I need to deinstall my empeg mkII from my Mazda MX-5 pretty quickly - I'm selling it next Saturday and need to get the empeg out before I take the Mazda around to a local car audio place and have a cheap CD player put in. The question is...

Is there an easy guide available to removing an empeg installation? It was done by Cambridge Car Audio so there shouldn't be anything funny/unusual about it. I'm not worried about speakers, subwoofer etc - just that the head unit/sledge and cables all be intact.

I don't know if the MX5 has anything special that you need to watch out for, but here are some general notes.

The Empeg
Lift handle, pull towards you

The Sled
This should be pretty easy, with the Empeg out, look around the inside of the cage, about 1-2cm in from the front edge will be small metal 'lugs' some of which will have been bent out to hold it in the dash, simply prise these in towards the center of the cage so that they will not stop it sliding forward (I have found a small flat blade screw driver works best, I also don't worry about levering them too far, I just remember not to try and put the Empeg in the cage when it is not in the car). After you have bent all the tags (don't forget the ones on the top and sides of the cage) you should be able to pull it forward out of the dash, don't pull too hard, if it feels stuck you have probably missed a tag somewhere. Once the cage is out there should be a large black plug on the cables about 20cm from the cage, pull it apart to disconnect it from the cars wiring, and disconnect the 4 phono plugs. The cage and Empeg should both now be free from the car.

The cables
This to a large extent depends on what cables you are talking about, if you mean the phono cables running to the amplifier, then these will be routed under a carpet and trim panels somewhere, the only way to get them out is to follow them carefully removing trim as you go (which shouldn't be too far as you only have 2 seats). If you just mean the cables directly attached to the sled, then you should already have them, as you disconnected the ISO plug to get the cradle out.

If you are also thinking of removing the Amp and its power cables I would suggest you pay someone to do that as knowone knows exactly where all the wires in your car go, if you do decide to try it yourself first, then take the battery out of the car first, this means there is no way you can short the power cables to ground while trying to remove them.

Mark.
20GB MKII 090000916

If you're already taking it somewhere to have the new stereo put in, you might as well let them take the emepg out. I've always assumed installation prices included deinstallation of the previous head unit...

Matthew

Don't forget to take out the ISO connector that connects to the power wires. I forgot mine and I'm paying the price... (see the 2003 Dodge RAM install thread)

Dave,

As he is in the UK his car may have already had the ISO connector (I know every car I bought over there made after '88 did), and I didn't want him hacking the factory harness apart.

It is also possible his new car will be ISO, and it will all just plug in, if not they are easy to get over there most branches of Halfrauds stock them.

Also do you still need my spare connector? the quick and medium searches turned up empty but it is only a small apartment so it must be in there somewhere

Mark.
20GB MKII 090000916

I'm sort of waivering between seeing what kind of success dmuench is having with his 03 RAM (not much so far) and just cutting and soldering. If you can locate the ISO connector well before the 20th of Dec. that'd be great. I leave for a 2000 mile road trip on the 20th, empeg operational, with or without the ISO thingy.

I'm headed to Fry's to look at some connector stuff. I'd like to wire the RCA plugs to the factory adapter I got, assuming it's correct, with out cutting them, but I would still need to cut wires on the sled if I am without the ISO widget.

Thanks for the effort and let me know if you locate it.