I'm gonna add to this one as I used it today.
I already had the factory MP3 player as I orderred my car with it, but I wanted to add a pie adapter for my satellite radio.
It took me a long time to get the radio out mostly because of the connectors. I got the hidden bolt no problem but those connectors are a pain. Then when I got it how I wanted it, I realized my PIE cable was just a little short and had to take it out again, lol.

I'm also overly cautious about this crap so I took my time. All in all it took me approx 1.5 hours to get the head unit out the first time. I got it back in in about 20 and then out again in about 5. It's not so hard now, just getting those connectors in and out with the small work area is tough.
Tomorrow after work, i'm gonna run the antenna for the sat radio and mount the unit itself. I dont have the XM commander like so many do but the Sirius Starmate Replay. It's not much bigger and it will fit in the ashtray area but you won't be able to close it unless you remove the center divider (irreversible). I havent decided what i'm going to do yet but I have a feeling I'll end up removing that divider and doing what a lot of these guys have done and making it look all spiffy.
I'll take some pics when I'm done.

Thanks for the writeup. I couldnt have done it w/o this thing.
Now I gotta sleep. (starting at 9pm was a silly idea).

 

There must be multiple sources for this player. My original single CD player was a Sanyo but my MP3 is definitely a Pioneer (made in Japan) not a Panasonic.

"I noticed that the MP3 player is Panasonic and made in Japan, whereas the old player is Sanyo and made in Malaysia. I'm hoping that the Panasonic CD reading unit is more shock-resistant (and can read scratched CDs better). We'll see how it goes, haven't driven over any rough terrain at speed yet."

 

good observation

about a year and a half ago this issue was thoroughly discussed after lots of people pissed their cd player skipped, two conclusions were reached

1) burn discs had a much higher skip rate and cheaply burned or fast burned (over 16x) contributed to the problem

2) the drive, the 6 disc drive skipped less than the single, the mp3 drive being the best

 

I can't do anything with my Cd player! It wont play, I can't take any cd's out, or add any in cause its full.
Don't know if removing it will help!
(have already let the car warm up)

 

I know I'm a few years late to this thread but thanks everyone for the help and the removal only took me no more than 45 minutes.

 

Question: What song formats can the MP3 player play besides MP3? (wma, mp4, etc.)

 

only mp3

 

If you try to make it play an mp2, it plays the song in slow motion. Scares the **** out of you the first time you hear it too.

 

Hey - I'd just like to post my thanks to those who created this DIY. I upgraded my CD player to the 6-disc changer last night and I couldn't have done it without all the help from this! Thanks!!!

 

It's all about the MP3 player man...youre missing out. Get with the times

 

MP3??? What's that, like an 8-trac or something???

Just kidding! I wouldn't be opposed to having the MP3 player. Where can I buy one??

 

Uh oh...an unexpected hurdle. No worries...just get a bit of a running start, jump, and...

Okay, here's the problem that's stopped me cold. I've got a stripped screw that won't budge. See the attached picture (does the "img" tag to an external site no longer work? I just got an underlined link when I tried!)

Any advice?
------------------------
The other problem: I see two hidden bolts. Also attached. Which one do I remove? Or am I looking in the wrong spot altogether. I can't remove that panel obscuring my view because of the problem above.

----------------------
Finally, I bought a good socket wrench and a universal socket adapter (attached, of course. The piece of paper is there to give you a reference for size). This should save me from having to maintain (aka lose) an entire set of various sized sockets. Now I only need to lose one adapter, which is much easier. The nice thing about the wrench is that you can either rotate the whole wrench or just rotate the handle. Given that feature, do you think this will be long enough to reach the hidden bolt?

 

I'm not sure which directions you're following because you're trying to pull off the wrong screws and bolts. Did you read through this entire thread?

In the first pic, it looks like the screw you stripped is just one of the 4 holding the steel cover under the steering wheel. Am I right? You don't even need to remove that piece for this job. All you have to do is bring down the plastic cover under the steering wheel, which you've obviously already done since you have access to those 4 other screws.

As far as your second pic, you're not supposed to remove those two screws. There's just one golden bolt deep inside that you have to take out with a socket wrench.

There's a good shot of its location shown on page 6 of this thread.

You're making this job harder than it is. First time around I had the dealership do it for me, but when I had to get into the HU to install another, the hardest part was removing this bolt, and the rest of the job was a breeze. Just try not to scratch the piano finish on the HU.

Perhaps this will help you: http://www.whatsmyip.org/ipodrx8/

 

Okay. I was pretty sure those two screws were supposed to remain there, so I didn't touch 'em. Yeah, I read through this entire thread. Believe it or not, I've gone through every page about 3 times, then a few more for the step I get stuck on (heh, which has been just about every step).

I've never modded a car before or even worked on anything like this, so I'm really new and really slow. Every single step is a challenge. Nonetheless, I'm determined to do it myself b/c that's the only way I'll learn. Gotta start somewhere.

Good to hear that I don't need to remove that steel cover. I read that removing an extra panel ("not the one next to your knee") made it easier to get to the hidden bolt. However I'm still not sure which panel this refers to. I guess I'll need to give it another look.

I'll also check out that webpage, appreciate it.

 

Didn't I just get through explaining to you that it's on page 6 of this thread?

Yes, I did.

 

Got it!! And I might finally have something to add value to this thread.

If you haven't tried taking out your head unit yet, let me suggest a socket wrench attachment that made this task REALLY EASY. After all that hard trying, I did it in literally 15 seconds once I tried using this thing (see attachment).

It's a universal joint that bends in almost any direction. Cost about $8 at home depot. I highly recommend!

 

bumping this because im lazy and about to start using it..

 

Hey Folks,
I'm bumping this one too, as I'm new to the forums, figured I would check this thread for activity before starting my own.
I have the Bose system with some thing called Audiopilot. I'm not sure if the factory MP3 player is compatible with that, or if it's just the base system. Can someone confirm? Also since the car is 2005, would there be any pitfalls like the text display not working if I bought a brand new factory mp3 player and dropped it in? I see that the Trussville mazda dealer where the OP got his is still selling the player, for not too bad a price $288. Might get it from there unless anyone knows of a cheaper source or wants to sell me theirs.

Cheers,
Raphy

 

I know I'm late, but nice work Superfan!!

 

I know this is bringing a thread back from the dead, but I have a tip that saved me HUGE time when pulling the head unit.

Instead of fidgeting with the HVAC control connectors I removed the faceplate of the unit entirely. There are four screws holding it on (2 on either side of the unit) and one small plastic clip to disconnect. Use a rachet/driver bit adapter and loosen the screws, after that they are easy to spin out with your fingers. Once you have it disconnected you will have PLENTY of room to remove the HVAC connectors.

 

To drag this from the dead for a second time.

Can anyone give me a part number on this mp3 unit?
My parts place is having issues when looking at the nzdm catalogue and the jdm catalogue...