Advice on this radio....

[legendary70]

hello. i am looking to replace my stock radio that came with my 2013 expy EL. i found this stereo with really great reviews...i am wondering if my rear view camera that works on my rear view mirror will still work?

will the stock installed camera work off the stereo?

will my steering wheel controls work off of this stereo?

will my current gps antenna on top of my trucks roof still work? or will i have to use the stereos antenna?

lots of questions sorry.

any advice will be great.

thx

ATOTO A6 Android Car Navigation Stereo w/Dual Bluetooth & Quick Charge - Premium A6Y2721PB 2G/32G Universal Auto Entertainment Multimedia Radio,WiFi/BT Tethering Internet,Support 256G SD & More

 

[Aspen03]

Camera will likely be able to display on the radio with some extra effort on your part, youd probably need to splice an RCA connector onto the factory wiring to plug it in. It may still display on the mirror, not exactly sure how that is wired and would have to look into it. My guess is that it doesnt have much to do with factory radio but I could easily be wrong.

SW controls will be handled by the harness you'll need to install the radio. I would suggest the Meastro RR w a compatible radio. You'll get some pretty awesome features along w those steering wheel controls.

GPS antenna is a maybe, depends on connector type of the radio/vehicle. If not just use what comes w radio, stick it to the top of the unit, itll be fine. No need to run to exterior, the upper dash is all plastic and wont interfere w signal. My own is installed this way and I use nav every day just to keep an eye on traffic due to long commute.

Android radios are kind of a pita. Know what you're getting into before ordering. It wont be quite as intuitive as a conventional radio if you have any experience w aftermarket ones. The few I have installed in the past were definitely not among my favorites, mostly due to having relatively poor sound quality and odd controls. It's hard to argue w the price however so the value in where that lies is up to you. There are some fairly good units out there in the $200ish range that handle android auto and car play which will lend a better user experience in most cases. Android auto currently runs standalone on phones but I'm fairly certain that when the next major update rolls out that's to go away, I believe its w android 10 it will be an integrated part of the OS and not be launchable on command as it is now and require a radio its feeding to.

 

[rodman2185]

Most modern vehicles (mid 2000 and newer) will require the purchase of additional "modules" to retain steering wheel controls, satellite radio functionality, GPS functions, backup camera, etc. In addition, you may need a wiring harness adapter(s) to integrate the new head unit without doing a lot of modifications (cutting) to your existing wiring harness. Also, you may need an adapter, and maybe a faceplate, to mount the new head unit into your dash - especially if looking for a professional looking installation. These needed extras are normally available for the popular units like Kenwood, Alpine, Pioneer, and others but usually are not available for the off-shore Asian units. They may work with them but figuring out the compatibility problems will be on you. All this will up the cost of replacing your existing head unit beyond the low purchase price of the new unit itself. My advice would be to go to crutchfield.com (or call them) and plug in your vehicle information and look at their offerings. They will tell you what current functionality can be retained, what will be lost, and what additional components and adapters will be needed. I've replaced head units in my vehicles many times in the past, but sadly with these newer cars and trucks the manufactures have integrated so many critical vehicle functions into the head units that is nearly impossible to replace them with aftermarket units. Good luck!

 

[2007Limited]

When I replaced the head unit in my 07, everything was modules. The steering wheel controller is mediocre at best. I got a Kenwood head unit. Sometimes it works fine. Sometimes you're trying to switch songs and it changes to the A/V setting.

On a side note, I paid extra for my head unit because it has the Garmin GPS. I quickly discovered that the map updates run around $80 per year. No free updates.. No lifetime update option. Now I ending up using Google maps. Could have saved around $300-400 had I realized this.

 

[rexster314]

You will get what you pay for. 200$ for a head unit, you'll get a bare bones unit that might or might not suit your needs. Is it compatible with Android Auto? How do you update the gps and is it updatable? You'll need to get a small module to keep the steering wheel controls. These are not interchangeable. So the chances of you getting one on the first try is about 25%. The stock gps cable can be used, you'll have to get an adapter for the cable. How about a faceplate/installation kit to fill in the open spaces? Crutchfield sells adapter cables to make installs virtually plug n play. Bet they don't sell anything for your cheap offbrand. That means you'll be doing cutting and splicing a multitude of wires. For a little more you can get something from Crutchfield that will fit properly and the service should you need help to install properly

 

[legendary70]

thank u. i will keep looking.

 

[G213]

thank u. i will keep looking.

As others mentioned above, replacing a head unit in newer cars has become increasingly complex, with all the various accessories they need to communicate with.

Can I ask what your goal is? (Better sound, adding a sub, noise isolation, smartphone connectivity etc.) There may be a way for you to achieve what you are looking for while keeping the stock head unit intact and functional.

 

[Anthony A Vialet]

thank u. i will keep looking.

I dont know if you've acted already but I am currently looking into replacing my factory unit as well. I ran across this from another thread here.
https://maestro.idatalink.com/

 

[FORD-EXPY]

The idatalink maestro module is excellent and I would highly recommend it. I use it on my 2011 Exp EL LTD.