Headunit issue (form/fit?).
 

I’m trying to fit a new headunit to a 2001 VTR and for some reason the HU feels like it is hitting the rear of the din. It’s a Phillips HU and was removed from a 2000 Seat Arosa without issue. Has anyone else experienced a similar problem, and how was it resolved?

I have tried removing all the cables to the back of the HU but it still wont fit. I think it is hitting the rear because I can see the dash (and in particular the heating levers) pushing in backwards. Could it be an issue with the cage? Do I need to cut out the rear of the din to make it fit?

It’s an absolute nightmare because it should be one of the simplest things…

If its a standard DIN you shouldnt have any issues at all there is ample room. Has the unit got the bolt with rubber stopper on it?

It did have. I’ve since removed it but it still won’t push backwards far enough to click in to the cage. There were also a load of connector blocks joining the wires which I thought might be preventing the headunit from seating properly, so I’ve cut all of them out and re-crimped the wires using a crimping tool, but I’ve still not resolved the issue. There must be something I’m missing.

Try removing the cage and putting it in with out the cage there to see if that's the issue

I've tried this too. I can only conclude that it's hitting the rear splice boxes. I'm half tempted to cut the wires and extend them to see if that'll work.

I've managed to get it in just now, but it was a real push and didn't feel healthy. The headunit is angled too, so it's definitely not sitting right.

if you lay down in the passenger foot well you can see the back of the stereo just, you can pull the wires out the way worth a try, you might see whats blocking it

I’ve tried this too haha. The car is stripped at the moment so I can get right in there, but everything seems to be in place. My thoughts are that it may be the RCA outputs as they are quite long, and plug straight in to the back extending outwards. However these are on the driver’s side so they’re difficult to see from the passenger foot well.

Either way, I’m going to get some butt splices today and extend the terminal blocks to see if that frees up the problem. I’ve fitted aftermarket headunits in five of my own cars and helped countless friends with theirs, and I’ve never found one as problematic as this!

Thanks for your help so far.

have you tried it with out anything plugged in? if it works like that then you can plug one thing in at a time to rule out that as the blockage

I had that before, always was a problem of a cable or two in the whole lot folding upwards and blocking the headunit as soon as you try to click it in. It's always a bit more awkward when you have extra RCAs plugged at the back. :edit: yeah you did check the RCAs

what I did was to tuck the cables in below with a wood spatula progressively as I slided the unit in, no hassle. Now if you can't fit it in, have you taken measurements as in how deep is that HU vs how much depth do you have in there..

I’ve tried it with no connections and it fits fine. I didn’t start connecting things and testing it in sequence. I got too mad and just forced it…

I’ve not taken any measurements. As I say, it’s a problem I’ve never come up against. Usually there’s loads of room. If the crimping doesn’t work, I think I might have to.

Problem solved. The harness for the headunit was a bit different to usual harnesses. Rather than being two blocks one for power and one for the speakers, that connected in to the car, the headunit only had one block for power, and the speaker connector block plugged straight into the back of the headunit. This obviously left a lot less room for the power block behind the headunit, which we originally thought was the cause of the problem.

After extending the power cables so the connector block sat closer to the passenger footwell (which will be a nightmare for the next owner…), the problem had not been resolved and the headunit was still a snug fit. We then started removing connections until it fit, and realised it was the RCA outputs which were hitting the rear of the dashboard. So we cut them down using some snips, and now it fits perfectly. It feels much better to have the headunit sitting straight.

Thanks for all your help.