How to Install an After Market Head Unit on a 1996 1998 Honda Civic
Buy an aftermarket wiring harness and a mounting kit for a Honda Civic 1996-1998 which you can get at a local Future Shop or Best Buy or any other place that sells that sort of stuff., Remove the ground on the battery., Remove the center console and...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Buy an aftermarket wiring harness and a mounting kit for a Honda Civic 1996-1998 which you can get at a local Future Shop or Best Buy or any other place that sells that sort of stuff.
These two items will allow your Honda to be able to install aftermarket head units.
You will also need a Philips screwdriver(star screwdriver) which you will use for unscrewing screws, wire strippers or something to strip the insulation off wires to expose the actual wire, and electrical tape. -
Step 2: Remove the ground on the battery.
The reason is so you don't short circuit anything when installing the equipment.
The ground is marked by a
- sign on the battery and is usually black.
To remove, simply loosen the clamp.
This is usually done with a socket, different clamps have different ways of loosening them, and slip off the clamp from the terminal. , The center console and the lower dash are just 2 panels of plastic that hide you car's internal and make the interior look nice.
These panels are just held on by some screws.
To get to your first set of screws look at your original head unit.
Underneath you will see the cigarette lighter plug.
Right above the cigarette lighter plug, you will see two Philips screws (which are star shapes screws).
Unscrew these two screws with your screwdriver. , Unscrew that one as well. , While it's open this will let the glove box swing down farther than it usually does.
Once you have done this, the screw will be on the bottom left hand side of the glove box.
Unscrew it. , Here you will find 3 more screws underneath the steering on the lower dash.
The screws are clearly visible and they are also Philips screws.
Unscrew all these screws.
Now you will be able to remove the panel around the steering column; it's held in place by some snaps.
Just pull gently and it will come off. , It was a Philips screw, that was located to the right of the steering column. ,, Before the center panel comes off completely, you need to remove the wire leading to the back of the cigarette lighter.
There will be a clip attached to the back of that that gives power to the lighter plug, simply disconnect the clip.
Now you can completely remove the center console. , The head unit is held by one or two screws which are at the back of the radio.
The only way to access these screws is to go through where the center console was and there you can access the the screw(s) at the rear of the head unit which are also Philips screws.
Unscrew these screws.
If you have difficulty removing these screws, they are also 8mm bolts, so you can use a ratchet or other tools to remove them.
Now you will be to pull out the radio or you can push it out by reaching behind. , You also need to pull out the antenna plug which is a separate black wire attached to the head unit.
Just simply pull on that wire.
You may also have a third plug, on the back-left side.
This one is quite hard to pull out.
Wiggle the plug from side to side, and it will eventually disconnect itself. ,, Insert the mounting kit where the old head unit was and it should fit in place.
Don't forget to insert the included rectangle-shaped plastic spacer, if applicable.
If you have one, now is the time to install the DIN cage (metal cage your radio fits in).
Just slip it in to the hole in the dash, and bend the tabs so that the cage stays there.
It holds the installation kit in place, too. , Here you will need your aftermarket wiring harness.
Simply connect the aftermarket wiring harness to the clip that was attached to the radio. , Strip also all the wires on the wiring harness.Your aftermarket deck should have come with the wires attached to it.
Notice that the colors of the wires on the wiring harness are the exact same colors that are on the aftermarket head unit.
All aftermarket wiring harnesses and head unit have the same color wires and all the wires are meant to do the same thing. , To attach the wires together you take the two wires and twist the bare wire which you have exposed when you stripped the wires. , Do this with all the colors. , Plug to the aftermarket head unit and insert the head unit in your mounting kit and DIN cage.
It should fit snugly. , Make sure all the speakers are working.
If a speaker does not work or the head unit does not turn on you probably mixed up wires somewhere. , It is just the reverse of what you did before. -
Step 3: Remove the center console and the lower dash under the steering wheel.
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Step 4: Open the glove box and in the top left corner (which is your left facing the glove box)
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Step 5: there will be another Philips screw.
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Step 6: Push on the bottom of both sides of the glove box firmly
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Step 7: to find the next screw.
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Step 8: Go to the driver's side.
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Step 9: Locate and unscrew the screw that was hidden by the panel.
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Step 10: Unscrew the final screw that is directly in line with the one you just removed
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Step 11: except about 2 feet (0.6 m) lower.
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Step 12: Grab the side where the two Philips screws were (next to the glove compartment) and wiggle it loose from right to left(to remove the center console).
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Step 13: Remove the head unit.
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Step 14: Detach the clip(that is currently attaching the wires to the head unit at the rear) from the head unit by pressing on both sides of it.
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Step 15: Begin the installation of the new head unit.
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Step 16: Install the mounting kit.
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Step 17: Get a hold of the clip that was attached to the back of the head unit.
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Step 18: Take these wires and strip off the insulation of all the wires.
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Step 19: Attach each wire to its matching color.
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Step 20: Wrap the exposed wire with electrical tape.
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Step 21: Plug in the radio antenna.
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Step 22: Re-attach your ground
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Step 23: turn your car on and test out your head unit.
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Step 24: Install the panels back on
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Step 25: if everything else is working.
Detailed Guide
These two items will allow your Honda to be able to install aftermarket head units.
You will also need a Philips screwdriver(star screwdriver) which you will use for unscrewing screws, wire strippers or something to strip the insulation off wires to expose the actual wire, and electrical tape.
The reason is so you don't short circuit anything when installing the equipment.
The ground is marked by a
- sign on the battery and is usually black.
To remove, simply loosen the clamp.
This is usually done with a socket, different clamps have different ways of loosening them, and slip off the clamp from the terminal. , The center console and the lower dash are just 2 panels of plastic that hide you car's internal and make the interior look nice.
These panels are just held on by some screws.
To get to your first set of screws look at your original head unit.
Underneath you will see the cigarette lighter plug.
Right above the cigarette lighter plug, you will see two Philips screws (which are star shapes screws).
Unscrew these two screws with your screwdriver. , Unscrew that one as well. , While it's open this will let the glove box swing down farther than it usually does.
Once you have done this, the screw will be on the bottom left hand side of the glove box.
Unscrew it. , Here you will find 3 more screws underneath the steering on the lower dash.
The screws are clearly visible and they are also Philips screws.
Unscrew all these screws.
Now you will be able to remove the panel around the steering column; it's held in place by some snaps.
Just pull gently and it will come off. , It was a Philips screw, that was located to the right of the steering column. ,, Before the center panel comes off completely, you need to remove the wire leading to the back of the cigarette lighter.
There will be a clip attached to the back of that that gives power to the lighter plug, simply disconnect the clip.
Now you can completely remove the center console. , The head unit is held by one or two screws which are at the back of the radio.
The only way to access these screws is to go through where the center console was and there you can access the the screw(s) at the rear of the head unit which are also Philips screws.
Unscrew these screws.
If you have difficulty removing these screws, they are also 8mm bolts, so you can use a ratchet or other tools to remove them.
Now you will be to pull out the radio or you can push it out by reaching behind. , You also need to pull out the antenna plug which is a separate black wire attached to the head unit.
Just simply pull on that wire.
You may also have a third plug, on the back-left side.
This one is quite hard to pull out.
Wiggle the plug from side to side, and it will eventually disconnect itself. ,, Insert the mounting kit where the old head unit was and it should fit in place.
Don't forget to insert the included rectangle-shaped plastic spacer, if applicable.
If you have one, now is the time to install the DIN cage (metal cage your radio fits in).
Just slip it in to the hole in the dash, and bend the tabs so that the cage stays there.
It holds the installation kit in place, too. , Here you will need your aftermarket wiring harness.
Simply connect the aftermarket wiring harness to the clip that was attached to the radio. , Strip also all the wires on the wiring harness.Your aftermarket deck should have come with the wires attached to it.
Notice that the colors of the wires on the wiring harness are the exact same colors that are on the aftermarket head unit.
All aftermarket wiring harnesses and head unit have the same color wires and all the wires are meant to do the same thing. , To attach the wires together you take the two wires and twist the bare wire which you have exposed when you stripped the wires. , Do this with all the colors. , Plug to the aftermarket head unit and insert the head unit in your mounting kit and DIN cage.
It should fit snugly. , Make sure all the speakers are working.
If a speaker does not work or the head unit does not turn on you probably mixed up wires somewhere. , It is just the reverse of what you did before.
About the Author
Elizabeth Cook
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow hobbies tutorials.
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