Car Stereos: 2005 Mountaineer - how to get to back of radio, mercury mountaineer, hook tool

Question
Brian,

I have a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer, and I need to get to the plug on the back of the radio where the antenna cable goes in.  I don't know how to get the cover off of the radio, I think it is called a dash bezel (sp?).

I found a youtube video that shows how to get it off in an Explorer, but right out of the gate, the guy shows taking out two screws that I don't have.

Any suggestions?  I believe it will pull off with some tabs holding it on, but I am afraid to break something.

Thanks,

Matt

Answer
Hi Matt,

The plastic panel that surrounds your radio is just held in with pressure clips.  Of course, that's a bit of an understatement.  To be slightly more accurate, it's held in with bad-tempered, aggressive, guerrilla attack pressure clips.  These things do not like to let go.

If I'm up against one of these, I use a hook tool.  I have a fairly expensive set of hooks and picks (cheap ones will have handles that pull off the metal shaft).  I insert a hook tool at the top left, where there's a seam near the instrument cluster--this allows enough room to insert a hook under the panel, without pressing against the surrounding vinyl.  If your hook tool pushes against the vinyl, it will leave a dent that won't come out again easily.  Once you can get a single clip to pop loose, you'll gain enough of a gap to work around the panel and pop them one by one.  If I recall correctly, there are either three or four clips on each side: none in the center on the top or bottom, and none in the middle of the panel.

You more or less have to go by feel; it's important that you exert the pressure as close as possible to the clip, or you'll flex the panel and possibly crack it.  On the other hand, you can't be afraid to pull hard.  This is one of those areas where experience helps.  A bit of careful testing should tell you where the plastic flexes when you pull it, and where it seems to be held stiffly; those are the clip locations.  The seam I mentioned at the top left should be very close to the uppermost clip on that side.

Here's one other option:  sometimes, in the Explorer and Mountaineer, you can find a junction in the antenna cable, in the passenger-side kick panel area.  This is the panel to the right of the passenger's feet.  You should be able to pull off the front door sill panel, then the kick panel, fairly easily (again, it's just pressure clips).  If you're connecting an FM modulator device, any junction in the antenna line will work--you don't have to use the one at the back of the radio.  However, I haven't looked for a junction here in this model year--I'm not sure if it's present in your Mountaineer.  If it is there, it might be a different style of connector that would require antenna adapters.  The connection at the back of the head unit would be a universal "Motorola"-type end, and wouldn't need an adapter.

Hope this helps!

Brian