Disclaimer: I am describing the process by which I replaced my OEM stereo head unit with an Android head unit in its place. I do not imply that this process will work for you. You are responsible for your actions and any damage that may happen to your car, its radio, or its systems is entirely your responsibility and not mine. I do not represent nor should it be construed that I endorse any of the merchants, vendors, or companies whose products are referenced within these instructions. I am giving the links to various entities because they are where I found the items I needed to complete this project. You are free to go to any supplier/vendor of your choosing. I recommend that you have a professional installer do the work unless you have sufficient knowledge to do your installation.
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Section 2 – Running the needed wires from the AHU to the trunk area
Part C – Running wires from the trunk area to the AHU
You will need to remove the center arm console, the rear seat (seat bottom & back portions), the rear trim trunk panel, and the side trim panel in the trunk where the stereo components are located. In my car, it was on the driver’s side (USA spec). At this time, I’m not going to go into detail about the removal of the console, rear seat, and the trunk’s trim panels because there are a lot of examples on YouTube and the internet in various forums. I will eventually, but not right now.
- Having removed the above-listed components, you should now assemble your remaining extended length wires (radio, rearview extension cable, GPS, etc) into a cable. I strongly recommend that you include the rearview extension cable at this time because having to run it later is very time-consuming. The cable is about $7 or $8 and the hassle to run it now is priceless when it comes to sweat and aggravation. Starting at the end which will eventually have connections to the AHU, use a small zip tie about every 6 inches until the entire cable is assembled. I recommend cutting the excess plastic off the zip ties to make it easier to run through the car. Electrical tape can be substituted in place of the zip ties if you wish to do so.
- Starting inside the cabin and using the fish tape (or heavy coat hanger wire), pull the AHU end of the cable under the carpet from the rear seating area to the shifter area. Pull enough of the wiring to give yourself about 8 to 12 inches of slack so that it will reach the AHU and have enough cable to spare.
- Thread the cable from the rear seating area to the trunk. I found that I had to temporarily remove part of the back portion of the door seal along with a little bit of plastic trim along that area to find a spot to thread the cable through to the trunk. It’s not glued in and can be easily pushed or snapped back into place afterward.
- Thread the cable to the stereo component area.
- Locate the navigation and the multi-CD unit. It should look something like this:
Navigation and Multi-CD Player Assembly.
- Remove the carrier that holds the navigation unit and the multi-CD player from the car’s chassis. No need to unplug everything, you just need to get it loose from the car. Be careful with the orange-colored lines; they are the fiber optics and, if damaged, are a real pain to fix or replace. Rotate it until you see the back of it.
Rear view of Navigation unit showing GPS connection (blue).
- Disconnect the GPS Fakra connection cable from the back of the navigation unit and plug the end that I’m holding into the corresponding connector of your cable that goes to the AHU.
Connect the GPS Fakra cable to the connector in my hand.
- Disconnect the radio antenna Fakra connection cable located at the top of the audio gateway (AGW). This is the component directly below the multi cd player and closest to the spare tire.
The top right connector (black) is the line going to the car’s antenna. Disconnect it.
- The connection cable you’re looking for is connected to the upper connector on the AGW and is black. Connect the end that I’m holding to the corresponding connector of your cable that goes to the AHU
Connect your radio antenna Fakra cable to connector in my hand.
- Secure all the wires out of the way and reinstall the carrier that holds the navigation unit and the multi-CD player to the car’s chassis.
- If you plan to install a backup camera, now is the time to do it.
- Reinstall all the seals, the trim, the rear seat, and the center arm console. You are now done in the trunk area.