How to Install the Radio in a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire

In 1995, General Motors overhauled two of its most popular entry-level vehicles: the Pontiac Sunbird and Chevrolet Cavalier. With this redesign came a slight change of the Sunbirds name to "Sunfire." The 2002 model year marked the final year of the first generation of the Sunfire, as Pontiac revamped its styling the following year. The 2002 Sunfire came standard with an AM-FM radio with a cassette player, and had an optional CD player available. Replacing the radio in the Sunfire is a straightforward task that most owners can complete in an afternoon.

Instructions

Removal

1

Open the Sunfires glove box and find the two radio bezel-retaining screws on the far-left of the glove box. Remove these two screws, using a Phillips screwdriver.

2

Insert the blade of a flat-head screwdriver between the radio bezel -- the trim surrounding the radio and climate-control knobs -- and pry around the perimeter of the bezel to disengage its retaining clips. Pull the radio bezel from the dashboard.

3

Remove the two radio-retaining screws with a ratchet and 7 mm socket. Slide the radio from the dashboard just far enough to access the wiring on the rear of the radio.

4

Press the unlocking button on the radios wiring harness and pull the harness from the radio with a slight wiggling motion. Pull the antenna wiring from the rear of the radio and remove the radio from the Sunfire.

Installation

5

Plug the wiring harness into the rear of the radio; listen for it to click into place. Press the antenna wiring into its receptacle on the rear of the radio.

6

Slide the radio into its chassis in the dashboard and tighten the two radio-retaining screws to 27 foot-pounds, using a torque wrench and 7 mm socket.

7

Position the radio bezel on the dashboard, lining up the clips on the rear of the bezel with the slots in the dashboard around the radio. Press the radio bezel onto the dashboard until the clips snap into place. Tighten the two radio bezel-retaining screws with a Phillips screwdriver.