Guyz

Have searched through this section of the forum but haven't found an explicit how to guide, just various input spread across a number of threads.

My LE's still got the original Clarion FM/Cassette HU and fancy a CD/MP3/USB/Aux unit to replace it.

From what I've read removing the Clarion involves releasing its side catches - whether with Clarion 'tool' or a thin blade/knife (careful with sharp edges!) and pulling it forward and/or pushing from behind.

That should reveal the original ISO connectors ready to fit the replacement ?

Theoretically straightforward but undoubtedly fiddley and not as simple as it sounds...

Any guidance/pointers please

DT

It is pretty much as easy as it sounds

The sort of knives that you eat your dinner with are usually pretty good

Slide them down each side, then gently pull the stereo from the front or if you can reach around, you can usually get your hand behind the stereo and push it forward.

You can still get the proper release keys

I bought some yesterday

ebay clicky

No, with all due respect, sod the tools and knives. Just remove the centre console. Far safer than knives and release tools and will save the rubber coating on your console. Also makes it easier to remove the fixing cage and fit the new cage.


Plenty of How to's for centre console removal in the ho to section.

I think you have this covered but when I changed my last Coupe stereo the car wiring and the sockets on the back of the stereo didn't match (I think it would've had a Clarion but it had a Sony in it).

Anyway rather than the old technique of butchering the wires the previous owner had got hold of an adaptor cable and just plugged it together. I presume Halfrauds or similar sell them.

All New HUs will have ISO plugs so unless someone has "been at the wiring" you should be fine.

John

Hey thanks for that prompt.

I was just thinking about ordering them for just £4 delivered when I remembered my filebox of Coupe bits had some Clarion stuff. Found in there the Clarion manual/instructions/warranty AND pair of removal keys and other fitments in their sealed bag! Surprised how large they are - about 2" tall and 4" deep - no fancy blue handholds on them though, just bare metal.

So will probably make some progress soon

Will I really need to disconnect the battery's negative (as mentioned in Clarion installation instruction) as presumably everything is already properly wired/socketed in the car's ISO plugs ?

The advice is always to disconnect the battery -ve when working with the electrics. But having said that once the ISOs are disconnected I would not bother. Different if you are working with bare wires from some previous botch job.

I blew two fuses over the last few days by inadvertently touching live wires onto bits of the car

Annoying, and it would have been soooo easy to pull the battery earth off.

Thanks for the input : removing the -'ve definitely sounds worthwhile

Looks like I'm committed to replacing the radio now as my folks bought me an Aldi 'Special' : Tevion Car CD/MP3 player with 3.5mm, USB, and SD.

Checked it out and claims to be DIN size and has an ISO connector harness with 'A' and 'B' that after Googling seem to make sense.

Amazingly it comes with a long 3.5mm stereo cable, a USB extension, a remote control, a reasonable carry-case for the front-panel, a UK 01 support number and a 3yr warranty for under £40!
http://www.fascin8.co.uk/MP3/5705.htm

The only issue that I can spot after reading its manual is the idea that it insists: ISO A-4 "Permanent 12V +" needs to be present to retain presets.

Not a problem the coupes has two permanent live feeds. You can make one switched yourself if you want so the stereo goes off with the ignition but the presets remain.

John

Thanks Bockers!

You/this community is so helpful and so quick too

Nah I like the ability to play the radio with the ignition off (probably because it's never flattened the battery on me on the very few occasions I've forgotten it - might have different feelings if it had!).

Now if only the weather would improve so I'd feel like spending some time outdoors away from the central heating!

Well I got around to fitting the new head unit this afternoon without any sparks/cuts but a bit hassle - took me just under 1.5 hours of faffing based on the clock adjustment when I'd finished.

Here's my experience/notes to help anyone else

Removing the standard cassette Clarion head unit.
**************************************************

It was a Clarion ARX7370R (or maybe a ARX7370RW as the "only difference is colour" but doesn't say which).

I had the instruction leaflet and the removal tools (big aren't they!).

I used masking tape to mask off the fascia all around the head unit BUT THAT WAS A MISTAKE - as removing it caused three small areas of the fascia surface to come off on the masking tape So don't copy me there!

Took off the removable front; and unclipped the grey DIN hole shroud; inserted the clips (angling them OUTSIDE the visible metal lug at each side, as per leafet) and they clicked home firmly and then pulled radio forward but lots of cable resistance.

Looking round the back. There are some YELLOW wrapped wires down the passenger side that have NOTHING to do with the radio.

There is also a bulky bundle of wires from the top left of the Clarion, all wrapped in grey foam, that are the RCA connectors for external amp etc - ie they are captive cables from the radio and not connected in std Coupe.

There are FOUR cables that ARE connected car<=>radio and all seemed to come from driver footwell corner:

• a medium grey aerial cable by itself
• two ISO speaker & power connectors (bottom right) heavily/tightly wrapped together in grey foamed tape with a 10A fuse alongside it
• a thicker round cable ('DIN' connector, alongside the ISOs)

There was precious little slack on any of them but by coaxing them a bit from driver footwell, and pulling the radio managed to get the unit out enough to get them undone; the ISO ones proving particulary hard to unclip.

Removed, carefully, the old DIN metal frame.


Fitting new £40 Aldi Tevion CD/MP3/Aux/FM/LW/MW head unit ********************************************************

Had no use for the DIN 13-pin C-Bus input cable so masked off the end and taped it down to the top of the ashtray moulding out of the way.

Fitted new DIN metal carcase and bent metal retainers back until seemed firmly gripped. Used a thick Allen Key to give me the right angled leverage to bend the metal tabs.

Connected up the ISO connectors to the 'fused ISO adapter cable' on my new unit - but that DID mean there was a lot of cable/fuse/connectors around the back which proved an obstacle to pushing back the new unit, and had to manoeuvre the cabling behind the unit carefully and pull the dual ISO connector out at the back [there's a rectangular hole in the frame there] to some extent to get it all back.

The first time I connected it up I made the mistake of fitting the unit rather than just testing it while out. For some reason the head unit wasn't recognising the power, but when I used my new extract keys and got it out again and got my voltmeter out and tested the ISO was getting 12V on the standby/memory AND power lines (with ignition off, ie as anticipated based one what we know about Coupe wiring), the head unit suddenly came back to life so all was well (for now anyway).

Sound quality seems satisfactory and all the features I've tested so far seem to work - the most important option being the one being to STOP traffic/news interruptions of broadcasts.
Playing CDs in the car seems so novel and can have 12s or about 48s lag to cope with 'rough roads' too!

Lessons/confirmations/warnings for others
********************************
1. I did disconnect the battery negative terminal as advised
2. DO NOT use masking tape to protect the console fascia
3. Std Coupe has the std ISO power & speaker connectors though rather short ones
4. DO wire up and test the new head unit WITHOUT fitting it
5. Watch out for all those (new) cables!

Haven't tested my new Radio's Aux in and the USB & SD memory card slots yet but fingers crossed. Hopefully the car's battery won't be flat tomorrow....

No idea what the Coupe used to tell the Clarion on the 13-pin DIN C-BUS input.

My DIN 8 cable is a bit damaged but everything works fine. What does it do???

Sorry not 8-pin, edited it above as rechecking the Clarion installation leaflet it is a "13-pin DIN C-BUS" and thinking back I THINK it is the wiring that IS wired through to somewhere in the boot area to allow for a CD magazine/changer and presumably its control, and HOPEFULLY completely spurious/unnecessary for my new unit to continue to work okay

PS:
Yes a bit of Googling seems to confirm it is some Clarion specific CD cabling system.

It is the connector for the CD changer.

To wrap this one up: The Tevion 5705 turned out to be a mistake as it DOES according to their support REQUIRE an ignition switched 12V feed.

Wiring it to the default Coupe ISO harness with its PERMANENT 12V feed on ISO A 7 Red meant FLAT battery in 48 hours in the garage - ARGH.

See fresh thread I started on that 12V feed topic:
http://www.fiatcoupeclub.org/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=525773#Post525773

... gave up in the end and returned it and will get a head unit that DOES officially support permanent and has a real/working/effective on/off switch!

However if you are ready to give your Coupe radio an ignition switched power supply then it was a very satisfactory sounding and very fully featured unit and still on sale in my local Aldi for £39.99.