A while ago my kid put some metal things (probably a coin and a mini screwdriver) in the CD player, which caused a very obnoxious noise to come out of the speakers whenever the car was on. I see from this forum that I'm not the only one! Dealer confirmed this during standard service, showed me cost of replacement head unit (1k+), I said no thanks and had it reinstalled but unplugged. Fast forward 2 years, I want a working head unit. Here's what I see as my options: 1) pay local mechanic to remove head unit, fish out stuff from CD player, reinstall. Or 2) find a used Honda head unit and have mechanic install. Advice much appreciated! Is there a chance that unit was damaged e.g. there's a short, which explains the sound whenever ignition was on (and which varied when I went over bumps in road)? If I go for a used one, where should I look and what should I look out for (radio code?). What would you do? Thanks in advance!

 

Try wrapping duct tape (sticky side out) on a thin putty blade to fish out the coin.

 

Welcome. Anything that was stuck in a CD slot only got in from the front, so removing the head unit doesn't give you any better access than you already have.

If it were me, I'd try to remove the offending items with hemostats, magnets or anything else you can fit in there.

The idea is that if items stuck in the CD player were causing the noise, removing the items would at least stop the noise and allow you to use other parts of the head unit.

If that doesn't work, you can go with a used head unit, or aftermarket. If you go aftermarket, you'll need extra adapters to retain the backup camera and steering wheel controls.

If you consider purchasing a used head unit, a few things to keep in mind. EX units don't work in LX cars, so you can't "upgrade." Same for any head units made for 2018 or later models, those won't work either.

Going from memory, but I believe that head units for this generation are now keyed to the VIN of the vehicle they were installed in. If you stick it in a different vehicle, you'll be prompted to enter the original VIN to make it work. So if you go shopping for a used head unit, ask for the VIN of the vehicle it was pulled from. If you can't get it, pass.

 

How about take it out, flip it over and just keep shaking until it comes out assuming it's not jammed in there. FYI pulling the radio isn't hard but it can be if you haven't done it before. Lots of little plastic bits to break off and screws in hard to reach places. The reinstall is easy breezy