle tdi