Aftermarket Stereo Install/Dash Kit for the S550 (soon)

[Doug]

I was going to make a new thread but here we go.

I concentrated on what I thought I'd find helpful for installation or for those maybe deciding to buy this kit. There are 30 min videos on Youtube that will tell you how to remove the factory bezel. The Rosen one isn't bad.

If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them.

You're going to need the obvious:

stripper/crimping pliers
crimp caps
7mm nut driver or socket
a Dremel would be handy
I used a plastic cutting wheel and a sanding drum with the Dremel
trim pry tools

Here's the album with some notes w/ the pictures.

Other notes:

The pink, green, and purple/white cables on the harness are speed sensor, parking break sensor, and reverse gear sensor. I just cut the ends off and crimped them.

The blue mute cable is apparently needed in addition to the wired remote/steering wheel controls harness. All other SWCs work fine.

Check your HVAC buttons for function. My defrost button doesn't work at all. There's a system reset for the Scosche box but you have to remove the bezel. See below.

Provided below is the correct way to reset the FD6209B's interface.

PLEASE NOTE: All connections need to be made before the vehicle's 26 pin connector is plugged in. This Connector provides POWER to our kit.

Once the vehicle's 26 pin connector is plugged in, our interface runs a "Systems Check".

For Example: Lets say the SWC harness is not plugged in, the interface will not recognize it. Our interface will not send power or data to that connector slot.






Step 1:

Close all doors and hood. Power off the vehicle and remove keys.


Step 2:

Disconnect the vehicle's 26 pin connector from our interface. DO NOT CONNECT UNTIL LAST STEP.

Wait 7-10 minutes until the vehicle enters "Sleep Mode"
(during this step please remain in the vehicle without pressing or activating any switches or buttons)



Step 3:

After 7-10 minutes please ensure all connections are made on the interface's "Dip Switch Side" (Image Below) and Scosche radio panel "UAC and Air Bag Light"


Step 4:

Reconnect the vehicle's 26 pin connector into the interface and Start the vehicle.

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[davekro]

Listening to compressed audio

I mostly listen to XM and Pandora. I believe XM's compression is pretty strong, so not supplying a very good signal source. I have no idea if Pandora's is much if any better. With such poor signal quality, would I even hear much better sound quality with an upgraded head unit, speaker and maybe a 4 ch amp. I have the base stereo in a V6 convertible, so it has the least amount of speakers (only two mids in back side panels).

I had always assumed I upgrade the head unit one day to the Pioneer dbl din, but now rethinking since I remembered the sources I actually listen to.

 

[mstngracer]

I was going to make a new thread but here we go.

I concentrated on what I thought I'd find helpful for installation or for those maybe deciding to buy this kit. There are 30 min videos on Youtube that will tell you how to remove the factory bezel. The Rosen one isn't bad.

If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them.

You're going to need the obvious:

stripper/crimping pliers
crimp caps
7mm nut driver or socket
a Dremel would be handy
I used a plastic cutting wheel and a sanding drum with the Dremel
trim pry tools

Here's the album with some notes w/ the pictures.

Other notes:

The pink, green, and purple/white cables on the harness are speed sensor, parking break sensor, and reverse gear sensor. I just cut the ends off and crimped them.

The blue mute cable is apparently needed in addition to the wired remote/steering wheel controls harness. All other SWCs work fine.

Check your HVAC buttons for function. My defrost button doesn't work at all. There's a system reset for the Scosche box but you have to remove the bezel. See below.

Thanks Doug for taking the time to take the photos and giving us some info on the install. I think it looks waaayyyy better than the 4.3 inch screen with all those ugly buttons lol. Can't wait to get mine. I wonder if any after market stereos will let you integrate the stock back up camera, anybody know?

 

[JJones]

Looks awesome and doesnt seem that bad! I didnt run new speaker wire up to my new fronts i wanted to do a rear to front swap... any advice on doing this with the scoche kit? Im going to take the deck out and run my rca' n remote wire i already did the power wire n ground when i dynomated it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks guys

 

[carcinoid]

Thanks Doug for taking the time to take the photos and giving us some info on the install. I think it looks waaayyyy better than the 4.3 inch screen with all those ugly buttons lol. Can't wait to get mine. I wonder if any after market stereos will let you integrate the stock back up camera, anybody know?

Most of the ones I've looked at, including Pioneer, will integrate the factory backup camera.

 

[GilSilcox]

Awesome write up Doug. Started mine last night and hope to have it done by Saturday. Did you have about 4 plugs from the car that didn't plug in to the Scosche? The rats nest of wiring behind everything to include the 6 rca's I will have back there gets me nervous for fitting it all in.

Thanks
Gil

 

[JJones]

i am going to start mine tonight as well...my dash kit and deck are going to arrive on friday so i want to have everything removed and my RCA's ran..doug was it tight behind the deck for the RCA's? any help on the front to back swap

 

[carcinoid]

Doug, I have two questions for you.

1) Does your backup camera work since you didn't connect the parking brake sensor?

2) Does this let you use the factory microphone or did you install the one that came with your head unit?

 

[GilSilcox]

The back up camera works off the purple wire that you connect to the wire off your head units back up camera's wire. I believe you need to use a separate microphone though.

 

[Gmacguyver]

[MENTION=13606]Gmacguyver[/MENTION] I read it. Excellent information.

I have the Scoshe .pdf if anyone wants it. Some permanent modifications are required.

I'm going to dissect one of the standard bezels from eBay. I think you can use one of those if you're good with fab work. For my purpose, installing an iPad with an upcoming digital transport to aftermarket DSP, this will be fine. A solution for installing a double/single DIN into a Premium car is still going to take some work if you don't like the Scoshe or Metra HVAC controls. Unfortunately until someone addresses the problems that Gmacguyver presented Premium owners may not have a choice.

Just a heads up, I purchased a spare base bezel on ebay hoping I could modify it as well but I ended up returning it because the would need to cut the circuit board. It seemed like most of the circuits ran in series so if cut the board there is a risk you could damage the entire board. You may need to re-solder the circuit board and redirect to keep it working properly. I didn't want to spend time tracing the circuits and trashing $150-$200 part so I ended up returning it and going with the premium bezel because it required less modification.

still haven't finished my install but here is a link to what I did back in August.http://imgur.com/a/vUNsP

 

[Doug]

The Scosche kit provides an RCA out to plug into the RCA in of the head unit. It plugged tight into my Pioneer HU.

Thanks Doug for taking the time to take the photos and giving us some info on the install. I think it looks waaayyyy better than the 4.3 inch screen with all those ugly buttons lol. Can't wait to get mine. I wonder if any after market stereos will let you integrate the stock back up camera, anybody know?

 

[Doug]

Awesome write up Doug. Started mine last night and hope to have it done by Saturday. Did you have about 4 plugs from the car that didn't plug in to the Scosche? The rats nest of wiring behind everything to include the 6 rca's I will have back there gets me nervous for fitting it all in.

Thanks
Gil

There were a few. If the box with the dip switches is full then you should be okay.

It is a tight fit. I was going to look at maybe routing some cables behind that metal cross piece in the back. I'm not sure the clearance is enough for much but I was hoping it might help with space efficiency.

i am going to start mine tonight as well...my dash kit and deck are going to arrive on friday so i want to have everything removed and my RCA's ran..doug was it tight behind the deck for the RCA's? any help on the front to back swap

I didn't have any problems with the RCAs specifically it was just tight with all of the cables and the box that all of the harnesses plug into.

I ran my power wire through the firewall on the right side since there is a rubber nipple you can cut off making a place to pass the wire through the firewall.

I ran my RCAs and Sat radio cable on the left side. On both sides, the wires go into the kick panel under the trim that runs along the bottom of the door, lots of room in there. Finally, up into the panel by the read seat.

I mounted the sat radio antenna under the rear shelf and have no issues.

I did what someone else did on this forum but I can't find the post. I mounted the passive crossovers by the amp in the back.I ran speaker wire for the mid and tweeter under the seat to the panels beside the rear seat, up the B pillar to the headliner. The speaker wires run to the A pillar where one connects to the tweeter. The other I sleeved with expandable sleeving before it drops into the door jamb from the bottom of the weather stripping. There's a rubber plug in the front edge of the door in the jamb that can be removed to make a hole for the sleeved wire. I ran my sleeved wire into the plug and then replaced the plug. The reason for this is the rubber boot that connects the factory wires have plugs for the factory wires that don't allow wire to be passed by.

Doug, I have two questions for you.

1) Does your backup camera work since you didn't connect the parking brake sensor?

2) Does this let you use the factory microphone or did you install the one that came with your head unit?

I did connect the parking break sensor. It's the green wire on the harness and my HU had a wire for it.

I'm using the one that came with the head unit.

 

[GilSilcox]

As far as the parking brake sensor they sell a bypass that you can connect to the head unit. Installing this makes the radio think you are in park all the time so you have full function of your stereo while driving. My wife's Tacoma has the wire connected to the parking brake and speed sensors and it sucks as the passenger has limited ability to change gps routes and utilize other apps within the stereo.

You basically connect it to the stereo's green wire, the remote wire, and ground. Then you just tape up the green wire from the Scosche unit.

 

[GilSilcox]

Got everything wired up and running what a sound difference over the stock radio. My amp and speakers sounded like crap with the old system compared to the Pioneer 4200nex. Everything is working great except my rear defroster isn't working as well.

Did the reset work to get yours working Doug?

 

[JJones]

Will have mine done tomorrow or saturday

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