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Think its time to give back a bit. a few months ago I did a audio/video upgrade on the car and have been very happy with it. Heres what as done.
1) Back up camera installed ($20)
2) Video interface from Navtool ($200). to be honest you can go with naviks if you want you know. I talked to both company, navtool guy made a big deal about it being american so I went with them.
Navtool/naviks allow for a back up camera input where putting the car on reverse triggers screen switch and another video input to be used via a push button for changing screens. (changing screens from your oem navigation screen)
3)wired the extra input of navtool and the push button switch inside the cabin (people have threads on this)
4) Push button that comes with navtool/naviks is very ugly, purchase a "large momentary green led switch" from amazon for $10. It fits like a glove in the cigarette lighter hole. looks very professional and nice
5)wired the extra input of navtool and the push button switch inside the cabin (people have threads on this)
6)purchased a "carlinkit carplay" device from aliexpress (on sale $80) and plugged it into this extra input inside the cabin
7)took off the ashtray and mounted a usb female from amazon ($6.99) inside there for the carplay device.
The whole cigarette area is now for "entertainment". where ashtray was is where my usb plugs in and where lighter was is now the led push button
Audio interface:
vaistech SL3u-L is the only way to go ($150),
also bought a MBT-RX bluetooth receiver.
bluetooth receiver and carplay device were connected to vaisetech via a 2-1 coupler.
ground noise isolators had to be used for both.
Microphone for carplay is mounted in the ceiling where another user has a thread on.
Result:
In the morning when I turn the car on, Bluetooth automatically connects and pandora (my iphone default) starts playing. I put the car in back up and exit my parking spot using the back up camera on oem screen. once i put the car in drive again, the screen goes back to original navigation screen. I plug my phone into the usb, use the map etc, carplay automatically takes over, my music continues playing but now through the carplay device since phone is now plugged in. Ill have to press the push button (the only "unnatural" thing) once and my screen changes to carplay where my phone navigation etc is showing. I drive.
pros:
professional design. everything looks oem. everything is displayed on the original navigation screen (I love the whole opening and closing, so luxury...). The area for USB and push button look as OEM as they can be. Car kept its classic look. Nothing looks out of place. Having an extra screen on the bottom, to me, looks out of place. New navigation/stereo units look too "techy" and the whole having two screens is really tacky.
Cons:
1)I have to press the push button after/when plugging my phone in once so video will switch from OEM to car play (although the button really looks part of the car).
2) Maybe the sound and video quality arent the best idk I cant tell, to me (a regular person), the stock speakers sound really nice and exceed my needs and the screen is very good, maybe not HD but its very clear and goes well with the car in general so for me this is not a con, may be a con for you.
Its been a few months and im loving this!!!! no issues. Took a ton of work but it was def possible/worth it.
I did the install a few months ago and took pics but icloud was full and my phone took some ocean water. no pics of the install as of now but ill be happy to help if anyone wants to try it.
awesome work. I've been on the market to get another sc430 and this is a great solution to the old technology for our audio inputs and what not. love it! thanks for sharing!
Ok how are you casting your phone to the nav screen?
Wireless Boss Audio Screen Mirror unit with an AV channel selector to toggle btn wireless and the Asus media player. As the NavIKS gives me only one additional input (other is used for rear camera) had to use the selector to toggle btn input feeds.
This looks great also and its the same concept. What I love about this method is if carplay/screen mirror gets old, you can just plug in the new technology (maybe need a hdmi to RCA) and itll work. The base is the same.
my mods took a different direction as I switched the radio head.
The factory radio played ok but no matter how I adjusted it or fed it high quality cd’s or turned it up the ML stereo never “popped”. Fairly flat response.
i thought it naybe needed more amp or my speakers in a 19k mile 08 Pb were blown up or many other possible causes.
put in the pioneer and the other parts.
the pioneer has a function where it accentuates and widens the sound spectrum. Two levels and off.
plus the 10 band graphic equalizer.
depending on the source the various adjustments can really wake up the stereo systems response.
Medium volume and a good source,and the door panels are jumping.
Not concert hall stuff but very good overall sound.
Reading you post here had me wishing you could listen to the sound out of similar system.
the radio head has poorer response and without the adjustable “restorer” and/or the equalizer does not do the ML system justice.
with multiple button pushing and on and off the pioneer will play video dvd’s on either or both screen driving. Not that anyone would or should do such a thing but it does work. Why mention it?
with a high sample rate dvd like pink floyd’s “Pulse” the factory speakers and amp are strong door shakers. Totally clear,
it was the radio head that made the sound above average but not what the rest of the system was capable of as it turns out.
We were in Vegas on a nice medium warm early night cruising las Vegas blvd after a nice dinner on our anniversary with the top down and put on the stones “blue and lonesome” cd. Kept turning it up. And up. Doors jumping. Made four trips up and down the strip with the stereo way up. Even the guys with the boom boom hip hop we drove next to looked at us.
why? We are “greys” 70 and 60 years old. Great fun.
Think its time to give back a bit. a few months ago I did a audio/video upgrade on the car and have been very happy with it. Heres what as done.
1) Back up camera installed ($20)
2) Video interface from Navtool ($200). to be honest you can go with naviks if you want you know. I talked to both company, navtool guy made a big deal about it being american so I went with them.
Navtool/naviks allow for a back up camera input where putting the car on reverse triggers screen switch and another video input to be used via a push button for changing screens. (changing screens from your oem navigation screen)
3)wired the extra input of navtool and the push button switch inside the cabin (people have threads on this)
4) Push button that comes with navtool/naviks is very ugly, purchase a "large momentary green led switch" from amazon for $10. It fits like a glove in the cigarette lighter hole. looks very professional and nice
5)wired the extra input of navtool and the push button switch inside the cabin (people have threads on this)
6)purchased a "carlinkit carplay" device from aliexpress (on sale $80) and plugged it into this extra input inside the cabin
7)took off the ashtray and mounted a usb female from amazon ($6.99) inside there for the carplay device.
The whole cigarette area is now for "entertainment". where ashtray was is where my usb plugs in and where lighter was is now the led push button
Audio interface:
vaistech SL3u-L is the only way to go ($150),
also bought a MBT-RX bluetooth receiver.
bluetooth receiver and carplay device were connected to vaisetech via a 2-1 coupler.
ground noise isolators had to be used for both.
Microphone for carplay is mounted in the ceiling where another user has a thread on.
Result:
In the morning when I turn the car on, Bluetooth automatically connects and pandora (my iphone default) starts playing. I put the car in back up and exit my parking spot using the back up camera on oem screen. once i put the car in drive again, the screen goes back to original navigation screen. I plug my phone into the usb, use the map etc, carplay automatically takes over, my music continues playing but now through the carplay device since phone is now plugged in. Ill have to press the push button (the only "unnatural" thing) once and my screen changes to carplay where my phone navigation etc is showing. I drive.
pros:
professional design. everything looks oem. everything is displayed on the original navigation screen (I love the whole opening and closing, so luxury...). The area for USB and push button look as OEM as they can be. Car kept its classic look. Nothing looks out of place. Having an extra screen on the bottom, to me, looks out of place. New navigation/stereo units look too "techy" and the whole having two screens is really tacky.
Cons:
1)I have to press the push button after/when plugging my phone in once so video will switch from OEM to car play (although the button really looks part of the car).
2) Maybe the sound and video quality arent the best idk I cant tell, to me (a regular person), the stock speakers sound really nice and exceed my needs and the screen is very good, maybe not HD but its very clear and goes well with the car in general so for me this is not a con, may be a con for you.
Its been a few months and im loving this!!!! no issues. Took a ton of work but it was def possible/worth it.