This is not my first rodeo, but my first time working on a Hyundai Accent. When I got it, used, it was equipped with the stock AM/FM/Cassette head unit. While this worked just fine, I have not purchased a cassette since 1988. This called for an upgrade.

I'm upgrading the entire system, incrementally. Head unit first. Then speakers, then subwoofer. This all has to be "on the cheap" since the Accent is a beater/commuter.

For the receiver, I scored a Jensen H5313. This has all of what I wanted: CD, USB and Aux plug in. It was on clearance at WalMart for $50. The same day, I won a $25 gift card at work, so the total outlay was $27.50 with tax.

Stage one involves swapping the head unit only. The H5313 only puts out 17 watts RMS, so the factory speakers are in no danger of blowing out.

I allotted 4 hours for the install. I bet you can see where this one is going...

The removal instructions call for lowering the glove box and reaching behind the dash to unhook the heater control cables. I don't know what underage, anorexic employee everyone else uses to do this, but I didn't have one on hand. Has ANYONE ever achieved this impossible feat? So, after an hour or so of sweating, cursing and contorting, I managed to get the front panel pulled forward enough to snake the old radio out without removing the heater control entirely. Unfortunately, the clips that retain the cables are now in low Earth orbit as the flew off the cables when I "popped' them off. I believe that they may have flown up into some even more inaccessible portion of the upper dash. Anyone know of a source for these?

OK, no problem, now on to the wiring harness. Bot the free wiring diagrams available online and the ones that can be purchased are the same and they are wrong. Time to break out the multimeter...

More to follow...

 

Well, that went better than expected. I crawled into the trunk and noted the wire colors for the rear speakers. surprisingly, they matched those under the dash--no bizarre color changes along the way. The multimeter confirmed this. Yahoo! The fronts worked out jsut as well. A half hour with a new soldering iron--I ran over the old one --and we were ready to go.

First trip to work was great. The radio actually holds my local station all the way to work--about 50 miles away. None of my factory radios in our new cars can do this. Listening to MP3s from my USB drive was just what I needed.

I still need to find the clips for the heater control cables. They are nowhere to be found. Until then I just have the controls st to a happy midway, but this cannot last long.

Any suggestions?

Part deux: Can anyone give me the proper procedure for removing the rear deck to replace the speakers?

Thanks!

 

Hi Jim,
I drive a '00 Accent so there's bound to be differences, but I'll try and snap a picture of the clips for the heater control cables so you can see if you can access them. Take a look on hmaservice for replacing the "center facia" on your model, some of the diagrams there may have some help, too!

 

I may have been unclear. I found the clips where they were attached at the heater control panel. When I pried them loose they went flying. I cannot find them under the dash. Any ideas or sources for the clips?

 

Sorry, no idea then. When I pulled my heater cables the clips stayed exactly where they were. Are you saying you pulled the clips out, and not just the cables from the clips?

 

Yes. I misunderstood the instructions. Instead of disconnecting the cables at the heater doors, I unhooked them at the back of the control assembly.