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.

 

[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.

 

[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.

 

[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.