New Aftermarket head unit kit option

[Cheap Guy]

Originally Posted by Leo72793

As an installer, please avoid PYLE, Boss, Jensen, Blaupunkt, and any other ultra inexpensive brands. They are legit crap. Slow, inneficient, and most die within 6 months, and by then most places wont touch it or take it back. Spend a bit more and get a quality deck, pioneer, sony, kenwood etc.

^^^Exactly. I bought the PAC kit first and just saved up until I could get a quality unit (Pioneer). Even then I ended up redoing my install because I was too impatient and ended up upgrading to another Pioneer with CarPlay. Fortunately I didn’t have to redo the harness.

It’s a bitch cramming all the modules and wires back into the tight dash space and as I mentioned the PAC kit connectors are kind of fragile compared to the stock parts so you’ll only want to do this once. In some of my previous cars I used to cheap out and buy crap like Dual and none of them lasted long. As the saying goes, “buy cheap, buy twice!”

[45thCamaro]

Hi I’m sorry to revive a pretty much dead thread but I’m currently in the process of installing this. I just want to verify that for those people who have installed this kit, have you lost your blinker noise? I’m installing with a pioneer avh-w4400nex. I’m currently waiting on gen5diy’s rear camera video splitter cable before I continue with the install.

[muffins4all]

Originally Posted by 45thCamaro

Hi I’m sorry to revive a pretty much dead thread but I’m currently in the process of installing this. I just want to verify that for those people who have installed this kit, have you lost your blinker noise? I’m installing with a pioneer avh-w4400nex. I’m currently waiting on gen5diy’s rear camera video splitter cable before I continue with the install.

The blinker noise is different, it's much quieter with this kit. If you have the radio up to near mid range you can't really hear the blinker.

[45thCamaro]

I don’t hear the blinker at all. There is 0 noise.

[SynergyGreenSS]

Originally Posted by 45thCamaro

I don’t hear the blinker at all. There is 0 noise.

You didn’t install the chime module. I know when they sent me my kit, it wasn’t in the box. I contacted them and they said some of their kits were accidentally shipped out without one but that was over a year ago and I would think they resolved that unless your situation was a fluke. You probably don’t have any chimes (backup sensors, seatbelt, reverse, etc.). I would look into getting a chime module from them if it’s that important to you. I’ve gone without it and the only thing I wish I had was the backup sensor noise but I’m used to it now

[45thCamaro]

Originally Posted by SynergyGreenSS

You didn’t install the chime module. I know when they sent me my kit, it wasn’t in the box. I contacted them and they said some of their kits were accidentally shipped out without one but that was over a year ago and I would think they resolved that unless your situation was a fluke. You probably don’t have any chimes (backup sensors, seatbelt, reverse, etc.). I would look into getting a chime module from them if it’s that important to you. I’ve gone without it and the only thing I wish I had was the backup sensor noise but I’m used to it now

I have the chime module. I have the noise for the seatbelt. I don’t have any noise for the blinker. I haven’t tested the back up sensors. Those are lost too?

[SynergyGreenSS]

Originally Posted by 45thCamaro

I have the chime module. I have the noise for the seatbelt. I don’t have any noise for the blinker. I haven’t tested the back up sensors. Those are lost too?

At least for my car I lost ALL chime noises

[45thCamaro]

Originally Posted by SynergyGreenSS

At least for my car I lost ALL chime noises

I’m currently waiting for the gen5diy camera split harness to come. Once that shows up I’ll finish up my install. I know I had to update my hvac control board and I purchased the pac up module to make changes to the vehicle settings. I remember you can adjust the chime volume from high or low, I didn’t see any off feature. A little bummed to hear I lose the back up noise too.

[45thCamaro]

Just thought I’d update. I finally got everything installed and working. I still have to finish putting some panel trim back together but the radio is in and working. A few things I have to discuss:

First off, this kit, while it works with my 7” Pioneer AVH-W4400NEX, really shouldn’t advertise it works with 7” screens. I cannot use the motorized screen at all. No access to the CD or SD slots. Can’t remove the face. The screen doesn’t have the clearance from the kit to move freely. It gets stuck and then goes back to normal working position. Now I really have no reason to use these things, so I’m leaving it for now, but seriously what a pain in the ass. I tried to move the radio forward or backward by adjusting the screws in the sides. Bringing the radio out wouldn’t allow me to push the climate control faceplate in enough. Not to mention that there is barely any room back there. I kind of wish I would have went with another radio that I saw in a video from 5 star car stereo on YouTube. Still get the double din screen, but the unit itself is the size of a single din. Definitely could use the space underneath for storing wires and the brain of the PAC kit.

I have lost the blinker noise. While it isn’t a huge issue, it’s one of those small things that make you think wth. Apparently the blinker noise was something the stock radio did and played the noise through the drivers speaker (I was told this by PAC technician Ernie over the phone.

If your planning on buying this kit, when you first get it, check the firmware of the climate controls. Yeah I know, sounds foolish right? Apparently they had issues and I’m guessing they ironed them out since the last update was a while ago. But nonetheless, they supply a micro usb cable and you download the software on your WINDOWS computer and update. Not that big of a deal.

You need to buy the PAC UP module in order to make changes to your vehicle settings that you used to make with the factory radio. Why not just put it in the box and increase the price by a small amount? I think there is another device you can use that will do the same thing idatalink or maestro is the name I believe.

Not a fan that I lost my backup sensor noise. But the chime module DOES beep instead, so I guess it’s not a total loss. I purchased the 2012 Video Split harness from Gen5DIY to add the camera to the radio, for the larger screen. Once thing I wish I would have gotten on the screen was the lines and the red ! That is shown on the screen in the rear view mirror. Not sure what would have needed to been done to get this to work but at least I have the rear view mirror as a backup to backing up lol.

I know I’m late to the game with this kit. Many of you have had it for a while now. I would like to say thank you to a few people for their help. First off, the guys over at 5 Star Car Stereo in Clearwater Florida. Their video was honestly, the real reason I wanted and decided to replace my radio.

PAC technician Ernie for helping answer a few questions and confusing the hell out of me with what I had to update with what file. My brain hurt after talking to him, but he was helpful.

Everyone who posted in this topic on Camaro5! Thanks for giving me some insight on what I was getting myself into lol.

I hope this kit works well and continues to work well.
I couldn’t stand to deal with all the issues I kept hearing people deal with when they used the metra and scotche kits. They kept me away for long enough because of their bad reputation.


Side note: anyone else install a NEX radio? I’m curious to know if I can change or adjust the ATT/Mute feature. When I press the “mute” button the steering wheel, the radio says ATT and the sound is cut pretty drastically, but you can still hear it playing. I would really like to just have it completely mute the sound when pressed. In the radio setting there is an option to change this from ATT to Mute or OFF, but it doesn’t seem to do anything for me. I have the yellow/black wire from the radio going to the brown looped wire on the kit (the outer most brown wire on that harness.

If you install this radio in your car, CUT THE BROWN WIRE! By not doing so, when you press the “calll” button on the steering wheel, or pressing the OnStar button, you completely kill power to the radio.

The “call” button is pretty much useless now. Kind of a bummer, would be good to setup with Siri or a similar feature.

[45thCamaro]

Has anyone connected this with a Pioneer head unit? I have an issue where the steering wheel control mute button. When I press it, it goes into ATT mode and not full mute. I have tried to change the setting in the radio from att to mute or off, but the same thing happens.

I contacted Pioneer and they told me that this was an issue with the steering wheel control module, that it probably needs to be reflashed of fixed on their end. Looking to see if anyone has had a different experience.

[SynergyGreenSS]

Originally Posted by 45thCamaro

Has anyone connected this with a Pioneer head unit? I have an issue where the steering wheel control mute button. When I press it, it goes into ATT mode and not full mute. I have tried to change the setting in the radio from att to mute or off, but the same thing happens.

I contacted Pioneer and they told me that this was an issue with the steering wheel control module, that it probably needs to be reflashed of fixed on their end. Looking to see if anyone has had a different experience.

That’s what mine does too. I’ve gotten used to it, I kind of like this actually

[45thCamaro]

Originally Posted by SynergyGreenSS

That’s what mine does too. I’ve gotten used to it, I kind of like this actually

I’m curious to know if maybe cutting the brown wire and splicing with the yellow/black mute wire is causing it. I’d hate to rip my dash back apart and do it all for nothing.

[45thCamaro]

I contacted pac and they told me to try and do the custom programming for the controls. I can’t imagine what would be done differently, it’s already programmed correctly. I have a strange feeling this is an issue with pioneer. They haven’t made any updates on my radio at all, I’m wondering if they were “on sale” because pioneer is phasing them out.

[dpeterson7]

Mine is currently in transit along with a kenwood DMX7705S, any tips before install? i've read through countless forums already before pulling the trigger, just want to be sure there's no surprises once i get it.