Hi all,
It's been quite a while since I have visited the forum. Things have been very busy for me, and I have not been able to devote as much time to my Explorer as I would like. But, things are getting back to normal now. I would like to revisit the possibility of installing my Clarion head unit from my last car into my Explorer. I purchased the install kit, harness and DIN tools from Crutchfield. I tried to get the radio out using the tools. After two hours and some missing paint on the radio, I gave up. I decided to return the kit to Crutchfield. They told me to keep the kit, harness and tools, because it would be more expensive for them to pay for shipping. So, I am sitting on a free install kit and I figured I try my luck at the install again. (Sorry for the long background) Anyway, do you folks have any tips for removing the stereo on a 2001 Sport? I have the Audiophile package with the 6 disc in dash changer. How are the DIN tools supposed to work? Once I remove the stereo, is there a dedicated lead to the sub in the back? (I have sub out's on my Clarion receiver) Is there any way to get the controls in the rear of my explorer to operate my after market stereo? Thanks for your anticipated help.
Steve

Its so easy, you are gonna kick yourself when you get it. First off, the tools should look like the letter 'U'. there should be 2 pairs of holes on each side of your factory headunit. stick the U-shaped bars into the holes, one set on each side of the HU as far as it can go. you should hear a little click. then pull the bars apart from each other...

(bar) <------ l(headunit)l ------>(other bar)

Then as you pull, grip something on the headunit and just pull out. CAKE!! the Changer should be in teh center console. only 4 bolts hold the changer and the mounting bracket down. EVEN EASIER!!!

Yeah the tools are U shaped, if you don't have the right ones, they sell them at Wal-Mart in the auto section.

if you use those "keys" wrong, you can cause the radio to be jammed in the dash. to get around this, simply remove the two 7mm bolts below the radio and pop off the dash piece. then just push the tabs in towards the radio to release it.

yes, it will make it a ton easier if you would just pull the bezel forward and unclip the clips from behind, I scratched my bezel up trying to get my factory HU out. Its expensive to replace also.. I haven't replaced it yet, but it bothers me every time I even so much as glance at that area of the interior

I just popped my factory HU out last week. It took about 10 seconds to do. First I slid the driver side tool in until it clicked and pushed in a little further. Ditto for the passenger side. Then I gently slid the entire assembly out and disconnected all the wires. If you do it right, the tools should become "stuck" in the factory HU until you release them from the side, if they're not completely lodged in there, then you didn't do it right.

Sagaynor, your system is probably different, but I had to run the Crutchfield amp bypass harness from the HU to the back panel behind the cargo net. I had to remove the entire interior panel of the truck and snake the wires through. That was definately the hardest part of the install. After you have that done, you just connect the new HU wires to the bypass harness and the adapter harness. There will be a factory wiring harness that you don't use. Good luck!

Thanks for all of your help. I was actually able to get the head unit out after a few minutes of poking and squeezing. Now I have another problem! Alec, I am experiencing a similar problem to yours. I received three harnesses from crutchfield. The main one (which broke on me and required massive amounts of electircal tape), the amp bypass and the power antenna/cell phone mute. I am not using the power antenna/cell mute one as you suggested. The main harness now works fine. However, the amp bypass harness came completely miswired. First of all, the wires were installed on the wrong side of the harness. I took them out, flipped them, but the harness still does not work. After about 3 hours of connecting, testing, disconnecting, switching wires, etc, etc. I gave up. Why did you have to move your bypass harness to the rear? I don't understand this process. Do you have any recommendations for me (other than going to a professional)? Thanks again for everyone's response.
Steve

Alec,
By the way, how is the supercharger working out for you? As I said, it's been quite a while since I have been on the board! Was it worth the $? Thanks.

The first time I removed my factory HU, I created a detachable face, well almost. I put the DIN tools in all the way heard a click pushed out and the one on the right jammed. After a few minutes of playing with it I heard a pop and the right side of the face popped off. At first I thought, uh-oh, I don't have the money to replace this! But I played with the face and it is connected by 1 tiny wire on the left side. Well I popped the broken clip back in as best I could and the radio still works fine. My advice: Be careful and don't force anything.

The factory amp is behind the interior panel in the back of the truck, that's why I had to run wires back there. If your truck did not originally have premium sound, then you probably don't have an amp back there so don't worry about it.

1) one of your harnesses should have come with very very long lengths of wire. This is to reach from the back of the truck all the way to the front. The factory amp is accessed and both harnesses to it disconnected. The power harness will lie unused, while the harness end of the crutchfield harness will plug into the other factory harness. the bare wire ends of the crutchfield harness are then run to the front of the truck.

2) the bare wire ends of the long amp bypass harness are wired into the new head unit harness that came with the actual head unit.

3) there's another small harness adapter that came from crutchfield that adapts the flat 8-pin factory harness at the HU to 6-8 wires. use that and wire it into the HU harness.

4) a factory HU harness lies unused, and the connections are done (don't forget the antenna!)

That's it. all in all the wiring was pretty easy, it was just a royal pain getting to the amp and running the wires to the front.

As for the blower, check out all my threads in the mods forum. Do a search for supercharger (only in the mods forum to narrow down hits) and my username to bring up my threads.

Good luck!

if I buy the DIN tools to remove the stock radio (on a 1993 ex), do I need to remove the dash beforehand?

if I buy the DIN tools to remove the stock radio (on a 1993 ex), do I need to remove the dash beforehand?

Did not have to remove the dash after all... The radio just slides out. This is the easiest radio remove/install job EVER.