chuck

Protege5 Aftermarket Stereo DIN install

Is there anything on the market without the pocket , I want to put some gauges.
Maybe a voltmeter gauge and vaccuum gauge.

mazdaspeedwest

yup, they sure do.....it's called ABS plastic and comes in 12x12 sheets. But there's a bit of labor involved....

i would think they'd have to be pretty small guages to fit there...unless you go with like 3 Dakota Digital guages, which are sweet as hell....

hihoslva

The pocket is separate - there is no "install kit" for the P5.

This means you can do whatever you want with the DIN sized space under any aftermarket deck you might install.

Still waiting to see if anyone puts a deck on the BOTTOM half of the radio opening. If you want to install gauges, maybe this would work for you.

You might want to get the pocket anyway, (cheap - $5 to $15) and then cover the face of it with plastic, metal, etc. to mount the gauges. The pocket will give you something to mount to.

JJB

I am actually considering doing this as my head unit is getting pretty warm... a little more breathing room above at the back of the unit may help and the pocket I used will work in either location.

hihoslva

Nice - maybe you could post some pics when it's done?

I'll be installing my deck soon, and still can't decide which location to use.

Smoothy

Same here. Also can't decide on what type of DIN pocket I want to use. I really like the ones on the 2000's (and MP3 I think) that has the latch you push down and the door opens downward. But I'm having a hell of a time finding one! :P

hihoslva

There was a guy on this forum who installed the box you are talking about - it is used in the MP3 also, and you should be able to get one from a Mazda dealer. Of course, you'll have to shell out 70 FRIGGIN DOLLARS for it. Yah, that's right, $70.

You might be better off checking the junkyards, or just using an aftermarket pocket (I had to talk to an installer at a store for mine - I couldn't find any "off the rack").

JJB

yup... it costs a pretty penny... but I am not a patient person and the total lack of hassle and easy of install was worth it plus, I like how it looks... though with the head unit getting warm above it the pocket is also like a little oven... so, no leaving candy bars in there

The pocket is Mazda P/N BJ1H-66-9M0

Smoothy

JJB- Was it $70 or $90? I'm pretty sure that's the same part number I called them on last week and it was $90!
I never thought of the heat issue....I bet that door being on there doesn't help that either!

JJB

It was ~$70 when I ordered it from www.mazdastuff.com. Of course I also ordered some other stuff so the shipping was spread out over a few things (I can not recall how much it was).

It is not that it gets blistering hot in there, but it does get warm... I still like how it looks. Of course the only time I noticed it was nice and warm was after a 6 hour drive with tunes cranked the whole time!

Inimical_01ES

I know when I checked with my dealer, they told me $90 also for the pocket off of an MP3...

You can do one of two things...
1. Head to a junk yard and pull one of those pocket thingies out of a '99-'00 Pro (cause they all had single DIN sized radios)

2. Head to Circuit City (or your nearest equivalent) and pick up a universal pocket for a Ford/Mazda (which is what I did)

Here's some pics of the final install.. .looks ok to me..

vkyolv

how did you pull the carbon fiber bezel off? I am having trouble with the 4 screws holding in the AC controls

VkyolV

JJB

in order to replace the HU you do not need to pull the "carbon fiber" wanna-be bezel of the console. You only need to get the head unit out.

On each side of the stock HU there are two small black plastic stips that come off (pry them with a small screw driver or blade). Once these are off the sides of the HU are exposed. The sidemounts at the front (I will try to post a pic, but I'm at work at the moment) are now exposed and you can see two small holes and, between them, a small slot on each side.

This is how you release the sping clips that hold the HU in. You need to insert some sort of rod into all four holes at the same time (coat hanger pieces, long machine screws, etc) and then get something that can slide into the slot (I had some thin sheet metal I could use)... once you shove that stuff in there, the clips that hold the HU in on the sides will be compressed and you can slide it out with a little coaxing. It does take a little persistance!

After that I installed the MP3 pocket and then the new HU above that (with the metal cage that came with it). Once it was all in there it was a pretty tight fit. Once I get some time and motivation (or when a harness comes out for the car) I will pull the current HU out and find a way to get the rear of it supported... but for now it is in there pretty good.

Sorry for the quick explanation. When I get some time I will try to take pics of the stock deck to show how the clips on the side of the stock HU work.

Also, see this web page (http://www.astolfo.com/p5) for some good pics of the process... they really helped me out!

NOTE: when you are working on taking the old HU out and putting the new one in, do yourself a fover and make sure to mask the plastic on the console... if you do not, the stuff sliding in and out might nick it up. I did mine late at night and was not the most careful and upon inspection I noticed the damage I did... man I was pissed... most folks do not notice it, but I know it is there... and it glares back at me every day

vkyolv

thanks for the help, I finally figured it out.......the next step is the wiring harness!!!!!!!!!!!!


Thanks again.

VkyolV

JJB

that was the most fun part I had with the installation... I did not want to cut the connector off at the car side (warranty issues) so I managed to get contacts that would be the correct size for each of the slots and pins in the harness. I then soldered and heat shrunk those onto the HU's wires... man what a pain. And, they are only a friction fit at the moment. But they seem to be stayin' in there!