Page 1 of How easy to fit new CD player in an Astra?!

Hi all. :)

Just bought me one of those Shark CD/MP3 player jobbies from Maplins.

I have a P-reg Vauxhall Astra... any one know if I will need any additional connectors etc for this stereo to work in this car? I haven`t taken the cassette player out yet, as the CD player is a christmas present, so I`m not allowed to fit it yet, but if I need any other connectors I`d like to order them in, so I can try and install it on christmas day! I`m lost without a cd player! I sold my rover with my other cd player in. :( That was easy to install as the connectors were all the same. The leads that came with the new stereo, I have no idea if they`re the same as I have in there now.

Or do you think i`d be better off paying someone to install it for me? Will it just slot in? The connectors...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/SkullyRox/pifs008.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v70/SkullyRox/pifs007.jpg

Ta in advance!

*yes i`m a woman*

This item was edited on Saturday, 10th December 2005, 00:38

I recently bought a 2nd hand Siemens VDO cd/radio off of Ebay for £80 which was designed for the car i.e. they work with the stalk on the steering column etc, its just a case of unplugging a few cables and plugging the new one in, buggered if I know about anything else though, probably best to take it to a specialist if you don`t know what you`re doing.


All rights reserved. All wrongs reversed.

Mine is just a bog standard cassette player, there are no steering wheel controls or anything.
I assume, if my cassette player has the basic iso(?) connector, I can plug that straight into the unit?
If it`s the black connector type, then I plug the wiring kit that came with the stereo into that then that into the stereo. If not, then I will have to get additional adaptors.

Oh fye! I think i`ll be pulling my cassette player out tomorrow and having a look.

I never had this worry when I fit my rover stereo. :/ I dunno why worried now! LOL!

Not sure if it`s the Vauxhall, but you may have to swap the two `positive` wires over on the ISO, connector. For some reason they have them the opposite way round to anyone else! (One is for power, the other is constant to save your preset channels, if you don`t swap them you lose your radio pre sets each time you turn the car off).

Fitting the unit itself is pretty simple as long as you`ve got basic mechanical skills - once you`ve done it once you`ll wonder what all the fuss was about!.

Tip - try to use the `cradle` from your existing Vauxhall radio..........they don`t always fit properly, but if they do it`s a lot easier tha removing and fitting the new one (ie try to just slide the radio out and slip yours straight in......oo er missus!)

Sitting Pretty,

Should be much as Haste posted, I`ve fitted a couple of head units to Caviliers (which should be very similar) and agree with what was said about trying to use the existing cradle if you can (makes life easier) and yes, you do have to swap around the +12V connections, so using an adaptor would be the easiest solution, but I have to admit, from the photos you posted, not sure what the white connector is for? :/
As for buying any of the tools/adaptors you`ll be best getting these from a local motor factors or on-line as I`ve found Halfords, whilst convenient, can be VERY expensive :o

I`ve used these in the past HERE and found them to be very good, and quite helpful.
Also, don`t forget to check the aerial connection for the car and the radio to be fitted, as you may also need an adaptor for this.
Hope it helps, and good luck.

LB2

Have you tried switching it on........?

Just one thing about the cage (cradle) you should use the one that the stereo came with, not the original one as this is this is how the stereo is held in place both for stability, to stop your cd`s jumping, and for security, each cage is specific to each manufacturer. You can use other cages but they will not hold the stereo securely.

To remove old one
You will need a small flat blade screwdriver, around the edge of the cage you should see little metal triangular tabs that have been pushed up in the the dashboard, they have a small hole in them.
Put the screwdriver in the hole and bend them back down so they are fairly flat. Keep going all the way around and eventually cage should slide out. You might have to bend it out of shape slightly to clear some of the edges.

To fit new one.
Remove cage from the stereo, insert it in to the hole and gently bend the metal tabs in to place again, do as many as you can, the more you do the more secure it will be. It may still be a little loose once you have done them all but this is usually corrected once you slide the stereo in to place.

As for the loosing pre sets this is usually only on Sony`s, for some reason Sony decided it would be a great idea to wire the live feeds the opposite way around to everyone else. As they do.

Finally plug the stereo in and test it before inserting in to the cage, store your presets, turn ignition off for 2 mins then back on to make sure they are still there. If they have been lost then you will need to swap the 2 live feeds, usually a red and yellow.

Finally push the stereo in to the cage gently making sure none of the wires catch on the sharp edges on the way in, when it is all the way in give it a hard push on the left and right edge and you should hear 2 clicks, this is the security lock of the cage clicking in to place to hold the stereo in. Then fit the outer trim panel if it has one.

As said earlier you might need an aerial adapter, there are 2 types, one is a long connector, approx 1.5" that goes in to the stereo, the other is on a right angle with a small round connector that clips on to the back of the stereo, if I remember rightly, this is the one you will find in the car.

If you need one it is probably this one. It has the long connector at the front to co in the stereo and the small round connector at the back for your aerial lead.

As you can tell I have fitted a couple (hundred) over the years. ;)

All the best

Gerald

This item was edited on Saturday, 10th December 2005, 11:27

Cheers guys. :)
Not sure I like the idea of having to swap wires around though!

I figured, earlier today, that the white connector is the one that goes into the back of the stereo... :D

Will be happy once it`s in and that first disc is spinning!

Thanks once again. :)

From the pics, it looks like the standard connectors (ISO I think they call them)
1 black and 1 brown (I think) in the car, remove from old radio and plug into the balck bit of that Shark connector (they can only go in one way, there`s a little lug think on them so you can`t mix them up)

You might have to, as said, change the positve, but these days the head unit usually has a two position fuse for that purpose, my JVC did.
All you do then is connect as normal and move the fuse to the other position.

Oh, and mine is a JVC fitted to an 04 Zafira, so should pretty much be the same wiring code still used by GM :)

HTH

Jimbo : oÞ

"Making Teenagers depressed is like shooting fish inna barrel"

Fitted a JVC head unit to an R reg Asra just the other week.
Just plugged straight in.
I had to swap the yellow and red over to ensure it remembered it`s settings,but that took seconds.
All in all,a 5 minute job.

So how do I swap the leads over? Which end do I pull them out of? The white connector or the black? Or both. :/
How do I get them to stay in, cause at the moment they`re in with little clips... will have to be careful getting it out. :o