Pioneer DEH-P3900MP HU... Faceplate issue

[homerpez]

Just got a Pioneer DEH-P3900MP installed yesterday, replacing the Infinity head unit in my Tiburon GT.... I like! I really like! More of that "certain special something" than the old one had.

There's just one issue I'm having with it: The "detachable" faceplate won't detach.

The instructions say "press the button and pull out". Well, I press the button, it goes all the way in, and the faceplate does not budge. I'm used to faceplates where you press the button, it pushes the faceplate out a bit, and you pull away. Not on this one.

The reason I think I may NOT have a totally defective unit: The faceplate doesn't seem to have a good surface to grab on to at all. Pressing in the button while pulling on the outside edges (top and bottom), my fingers slide off, and it's still firmly locked onto the head unit.

I've seen many other people complain that getting the faceplate off of the DEH-P3900MP was difficult. This makes me think I just don't know 'the trick' to it.

Also, when I was playing with the store's display unit on the wall, it did the same thing to me. I press the "detach" button, and the faceplate did nothing. Again, making me think there may be some trick involved with this unit, or units like it.

...or, they could all be broken. I don't know. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/*******.gif.a649d21efc0d1fd4890a6428166586c1.gif

Does anyone happen to know about this stereo/issue, and maybe offer up a solution? Maybe "the trick" to getting this faceplate off? I'd really like to avoid a trip back to the store, if I can solve it on my own (or with your help)....

Thanks in advance for any help!

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[Louisiana_CRX 5,000+ posts]

If you had the deck professionally installed in the hardware package includes a lil bitty screw that goes in the side of the face plate to permantly install it so it can't detach or fall off...your installer may of done this...That way they can double charge you when you bring it back in for service...They will accuse it on Pioneer....so they can charge you...probally $25.00 more or so and then they'll show you this lil screw they took out that took 2 minutes to remove that they installed...in the first place........but they'll keep your car in the bay for like 30 minutes or so laughing and telling jokes some about you //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif that way it can seem like they are really working on your car //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/rolleyes.gif.c1fef805e9d1464d377451cd5bc18bfb.gif If not that....uhmmmm I'm not sure //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[homerpez]

Well, now that fact changes EVERYTHING. I don't feel quite as stupid now. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

First of all, I wouldn't be paying anything extra since it was Circuit City - the install labor was free to begin with, I just paid for the wiring harness (wasn't sure which one it used so I had them figure it all out).... also got a 2-year warranty on it which covers basically ANY failure of the unit itself...

Of course, this would fall under "why the hell would they do that?" and they should make it right for free regardless.

Now, where is this screw located? right on the front of the radio? Or would it have to be totally removed? (The installation sheet doesn't show anything about it)

I could have them work on it... but now I think I could handle this myself and save the drive..

 

[Sugrat 10+ year member]

Question for you - did you buy a display model? I ask this because when i bought a display model from CC, i had the same problem after they installed it.

So i took it back, and the guy mentioned about the screw... had a look, didn't find it so he pulled really hard on the HU and it came off, it had been stuck to the stereo with doublesided tape.... nice...

But it was a ***** to get off... so if there is no screw it may be that.

 

[homerpez]

I am sure that it's not the display model, because while he was in the install bay putting it in, I was playing more with the display one to see how it worked. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/graduate.gif.d982460be9f153bb54e5d4cb744f6ae8.gif

Also, I noticed that the other display models DID allow you to remove the faceplates, just the one I was interested in was the oddball. I thought it was broken due to countless customers playing with it (you know how that goes)... but apparently not, since I have 2 people who know about these things telling me what else it can be.

So, it could be a screw, or even double-sided tape... I'd never heard of this before. Must be something new they're doing?... (I even had another Pioneer installed by CC a couple of years back on a different car, and it worked just fine). I'll try and figure out which is at work here (with my luck, probably both)...

@ Louisiana_CRX: The screw is usually on the side of the faceplate?