Radio removal

How do you remove the radio on a 108?
Thanks
Tim

[psfred]

I'm not sure -- I have the opposite problem, I want to put the original back in and dump the cheapo Kenwood mine has.

I believe you must pull the radio knobs, then unscrew the flat nut on the shafts to release the face plate. Behind the faceplate are two clamps with phillips head screws that hold the radio to the dash. Unscrew and turn sideways to release them and the radio should pull right out. May be a nut holding the rear down -- pull the ashtray out, then remove one phillips screw and the lock ring around the glovebox light switch (with glovebox open), then the two phillips screws on the other side and remove the ashtray casing. Be carefull not to break the plastic light pipe from the heater levers. You may also have to pull the glove box out (two phillips screw hold the latch at the top, then pull the plastic clips and pull the box out).

Heater valves are right there behind the ashtray, too.

There is an antenna wire and a plug-in cable connection for the radio -- the power is suppled by the amplifier behind the console cover, so if you are looking for a switched hot lead, you will have to look somewhere else or hack the cable.

Peter

[Tomguy]

Wouldn't it be easier to remove the nut in the rear by taking the top grille off the dash, removing the pad, then you have pretty much clear access for a wrench to fit in there - it might be a tough squeeze but better than going in through the glovebox!

[psfred]

I don't remember if there is a nut or not on the back of the radio -- and you will find that the heater levers are right there, no way around them. Radio may just slide out anyway.

Peter

[Tomguy]

Peter: I wouldn't know 100% since mine didn't have the original when we bought it (I guess the PO needed his FM stereo and casette )
But there is a (nut?) back there w/the ground wire connected to it, I figured this is probably the way the original Becker gets its groung?

[SoCalBomb]

I've done this about a dozen times at the junkyard. The problem is that I forgot how. But i know you pull off both knobs and all buttons. You need a (-) screw driver to loosen up two brackets behind the main knobs. It's really simple. I've done it many times, and I've never encountered a screw or bracket that I would have to reach from some odd postion. Pull out a radio on a W108 has never took me longer than 5 minutes. Good luck, and think simple when attacking that radio.

[Mark DiSilvestro]

The most common 'original' early '70s radio, is a chrome-face Becker Europa. If you have this Europa, after you pull the knobs, the chrome face and dial just pops off. You may have to figure how to gently pry the faceplate withot damaging the wood. Older '60s Europas had chrome retaining nuts under the knobs, so check before you pry. After the faceplate is off, you will see a rectangular radio housing with 2 steel vertical clamp bars going through holes at each end. Loosen the screw in the center of each bar until it will slide out of one of it's two holes, then remove the bars. The radio should pull right out to reveal the wiring. Usually, there's one twin speaker plug, an antenna plug and a power and ground wire.
If you have a Stereo Europa, there may be an amplifier box cabled to the head unit and mounted remotely under the dash, perhaps behind the glovebox. In that case, the power, ground and a pair of twin speaker plugs will be connected there, along with a multi-pin plug and cable from the head unit. Good Luck.

Happy Motoring, Mark

[kpb]

Just pulled the Becker Europa in my 108 and discovered that the knobs have small flat-edge set screws. I popped the first one off without spotting it but the second wouldn't budge so I became suspicious that these were not really push-on knobs! Once the knobs were off, the faceplate was just sitting there without nuts holding it. Loosen the clamps and pull it out like others have said.