2016 BRZ Head unit replacement
 

Since Subaru had the infinite wisdom to move to an odd shaped head unit that is just terrible in most aspects, the following questions come to mind:

1. Is the wiring basically the same as 2015 (ie. can I use a 2015 adapter harness with a new head unit)?
2. Can I get a 2015 dash panel to make for a more standard double din fit, with an adapter of course?
3. Does anyone know of an aftermarket head unit that supports the factory XM tuner which is probably the only redeeming feature of the stock unit?

Thanks in advance. I'd like to make stereo the first upgrade to my BRZ since it impacts my commutes significantly, but since nobody seems to have fitment info yet that might actually wait depending on what you guys know.

1. wiring looks the same to me from pics i saw other then backup camera. you will most likely need an aftermarket 1 or custom wiring

2. yes. same dash, cutout for radio face is just different

3. im 99% sure the xm tuner is in the HU itself like on the 15 model

1. that's not a big deal, I had figured on an adapter kit. So long as the 2015 stuff works and something can be had for the camera, it's all good. I can hunt that up.

2. So does the texture match 2015-2016 so I can just get the factory part or do I need both pieces?

3. No outboard unit? That's nice but it also means I'll need the out board for whatever aftermarket unit i get.

This would be so much easier if the factory unit didn't just suck out loud.

im not sure if they changed the texture honestly, haven't seen it in person.

i believe some HU have XM built in also tho (i may be wrong)

but I've head every radio from these cars except the '16 models and as much as ppl hate them, the old BRZ one is the best feature wise. to get all this aftermarket you look at well over $1000

This likely sad but true. The thing is awful and there won't be any software updates, I'm sure, but the features are there. I'll likely just stew over the thing any time I want to change the music for the next 100,000 miles or so.

whats the problem with it?

Aside from the awful UI. It's painfully slow. The satellite tuner is slow and preset handling is pretty terrible. iPod connectivity seems horribly broken with the ipods being left in "ok to disconnect" state as often as not which is awesome. USB support doesn't support M3U playlists which means lots of manually organizing the drive just to have playlists.

It sounds awesome though.

This is far and away the most annoying result of using the head unit:

http://i.imgur.com/AuZeyTv.jpg

wtf? id talk to subaru about that since its supposed to be supported. mine never does that

"I'm sorry to learn of your iPod concern with your 2016 BRZ.

I checked for you, and right now we do not have any recalls or technical service bulletins to address this issue.

It may be that the software or hardware of the iPods that you are trying to connect is slightly different that what our engineers tested or designed for.

Although I can't offer you an immediate resolution, I will gladly pass on your comments to our engineering department for consideration."

I reached out via the mySubaru email form. This is what I got back. Both iPods are on the most current software. It happens about half the time if they are plugged in when the head unit powers on.

Try it in another car on the lot maybe. Also just leave it in the car. Smartphones eliminate the need for em anyway

I suppose, it's nice to just leave the music in the car, though. I did find a Youtuber that actually got Subaru to buy back his 2016 WRX over the head unit for basically this problem.

I just leave the iPod here at all times and music starts when I turn on the car

And that is not the 2016 Starlink head unit, I've got CA634UL

I no that. I mean if the issue is unplugging it then just don't. U have 2 anyway

It's not an unplugging issue. The ipods flip into this state roughly half the time when the HU powers up if they were plugged in when the unit powered down.

Oh so it locks you out of iPod mode on the radio too? Basically lik ejecting a USB drive on ur computer and not removing it

Check out my post here for info on the 2016 wiring situation: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...ostcount=13696

There's no adapter I'm aware of for the XM antenna or the built in mic (because it's not line level, it's amplified). Nor is there a good din adapter yet.

Other than the wire that turns the door speaker amp on, the speaker wiring is the same as previous years of the BRZ. My pioneer harness colors matched the colors on the Metra harness perfectly 1:1 and it was very easy to get the speakers working. The camera requires a bit more work.

I totally agree with you that the stock headunit is a piece of shit, and I've noticed there is a large delay over BT which drove me mad. The iPod functionality sucks too. It really has no redeeming features. For the dashboard you could actually buy a 2015 or older dashboard fascia from eBay if you don't care to keep the one that came in your car. Personally I liked the fake carbon look of mine so I left it alone. I almost bought the blacked out JDM one from TRD on eBay for about $90, it has a square double din hole that would work fine with the existing din adapter. It's really just a personal choice.

So without adapters for the miscellaneous bits, it's a matter of waiting for another model year until adapter manufacturers get their stuff together and ship us some product.

Ppl say the mics that come with radios are better anyway and an XM antenna is no different then a gps one so easy to hide. Everything else has adapters (don't see aux/USB being different

If you're insistent on waiting for a product that does everything for you, yes I suppose.

It's really not hard to just rig it yourself like I described in the post.

Check out this setup
https://brainiac.workshoptwelve.com/frs-brz

Just go after market and be done with it. I had an OEM looking backup camera installed at the same time and it works flawlessly with my phone. It flips down in a motorized fashion and hides behind it an SD card slot that I stuffed a 32GB SD card into. Keeps all my play lists and all meta data including album art appears.

They even gave us the gift of having no buttons on the wheel to worry about syncing with another head unit. The one and only drawback is the need to stick an antenna onto the front wind shield glass for the GPS receiver. I don't even notice it these day's as its on the passenger side and not overly big.

http://i.imgur.com/9l5l0fy.jpg

There's a thread literally on the first page of the electronics section, where basically all of our work into this has already been hashed out and done.

The XM tuner is built into the head unit itself. You could get a head unit that supports XM, but it's going to come with an antenna if it does, so there's no point in crying about the factory one. Better idea - do yourself a favor, stop spending exorbitant amounts of money on XM, and buy yourself a better data plan. It's 2016, the year of the stream.

http://i.imgur.com/PMjtZR3.jpg

There is no adapter kit for the new slash cut radio. The series.blue and maybe others have a similar (but not the same) simulated CF trim with a standard "Toyota universal" cut, which is wider than standard DIN and will either need an adapter kit or a wider head unit to fill the gaps.

Anyway, @treminaor's info is legit, use it and enjoy. Don't connect your camera to an aftermarket unit without the module he posted, you'll blow it up.

To those of you posting about the 2016 Starlink that have never used it or seen it in operation, please stop polluting our threads with misinformation. I'm not trying to be an ass, it's just getting tiresome and you're only confusing people. This also goes for anyone with Starlink in their Legacy, Impreza, Tribeca, Baja, SVX, whatever the fuck. It's not the same. Thank you.

^^^ This. Man, I been going through the threads trying to learn about the wiring on my 2016 BRZ's Starlink and was getting all confused with the pre-2016 talk and other vehicle models being referenced. 😱😱😱

This is a great idea but as someone who drives from Las Vegas to Reno multiple times per year, it doesn't matter how good my plan is because the cellular coverage on the 95 is god awful. Satellite radio is really one of the only things that makes the drive bearable.

Just about everything else about the Starlink unit is the BRZ is hideous as well. It's slow to do nearly everything making it hazardous while driving to do something as simple as change the radio station. The bluetooth only sort of syncs with the phone and fails to import frequently called numbers or the call history deciding that instead maintaining its own lists is somehow better. Also, it alphabetizes by last name which is different than how Android alphabetizes making the contact list just a touch more challenging to navigate than it should be.

A couple more paychecks and the stereo fairy will be visiting my BRZ.

The '15 is even more wierd. All contacts imported fine, but no messages and on incoming calls refuse to show contact info and acts lik a random caller. Every single contact is in the phone ok on the HU tho

A fellow Las Vegan! Well, I suppose I'm more of a lost Vegan these days. Yes, I'm well aware of the freeway pains between Vegas and... well, anywhere.

I'd still probably at least go aftermarket with a sat tuner.

That's the plan. I have been trying to determine whether pioneer or Kenwood is the right answer.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Pioneer beats kenwood in usability and design imo. I have zero complains with my AVH-x8500BHS after 2 years of solid use in multiple cars.