Android HU and keep factory stereo

[BMCracer]

I like the factory stereo ( Black Macintosh with dual zone a/c ) and I want to keep it hooked up and used as the stereo. I'm also putting an android HU in, to use for everything except the stereo - maps, BtSsm, bluetooth phonecalls etc. It will also be able to have Apple Music app on it so I can have my music library on it. I've seen the Aerpro adaptor cables for putting in an aftermarket HU in the car so you don't have to rewire half the car. Is there such a cable so I can keep the factory stereo working, and also plug the new android HU in? so when I play music on that it'll come through the factory HU on the AUX IN and play on the factory speakers?

I have an FSL27 and a Berringer UCA222 ( the red one ) from my old Nexus install, so I could get the music from the new HU to the factory one that way, but that still leaves me trying to get power to the new HU nicely, not to mention the other wires labelled "Key1", "Key2", "Lamp contro", "Back", when I work out what they do / how they work, and "auto ant" ( won't need this cos no antenna ).

[bigBADbenny]

I’d source a shallow mount AA/AC mechless nav receiver, and mount it in a jdm 2din nav bezel.

The Alpine ilx-w650 is a decent candidate at around $500.
Use the pre out into the FSL27.

Btssm could be hosted on an android tv box and displayed via the AV input on the HU.

Or, there are android shallow mount units, they’re very affordable on alibaba, and iirc are available in Toyota 200mm wide that suits the nexus type 200x100mm jdm nav bezel.

[BMCracer]

I had a Nexus 7 in the car, in the correct bezel. It gave me no end of trouble, so I've ripped it out, and got this https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000009 ... 4c4dmQ04e1 a couple of weeks ago. Have nearly finished mounting it in the bezel I had the Nexus in.

What I really want, if it exists, is a cable with a plug on one end to plug into the new android unit to power it, and the other end with a plug that can go in between the factory stereo and the loom that plugs into the factory stereo. So the plug would plug into the stereo, then the loom that normally plugs into the stereo would plug into the back of the new plug.

Or the correct bare plugs to achieve this and I can wire them up.

[bigBADbenny]

Based on info in the stock nav retrofit pdf, you might find extra power looms taped up in the dash for your power tap.

Or use a fuse tap in ign2 in the cabin fuse box.

For audio using the stock McIntosh, there are at least a couple of options: a grom, a basic Suzuki type aux in using the CD changer plug or a diy or stock aux in adapter.

Let me know if you need links.

Iirc a Toyota 200mm wide shallow mount nav receiver would be a better fit for the nexus type jdm nav bezel. I’ve seen them online, definitely interested to see how this unit performs though, since I have a 2din jdm nav bezel awaiting a Nav receiver.

What are you doing for day/night dimming?

[BMCracer]

At the moment I've got an add-a-fuse in the windscreen deicer slot ( without the windscreen deicer fuse in there as I don't have that on my car, and a 3A fuse for the android ) for the maintained supply, and the switched supply is coming from the cigerette lighter, as it did for the Nexus. Seems to work fine.

I have a factory aux-in with the 3.5mm plug, and also an FSL27. I've got the android unit hooked up to the FSL27 and it works fine.

I'm using the same bezel I had the Nexus in, and I CNC machined an MDF adaptor ( painted semigloss black to match the finish of the plastic bezel ) to hold the android unit. All removable, no wires running in the air vent ducts or other hack-jobs.

Not sure about the day / night dimming, haven't got around to looking at that yet.

I've got a cheap Chinese usb dashcam hooked up to the andriod and that works fine, can have live view of what the camera is seeing and replay recordings etc. Also go the BtSsm hooked up and that also runs well. My phone ( poverty pack Samsung ) connected via Bluetooth very quickly and easily, and some contacts and numbers etc were available on the android unti from the phone, although they seem a bit jumbled but I haven't had time to go through the phone part of the android and set it up properly yet, but it looks promising for hand-free. The android comes with a microphone you can plug in and run to the sunvisor or where-ever, but I rang the GF without that plugged in and she could hear me fine with only using the mic on the face of the screen of the android unit. It also comes with a GPS antenna that I haven't got around to pluggin in yet, so I can't comment of how well the locating works yet.

All things considered, for $125 delivered, it's a great little unit and a whole lot less shagging around to get working than the Nexus.

Don't mind the bezel looking rank in the pics, it's just sitting there, not clipped in to the dash at all.

20200730_151320 by JAFA851, on Flickr

20200730_151325 by JAFA851, on Flickr

[bigBADbenny]

That is just awesome!

Is it bright enough for you you during the day?

Being a native android head unit, I'd be intrigued to see if night dimming could be activated by an app.

[BMCracer]

Thanks Benny, I'm very happy with it.

The brightness of the screen during the day is perfect. One thing that I've noticed is that on the BtSsm gauges, on the Nexus
they were a nice white white like the dash cluster gauges, but on this new unit the white is quite blue. I think I remember when I originally setup the BtSsm on the Nexus, there were 3 different gauge options to choose from?

I just looked at the wiring diagram the bloke sent me, and there is a wire there for "illumination dimmer / dash lights", so I think if I hook that up somehow it'll self dim like the stereo does. So I guess then I won't be able to hook DRL's up to the parking lights!!!

[bigBADbenny]

Brightness is reliant on a few factors.

If the car had oem sat nav or if it had a clock, then if the clock had the bright button or not.
That’s, iirc why clock relocation kits are a thing: to retain the bright button... As well as mileage etc.

Then there’s the fact that cabin illumination is iirc pwm dimmed via a variable ground.
This has the tendency to either fry the bcm or work in reverse to what’s required.

Its a bit complex lol.

But I have seen that circuits for inverting the brightness signal are a thing.
Eg for dimming the HU via the cabin illumination roll switch, and or potentially the clock bright button circuit.

Yes there’s 2 gauge style options, STi and LGT plus glow effect.
Otherwise you might have luck with an app for tuning per app colour balance and time dependent brightness.

[BMCracer]

My car didn't have factory Nav, it had the cubby with clock, but the clock is only a clock because the fuel economy readout etc is in the gauge cluster ( facelift car ).

[bigBADbenny]

Yep so cabin illumination is dependent on headlights then roll switch?

Meaning if, like me you keep the headlights on day and night, a solution is required

[BMCracer]

Well if the cabin illumination is dependant on headlights then the roll switch I'll be good with that as I don't have my lights on during the day. Will just need to find a way to join into the illumination circuit without cutting........

[h6subie]

At the moment I've got an add-a-fuse...

Hey mate your setup looks very nice.. do you by any chance have any pics of the MDF adapter? I have the same Android unit as you along with the JDM bezel but haven't worked out how to mount it properly yet. Did you attach the unit to the bezel or did you screw it in somewhere inside the dash?

[BMCracer]

I designed the MDF adaptor in Autodesk Inventor and then machined it on a CNC milling machine. The screen fits very snuggly into the MDF frame. Then I made some right angle aluminium brackets which screw to the back of the screen using the same holes that the supplied-with-the-screen brackets screw into, and I drilled and tapped the side of the air vent tubes to attach the aluminium angle too. So nothing is seen from the front, it's all removeable and can all be returned to stock, all you would need to do is fill the 4 small tapped holes in the side of the air tubes. I can take some photos later when I get home as I have ht eunit out of hte car at the moment.