A newbie here.
Time for my OEM radio to go. The CD player doesn't work and I'f like to have Bluetooth to stream music and podcasts from my phone.
As I'm leaving shortly for a major Michigan-Massachusetts-Georgia-Michigan roadtrip, I was just going to go to BestBuy and have them install something that does what I need. They claim they have the interface stuff to make "steering wheel controls" work.
Will this enable me to keep the dash controls doing what they do? Or do I need to buy the Modifry DCI and the DCI harness?
I've done radio swaps myself and also had one "professionally" done and I had no complaints about the installation the stereo store did for me.
Any advice? Thanks in advance.
John

 

I wouldn't trust best buy to touch my car but when they say steering wheel controls it should mean the dash controls as well I would think. I use the modifry DCI and their plug and play harness. Makes the install super easy. just take out OEM stereo, plug in new aftermarket unit. Test and your all set.

DCIs (Dash Control Interface)

 

 

+1 Modifry DCI is the way to go

 

Thanks. I will likely do it myself now. Thirty minutes, eh? Nothing I do on a car takes me only 30 minutes. As soon as I break off one of those little plastic tabs on some dash panel, I'll be spending at least 30 minutes just hitting myself over the head with a hammer to prove I'm a dolt!

 

 

Heck, Modifry even sells pre-made harnesses for the major head unit manufacturers.

FYI I'd get a nylon pry bar kit meant for car interiors. It really helps for getting the radio door/vent panel off the first time.

 

I read that some head units will impede closing the "trap door." Can anyone suggest some units that will fit properly?
Thanks.

 

There's a thread going on for that. And no I'm not trying to be condescending by putting the link, I just don't feel like compiling the list of the units from the thread.

Alpine seems to be the preferred brand. Mainly the UTE-62BT and -73BT which are mp3/media stream only, but they also offer a CD-playing variant of those as well if you still bother with CDs. I recently installed the UTE-73BT in my car and can confirm it fits proper.

 

I can highly recommend the Pioneer DEH S5050BT dual Bluetooth head unit. Has everything including Spotify, front mounted USB port (which I prefer over the 178BT's rear mounted one which requires a cable to be run to the front), dual zone colour changing options and many more features. Has an accurate amber hue to match the dash lights too. Fits well and looks great in my S2K