Removable Face Plate

• The most popular type of anti-theft car stereo is the removable-face-plate stereo. The face plate contains a microchip that matches a chip on the front of the stereo body. Each microchip is individually coded and is not interchangeable, so if you don't have the right face plate for the radio body, the radio isn't going to work. These chips cannot be reprogrammed, so one piece is really no good without the other.
  Installation of a removable face plate stereo is as easy as installing a regular aftermarket car stereo. Once you have taken out the old radio, plug the wire harness of the new stereo into the car's existing wire harness. You may need to add a compatible plug to the new radio, depending on the specifications of your radio and car make and model. If this is the case, then simply attach the appropriate wires (they are color-coded), using two-ended wire connectors, pinching the connectors together until both wires are touching and secure.
  Set your new stereo in place, using the provided hardware, and add a faceplate if needed to cover any extra space in the console if the stereo is smaller than the opening.
  By following the manufacturer's instructions for removing the face plate, you can leave your car looking as if there is no stereo installed at all because all the lights are contained in the face plate. Additionally, for some import models, a special DIN key (a tool designed specifically to remove the pins in the body of the radios of a specific automobile model) is required. You can store the face plate outside of the car until you are ready to reattach it.
  
  

Anti-theft and Immobilization Devices

• Most cars today come with some type of anti-theft device already installed, but you can beef that up by either replacing it with an aftermarket device or adding a wire that routes to your car stereo. By adding a stereo connection to an existing device, the anti-theft or immobilization device will operate in its designated manner when the stereo is tampered with. If you are replacing the factory installed anti-theft device, you can easily add your car stereo to the router that controls the device reaction.
  Either way, most anti-theft devices are found in the steering column and are attached to the ignition switch of the car. Wires are run through the router to feed power to components such as locks, lights, horns, ignition, etc. Add a wire from your stereo to the the anti-theft device router to mimic the behaviors of the other devices when improperly engaged.