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Android Navigation Radio for Chrysler 300 works in Dodge Magnum

44K views 33 replies 14 participants last post by  SoFlaMagnum 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
One of the things I regret losing when switching to an aftermarket radio was the loss of the factory steering wheel control (SWC). I know there are a few radio offerings that allow you to retain the SWC, but they seem pricey and just weren't worth it to me. Now that Android radios are more common and cheaper, I noticed there are units made for the Chrysler 300 that have built-in CANBUS that allows you to use the factory SWC and a pretty affordable price. That got me thinking that those units might work in my 2006 Dodge Magnum RT AWD that came with the factory REC nav. I bought the cheapest unit I could find for approx. $150 shipped, but the price can go over $500 if you choose models with more powerful processors and ram. I didn't know if the factory Magnum connector was wired differently from the 300 so I was prepared to relocate any pins that didn't match up. When I received the radio, I plugged it in and everything worked without needing to modify the pin locations.

For whatever reason, I couldn't embed the photos I uploaded to google. I uploaded the same pics to Imgur and here they are.

The next issue to tackle was the radio bezel. The aftermarket radio comes with a nice bezel that the unit sits in very nicely, but the top 1/3rd of the 300 bezels is very different than the Magnums.



I didn't want to chop up my OEM nav bezel so I purchased an aftermarket bezel for Magnums/Chargers. Let me just say that the aftermarket bezel is much thinner and more flexible than OEM, but once installed it is pretty rigid. The only way to install the unit was to attach it to the face of the bezel as it is too large to fit from behind.



I was not very happy with the way the unit looked sitting outside of the bezel. It looked as bad as it sounds -- like a tablet that was glued onto the bezel -- so I decided to Franken-fit the two bezels. I chopped off the top third of the 300 bezels and chopped off the bottom two-thirds of the Magnum bezel and allowed for a 1/4" overlap.


This is what is looks like with the two different bezels combined. Keep in mind it's not a finished product, the two pieces will remain separate instead of trying to combine them, but I still need to fill in and paint the lower bezel.



I just wanted to share this info with any Magnum owners feeling like the aftermarket has left us behind :) It's nice to be able to control the volume from the steering wheel because the mechanical volume knob has been replaced with annoying touchscreen buttons. The only con so far is the unit only comes with FM radio only, no AM. I assumed that AM would be included and didn't realize it until I was looking for some AM stations.
 
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#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
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#7 ·
When I select the photos from my computer and try to upload, I get an upload failed message.

looks good. I'm thinking about trying something like this myself. That link you posted stated the unit has an AM/FM radio.
bill
Thank you for pointing that out. I don't know if it will do any good, but I'm going to contact the seller.

That's dope. I've always liked that 300 unit + bezel. I tried an Android HU at one point but the nav gps needed to be above the dash for it to find satellites. So I ultimately went back to the REC.

How is the nav with this? I assume the gps receiver is on top of the HU behind the bezel?
The nav works pretty well on this unit. Certainly more up to date than what's available for the REC. You can use the factory GPS antenna with an aftermarket radio and is what I'm doing with this unit. I found an adapter and posted it here a little while back:

Retain factory GPS antenna with aftermarket radio - 2006 Dodge Magnum
 
#5 ·
looks good. I'm thinking about trying something like this myself. That link you posted stated the unit has an AM/FM radio.
bill
 
#6 · (Edited)
That's dope. I've always liked that 300 unit + bezel. I tried an Android HU at one point but the nav gps needed to be above the dash for it to find satellites. So I ultimately went back to the REC.

How is the nav with this? I assume the gps receiver is on top of the HU behind the bezel?
 
#10 · (Edited)
This is awesome. I have had a very similar AliExpress Android unit in my 300 for about a year and it's been fantastic. The brand was QZ Industrial for about $475.

It's a better unit than what is in almost any new car since it's full android and can run any app with no restrictions.

I use my phone hotspot and run Pandora, Google maps, Waze, youtube, torque, etc etc..

It all works perfect with smooth, high definition images and perfect clear smooth video. It has an AM FM radio and can work with front/rear cameras etc..

I used the included GPS antenna and mounted it right under the center dash speaker grille, turns out I didnt have the center speaker from the factory. It's completely hidden and works perfectly.

Steering wheel controls worked right from the beginning and it even tells me when a door is open and dims the screen when I turn on the headlights.

Very glad to see that its possible to retrofit these into the Magnum since it immediately modernizes the car.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
#18 ·
Can anyone help me out with the wiring? I’ve never installed this stuff before. The small plug, is for the amp? Nothing from the head unit to connect to that directly. Also from the head unit wire harness I have a green wire that says brake, a blue wire that says amp-cont, two browns that say key one and two, and another blue for auto ant. And also the plug for the antenna does not fit into the head unit.

Thanks for any help you can provide
 
#24 ·
MyCkee, first of, thank you very much for taking the time to post all those usefull informations.
Unfortunatelly, it wont fit my car. Based on the pics, my besel is not listed. Mine, has vents on each side but no clock in the middle as shown on their pictures.
Then I checked the ebay link and entered my car model from the menu to check the compatibiliy. Dodge Charger RT 2007, and it says NOT COMPATIBLE.

Here's a pic of my inside car. You will notice, the besel is different from the ones shown on your links.

Car Gear shift Vehicle White Motor vehicle
 
#25 ·
MyCkee, first of, thank you very much for taking the time to post all those usefull informations.
Unfortunatelly, it wont fit my car. Based on the pics, my besel is not listed. Mine, has vents on each side but no clock in the middle as shown on their pictures.
Then I checked the ebay link and entered my car model from the menu to check the compatibiliy. Dodge Charger RT 2007, and it says NOT COMPATIBLE.

Here's a pic of my inside car. You will notice, the besel is different from the ones shown on your links.

View attachment 68582
It will fit. Those links are for the radio that fits inside your bezel. The other one in this thread comes with a new bezel only for 300, because the radio is bigger. But the links I posted above are for the radio that fits inside the original bezel. The video shows it installed in a 300, but the REC radio is exactly the same in 300, magnum and charger. So it will fit in your car.
 
#27 ·
Makes sense ! Sorry for the misunderstanding.
Before I place an order with ebay, do you think the manufacture has the rear cam available for the unit ? Also, how to you use the GPS ? Do you have to wire the cell phone to the unit ? Or can it be done wirelessly ? Or is it a matter of inserting a 3G car inside the unit ?
 
#28 ·
I don't have one yet. But I believe it has a built in GPS. In the video he shows the GPS working in Sweden I think? Also, on this video, they say it has built in NAV but you can also use google maps:
Aftermarket Radio 2004-2007 Jeep Cherokee Commander Compass Wrangler GPS Navigation Bluetooth Stereo - YouTube

You can turn on the mobile hotspot on your phone and connect wirelessly. You can also connect via bluetooth.

Also note that the one on ebay only has a 4 core cpu. Some of the other ones have 8 core cpu. Maybe if you look more on ebay you can find the 8 core one also.
 
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