Upgrading head units

[tom_e]

I've decided I quite fancy android auto in my little Hyundai i20 after spending some time in the wives and a courtesy car that had it.

Is it this much of a ball ache in all cars to figure out what you actually need in terms of wiring, adaptors, new dab aerials and will it won't it work with my OEM reversing camera?

I've got no problem stripping plastics off and sorting all the wiring but getting a straight answer from anyone on exactly what I need seems hard work and once you add on all the extras it's almost the cost of the head unit again.

I've even just looked at the next years OEM head unit which has it but even that looks like a minefield on whether it'll be plug and play even being from the same generation of the model.

So am I over complicating this or is this one of those things that it pays to get someone else to install it and figure all this out? At which point it'll probably be well over what I'm happy paying.

 

[nlel1975]

Probably best asking on a Facebook i20 group. With the Smart the head unit is coded with the cars VIN number so you can’t put a head unit taken out of another car in it. Pioneer make a decent one for the Smart which will fit fairly easily I am led to believe so maybe they make one for the i20.

I am advised it’s best to avoid cheap Chinese ones as they are low quality and not worth the hassle.

 

[sx_turbo]

OEMs have made it mighty difficult to change head units these days.

I've found kits for the i20, but they seem to lose functionality and if you have an amplifier as factory fit in it the. You have to bypass this amplifier.

Also they don't mention you get to keep the camera, so assume this will be lost.

Its not going to be easy

 

[tom_e]

What seemed like such a quick easy way to give the old girl a bit of a boost just looks like a complete minefield

I've found InCarTec who seem to offer everything that will let me keep all the controls and OEM camera but like I said it's basically the cost of another head unit and there still seems to be a bit of hackery needed when installing.

 

[cjgardens]

I've been wanting to do the same in my van. But every time I look into it or ask on the transit groups I don't get anywhere with it and just give up.

Ended up getting a Bluetooth dongle and plug that into the aux

 

[jpaul]

Yes I'd be more tempted to have a pioneer(alpine/panasonic) HU that supports car play / android auto rather than a complete android unit, since the amp+audio circuitry and equalizers invariably better -
I want decent music above all, not a fancy artificial surround sound either - only caveat with those HU's, I don't know how well they track any CP/AA updates.
to wit , have an aftermarket Alpine and use the aux-in from older Nokia phone with good aux-out.

Dual purposing an Android tablet with aux-out(even a usb dac) for longer trips would be interesting + car tablet mount, although it would be a magnet to thieves

example

hadn't seen these before, but seem to have a massive £200 premium over the standard ilx-705 , or dynavin D8.
(familiar quality alpine amplifiers & equalization nice in both)

Alpine Car Audio iLX-705E46 Advanced 7.0" Navigation System With Android Auto & Apple CarPlay - BMW 3-Series E46​

 

[tom_e]

Finally got someone to actually bother giving me a quote for this £320 to supply and fit all the trim adaptors, wiring etc.

Then £280ish to buy the head unit.

Not too bad to be honest considering pricing up all the looms to keep DAB/camera/steering wheel controls etc was just over £200 on its own.

 

[sx_turbo]

Finally got someone to actually bother giving me a quote for this £320 to supply and fit all the trim adaptors, wiring etc.

Then £280ish to buy the head unit.

Not too bad to be honest considering pricing up all the looms to keep DAB/camera/steering wheel controls etc was just over £200 on its own.

Also takes the risk of it not working away from you

 

[tom_e]

Also takes the risk of it not working away from you

True which was my main worry as none of the cabling suppliers seemed to be able to give me a straight answer on exactly what I needed to get it all working.

£100 to avoid that and avoid sitting sweating in the car trying to fit everything sounds like a bargain to be honest.