Replace a Ford Capri radio

This is a simple procedure for replacing your stock Ford Capri radio with an after-market CD player. Even though this could be worked out reasonably quickly, it might save some mucking around to see it done. The trick here is that it is more simple than you might expect. Don't go hunting around behind the glove-box or taking the dash apart! Everything can be accessed from the front.

Step 1: Take off dash trim

Firstly, put your hand into the plastic recess, then using your fingers to maintain pressure on the top and bottom of the inside, pull towards yourself until it comes free. This should happen fairly easily, if it does not come out then try pressing harder against the top towards the back, which should angle the compartment upwards, releasing the lugs as you pull forward: pretty easy.

Once this is out, proceed to unscrew the 4 Phillips head screws located where the red circles are on the picture.

The black plastic trim around the radio should almost fall off and can be helped by pulling it at a downwards angle as it comes out towards you. 

Comments

[Esmagamus]

Reminds me of when I wanted to replace the radio on my Alfa Romeo 164. I did find a proper wiring loom, with the thickest wires I've seen, but it wasn't ISO.

I just had to find the function for each wire with the multimeter. Once the power connector was done, a 9 volt battery with two wires did the trick for the speakers connector.

I did take it apart later, to install a parrot handsfree kit I got for 20€ from a friend.

[Phil B]

Thank you for this. I am wondering how similar the procedure would be for radios in other cars. I know there are a lot of variables and it may be difficult for you to know. But, I would expect engineers use similar approaches in different cars.

[MrWhippy22]

In other (older) cars that I've had, the approach has been more difficult and has involved removing the glove box, much of the underside of the dash and often the centre console where the gear-stick is to gain access to screws which secure the radio from its underside. Also, the wiring for different cars is different, but there's a good chance that if the plug is the same as I've described the wires will be the same for that case. Good luck!

[Phil B]

A dozen years ago I had to replace a radio in a '91 Chevrolet Lumina sedan. It was pretty straightforward, except I can affirm what you say about the wiring. I had to rework some things where the harnesses did not fit. Now I have a '99 Oldsmobile Alero. I had once thought about replacing the radio/CD player with one that plays MP3 CDs and has a jack for digital players, but that car will probably be replaced in a few years. For now I burn MP3 files to CDs in WAV and play them in the regular CD player. But, the Alero would require removal of console parts, etc. There may be even more, but that is what I can see for now.