Author Topic: $300 to remove a penny?  (Read 11782 times)

Val

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$300 to remove a penny?
« on: March 14, 2012, 09:30:37 AM »
Hello

My 2-year old inserted a penny (or I dime, I am not sure) into the CD slot of my 2009 Honda Fit. Needless to say, CDs won't play anymore. Even radio music comes with an annoying background noise :-(

The dealership wants to charge me $300 to remove the coin. The only way to take it out, they say, is by removing the whole dashboard, open the CD player box and remove the coin. I called a few other repair shops and they don't do that kind of job.
I obviously don't want to pay $300, but I really want my music back! I guess I still could use the MP3 jack, but I also hate the idea of my car not being in perfect condition.

Any ideas from mustachians who've been through something silimar?

P.S. pleeeease don't ask me "what's a 2-year old doing in the front seat?" as some workmates have done.

Grigory

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #1 on: March 14, 2012, 09:34:35 AM »
Pay the $300, then take it out of the kid's allowance until it's repaid.

velocistar237

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #2 on: March 14, 2012, 09:47:25 AM »
Do it yourself?

Would removing the penny fix the problem, or do you think that the coin damaged the player?

Have you considered asking a car stereo store? They might do that sort of thing.

Val

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2012, 09:48:45 AM »
hahaha - I wish I could! But as per our house rules a 2yr old is not entitled to an allowance :-p

BenDarDunDat

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2012, 09:53:45 AM »
That's a bugger of a design for a stereo.  You may try the Fit forums.  They make a kit to put an aftermarket stereo in there, so I assume it will come out without removing the whole dashboard.  Also try Youtube, that's my new go to for fixing stuff.

Aloysius_Poutine

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2012, 10:22:21 AM »
For that price I'd buy a new aftermarket stereo and install it myself.

arebelspy

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2012, 10:29:49 AM »
I called a few other repair shops and they don't do that kind of job.

Price just getting a brand new one installed.
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Matt K

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2012, 10:35:37 AM »
For that price I'd buy a new aftermarket stereo and install it myself.

+1

Once you've got the old unit out, you can probably take it apart and remove the penny yourself.

Bakari

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2012, 12:33:35 PM »
2nd DIY.

They make modern cars LOOK hard to take apart, by hiding all the screws and having snap on plastic, but once you know the right place to pry, it actually fairly easy.  Everything, no matter how manufactured and sleek looking from the end-user stand-point, comes apart somehow.

I have no idea for your specific car.  If you can't find instructions online, look for the Chilton or Haynes manual at the library which will have a step-by-step guide for removing the dash (and every other part of the entire car)

Once you get it out, turn it upside down and shake it until the coin falls out.

HumanAfterAll

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2012, 12:56:19 PM »
You're not renting that car, you own it, so by all means take it apart and learn something :)

Val

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2012, 03:22:44 PM »
Thank you all for your recommendations! You've convinced me to try to do it myself. I'll post again if I'm succesfull!!!

MMM

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2012, 10:57:30 PM »
Yeah! I've installed quite a few car stereos over the years, and I often have to remove a dashboard panel or two. The company "Crutchfield" has these free guides of how to do it for every car, they might even send you one if you aren't a customer, since their service is amazing.

Once you know where to pry, it is just a few minutes to click off a panel, then 2-4 screws to release the radio, then a few more screws to take off its cover. Once you have its cover off, the penny will probably be sitting right there near the top.

One more possible trick: are US pennies magnetic? I remember the Canadian ones were. If they are, fishing around in there with a strong skinny magnet might do the trick. I have a screwdriver with an extendable magnet tip that looks like a car antenna.. you can bend it around and poke it into awkward spaces to retrieve stuff.

velocistar237

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2012, 06:29:43 AM »
One more possible trick: are US pennies magnetic?

I didn't think they were, and quick trip to the refrigerator with the change jar confirms that typical dimes and pennies aren't magnetic.

GoClick

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2012, 09:24:13 AM »
This video will show you how to remove it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=232RoJ8CjmI

Guitarist

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2012, 12:30:33 PM »
Yeah! I've installed quite a few car stereos over the years, and I often have to remove a dashboard panel or two. The company "Crutchfield" has these free guides of how to do it for every car, they might even send you one if you aren't a customer, since their service is amazing.

Once you know where to pry, it is just a few minutes to click off a panel, then 2-4 screws to release the radio, then a few more screws to take off its cover. Once you have its cover off, the penny will probably be sitting right there near the top.

One more possible trick: are US pennies magnetic? I remember the Canadian ones were. If they are, fishing around in there with a strong skinny magnet might do the trick. I have a screwdriver with an extendable magnet tip that looks like a car antenna.. you can bend it around and poke it into awkward spaces to retrieve stuff.

Would waving that magnet around the CD player screw with any of its components?
Not that it matters in this case since American coins are made of plastic apparently ;-)

Gerard

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Re: $300 to remove a penny?
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2012, 02:16:41 PM »
I also hate the idea of my car not being in perfect condition.

Meditation seems like the most frugal solution here. (I'm only half kidding!)