Hey, im getting an aftermarket CD player for my Blazer. its an '03 and my b/f was gonna try and help me install it myself so i could save some money rather than have the circuit city roadshop crew install it. my question is tho, how do you remove the dash to install the aftermarket player?

thanks for any help!!!

 

The search function helps a lot....
No matter, here's a previous how-to thread written up on how to take apart a 98+ dash to install a new head unit. Good luck!

 

you have to take a total of 7 screws out to get to the radio. first find the driver's side I/P extension, it's the piece that has the park brake release handle in it...there are two screws at the top and two at the bottom that secure it to the dash remove these 4 and let the panel hang so you don't have to remove the park brake release and the insulator panel. once that is loose and pulled slightly down you will see two screws on either side of the steering column that are holding the I/P trim plate on (the trim plate is the piece that surrounds the cluster and the radio and HVAC controls etc..) remove those two screws and then straight above the steering column there is one more screw that points straight up remove it and then you can pull the trim plate out to release all of it's clips. Once you have it out disconnect the headlamp/foglamp switches and then the rear wiper switch, 4x4 switch and the passenger's air bag on/off switch. now you're ready to remove the trim plate.....if you have a column shifter, turn the key on and drop the shifter into low gear for more clearance to remove the plate.

 

Nice writeup.

 

Thanks for the fast replies guys!! You rock!! i dont have my radio just yet, im getting it tomorrow, but your info helped me out. sorry for being a complete n00b [sm=chairshot.gif]- but thanks again!!!

 

Also, don't forget. When you start to pry the dash cover off near the radio, you can reach behind the 4wd switch (if you have it) and intermittent wiper switch (if you have it) and pop them out towards you. This makes it a hell of a lot easier to disconnect the plugs they are connected to. When they are off, the hardest part is pulling the whole thing forward and up (to get around the shifter, if you have a column shift truck) When you do it once, the 2nd time takes about 5 minutes Good luck, I'm in the process of replacing my aftermarket unit which just crapped out, so I have to do it again today too...

 

why do you have to take out entire dash to replace the unit? 99 percent of aftermarket units have quick release's on the side. then its just a matter of sliding unit out and unhooking the wires.

a nice indepth how-to on removing dash for putting in a cd player is here. it is a PDF file, so make sure that you have adobe reader at least.

 

Hope you bought a dash kit and wireharness to put your HU in. Maybe a radio adapter? Stuff you can get at local stereo shop or wally world...if your a person who shops there.

 

Hillbilly, my headunit has brackets on that side which bolt into the headunit cage which is attached to the install kit, so I really have to take it off again to put a new unit in the old cage