International standard ISO 7736 defines a standard size for car audio

Car audio

Car audio/video , auto radio, mobile audio, 12-volt and other terms are used to describe the sound or video system fitted in an automobile. While 12-volt audio and video systems are also used, marketed, or manufactured for marine, aviation, and buses, this article focuses on cars as the most common...

 head unit

Head unit

A head unit, sometimes referred to as a "deck", is a component of a stereo system either in a vehicle or home cinema system which provides a unified hardware interface for the various components of an electronic media system. An antiquated name for a head unit is a receiver; this article focuses...

s. The standard was originally established by the German standards body Deutsches Institut für Normung

Deutsches Institut für Normung

is the German national organization for standardization and is that country's ISO member body. DIN is a Registered German Association headquartered in Berlin...

as DIN 75490, and is therefore commonly referred to as the "DIN car radio size". It was adopted as an international standard in 1984.

Head units generally come in either single DIN (180 x 50 mm panel) or double DIN (180 x 100 mm panel) size. The depth is not standardized; as a result, some cars such as the Opel Manta

Opel Manta

The Opel Manta was a rear-wheel-drive sports coupé motor vehicle built by Opel, from 1970 to 1988.-1970–75: Opel Manta A:The Manta A was released in September 1970, two months ahead of the then new Opel Ascona on which it was based...

 have the correct sized front aperture but will accommodate few DIN sized radios other than the original due to the shallow depth; this despite the vehicle being manufactured as late as 1988. The US standard for a DIN radio is 2" x 7" and the Double DIN sized radio is a 4" x 7". Some radios in Japanese Kei car

Kei car

Kei cars, K-cars, or , are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to comply with Japanese government tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is...

s do not conform to the DIN standard however.

Removal tools

For removing the unit, a pair of U-shaped devices are often used. The devices are inserted in the two pairs of holes, at either end of the stereo fascia

Fascia

A fascia is a layer of fibrous tissue that permeates the human body. A fascia is a connective tissue that surrounds muscles, groups of muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding those structures together in much the same manner as plastic wrap can be used to hold the contents of sandwiches...

, the action releasing the unit from the mounting and providing a pair of handles to pull the unit free. These tools vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Becker uses a pair of key-shaped removal tools, with one hole each.

External links

• Fit a Cobra 18 WX ST II CB radio in-dash in a Toyota Tacoma, with pictures of ISO 7736 bracket modifications
• Buy the ISO 7736 document from iso.org