Upgrading to an Aftermarket Radio

[VeeGeeTea]

This thread is to document the upgrade and open to suggestion/discussion.
I among others had browsed through many thread in regards to upgrading and retaining (some) factory features.

Out of all the amazing kits made available in the market. The PAC Radio Pro 5 kit for the Camaro 2010 to 2015 (RPK5-GM4101) is THE ONE that stands out most from the crowd.

There are also many great radios out there, I suggest you review its feature on their corporate website to see which fits your daily usage the most. I'd settled with the Pioneer AVIC 8200NEX after waiting for the price to drop from $1,400 USD to $820 USD on AMAZON. Bought the PAC kit there as well. If you're in the US and are planning to make the upgrade, then I suggest you also signing up for the AMAZON credit card to give you a saving from 2% or 5% on all purchases with AMAZON.

I'm still in the initial planning stage and are waiting for my parts to arrive. Mostly additional cables and connectors. I'm going to see if I can install it without breaking the radio bracket at the rear of the compartment. I'll 3D print some custom parts if I have to.

My installation is a bit unique, as I plan to retain XM and make use of ChromeCast/Miracast in the future since my Canadian Camaro 2012 has built-in WIFI with 4G LTE transceiver. Optional parts will be determined upon which aftermarket radio you'll be using and whether or not you'll be using SiriusXM radio or other features not offered in your vehicle (ie. screen casting, video streaming, etc).

So, without further adieu. Let's get started with the installation process.


Installation Parts & Accessories:

Radio Parts:

1x Pioneer AVIC-8200NEX Radio
1x PAC Radio Pro 5 Kit (RPK5-GM4101) (REQUIRED)
1x PAC UP Interface Kit (REQUIRED)

Audio/Video Adapters:

1x USB + HDMI Flush Mount (optional)
1x SiriusXM SXV300 Tuner (optional)
1x Generic USB Female to Female USB Adapter (optional)
1x Generic Female to Female HDMI Adapter (optional)

Casting Devices (Pick One):

1x ChromeCast (optional)
1x Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter (optional)
1x Belkin Miracast Video Adapter (optional)

Cables:

1x iDatalink Maestro ADS-HRN-ANT-SAT1 XM Cable (optional)
1x Generic USB Cable (optional)
1x Generic HDMI Cable (optional)
1x Microphone Cable (optional)
1x 2.5mm Button Clip (optional)


Preparations:

1. Learn how to remove sections or parts of the Center Console here.
2. Remove the glove box by detaching the locked string to the right side of the box and then tug the box gently upward towards you to unhinge.
3. Remove the panel cover for the OnStar unit above the glove box (5 screws in all, 3 in front, and 1 on each side of the panel).
4. Learn how to remove the radio from the Camaro here.
5. Learn how to mount old radio face plate parts onto the PAC RPK5-GM4101 kit here.
6. Get a XACTO knife ready for shaving off the edges of your Center Console cigarette lighter hole.
7. Get plastic spacers approximately 1/2 a centimeter thick or 0.2 inch.
8. DO NOT under any circumstances CUT your radio compartment at the back (it's not neccessary for majority of the radio).



9. Move your wires to the left and right side of the radio opened spaces behind the plastic wall instead (borrowing a picture, since I forgot to take one).





Installation:

After you had removed the side panels for the Center Console, you can now removed the 4 screws holding the rear cover in place.
Go ahead and remove these screws, then tug gently upward to remove the rear cover to expose the existing Cigarette and USB plug.

Disconnect the cigarette plug only and push the cigarette lighter toward the front of the vehicle to remove it.
Now leave the two rings out while you insert the HDMI/USB Flush mount cable through the cigarette port.
It's a tight fit, therefore, use the XACTO knife to shave off the edge of the cigarette lighter hole by 1mm or 0.04 inch around the edge.
Wiggle the cable through, it'll fit perfectly.
Afterwards, run the larger ring provided in the Flush Mount kit to lock it in place, your HDMI should be on top.
Connect the HDMI and USB extension cable and run these cables along the passenger side of the console.
The cable should go up from the glove box compartment through the radio compartment opening on the right.



Run the provided USB cable from the RPK5-GM4101 kit as well if your radio has a second USB port.
This way you'll get dual USB and an HDMI port in your Center Console for your radio.

The radio wiring is straight forward, colour to colour.
Now, if you have the BOSTON ACOUSTIC speakers system with factory AMP, plug it in the AMPLIFIED port on the PAC kit.
Otherwise your audio will become too loud and distorted.
Plug the rest of the cables in and connect it to your radio accordingly.

Here is a slight change in antenna wires connection.
The radio antenna connects to the existing black connector.
If you had purchased the XM kit, then connect the iDatalink cable from above to your brown connector then into the XM unit that goes into your radio (check the XM kit for radio compatibility first).
Your radio should provide a GPS antenna cable.
Remove the blue GPS antenna cable from your vehicle.
Make sure you've measure and leave enough length on each end before you cut on these cable.
Cut both the factory GPS antenna and the radio GPS cable.
We're going to connect the head that goes into the radio with the head that goes into your existing radio splitter.
You'll need to remove the silver/bronze shielding wires.
You'll need to use your XACTO knife to cut off the white plastic, careful not to cut the cable inside the plastic, this is the actual wire for the antenna.
Connect these two cables and tape it up or get a heat shrink wrap to hold them together.
Afterwards plug in the GPS cable onto the radio.

This should be all the cables that you needed to connect to the Pioneer NEX 8200.

Carefully, move the cables onto the side, the THICK black radio cable can go into the bottom hole at the rear of the radio.
It'll fit, along with the XM Kit with double tape to the rear compartment wall.
Move the speakers wires to the left hole inside the radio compartment along with that huge factory plug.
Any extra HDMI/USB/GPS cables can go into the right hole (there is a little space there to put your cable and mount your door chime).
Mount your PAC replacement device on the open space on top and on the other side of the radio compartment wall.
Tape it in place.

Now, there should be nothing blocking your radio from going in all the way and you should see any device in the compartment if done correctly.
You will however, need to use the plastic ring spacer when mounting your radio.
Put the face plate back on, make sure it clicks.
You may need to readjust your mounting position in left or right in order for the radio screen to be able to slide up/down freely.

Plug in the Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter into the newly installed HDMI/USB Flush Mount, and voila, screen mirroring of your phone.





Test your audio with FLAC LOSSLESS or WMA LOSSLESS.
Please don't cheap out with MP3, that's like listening to muffled audio when you can have CRYSTAL CLEAR audio.



You shouldn't need to replace your BOSTON ACOUSTIC speakers after this.
It's good enough with the POWERFUL EQ preset and increasing the rear speakers level to +8 for some extra BASS.
Please don't blast your audio passed a volume of 15, or it'll become distorted and cause your car to rumbles.

THIS is how I'd retain XM as well as adding additional features like Screen Mirroring and HDMI input for the Camaro.
Don't forget to use the PAC-UP kit to interface with your GM4101 to program your vehicle's settings like chime volume/door lock/etc.

This is for wiring factory mic to the radio.

You'll need to find the black/grey wire from your OnStar unit inside your glove box (image provided by seishuku).



Then you'll need to cut and splice the FosPower 3.5mm wire.
Diagram of wire schematics below.




You'll need to use these 2.5mm button clip to bridge the wire to the factory mic wires.
Black => Black and Grey => Blue.

[SWRocket]

Great write up thank you.
I'm actually planning to start this install (with a 4100NEX though) on Sunday.
I'm in Vaughan so if you're around PM me and come by for a coffee, I'd love to hear the system.

[VeeGeeTea]

Originally Posted by SWRocket

Great write up thank you.
I'm actually planning to start this install (with a 4100NEX though) on Sunday.
I'm in Vaughan so if you're around PM me and come by for a coffee, I'd love to hear the system.

Nice, yours would only require a radio and face plate swap.
No need to run the extra HDMI/USB cable to the rear

I have to take my radio out this weekend.
I forgot about the mic.
Now no one can hear me when I'm making Bluetooth calls.

Things you'll lose would be the GPS directional display and music titles display on your HUD.
The kit claim it can retain HUD, but have no idea how to configure it or test if it's working for the above.

If you have OnStar and you make a call by pressing the Operator/Emergency button on your rear view mirror then the radio gets power down.

[VeeGeeTea]

Alright guys, anyone reading this, you're going to be my Obi Wan Kenobi.

I need assistance with accessing and splicing factory mic to a 3.5mm jack for the aftermarket radio.

Much thanks!

[seishuku]

Mic is a shielded grey cable at the OnStar module, don't remember which pins exactly... I would have to pull my glove box and look for sure.

[cbaer981]

I have the pac 5 dash kit in my car currently with a pioneer 5200 NEX system. outstanding system, could not pass it up! I ended up getting the pioneer 5200 double din from best buy for 130$ they had the price messed up on the shelf. could not pass up that deal at all haha.

[Lawdog86]

VeeGeeTea great write up, I am doing the same set up with the PacAudio, NEX 8200 and all aftermarket speakers. I have a few questions, the section you wrote about the GPS antenna, i'm sure this will make more since when i have mine taken apart, but did you basically connect the radio to the factory GPS antenna and discarded the radio GPS? Did you connect the Pink wire, i was told not to, Did you cut and connect the brown loop wire? Any mod to the faceplate required? Thanks again!

[VeeGeeTea]

Originally Posted by Lawdog86

VeeGeeTea great write up, I am doing the same set up with the PacAudio, NEX 8200 and all aftermarket speakers. I have a few questions, the section you wrote about the GPS antenna, i'm sure this will make more since when i have mine taken apart, but did you basically connect the radio to the factory GPS antenna and discarded the radio GPS? Did you connect the Pink wire, i was told not to, Did you cut and connect the brown loop wire? Any mod to the faceplate required? Thanks again!

You can get a GPS splitter with extra sets of cables, if you want to retain OnStar GPS.

You can get the splitter and extra cable here or find it on eBay/Amazon.

What I did was I cut the blue GPS antenna wire make sure you discard the short end (the end that goes into your factory radio).

With the longer cable still there, you'll need to cut the Pioneer radio GPS wire, keep the end with the Green plug and discard the receiver end.

Now you'll need a wire crimper. Crimped about 2 cm of wire from each of the cable.

You can cut and get rid of the copper/silver wires that's use for shielding the white plastic tube.

Carefully, with a XACTO knife, try not to apply too much pressure, just a little pressure and spin the wire around the blade.

This will expose the actual GPS copper/silver wire within.
Connects the two ends, solder and shrink wrap it to place.

Now you'll have a functional GPS antenna that uses your vehicles shark fin instead for your radio.


As for the brown loop, you'll have to cut it or your radio powers down each time you make a call using the OnStar system (either for help or other inquiry).

The face plate you want to get is the PAC RPK5-GM4101 kit, it comes with everything you need to get your radio installed.
I bought mine from Amazon along with the radio.

[VeeGeeTea]

Originally Posted by seishuku

Mic is a shielded grey cable at the OnStar module, don't remember which pins exactly... I would have to pull my glove box and look for sure.

Thanks a lot.
Trying to tap into the vehicle's mic for the aftermarket radio rather than using the provided mic.

[VeeGeeTea]

Not sure if this #9 applies, but it could be the mic (2012 MY).

Looking for adapters for bridge to 3.5mm AUX jack here as well.

[GVA 45TH 2SS]

I was told the impedance of the factory mic was different and would not work with aftermarket head units.

[seishuku]

Works just fine on my cheapo Kenwood unit... Looking at the mic module, it looks like a standard electret mic to me.

[VeeGeeTea]

Originally Posted by seishuku

Works just fine on my cheapo Kenwood unit... Looking at the mic module, it looks like a standard electret mic to me.

Have you discover where the lines runs to in the vehicle for the mic?
I would prefer to tap in from a line closer to the radio than from the overhead console.
It would be an easier job to complete and less parts to remove to access it.

Thanks.

[VeeGeeTea]

I'll have to try and look under the overhead console to see if the mic is really there.

Here is an image of how to remove it for anyone who is interested: