Losing an old car stereo key is not new. People often lose their DIN tools and end up in a repair shop to get their stereo removed.
However, there are several ways to remove a car stereo without using the key that you can try at your garage.
In this blog post, we will share some great tips for removing an old car stereo from your vehicle—even if you’ve lost your keys! So, let’s get started.
Removing Single DIN Car Stereo without Keys
Here we explain the process to remove 1-DIN car radios without any keys-
Gathering Essentials
You don’t need a lot of things to remove the stereo from your car. You can do it alone and save the cost of hiring an auto mechanic if you have all these essentials at home:
A flathead screwdriver– A flathead screwdriver is the only thing that will help you in removing a car stereo without any damage. Also, it won’t make the screws stuck inside the dashboard when you try to unscrew them.
Battery terminal wrench– If you have a battery terminal wrench at your home, it will be so much easier to disconnect the battery.
A towel– A clean and absorbent cloth or towel is another thing that’s necessary for removing a car stereo without any damage. It prevents scratches on the dashboard while removing the stereo.
A flashlight– A bright light is necessary when you are working in your garage and working with delicate stuff like car stereos. It helps to remove things easily without any hassle or damage.
Disconnect the Battery
The first and foremost thing that you need to do is disconnect the battery of your car. It will prevent any kind of accident while working on a stereo system.
Disconnect the Negative terminal of the car battery so that all your car components remain safe.
Remove the Faceplate
You can remove the faceplate by pressing the eject button on the side of it. After that, gently take the plastic panel surrounding the stereo.
Remove any screws or bolts that hold down your stereo system and you will be able to access it easily. When all these things are done, you should have no problem removing an old car stereo from your car by yourself!
Take the Stereo Out of the Enclosure
Now, you can take out the stereo system from its enclosure.
Do not try to remove it forcefully as this may damage your vehicle’s dashboard or cause injury with sharp edges.
Instead, be gentle and patient while removing a car stereo without any keys. Once the screws are removed and the panel is taken off, you can pull the stereo out of its enclosure and disconnect it from all wires.
You can do this by pulling each wire individually and removing them gently without any damage. Once you’re done with doing that, your old car stereo is ready to be taken outside of your vehicle!
Note: While most of the 1-DIN car radio will get out of the dash after you follow this process, some may come with deeper locks that need to be pushed with a flathead screwdriver or an aftermarket stereo key. Watch this for better understanding the concept-
If you own an aftermarket stereo, you can check our Kenwood stereo removal or Pioneer car radio removal process to have more specific information.
How to Remove Double DIN Car Stereo without DIN Tools or Keys
Removing double DIN stereos is easy. In most of the stock stereos, you’ll see 4 holes two on either side of the stereo faceplate.
Take 4 small screwdrivers and put them inside those holes one by one.
Once you’re done inserting all those, grab them with both hands and lift the stereo from the dash panel. You’re done!
Not sure what am I talking about? Watch this-
If you don’t see any such holes, I recommend you to read the user manual and find the places where the radio is locked. Once you find those spots, simply use those screwdrivers to push the lock and slide the stereo out of the dash.
After that, carefully disconnect the wires and your car stereo is ready to be taken out of the vehicle.
Conclusion
It is not too difficult to remove a car stereo without keys. All you need are simple tools and some patience!
The first and foremost thing that you need to do is disconnect the battery of your car. It will prevent any kind of accident while working on a stereo system. And don’t forget to read the user manual before you attempt any of these methods.
And be sure to try these at your own risk. This is for guidance generally, may not apply to your system.