Greetings!

Some folks I know at work are working on getting an empeg and a second head unit (for tuner and physical media) installed in the dash of a 1999 Honda Accord. I see that it has been sort of done before, but a few questions:

a) Is the factory opening dual DIN, or is it 1.5 DIN?
b) Has anyone succeeded in getting two DIN units installed?
c) Is there a special mounting kit that can be used to get dual DIN working?

Any comments, recommendations, suggestions or ideas are welcome. Fortunately, the person doing the install is much more competant in this than I am, but I am on the board more (thus I am posting).

I have yet to do a Honda, but have done 3 other small Japanese sedans (Mitusbishi Eclipse, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Altima) with an empeg and another head unit. My experience with all three is that the "double din" spaces are about 1/4 in. too small to accomodate an empeg and another head unit without trimming.. All three have required holes in the side of the sled to bolt the sled to a mounting bracket. All three have required trimming of the bezel to fit the empeg.

That said...with some nice trim work and a little squeezing and cramming, all three have ended up fitting and looking good.

Link to Tony's 2000 Accord Gallery
Link to Docring's 1994 Accord Gallery

I keep looking at the opening and wondering if I can't squeak something in there. Yes, it's a tad smaller than 2-din, it's more like 1.75 din. But someone very clever might be able to do it.

The thing is, a lot of the CD players out there have a fascia that is a bit smaller than the actual din opening. If I could fit that behind the plastic bezel, and mount the two units as close to each other as possible, and if the bottom lip of the empeg fascia (handle, actually)overlapped the CD player just enough, then it MIGHT just work.

I'd have to adjust the mounting position of the empeg upwards just a hair... Can't be much because it's already almost touching the top of that bezel.

I think what it really comes down to is that bezel. I *think* (not sure) there's enough room in the interior metal cage for two units. That cage is completely removable of course, and you can drill whatever mounting holes you want in it. But the outer bezel is the killer, you'd have to be certain both units will fit. I just don't know the answer to that yet.

Please tell your Honda-installing friend one critical thing: Removing that bezel is tricky if you don't know the secret. Here is the secret:

There are two screws at the bottom of it that you can see. But there's one screw top-center, behind the clock, that you can't see. The clock must be carefully popped out to get to that third screw. In order to prevent scratching the bezel, you must wrap a soft cloth around the tip of a large and blunt flat-blade screwdriver and gently pry the clock out from the bottom. I've done this dozens of times now without scratching the bezel, but you must be very careful of it each time you do it.

Thank you Crutchfield Master Sheet.

In the same way that Japanese single-DIN stereos are narrower, might double-DINs also be shorter?

Hm, dunno.

Looking at Docring's Gallery, I see what he did was essentially what I was thinking might be possible on mine, allowing the empeg to overlap the CD player below it.

The difference is that I was thinking I'd remove or modify the CD player's trim ring so that the two units snicked together nicely, instead of the handle sticking out like that.

Exactly... I got it all to fit in my Altima, but ended up leaving the trim ring off of the CD Receiver. It fit nicely that way but there was a couple millimeters of space on either side that normally would have been covered by the trim ring. It wasn't noticeable at a glance.

I was gonna cover it with some plastic notebook cover inspired by your trim ring for your sled, but then my wife totalled the car and took care of that problem.

It's funny how some problems tend to go away by themselves if given enough time.

Thanks for the input. I have sent them a link to this thread and have also passed along the comments. Much appreciated!

Loren's install thread has good tips about how to trim the bezel if that's required. Make sure to check the posts by loren and SE_Sport_Driver.

Please post some pics when finished so we can see how it came out.

My install is double DIN in my Volvo, but it was brilliantly simple and fit perfectly (damn installers still charged me mucho though it was so simple).

Here's a link to the original thread. The MPSS-4 source switcher is great for an empeg/CD-radio setup. When the empeg is the primary, it remains powered on when you put it in suspend mode to activate the CD-radio. And it wakes up instantly on any button press, cutting the power to the CD-radio. Well, that is, if you use an external amp for the setup.

Here's one of my very first posts, talking about the setup of the switcher.

Yeah, it's too bad Hondas don't have a full double-din dash opening.

Now THAT is exactly what I was hoping to do with my system someday. Good to see that it can work, thanks for posting that picture. The only thing I'd do differently is recess-mount the other headunit slightly, so that I could put a stealth cover on it.

My other problem is that my final goal is for the other head unit to be a nav system with a retractable touchscreen. (Because there's no point in going to all that trouble for just a CD player. CDs? Bah.)

The thing is, the nav screen would either have to obscure the empeg face or obscure the climate controls when extended. That's a tough choice to make, since I need access to both.

Surely you can retract the nav screen when you need to fiddle with your climate controls. Or are you a woman and have to fiddle with them constantly?

It's not that I'm a woman, it's that the car never really settles on a temperature either for the heater or for the A/C. I don't have one of the fancy set-it-and-forget-it systems, it's all direct-driven.

Ah. Sorry.

We're spoiled with our Volvos that are considerate enough not to blast the fan when you first turn on the car on a cold day, but instead gradually increase the fan speed as the car warms up. Watch, now that I say that, the AC will probably get stuck on all winter.

Yeah the whole stealth idea was why I set it back a bit but I never got around to it. I have since made it flush mounted with the panel and I think it looks real nice. I just remove the face and empeg and set them in my pelican case whenever I don't feel comfortable leaving them in-dash.

I'm just about to embark on the adventure of replacing the stock CD player in my 1999 Accord EX with an empeg and a HU. In the process I'm also replacing the stock speakers with some after markets. Nothing major, just a slight upgrade. It sounds like quite a few of you have done similar.

I read the thread above, however alas, the pictures I really hoped to see, it appears the link is dead.

Is there anyone out there with a 6th gen Accord that's done this and can point me in the right directions? I'm particularly interested in information regarding speaker mounting, removing interior pieces, mounting the empeg and HU together, stalk volume controls, etc.

Thanks much.

roman

Nothing major, just a slight upgrade.

You do realize that the empeg has line-level outputs, there is no amplifier built into it as there is in your current head unit, and that you will have to install a separate amplifier?

This qualifies as more than "...just a slight upgrade."

This is not an overwhelmilngly difficult project, but it may entail quite a bit more disassembly and wire-stringing than you were thinking you had to do, plus the acquisition of the amplifier.

You probably knew that stuff already and this is nothing new to you. I hope...

tanstaafl.

I think he was intending to pair the empeg with a second aftermarket head unit, so could make sure to get one with built-in amplification and line-level inputs.

Tony's got it exactly right. Which is why I'm looking for reposts of the photos referenced above regarding two units, empeg and 2nd HU, installs in the Honda's not quite 2-din, door panel removals (speaker install), dash pull (speaker install), etc. I know the questions regarding the interior etc. aren't quite on topic for this forum, but I figured it'd still be a good place to ask.

Thanks!

roman

The absolute best place for door removal and dash pull information is the Crutchfield Master Sheet. The one I got for my 2000 Honda accord is worth its weight in gold. Without this information, you'll do things like break retaining clips and put screwdriver gouges in your plastic. I can't reccomend this enough. Seriously, contact Crutchfield and get the master sheet before trying anything.

I'll second that. I think they're less than $5. I do it before each new install. As a bonus, if you buy anything of significance from them, they'll throw one in free. Also they throw in free adapters and plugs and such for any speakers or head unit you get from them. Well worth the extra few bucks.

THanks for the suggestions, I did order something from Crutchfield and they did send a Mastersheet. However, I didn't see anything about how to remove the stock dash tweeters. Not yet sure I can get something else in there, but I'd like to get a componant set for the front and I'd prefer to use the stock tweeter locations.

Thanks again.

That's odd. I'd expect them to show everything, assuming they got the make and model of car correct.

Well, anyway, if your accord is anything like my 2000 accord, the covers just pop off. You might need a skewdriver (sideways screwdriver tool) to get to the screws properly, not sure.

I can't seem to see the pics in your post with the empeg and HU mounted together. Could you point me to a link or possibly repost them?

Thanks!

roman

Anyone familiar with the following:

Metra 99-7801 90 - 02 Honda Radio Install Kit

Looks like its made for mounting two DIN HU's in an accord?