[Fiyero88]

What happens if you hook up a after market radio to the 6th gen. I'm wanting to hook one up instead of my 7" IOB radio. I've seen someone do it with a pioneer unit. I'm concerned about what would happen if I tried. Would it Lock the car up or throw error codes or do anything crazy? I found a radio with a CANBUS decoder for my car and want to install it but I'm hesitant because I don't want to break my car.

[Msquared]

Your 7" display is not your radio/receiver/amp. It's literally just a touchscreen display. Your actual radio module is between the glovebox and passenger-side wall, and to my knowledge there's no aftermarket replacement that drops in place of it. There might be aftermarket radios that can fit in the touchscreen dash opening. To use such a thing, you'd replace the touchscreen and completely bypass the radio module, running signal wires to aftermarket amps and then speakers. I have no idea what, if any, codes/lights would be triggered by doing this; but one would hope that a receiver replacement like that would have some sort of interface to account for that.

[Fiyero88]

The radio has some sort of harness and a canbus attached it says it just drops in, plug and play. Says it will display your air conditioning, retain steering wheel controls and retain all data that normally displays on the screen. It's just a plug and play type of deal but I dunno if it will throw off warning codes or disable my car if I use it. Says it uses the factory wiring so no cutting and retains factory speakers.

Originally Posted by Msquared

Your 7" display is not your radio/receiver/amp. It's literally just a touchscreen display. Your actual radio module is between the glovebox and passenger-side wall, and to my knowledge there's no aftermarket replacement that drops in place of it. There might be aftermarket radios that can fit in the touchscreen dash opening. To use such a thing, you'd replace the touchscreen and completely bypass the radio module, running signal wires to aftermarket amps and then speakers. I have no idea what, if any, codes/lights would be triggered by doing this; but one would hope that a receiver replacement like that would have some sort of interface to account for that.

[Fiyero88]

Here's a picture of what I bought, they custom make the harness and CANBUS for it. It's a android radio with a 10" screen.

[SomeGeoffGuy]

Go through all of your vehicle settings first then see if you can find them on the Android radio. Losing all that stuff would be my fear. I'm actually not sure what would happen if you installed that. It might be awesome!?!?!? Let us know how it goes.

-Geoff

[Fiyero88]

It says the canbus decodes everything so it retains everything according to the description but I dunno, guess we'll see. It has to be better than the 7" IOB I have now that does literally nothing lol

Originally Posted by SomeGeoffGuy

Go through all of your vehicle settings first then see if you can find them on the Android radio. Losing all that stuff would be my fear. I'm actually not sure what would happen if you installed that. It might be awesome!?!?!? Let us know how it goes.

-Geoff

[Msquared]

That will be an interesting experiment. My first question will be how it can work in 2014-2021 models when GM changed over from MOST to ethernet communication in the Camaros for the 2019 model year. Since your car is a 2018, though, my guess is that it will work on yours. Even if it is plug-and-play on the front end, you will of course have to rewire your speakers to be powered off the back of it instead of by the radio module.

[Fiyero88]

The listing title is actually correct as there is a drop down to select the generation camaro they make a 5th gen Touchscreen and a 6th gen. The 6th gen that I selected works for 2016-2019. The audio will work through this radio because according to the person I talked to and purchased this from, the radio has a built in DSP. It can also accept new speakers and has a Amp out plug too. I believe how they explained it is that the Camaros screen is just a screen and they bypass that and display it in the new screen. The canbus allows for overlay on the screen showing the factory controls and air conditioner and what not. The speakers remain the same as you don't wire into the Amp or the box by the glove box. That's why they said plug and play because you just plug the harness from the factory screen into their harness and their harness into the back of their android Touchscreen Radio part.

Originally Posted by Msquared

That will be an interesting
experiment. My first question will be how it can work in 2014-2021 models when GM changed over from MOST to ethernet communication in the Camaros for the 2019 model year. Since your car is a 2018, though, my guess is that it will work on yours. Even if it is plug-and-play on the front end, you will of course have to rewire your speakers to be powered off the back of it instead of by the radio module.

[SomeGeoffGuy]

Originally Posted by Fiyero88

It says the canbus decodes everything so it retains everything according to the description but I dunno, guess we'll see. It has to be better than the 7" IOB I have now that does literally nothing lol

That is what I am saying, put it in and see. Why speculate if you already bought it?

-Geoff

[Fiyero88]

It hasn't been shipped yet nor do I have it in my possession all I did was purchase it. Also there's no speculating I'm just asking a simple question of whether aftermarket radios trigger any problems like dash lights or whatever on the BCM. That's all I'm asking if anyone has experience putting a radio in and it seems I haven't found anyone that has 🤷

Originally Posted by SomeGeoffGuy

That is what I am s
aying, put it in and see. Why speculate if you already bought it?

-Geoff

[Msquared]

Originally Posted by Fiyero88

The listing title is actually correct as there is a drop down to select the generation camaro they make a 5th gen Touchscreen and a 6th gen. The 6th gen that I selected works for 2016-2019.

Gotcha. I didn't look that closely, but that's a good sign.

The audio will work through this radio because according to the person I talked to and purchased this from, the radio has a built in DSP. It can also accept new speakers and has a Amp out plug too. I believe how they explained it is that the Camaros screen is just a screen and they bypass that and display it in the new screen. The canbus allows for overlay on the screen showing the factory controls and air conditioner and what not. The speakers remain the same as you don't wire into the Amp or the box by the glove box. That's why they said plug and play because you just plug the harness from the factory screen into their harness and their harness into the back of their android Touchscreen Radio part.

Right, so if you just plug this in as a substitute for the OE display, you'll still be powering your factory speakers with the factory amp in the trunk (if equipped) or the radio module by the glovebox (if no amp in the trunk). The new head unit will take over controlling everything, but it won't directly power the speakers. If you want to use the 4x60w amp in the new head unit, you'll need to run speaker wires to it (and seriously, if you're going to do that, then do yourself a favor and replace the speakers themselves).

[Fiyero88]

Totally agree the IOB speakers that came with it are garbage they sound almost muffled there's really no highs to it. It's a weird sound. I'll probably have to disable the microphones in the door too we'll see.

Originally Posted by Msquared

Gotcha. I didn't look that closely, but that's a good sign.


Right, so if you just plug this in as a substitute for the OE display, you'll still be powering your factory speakers with the factory amp in the trunk (if equipped) or the radio module by the glovebox (if no amp in the trunk). The new head unit will take over controlling everything, but it won't directly power the speakers. If you want to use the 4x60w amp in the new head unit, you'll need to run speaker wires to it (and seriously, if you're going to do that, then do yourself a favor and replace the speakers themselves).

[Msquared]

Originally Posted by Fiyero88

Totally agree the IOB speakers that came with it are garbage they sound almost muffled there's really no highs to it. It's a weird sound. I'll probably have to disable the microphones in the door too we'll see.

If you decide to replace the speakers, my recommendation is to spend real money on them. I used Audiofrog G25 in the dash and G690 in the doors as drop-in replacements, and I'm really happy with them. I am not using the rear-side speakers at all. I have a 4-channel amp that allows actively crossing over the door and dash speakers, which I also recommend (this head unit you are getting might allow that if it has DSP built in). I'm not sure why you'd have to disable the mics in the A-pillar trim (I don't think there are mics in the doors). I created a thread about my stereo upgrades, in case you want more details.

[Fiyero88]

Good to know! I'll have to check it out!

Originally Posted by Msquared

If you decide to replace the speakers, my recommendation is to spend real money on them. I used Audiofrog G25 in the dash and G690 in the doors as drop-in replacements, and I'm really happy with them. I am not using the rear-side speakers at all. I have a 4-channel amp that allows actively crossing over the door and dash speakers, which I also recommend (this head unit you are getting might allow that if it has DSP built in). I'm not sure why you'd have to disable the mics in the A-pillar trim (I don't think there are mics in the doors). I created a thread about my stereo upgrades, in case you want more details.