T5 double Din head unit question

[twincamsham]

Hows all
Im planning on doing a Head unit upgrade to a Double din sized touch screen,
I have a nice Clarion multimedia station in mind that reasonably priced.

From what i read the Vw unit is not standard double din size.

My question is for anyone thats done it were are you getting the adapter plate to take the double din unit and is the plastic good quality or look like a sore thumb in the dash?
Iv seen some on ebay but id be sceptical on quality,
Some say theres will do all vw,s some say that they are model specific.
i dont want to end up with a golf one if its not going to fit snugly

Also pulling out my radio wont effect the c bus system will it?
Iv heard talk of them not starting without the radio fitted but i have just the basic cd player radio so cant imagine its got much to do with the electrics.

are people using a proper wire harness adapter kit or simply wiring it in the old way.

Any help appreciated
Rodge

[Seano]

All of which goes to show that perhaps the days of the backyard stereo installation....are over.

C-Bus is not a system that copes well with the typical hack and slash approach to DIY stereo wiring. It wil notice if the audio system isn't what it expects and how the electronics react depends on how they are programmed. So unless you can source a proper wiring harness adapter you may have issues...

After installing and modifying audio systems in all my cars over the last twenty years......our current fleet is the last that I would ever contemplate a DIY approach to audio systems. The perfect combination of complexity, system integration needs and ignorance would compel me to use a specialist installer.

And I suggest you consider using one too.

[tapsy]

with the kenwood i had fitted (by an installer) it came with a adapter for VW
and it also needed the wiring harness adapter.

[twincamsham]

That Looks very nice Tapsy good work,
So yours fitted straight into the double din slot with no need for any other plastic surround between the stereo and dash?
What model Kenwood is that if you dont mind me asking
i have been looking at a clarion system but i liek the way you can angle the screen in the kenwood since i think it may lie very flat in the dash.

Hear what your saying Seano. But! being a diesel mecahnic by trade im always compelled by the reasoning if someone else can do it then i can too, This often ends up with me getting wayyy in over my head for a little while but by the time its working and finished il know everything there is to know about c-bus !
I think they call it learning it the hard way and my oul fella always told me as a young fella that i always would.

[tapsy]

no it came with an surround adaptor to suit the VW
the model i have installed is a DNX7320

a few pics here

http://picasaweb.google.com/tarjmaha...eat=directlink

[Tornado T5]

no it came with an surround adaptor to suit the VW
the model i have installed is a DNX7320

a few pics here

http://picasaweb.google.com/tarjmaha...eat=directlink

I take it the glare makes the screen unreadable...this is the unit I was favouring after reading it's screen was tiltable while the Pioneer isn't. Now I realise how important the "eyelid cover" over the screen in our G6Et is.

[tapsy]

you might have got me wrong Tornado T5 the surround i was talking about was for the fitting of the unit and it sits flush to the dash, the other surround in the pics i made up from a A4 folder. see T5 GPS options thread

[Tornado T5]

you might have got me wrong Tornado T5 the surround i was talking about was for the fitting of the unit and it sits flush to the dash, the other surround in the pics i made up from a A4 folder. see T5 GPS options thread

No, I knew what you were referring to, it's just I was surprised that you need a cover as I was hoping the tiltable screen would have stopped glare in a T5 instal as I am now favouring this unit. In my G6E it has an "eyelid style" cover over the top of the recessed screen to cut down glare.

[Baytown]

I just use a sheet of black cardboard cut to fit in the space between the stereo (Kenwood DDX8036?)
May not look factory fitted, but does the job.

Ken

[twincamsham]

Ok for an Update

I have ordered a Clarion MAX 686BT Multimedia head unit
7" Touch Screen bluetooth etc. seems good value for money with everything i need.

I have had success with Clarion in the past and i find them a good match in a European car, aesthetically more than anything.I think most stuff is reliable these days,afterall it nearly all comes from china bar Bose or Harmon kar ")

Rang a local auto installer,
He said i need a facia plate & two units to match up the Can system and fitting so looking at 700+ dollars to install total. eek

I cant understand this when its a basic oul stereo with an ISO connector on the back? CAN basically means instead of twenty wires you have maybe two that send digital pulses. with the basic vw stereo you still have all the wires as any old system. im sure that its possible to join it into the CAN but not entirely necessary.

So i got on ebay - bought a touareg/Transporter T5 facia kit
Comes with double din adapter plate . Antenna Adapter and ISO fitting with blank wire ends for the grand total of 25.00 US delivered to QLD
Plastic Quality looks ok- its black and quite thin anyway and im sure its the same as what the installers use .

I also bought 4 x vw stereo removal keys for 8.00 US free postage from Hong Kong.


This appears to be everything needed to fit the system.

I had a look online and found a diagram stating all wire functions and colours from an ISO connector so i reckon it could be a case of an hour with a soldering iron and job done.

My Guess is if the car starts with no warning lights on when i remove the OEM stereo then it has nothing to do with the CAN and i save my self roughly 700$ fitting costs and theres always that satisfaction of doing something yourself.
At the end of the day this is a diesel work/slightly leisure van-i also want to fit a reverse cam and a seperate 7inch screen and speakers in the back at a later date so id rather know the ins and outs of it all myself.

However if it does not start or has warning lights when i remove old stereo i wont even attempt the job and eat my straw hat !

Will post some pics when work commences in april.