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This weekend I installed an ipod hookup cable in my car, which for the sake of google I’ll mention is a 2003 Civic EX.

I used a mish-mash of the Honda instructions here and here, and the blog posts here and here.

Although my car is a 2003, and I went out of my way to look for Honda’s 2003 instructions after originally stumbling on 2004, it turns out my console actually matches the 2004 instructions.

The 2003 instructions only call for removing a small panel below the radio to get at some bolts, while the 2004 version requires disassembling the shift knob and removing a larger piece of trim. I originally thought I was removing only the black plastic piece that contains the power outlet, but that’s actually screwed to the beige trim surrounding it and the whole piece needs to come out.

One of the Honda instructions I looked at called for removing the center console entirely, but I didn’t find that necessary and I’m not sure my access to the underside of the radio would have been any better if I did.

Most of the panels are held in with plastic tabs or combination plastic/metal clips. In some cases I had to pry very hard to get them out, hard enough I was afraid I’d break the plastic, but in the end it’s mostly unscathed except for a few tool impressions in the softer pieces of the dash.

Here is a picture of the piece of the console that I removed. Click for a bigger version that highlights the section that comes out. This picture also shows where the cable can come out, without needing to drill any holes.

Here’s a picture of where the cable plugs in to the back of the radio (click to enlarge):

Here’s a gratuitous picture of the radio unit sitting on the kitchen table: