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[Diamond Black Geezer]

Ok, so further to a previous thread, I was in the middle of investigating my lack of FM on my SC804. I have a couple of spare ones, so thought 'let's just pop' another one in, see what happens' if I've FM = the HU's at fault, if still no FM = something wrong with the car's loom. However...

The thing's now stuck fast.  I can release the clips on the right hand side, but the left seems completely unwilling. My tools just don't grip as well on this HU as the other, Is there a trick that I might be able to employ to get the thing out? My hands are cut to ribbons trying to pull the thing after resorting to pushing the tools outwards, whilst simultaneously having my hand inside the cassette slot pulling like hell. It's clear that one clip isn't pushed inward far enough and is still gripping, however practising carefully on one of the other spare sets I can see how little force is actually required to push these release clips in.

If nothing doing it the proper way, thinking laterally, let's assume that this HU is a sacrificial one - after all I do have two others, so if needs be I can destroy this one. I'd rather not, of course, but if I have to, what's my route? Tear off the frontage, then insert some butter knives/flat bladed drivers in each side etc?

Oh, PS Good morning, all! 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Right, went to Halfords in my dinner hour, as I reckoned their keys woudl be a fair bit better than mine - which they were. The poor lad sat there for about half an hour fighting with various plastic blades and the keys trying to gett he thing out. The best we can figure is it feels liek there's something else that's fouling on the cage somehow inside.

He recommended getting the fascia of the head unit off, whereupon hopefully a torx screw would become visible so I could take the head unit and cage out in one. I did this (ended snapping one of the plastic brackets on the HU front,  ah well) and revealed... nothing. So sadly I'm no further on.

Now the front is off, access to the clips is relatively easy, and pushing them in to find the head unit is still no more willing to come out. I am completely stumped 

[05omegav6]

They are a tight fit... Persevere

[zirk]

So your ripping the HU apart, and now broken something that wasn't broken,  before checking the aerial side of things as I suggested in your other thread. 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Zirk I appreciate your advice, but I can't get to the aerial -  that's at the back of the Head Unit, yes? Hence me trying to get the thing out 

[05omegav6]

Zirk I appreciate your advice, but I can't get to the aerial -  that's at the back of the Head Unit, yes? Hence me trying to get the thing out 

The part of the aerial system you are trying to get at which Zirk suggested is actually at the back of the car, possibly in the parcel shelf or C pillar 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Cheers Al, see this is what I was saying - I don't actually know where these bits are. Anything to do with car audio is completely foreign territory to me.

[05omegav6]

Zirks first reply here...

http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=130370.0

As seconded by Dave DND in the same thread... only difference being that zirk was pointing you to the moist likely cause first, skipping a potentially superfluous diagnostic step...

The clue in Zirks post being...

if Saloon start by checking Amp Earth, rear screen connections etc, then the feeder back to the HU,

Highlighted both location clues

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Fair enough, check the 'Amp Earth'. Ok.

Is that in the rear screen, on the amp itself, what? What does an Amp Earth look like - I'm guessing it's a wire? The 'feeder' back to the HU. The only 'feeder' I know if related to music if the band 'Feeder' had hit with 'Turn Around' or something like that I think.


I could ask anyone on here how they feel about the evolution of the DLO, comparing the Carlton with the Omega onto things like the Insignia, and the increasing tumblehome which is a common trend on the form language of Auto Design - but I'd appreciate that these are terms which most people wouldn't be familiar with.

Sorry if I appear clueless about this subject but I openly am. I appreciate all and any help with this, and being pointed to the most likely cause is again, very much appreciated, but if I don't know what the thing looks like and only have its name it impairs my finding it.

[05omegav6]

Aerial is part of the rear screen, so check all the wiring connections to the screen. Will probably need to remove the C pillar trims to do this thoroughly. Aerial amp is typically the size of a big box of matches, perhaps 120x50x20 mm, and usually mounted on the parcel shelf, although I will freely admit to only ever dealing with MK3 Ford Granada ones, but from a mounting point of view the parcel shelf makes sense, so removing this whilst the C pillar trims are off should give clear access to most of what you need to check...

There's also a cable join behind the drivers kick panel... But my money is on the screen contacts

[EMD]

There's a metal bar above the HU that sometimes drops down and jams the radio in place , needs a lot of persuasion to get the HU out if its that 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

Hi chaps.

Firstly, thanks for the replies and the help.


As to the moving of the head unit, I got a big kitchen pallet knife (sorry mum) down the side of the unit, to feel for obstructions. Incredibly, in spite of the Halfords chap bending the springy clips inward permanently, it was still catching. After lots of pursuasion, two of us, one pulling, then other wiggling/sliding various slim tools down to push it inward. Pushing back in, wiggling, pulling out etc. I had a change of tack. As you will be aware, the head unit is held in by metal, the actual centre of the dash is held in by plastic, so clearly serious force would only snap/break the wood plastic trim, and not withraw the radio, so further brute force was only going to end badly. A hacksaw blade held by mole grips, to take off whatever was causing the obstruction with a gentle sawing action in and out of the dash brought the head unit out in about 2 mins 

The casualty is one single clip on the left, which I can replace at my leisure, I'm guessing these are the same on any 90s Vx radio (if I choose to leave these on, these are now removed for easy install/removal purposes) a single torx screw holds these on, for future reference.

Cannot understand how this was stuck out so much, but at least it's out.

Found my SC804 radio instructions, too. So I know how to programme/add the code/de-code the little bleeder, too, now!

Next step, put original HU in, and start looking at these contacts, then. Will report back when I know more. Thanks again boys. 

[Diamond Black Geezer]

As per the other thread (here http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=130370.0) got working FM now!

Tis the head unit