Your car runs great, but the radio is stuck in the past. A new head unit with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is one of the most useful upgrades we do, and here is exactly what goes into it.
The receiver is the part you see. Behind it there are usually three or four other parts that make it look and work like it came from the factory.
A dash kit fills the opening and matches the shape of your dash. A wiring harness adapter plugs into the factory connector, so we do not cut your car's wires. An antenna adapter connects the factory antenna to the new radio. Skip any of these and you get gaps, rattles, or a radio that loses its settings every time you shut the car off.
If your car has volume and track buttons on the wheel, you want to keep them. A steering wheel control interface translates those button signals so the new radio understands them. On many cars that module also keeps things like the factory chimes, the backup sensors, or the factory amp working.
Some cars have a factory amplified system. Those need a specific interface, or the new radio will sound thin or not play at all. This is why we always ask you to tell us the year, make and model, plus the trim level. Two cars that look the same can be wired very differently.
Double-DIN means a radio opening about 4 inches tall. Both do wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, so your phone connects when you start the car.
The catch is that the screen can block vents, the hazard button, or controls on some dashes. We check your dash in person before we recommend one.
Almost every CarPlay receiver has a camera input. A plate-mount camera like the Kenwood CMOS-230LP1 runs a wire from the rear of the car to the radio and a reverse trigger wire tells the screen to switch over when you shift into reverse.
Doing it at the same time as the radio saves labor, because the dash is already apart. If your car already has a factory camera, there is often an adapter that keeps it working with the new screen.
We and the install team do this work in our own bay, often the same day.If you already bought a radio somewhere else, bring it in and we will give you an estimate for installing it.
Call us or text us with your year, make and model, and we will tell you which parts your car needs.
In the shop
Approximate installed estimate $869.99 parts $419.99 + labor $450
Call, text or come by for your exact price and package deals.
Approximate installed estimate $419 parts $119 + labor $300
Call, text or come by for your exact price and package deals.
Pick your year, make & model
Pick your year, make and model to see the stereos, speakers and boxes that fit it, with prices. Pickup and install in Carson.
Fastest way to a price
Send the year, make, and model, and we get back to you with what fits and a price.
Pick the radio around your car and how you use your phone, not around the biggest screen on the wall. Decide wired or wireless, figure out what shape your dash allows, and plan to keep your steering wheel buttons and factory features. Then we confirm the exact parts for your vehicle before anything comes apart.
Read itFor most cars, the simple setup is a receiver with a camera input plus the Kenwood CMOS-230LP1, which Kenwood lists as working with most aftermarket receivers that have a camera input. For a sharper picture, the Kenwood CMOS-740HDLP shoots 1280 x 720 HD, but it connects through HD-TVI and works only with select Kenwood receivers that support HD cameras. If you also want a front or side camera, pick a receiver with more than one camera input, like the JVC KW-M875BW, Kenwood DMX958XR
Read itFrom $100 to $250, you get a Bluetooth receiver for a single-DIN dash, like the JVC KD-X280BT and the BOSS Audio BE7ACP with wired CarPlay. From $250 to $500, you get a double-DIN touchscreen with wired CarPlay, like the Kenwood DMX4710S or Pioneer DMH-1800NEX, or wireless CarPlay, like the JVC KW-M785BW. From $500 to $1,000 come HD screens, more camera inputs and features like built-in GPS. At $1,000 and up are the 9- to 11-inch floating screens. Every price in this guide is the listed price on the product page.
Read itMost cars can take one with the right dash kit and harness, but every dash is different. Tell us the year, make and model and we will check what fits and what parts it needs.
Not if we add a steering wheel control interface. It lets the new radio read the factory buttons so volume and track changes still work.
If you make a lot of short trips, yes. Your phone connects on its own without plugging in. Wired still works fine and charges the phone while you drive.
