Parrot MKi9200 Bluetooth Kit Installation in the Honda Civic (FN2 Type R)

Begin at the driver's footwell and pull the single trim popper free, then slide the seat back to reach the blanking caps that hide the console fastenings. Lift each cap out and undo the three exposed screws with an 8mm socket or a posidrive bit; a socket is gentler on the heads. Move the seat forward to reach the rearmost fixing, then go to the passenger side and release the two exposed poppers near the top of the footwell trim, plus the screws under its front and rear caps. With every fastener out, tug the armrest console up at the joint by the gear lever, unplug the cigarette-lighter feed, and on USB-equipped 2009 cars lift and disconnect the extra looms. Feed the whole surround back over the raised handbrake at a slight angle and set it aside. Keep all screws and caps together.

Work a credit card or similar thin plastic tool under the rear edge of the gear-lever trim and lift until the clips let go. You can leave the gear knob in place and thread the surround over it later, which avoids fighting a factory-tight knob; only remove the knob first if it comes off easily.

Slip a card behind the top corner of the driver's side fascia and ease it out clip by clip, working from front to rear; avoid a metal screwdriver here to protect the plastic. Take out the single retaining screw it conceals. Next pull the footwell kick panel, starting low and working upward, noting where each clip sits so refitting is quick. If footwell lighting is fitted, unplug the lamp and release its cable clip from the trim before setting the panel down.

Remove the last section of centre trim beneath the radio with a firm pull on each side to release its clips. Undo the two bolts on the underside of the stereo, then prise up the trim strip along the top of the dash above the display; it is stiff, so free one clip at a time. This exposes three screws along the head unit's front edge. Remove them and ease the stereo forward against its retaining clips, leaving it hanging by its looms rather than fully disconnecting it.

Unplug the long grey factory loom from the back of the head unit. Fit the car-specific SOT-908 adapter inline: the factory loom plugs into the adapter, and the adapter plugs into the stereo, matching each connector to its counterpart. Join the pink mute wire from the adapter to the orange mute lead on the Parrot harness by crimping, soldering, or tucking and taping it under the sheathing. This mute connection is what lets the kit interrupt audio for calls, so do not skip it. If your car uses the standard non-amplified head unit, trim the kit's amplifier leads back but leave roughly a foot spare and tape the ends in case a future car needs them.

The kit will not power down or announce its goodbye prompt if the two power feeds are the wrong way round, and leaving them reversed can corrupt the firmware and destroy the unit. Before buttoning anything up, swap the pair at the Parrot loom's bullet connectors: red to yellow, yellow to red. The same swap is reachable at the two fuse caps, which release by pushing and twisting. Switch the ignition off and confirm the display shows its shutdown message before you reassemble anything.

Feed the microphone cable from behind the head unit down to the passenger footwell and tuck it behind the edge of the carpet. Work it up under the door seal to the top of the passenger A-pillar, then guide it behind the headlining across to the centre of the roof. Clip the microphone to the lining with the supplied fixing. Take care at the pillar, as tucking a cable behind that trim can encroach on the airbag.

Drill a hole in the gear-lever surround, the panel carrying the storage flap, large enough to pass the Parrot media loom that carries the USB, iPod and aux connections. Fit the supplied grommet to protect the cable and give a clean finish, then pass the loom through.

Connect the microphone and the remaining harnesses to the Parrot control box and seat it in the recess below the head unit; there is room to wedge it with foam so it cannot rattle. Run the display cable upward and out over the top dash trim, keeping it to one side of the centre vents so it does not sit in front of the heater outlets.

Gather the wiring behind the stereo with tape so nothing fouls, then press the head unit home without forcing it and refit its three front screws. Lay the display cable with enough slack to position the screen where you want it, clip the top dash trim back on, and mount the screen. Refit every panel in reverse order, taking care not to overtighten the console fasteners, since stripped threads here are hard to recover. Finally, replace the two bolts under the stereo. Power up and check hands-free calling, media playback and the shutdown prompt before the first drive.