How to Take Out the Stereo on a 2001 Civic

The Civic has remained a simple vehicle at its base level throughout its long production life, giving customers just the bare necessities. And as time went on, the “bare necessities” started to include features such as standard power steering and AM-FM radio, which were installed on the base 2001 Civic. For additional fees, Honda also fitted the Civic with a cassette player and a CD player. The process to take out the stereo in the 2001 Civic varies, depending on whether your Civic has a center console beverage holder or not.

Things You'll Need

• Five-digit radio security code
• Flat-head screwdriver
• Phillips screwdriver
• Ratchet
• Socket set

Instructions

Removal

1. Find the card that contains your radio’s five-digit security code, included when the Civic was purchased from the dealership. If the radio is new or used, it should have come with a card with the code on it. If you cannot find the security code, visit a nearby Honda dealership to obtain a new code.

2. Proceed directly to Step 6 if the Civic does not have a center console beverage holder.

3. Pry upward around the perimeter of the center console box -- the storage compartment on the rear of the center console -- with a flat-head screwdriver to disengage its nine retaining clips. Remove the center console box from the center console.

4. Unscrew the shifter knob from the gear shifter, if the Civic has a manual transmission.

5. Remove the four center console retaining screws -- two on the lower-rear side of the console and two inside the hole where the center console box sets -- with a Phillips screwdriver. Pry outward on the center clips on the pin-style retainers on the front of the center console with a flat-head screwdriver until they stop moving, then pry the pin-style retainers from the center console. Pull the center console upward and remove it from the Civic.

6. Pry around the perimeter of the dashboard's center lower cover -- the cover that houses the power outlet -- with a flat-head screwdriver to disengage its retaining clips. Pull the lower cover outward, and pull the wiring harness from the rear of the power outlet. Remove the lower cover from the Civic.

7. Look through the hole where the dashboard center lower cover was and find the two bolts securing the radio and its bezel in place. Remove these bolts with a ratchet and socket. Pry around the perimeter of the radio bezel -- the trim surrounding the radio -- with a flat-head screwdriver to disengage its retaining clips, then pull the radio and bezel out as one unit, just far enough to access the wiring harnesses behind it.

8. Press and hold the unlocking button on the radio’s wiring harness, and pull the harness from the rear of the radio with a slight wiggling motion. Pull the antenna lead from the rear of the radio. Unplug the four heating and air-conditioning control wiring harnesses from their respective receptacles by pressing and holding the unlocking button on each harness and pulling each harness from its receptacle with a slight wiggling motion.

9. Pull the knobs off the heating and air-conditioning control panel. Remove the three heating and air-conditioning control-panel screws with a Phillips screwdriver, and pull them from the radio bezel.

10. Remove the four bolts securing the radio to its bracket with a ratchet and socket, then slide the radio out of the bracket.

Installation

1. Slide a new radio unit into the radio bracket, lining up the bolt holes in the radio with those in the bracket. Hand-thread the four radio-retaining bolts, then snug them with a ratchet and socket.

2. Set the heating and air-conditioning control panel back on the radio bezel and tighten its retaining screws with a Phillips screwdriver. Line up the asymmetrical holes on the rear of the heating and air-conditioning knobs with the asymmetrical shafts on the heating and air-conditioning panel, then press the knobs onto the shafts.

3. Plug the wiring harness into the rear of the radio and press the antenna lead into its receptacle on the rear of the radio. Plug the heating and air-conditioning control wiring harnesses into their respective receptacles on control panel; the harnesses are different sizes, so each harness can only plug into one receptacle.

4. Line up the retaining clips on the radio bezel with the slots in the dashboard, and slide the radio bezel and radio unit into the dashboard until the retaining clips snap into place. Hand-thread the two retaining bolts through the hole where the lower cover goes, then tighten the two bolts with a ratchet and socket.

5. Plug the wiring harness back into the rear of the power outlet on the lower cover, then line up the retaining clips on the lower cover with the slots in the dashboard. Press the lower cover onto the dashboard to engage its retaining clips. If the Civic does have a center console beverage holder, then proceed to Step 6.

6. Set the center console back in place between the front seats and tighten its four retaining screws with a Phillips screwdriver; note that the sharp-tipped screws secure the rear of the console, while the flat-tipped screws install into the holes in the center console box’s cavity.

7. Insert the pin-style retainers into the holes on the front of the center console, and press the center pins into the retainers until they are flush with the top of the retainer.

8. Tighten the shifter knob onto the gear shifter on manual transmission models. Line up the retaining clip on the bottom of the center console box with the slots in the center console, then press the box downward until the clips snap into place.

Entering the Security Code

1. Turn the ignition to the “On” position and turn the radio on. Observe as “Code” appears on the radio’s screen; this indicates the radio is locked.

2. Press and release the preset buttons that correspond to the digits in the radio’s security code.

3. Observe as the radio begins playing, if you have entered the code correctly. If you enter the code incorrectly 10 times, the radio goes into an extended security mode, which means you must leave the radio on for one hour before attempting to enter the code again.

References

• Mitchell1 OnDemand 5; 2001 Honda Civic Radio Removal and Installation; The Mitchell Repair Information Company
• Cars.com: 2001 Honda Civic Standard Features and Options
• Edmunds: Honda Civic History