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Lookie what I get to do.

Best thing is to get a friend who knows what you're doing and ask for help. Then buy a case of beer and go at it. I know I don't mind helping my friends as I love working on cars.

Remember the golden rule. If it don't fit get a hammer and make it fit. If it still don't fit get a bigger hammer. Lol
 
Best thing is to get a friend who knows what you're doing and ask for help. Then buy a case of beer and go at it. I know I don't mind helping my friends as I love working on cars.

Remember the golden rule. If it don't fit get a hammer and make it fit. If it still don't fit get a bigger hammer. Lol

Don't all guys know that buying a thirty pack and staring at the project at hand is the best way to get help.:D
 
Best thing is to get a friend who knows what you're doing and ask for help. Then buy a case of beer and go at it. I know I don't mind helping my friends as I love working on cars.

Remember the golden rule. If it don't fit get a hammer and make it fit. If it still don't fit get a bigger hammer. Lol

If the bigger hammer still doesn't work use Epoxy and Duct tape :cool:

Don't all guys know that buying a thirty pack and staring at the project at hand is the best way to get help.:D

Beer really is the solution to just about any problem :cool:
 
I thought of this thread again today. I saw a very good deal on a car stereo online and I'm thinking of purchasing it. I want a CD player w/a line in jack and A2DP BT capabilities. Found a good deal on one. I'm considering buying it and installing it myself. But that petrifies me. What do I know about installing a car stereo? Bupkus. The kit I'm looking at supposedly comes with all the mounting gear and things I need. I figure there's a 90-95% chance I severely f*** it up in some way if I decide to go ahead with this.
 
I thought of this thread again today. I saw a very good deal on a car stereo online and I'm thinking of purchasing it. I want a CD player w/a line in jack and A2DP BT capabilities. Found a good deal on one. I'm considering buying it and installing it myself. But that petrifies me. What do I know about installing a car stereo? Bupkus. The kit I'm looking at supposedly comes with all the mounting gear and things I need. I figure there's a 90-95% chance I severely f*** it up in some way if I decide to go ahead with this.


Go to crutchfield .com.. they usual carry adapters that will interface between the car harness and the stereo. They will also have any adapters you need of your factory stereo is an oddball form factor
 
Yeah they have great instructions and if stuck they have a great support line. They are in my back yard and where I get all my stereo from. Plus last I heard by a radio andvthey throw all the adapters and mounting brackets and instructions on your vehicle.
 
It's this guy here from Crutchfield. I have a sick feeling I might wire it wrong and cause the entire dashboard to catch on fire. Yes, I am capable of that kind of incompetence. When it comes to incompetence I am very, very, very good at it.

It'll be going in an '05 Focus.
 
You can wire the harness to the stereo before you ever put in in the car, on your kitchen table. Then all you have to do is get the mounting bracket in the car, and plug in the wiring harness. It's as easy as it gets. Almost guaranteed not to screw it up... lol
 
You can wire the harness to the stereo before you ever put in in the car, on your kitchen table. Then all you have to do is get the mounting bracket in the car, and plug in the wiring harness. It's as easy as it gets. Almost guaranteed not to screw it up... lol

Unless of course he is color blind lol
 
I'll post a Youtube video of my flaming car after I turn the radio on.

Radio should come in next Wednesday so I'll have a project for Thursday evening or next weekend one.

How much time should I budget for this kind of project?
 
I'll post a Youtube video of my flaming car after I turn the radio on.

Radio should come in next Wednesday so I'll have a project for Thursday evening or next weekend one.

How much time should I budget for this kind of project?

Let's see, my step son replaced his stereo, shorted out the relay for his four wheel drive, and the one for his overdrive, so he was into it for about a grand. And that was after the stereo :(. Stupid kids
 
I'll post a Youtube video of my flaming car after I turn the radio on.

Radio should come in next Wednesday so I'll have a project for Thursday evening or next weekend one.

How much time should I budget for this kind of project?


Depends... I've done one in a hour, other ones have taken 3 hours. I would say budget 2 hours, because you haven't done it before, but know it may take a little longer or a little less time... The crutchfield instructions are really good, iirc, and they send all the specialized tools you will need. Just be patient, and do not cut your cars wiring. That is what will short you out.
 
This is so true about feeling great doing your own work. To walk in as a conquering hero look at your wife and say I fix the car and she looks at you funny.

I do my own brakes, oil, basically everything short of a rebuild. I don't like trusting others to work on my car.

Just find a good forum for your vehicle just like this forum for our phones and you can't go wrong.

Will say get a dealers fms manual. Might cost some money but it will have everything on your vehicle. Goes in depth and what the techs use in the dealerships.

If anyone needs one for a 03 Dakota let me know and I will try to upload to dropbox for y'all. You can find people that will have these for free. Really any questions on 00 to 04 Dakotas I can try and help you like how to bring up cel light codes and what they mean.

Good to see you back chief.;)

I do everything to my cars and trucks including rebuilding an engine if need be. I would be interested to know the forum your on that I could get a copy of a shop manual.

Eight B52 engines at 100% rotation.................priceless.:D
 
I agree with this, but you have no idea how mechanically inept I am. My garbage disposal died a month ago. No problem. I can replace a garbage disposal myself I said. I went on Amazon, looked at reviews and bought one that looked to be high quality and that many users said they were able to put in in about 30 mins or less. A couple of people mentioned that it took an hour tops. So I was thrilled. I crawled around under the sink and unplugged the power plug. Then I twisted the one one and it came right off the sink. I was happy. Three hours later I was swearing and cursing in English, Spanish, Klingon and every other language I could think of and making up swear words in all of them. I was pissed as I could not get the new garbage disposal put in no matter what I did. My dogs looked at me with pity. I finally got it on, but screwed it up somehow because as soon as I turned on the sink, it leaked like a sieve so I had to tear it all apart and spend another hour getting it back together. Ended up being a four hour project from top to bottom. I am so mechanically inept it is way better for my mental health to pay someone to do stuff for me. I may have the knowledge to do something mechanical, but I lack the aptitude to actually do it.

Or you could have asked me. I am "The Plumber:cool:"
 
I'll post a Youtube video of my flaming car after I turn the radio on.

Radio should come in next Wednesday so I'll have a project for Thursday evening or next weekend one.

How much time should I budget for this kind of project?
Yeah depends as some cars you have to take the whole front of the dash. It will take more time connecting the wires and make sure you enter have the wires twisted around each other. It should go fine and any questions. Call crutchfeilds and they can answer all your Q's. I. Would say start kinda in the morning to give you enough time to get it done. Nothing worse than trying to install a radio in the dark
 
You can wire the harness to the stereo before you ever put in in the car, on your kitchen table. Then all you have to do is get the mounting bracket in the car, and plug in the wiring harness. It's as easy as it gets. Almost guaranteed not to screw it up... lol


This is the big reason for getting the wiring adapter from crutchfield. You can sit at your kitchen table and wire the harness to your stereo. Then simply unplug your car's harness from the factory stereo and connect it to your new stereo. You don't have to cut any of your factory wires which is what my step son did. He tried to wire it direct, didn't have enough room to properly crimp the connections. He was trying to prop his stereo on his leg while crimping connectors.
 
As a sysadmin I've done my share of crimping/terminating wires. I think I got the wiring harness you all refer to, but I'm not sure. It looks like it's included. This looks like a package for dummies which is what I'm looking for. It claims it has everything. The airbag fact sheet scares me. I'm not going to set off the airbag right in my face am I? My face looks bad enough as it is without me making it worse.

105KDBTP50 JVC KDR520 + KSBTA100 CD Receiver and Bluetooth Adapter
What's Included



0000190099 Ford Focus 2005- MS



000SRSAIR Airbag Fact Sheet Crutchfield Air Bag Fact Sheet



000CARCAT Current Crutchfield Catalog Car Bounce Back



120995808 Ford Freestar Focus Kit Kit E



120705520 Ford Wire Harness receiver, 2003-up

My dream, based on what everyone has told me, is that I can wire everything in the house, go out of the car, pull the old stereo out, snap the new one in and be done w/it. The big problem that I'll have to think about is where to put the BT receiver and where to wire it. I've got wiring experience, but I've never done any wiring in a car so I've no clue where the best place to put the thing is and how to get under the trim in order to run the wires.
 
I have replaced the stereo in a couple of my cars and it really is simple if you get the correct wiring harness.
 
A.nonymous... It really will be that simple. Crutchfield will send you whatever removal tools you need for the factory stereo, you will be able to do all the connections in your house where you can see them, and make sure they are tight. The install is usually way more simple than it may seem... Shoot me a pm if you get in trouble.
 
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