Fitting Dab/fw/mw/lw Roof Aerial And Cabling Routing - Help!

[dt7]

Hi

Last weekend I started fitting a Sony CDX-DAB700U head unit into my Focus Zetec S mk2.5.

I mangaed to fit the head unit into the car, the CD and stalk controls work fine but the FM/MW/LW and DAB radio are dead. Part of the reason I wanted a change was the poor quality radio reception I was experiencing with the original unit.

As it looks like the issue is due to the aerial and cabling, I have now purchased a Kinetic DRA-6001 aerial bundle with low loss cabling for both the FM/MW and LW and DAB radio, which I would like fitted asap.

I am not that much of a practical person and am not great at reading wiring instructions, but can follow something I see and am more than willing to have a go.

I have had a quick try at removing the drivers side front pillar cover, but don't want to pull too hard and break any holding clips. Does anyone know if there is a pull and slide knack? or is it just a straight forward yank and pull to remove the pillar?

I have found a guide on DAB radio retro fit on fordwiki - Can anyone tell me if that is similar to what I will need to do?

I guess, what I'm trying to do is save £50 -100 on labour costs if I do it myself.

Any helpful comments, thoughts or pearls of wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks in advance.

[dt7]

Booked it in to get work done early next week. Can focus on carbon wrapping the interior now.

[Stoney871]

If you remove the door trim seal you can get good access to get wires behind the a pillar trim.

Removing the sun blind and mounts allows a bit of wiggle room to run cables to the aerial mount on the roof.

[dt7]

If you remove the door trim seal you can get good access to get wires behind the a pillar trim.

Removing the sun blind and mounts allows a bit of wiggle room to run cables to the aerial mount on the roof.

Cheers Stoney - I removed the door seal to route in the small glass mounted dab aeral that came with the radio unit only then to discover that the aeral should not be mounted to a heated front screen, so then had to remove. Guess that taught me a lesson to read the instructions and be less impatient.

Will be fitted on Monday and will be carbon wrappping silver interior panels shortly.

[Stoney871]

Keep us posted mate. :)

[dt7]

Will do.

[salsheikh]

i followed the fordwiki guide as it got a oem dab ford aerieal to go with my Ford/Sony DAB unit

[dt7]

i followed the fordwiki guide as it got a oem dab ford aerieal to go with my Ford/Sony DAB unit

Did you manage to remove the pillar cover as in the guide? If so, was it a case of levering straight out?

I only ever has the confidence to pull, twist and slide the pillar casing just enough to poke the cabling into the cable clips, which was ver fiddly.

I didn't know if the remaining clips holding the pillar in place were going to snap if / i yanked the pillar straight out and didn't want to be left with a pillar that couldn't be refitted.

[salsheikh]

you'll be fine mate, it may be tight but it will be ok. once you take it off it will make it easier to route the cable.

[dt7]

DAB aerial fitted and radio works brilliantly. What a difference! Very happy at outcome.

Aerial sticks up close to vertical, but reception is fantastic.

All that is left to do is to remove the silver trim around the radio unit, garage door storage unit and silver plastic trim by start button and carbon wrap at the weekend. I'll post pics sometime over the weekend when complete.

[salsheikh]

the garage door storage unit is actually the ashtray! you will at times fin the dab reception goes a bit fuzzy or dead but its only temporary (10 seconds max) but i love it, so many channels i can listen to properly all over the country.

[dt7]

Spent yesterday wrapping - not Christmas presents, but the centre console, ashtray, heater control unit and radio trim.

Quite happy with the results, a couple of bubbles but not more than that. Think it updates look of the interior.

Thanks for help and comments once again.

Before

After