Aftermarket audio head unit installation - Saab 9-5

[photousa]

Just found this thread and eager to give it a try with one of the new Pioneers that supports Apple Carplay. With a bluetooth connection, it shouldn't be necessary to install a phone cable.

Is it possible to use the built-in GPS and microphone that came with the Onstar system? Seems like that would be easier than running more wires and finding good locations for new ones, but no one seems to have mentioned that.

The Onstar that was built into our Saab's was analog and was never designed to be upgraded to digital Onstar, so the entire system is obsolete, useless and can't be tapped into. This subject has been discussed over a number of years and in numerous forums. I installed my Pioneer microphone in the position once occupied by the stock Onstar mic in the overhead console of my '03 Saab, it works very well. Which Pioneer radio do you have?

[Real95]

The Onstar that was built into our Saab's was analog and was never designed to be upgraded to digital Onstar, so the entire system is obsolete, useless and can't be tapped into. This subject has been discussed over a number of years and in numerous forums. I installed my Pioneer microphone in the position once occupied by the stock Onstar mic in the overhead console of my '03 Saab, it works very well. Which Pioneer radio do you have?

Yes, I realize the Onstar system is toast, but figured that the GPS antenna and microphone may be fine with a direct connection and are probably better-located than anything I'd do myself.

I was considering either the AVH-4000NEX[FONT=arial] or the new [/FONT]SPH-DA120 and am open to other suggestions.

[photousa]

Yes, I realize the Onstar system is toast, but figured that the GPS antenna and microphone may be fine with a direct connection and are probably better-located than anything I'd do myself.

I was considering either the AVH-4000NEX[FONT=arial] or the new [/FONT]SPH-DA120 and am open to other suggestions.

You can use the same stock locations for the Mic and the GPS antenna, but you'll need to replace the "guts" of both of those components with the Pioneer Mic and GPS guts, if that makes any sense. I've never heard of anyone being able to pull off a "direct connection" using the stock Mic and Antenna with their stock wiring to do what you are asking about doing...

[photousa]

As an update, none of the Enfig stuff that I tried worked out for me. My installer and I tried two different setups from Enfig and weren't able to get either working properly. I have the Harmon Kardan setup with Bose speakers in my '03 Saab. Could be that the other Saab owner had a different setup that allowed his Enfig setup to work. Christian from Enfig was great to work with and refunded all of my money. I ended up using, "Stinger" Gli's and they worked out perfectly. I think the stingers cost $14 each. They completely cut out the "pop" that everyone was complaining about.

I had upgraded my Avic-Z110BT to the Z140 operating system, but in the end the system really isn't compatible with my iPhone 5, so in a fit of frustration, I removed the entire system, sold everything and am now upgrading to a unit that's compatible with the iPhone 5. I personally think that Apple "CarPlay" is the way to go, the integration with Siri is really impressive and since Apple has developed the operating system that the head units will use, it seems to be a more intuitive approach that Pioneer's Appradio interface. For now, Pioneer's "CarPlay" compatible units are still pretty expensive, (since they are the first to feature the system), the units include: SPH-DA120 (Appradio 4) AVH-4000NEX AVIC-5000NEX, AVIC-6000NEX, AVIC-7000NEX, AVIC-8000NEX.

I think I'm going to try an Appradio 3 (SPH-DA210) for a while until the price comes down a bit on the new Pioneer NEX units. The Appradio 3 is pretty basic, but it has an HDMI connector in the back and is iPhone 5 & 6 compatible. Summer of 2015, you will most likely see Kenwood offering Apple CarPlay in some of their head units, ( I called the company and also spoke with Kenwood resellers). The great thing about Kenwood units over Pioneer is that Kenwood has Garmin Navigation, (much better than Pioneers Navigation), built in and their higher end units already feature iPhone mirroring, (without having to hack your iPhone). If Kenwood can manage to integrate Apple CarPlay in addition to keeping the other features mentioned, their units will be nearly impossible to beat.

I'll probably be posting some photos and information regarding the installation of the Appradio 3.

[veeshan28]

Would love to see details of the Appradio 3 install. Just got my 9-5 and I'm used to using Bluetooth integrated with my Android phone in my previous car, so I'm antsy to figure out what my solution will be here.

[photousa]

Here's what the Appradio 3 (SPH-DA210) looks like installed:

There's less to install with the Appradio 3, because the head unit uses your mobile phone whether Android or iPhone to mirror
apps on the screen or play apps like Pandora via Bluetooth.

I already had a Navigation antenna installed, a microphone installed into my overhead console and already had the (Pac) steering wheel control unit installed from my previous Z110BT Pioneer, so I was able to just plug those devices into the back of the Appradio 3.

The bluetooth seems to work really well when using your mobile phone. People can hear me and I have no problem hearing them.
"Siri" is not going to work on this radio like it does on the Appradio 4 with CarPlay. I have trouble getting Siri to respond to commands,
perhaps I just need more time to learn how the system works.

This particular Appradio 3 is the SPH-DA210, so it has the motorized faceplate that opens revealing a DVD, CD player. Before the radio went in, I installed the micro bypass, double tap switch that sells for about $10 on EBAY. Note, I do not recommend that you watch videos while driving. Oddly, before I installed the bypass, I couldn't get much of anything to appear on the screen.

This unit has the HDMI input on the back, so it's able to mirror what's on your phone. Even though it mirrors what's on your phone, you won't have touch control with Apps that aren't approved to work with the unit.

I should also note that I'm using my Stinger GLI's which plug right in the back of the head unit. There is no RCA cable bundle with the Appradio 3, which simplifies things. The Stinger GLI's do a pretty good job, although when everything's off and the car is running, I can still hear some very faint alternator whine..

I find that I'm able to use Navigation Apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps & Mapquest. Even though these apps appear on your radio full screen, you won't have any touch controls on the head unit and switching between non approved apps and other approved apps is problematic, requiring you to go back and forth, fiddling with the phone.

I ran all of the cables to link up to my phone through the center column and terminated in the center column box. I didn't want to fiddle with my phone while driving, so I chose to hide it away.

The next couple of photos shows that you can snake your cables from the back of the radio through the center column and into the center column box. You're going to need to pop out the coin holder and the window switch module:



The Appradio 3 is a nice head unit to have some fun with, especially if you can pick one up used like I did.
It's a great value if you can pick one up for a couple hundred dollars. I would much rather have the Avic-8000NEX
with integrated Navigation and CarPlay, but I'm just not in my car enough to justify the extra expense.
Even with everything updated on the unit and with the latest firmware, switching between apps can still
be kind of quirky. You'll find that the Pioneer Appradio, "App" crashes every now and then, so you have
to go back to your phone to press, "Allow" on the screen to once again pair your phone with the Appradio.
You can probably spend a lot of time using various versions of the Appradio App to solve the issues, but I just
needed the radio to work with an iPhone 5 and 6, for some Navigation and to occasionally listen to Pandora or one of the many "Approved" Pioneer apps, so for me, it's not worth spending a ton of time with.

[wicker man]

hi all new here been using this guide over here in the uk, all good so far come across a small problem with this bit

Yellow/Blue wire for illumination wire on the head unit

This wire goes to the headlight relay so it will have +12V when you turn the headlight switch to the On position (assuming your DRL’s have been disabled).
This wire needs to be connected to the orange Illum wire on the head unit. The unit needs to know when to dim the display so if the wire has +12V, the unit switches to night mode.

now ive done this the headunit dims when i put the headlights on all good so far, but the dimmer switch no longer works, the
illumination for all the dials etc is stuck at one setting no longer dims or brightens

is this normal?

the cars a 04 9-5 aero & the headunits a Pioneer AVH-X3600DAB

edit, fixed it silly me didnt have the sid in when i tested it doh!

[wicker man]

all done, thank you wulf for the guide

[nordwulf]

Good to see you fixed it and the guide was helpful. The SID controls a few functions (also alert / indicator tones) besides just being a display.

[wicker man]

i would have been lost without it wulf.