This is how I installed my new head unit with front and rear cameras, microphone, USB connector and satellite radio. I chose this unit for the following reasons:
- double DIN
- doesn't require hacking parts out of the dashboard
- fast bootup time and responsive screen
- Apple CarPlay
- Satellite radio
- Front and rear camera support
- Physical buttons
Complete shopping list:
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=158XAV3200
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=220SXV300
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=249CUB01 x2
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=120ISOPK
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=120956541
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=120706502
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=12040CR10
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VJL2K5S/?tag=wranglerorg-20
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCA9XEI/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Here is how it looked at the beginning.
The wiring from the vehicle harness to the Sony unit was easy because the Sony and the Metra pigtail use almost the same wire colors (some kind of industry standard?). I wired the parking brake to ground. The reverse wire I connected to pin 33 of C300 (white with light green hash). Because that wire has to snake from the center of the dash to the driver's side outer footwell I used an inline spade connector so it can be disconnected.
Next I drilled a hole into the blank panel near the switches. On the back of the panel there is a marking in the mold to indicate where a circular connector goes (switch to turn passenger airbag off I believe) so I used that as a guide, drilling a hole and then using a Dremel to enlarge it.
The microphone is designed to clip onto a visor but I didn't want any wires showing so I converted it to panel mount and installed it at the driver's end of the defrost vent panel.
I put an M12 external circlip into the first groove in the mic and 3D printed a cover. I epoxied the cover onto the circlip to hide it.
After drilling a hole through the defrost vent cover I installed a 4mm thick 3D printed washer and then another M12 circlip. I think this makes it look nice and tidy and discreet.
The satellite radio antenna was the easiest part. I shoved it under the cover of the rail that goes across the back holding the speaker pods. I chose this location because according to the Factory Service Manual this is the factory location for it.
I 3D printed a mount for the front camera which bolted onto two spare holes in front of the AC condenser. I ran the wire around the driver's side outside edge of the engine bay, through the firewall and grounded it at a point a PO had created.
Power for the camera was tapped from the Run/Accessory wire going to the radio.
The yellow RCA connector plugs into the RCA to 3.5mm plug adapter however the Amazon listing for the adapter shows the wrong pinout and I had to plug the yellow connector from the camera into the white connector on the adapter (sigh). The important thing is that the ground is in the correct location on the 3.5mm plug.
The front camera is tilted down so I can see part of the front bumper.
For the rear camera I 3D printed a bracket to go behind the driver's side tail lamp. I originally experimented with putting it poking out of the spare tire but I wasn't happy with the sturdiness or the wiring routing so I changed to this. It's not ideal because it is so far from the center of the rear but it works OK. The printed part has a channel for the wire to run down, keeping it hidden as much as possible.
Originally I tapped power for the camera from the reverse wire going to the tail light, however that was not workable.
The Sony unit has an option to view the reverse camera at any time and also the guidelines could only be configured with the camera powered but the vehicle not in reverse. In the end I changed it to being powered from the same Run/Accessory wire as the front camera.
The Sony unit is double DIN but actually only takes up a single DIN space. The problem is the Metra mounting brackets. Rather than cut up the dash I cut up the brackets.
Here is the final mess of wires:
And here is the result.
I then added a custom wallpaper generated by the MidJourney AI.
Andy
- double DIN
- doesn't require hacking parts out of the dashboard
- fast bootup time and responsive screen
- Apple CarPlay
- Satellite radio
- Front and rear camera support
- Physical buttons
Complete shopping list:
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=158XAV3200
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=220SXV300
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=249CUB01 x2
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=120ISOPK
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=120956541
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=120706502
- https://www.crutchfield.com/product/item/default.aspx?i=12040CR10
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08VJL2K5S/?tag=wranglerorg-20
- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NCA9XEI/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Here is how it looked at the beginning.
The wiring from the vehicle harness to the Sony unit was easy because the Sony and the Metra pigtail use almost the same wire colors (some kind of industry standard?). I wired the parking brake to ground. The reverse wire I connected to pin 33 of C300 (white with light green hash). Because that wire has to snake from the center of the dash to the driver's side outer footwell I used an inline spade connector so it can be disconnected.
Next I drilled a hole into the blank panel near the switches. On the back of the panel there is a marking in the mold to indicate where a circular connector goes (switch to turn passenger airbag off I believe) so I used that as a guide, drilling a hole and then using a Dremel to enlarge it.
The microphone is designed to clip onto a visor but I didn't want any wires showing so I converted it to panel mount and installed it at the driver's end of the defrost vent panel.
I put an M12 external circlip into the first groove in the mic and 3D printed a cover. I epoxied the cover onto the circlip to hide it.
After drilling a hole through the defrost vent cover I installed a 4mm thick 3D printed washer and then another M12 circlip. I think this makes it look nice and tidy and discreet.
The satellite radio antenna was the easiest part. I shoved it under the cover of the rail that goes across the back holding the speaker pods. I chose this location because according to the Factory Service Manual this is the factory location for it.
I 3D printed a mount for the front camera which bolted onto two spare holes in front of the AC condenser. I ran the wire around the driver's side outside edge of the engine bay, through the firewall and grounded it at a point a PO had created.
Power for the camera was tapped from the Run/Accessory wire going to the radio.
The yellow RCA connector plugs into the RCA to 3.5mm plug adapter however the Amazon listing for the adapter shows the wrong pinout and I had to plug the yellow connector from the camera into the white connector on the adapter (sigh). The important thing is that the ground is in the correct location on the 3.5mm plug.
The front camera is tilted down so I can see part of the front bumper.
For the rear camera I 3D printed a bracket to go behind the driver's side tail lamp. I originally experimented with putting it poking out of the spare tire but I wasn't happy with the sturdiness or the wiring routing so I changed to this. It's not ideal because it is so far from the center of the rear but it works OK. The printed part has a channel for the wire to run down, keeping it hidden as much as possible.
Originally I tapped power for the camera from the reverse wire going to the tail light, however that was not workable.
The Sony unit has an option to view the reverse camera at any time and also the guidelines could only be configured with the camera powered but the vehicle not in reverse. In the end I changed it to being powered from the same Run/Accessory wire as the front camera.
The Sony unit is double DIN but actually only takes up a single DIN space. The problem is the Metra mounting brackets. Rather than cut up the dash I cut up the brackets.
Here is the final mess of wires:
And here is the result.
I then added a custom wallpaper generated by the MidJourney AI.
Andy
Last edited:
