How To Remove Sony Car Stereo With Keys and Without Keys

Is there something wrong with your Sony car stereo? Want to disassemble it and take a look? Or do you want to take it out so that you can put in a new stereo system? There are two ways to go about this. 

There are some specific tools that will make the removal easier. But you can also deal with the situation without them. In this write-up, we will discuss how to remove Sony car stereo with keys and without keys. 

How To Remove Sony Car Stereo With Keys and Without Keys

How To Remove Sony Car Stereo With Keys And Without Keys 

How To Remove Sony Car Stereo With Keys 

Step 1. Disconnect The Battery  

No matter how you plan on removing your stereo, you must disconnect the car battery first. If you leave the battery under the hood, you might get an electrical shock while trying to take the stereo out of the mounting cradle. 

So, before you get to the stereo, you should open the hood and remove the battery terminal connections. Make sure the ignition is off. Then, look for the battery’s negative terminal. The negative terminal should have a ‘’-’’ sign engraved on it. It usually has a black plastic cap. 

After you find the negative terminal, pick up a socket wrench and undo the nut. Make sure the wrench fits the nuts and bolts of the terminal. Remove the negative connector cable and do the same for the positive connector cable. 

Disconnecting the terminals should be safe enough, but if you want to take no risks, take out the battery from the hood. It’s secured to the engine bay with a clamp. Undo the bolts on the clamp and slowly bring the battery out. 

Step 2. Take The Dash Trim Out 

Now, let’s shift our focus to the stereo itself. First, we will have to remove the dash trim. Some trims are attached with clips. In that case, you can simply pull them out. If they come with nuts and bolts, you must remove them using a wrench.  

Step 3. Put The Keys In 

After the trim is out of the way, two stereo slots will become visible along the sides. You can insert the stereo removal keys into them and pull out the stereo. Push them as long as you hear a click sound. Once you do, the unit will disconnect from the mounting cradle, and you can gently pull it out.  

It might not come off easily if you try to remove the stereo from a new vehicle. So, you will have to apply a little bit of force. You will have to stay careful, though. You don’t want to break the stereo by yanking it out. 

How To Remove Sony Car Stereo Without Keys 

Step 1. Disconnect The Battery 

Disconnect the battery just like we described above. 

Step 2. Remove The Dash Trim 

We have done this step before as well. Remove the dash trim to expose the stereo slots. 

Step 3. Use Removal Key Alternatives 

This is the distinctive stage. Since we don’t have dedicated removal tools, we are gonna have to improvise. You can find some household tools lying around that can act as substitutes. You can use a steel-made ruler, a butter knife, or a flathead screwdriver to get the job done. 

Of course, they will not go in as easily as the removal keys. So, be extra cautious while sliding them into the slots, especially if you want to use the stereo again. Wait for the clicking sound. After you hear the click, you can extract the unit from the mounting cradle.

Some Tips To Remember 

FAQs 

How Do You Remove A Car Stereo Without The Key? 

You will have to use a similarly shaped object to enter the slots and pull out the stereo. It can be a regular butter knife on your kitchen cabinet or a flathead screwdriver on your toolbox. However, since they are not purposefully built to remove the stereo, you will have to be careful so that it doesn’t get damaged.

How Do You Remove A Key From Your Car Stereo?

The key should come right out of the slot when you pull it out. It should go in and out without any obstruction. 

Final Words 

We have explained how to remove Sony car stereo with keys and without keys so that you can remove the unit whenever you want. Dedicated stereo removal keys make the job easier, but many people don’t believe they are worth investing in, especially because they serve no purpose other than prying out stereos from dashboards. 

So, you can improvise with other tools. You need to be a bit cautious, but you can unfasten the stereo as effectively as you could if you had used specialized Sony stereo removal tools.