Subaru Impreza 2012+ Radio replacement

[@saha6818]

You're a life saver. There's not much info about this model and year. Thanks!

[@sgcars6731]

You are welcome, that's right, it's confusing to search info with the WRX, STI having the same Impreza name. I sometimes have to search for info about the Crosstrek (much closer to our model than the WRX of the same year), but now I have the service manual, which was also hard to find!

[@saha6818]

I had already given up on the manual. It's the first one I've not been able to find in my fairly long history of bumbling mechanical work.

[@sgcars6731]

Don't give up yet, I have a link, copy this in a torrent software like qBittorrent and decompress it with 7zip: magnet:?xt=urn:btih:4d29f795ce20ff9cb7940d3f0f4e19c8ca44a18d&dn=USDM%20Impreza%20FSM%202012.7z&tr=udp%3a%2f%2ftracker.coppersurfer.tk%3a6969%2fannounce

[@saha6818]

I may or may not have just downloaded and unzipped that file. Awesome stuff. Thanks!

[@humbughumbughumbug]

Looking to install an Android unit on an Impreza of that year. This video looked painful to film, especially with removing the climate control cables! But I appreciate the effort you put into it because other videos just gloss over it and don't show how to remove the cables.

[@sgcars6731]

Thanks, yes the cables removal is the worst part, other than that, once you know how to do it, it's not that bad. There's a longer version in the description, but my old camera was quite shaky. Just don't make my mistake and buy a crappy radio, I'm going to have to replace it soon after only one year because it was a badly designed windows CE unit. I think I'm going to go with one of those Joying ones with an Intel chipset. What about you?

[@hubbyhaqq9802]

This video helped me fix my air flow knob issue. The cable attached underneath the steering wheel was bent. A simple fix

[@Covetingace]

Thank you so much I've been searching for 3 weeks on how to remove that white cable on my 2015 Subaru forester for some reason your video is the only video that shows you where it is

[@sgcars6731]

Happy to help!

[@jsellis4632]

Huge thanks for the video! I have detailed instructions from Crutchfield with my new receiver but this video was way easier to follow than those black and white photos! Awesome job!

[@andrzejhalena6698]

Thanks buddy. I wouldn’t have done it without your tutorial.

[@shenanigoon2K]

Great video! I'm going to use this for my first foray into car audio tomorrow and feel way more comfortable now. Thanks for the good work.

[@sgcars6731]

You are welcome!

[@als4621]

Excellent filming and narration! Thanks for the video.

[@sgcars6731]

I'm glad I could help you!

[@matthewbuscemi6661]

Thank you so much for this video! Just put a new head unit in my 2014 and this info was really helpful.

[@StevenYoo1]

This dude is so amazing

[@yenyen33089]

Thank you, found your video useful, just disassembled my wife's subie, controllers burned. 😢

[@sgcars6731]

No problem, hopefully you were able to replace your defective radio

[@SVXdc]

Great job on the video! Very helpful for people with the manual A/C controls. This short edited version is better, but I think it would be good to include the portion showing the detail on how to release the driver's side A/C wire (in the long version from approximately 6;17 to 7;10). On the factory wire harnesses (shown more in the long version), the single wire with the large translucent plug is a redundant chassis ground. The small white 8-pin plug is from the car's 3.5mm aux jack. On non-base models, the aux harness has a 16-pin plug, and there is an additional harness for the factory USB socket. Even though your base model Impreza does not have the audio steering wheel controls (on the left spoke of the steering wheel), your car is pre-wired for them. Adding the factory SWC button pod is not too difficult. Google for instructions on how to do that. The factory wires for the SWCs end on the factory 20-pin power/speaker harness. For models that have SWCs (or if you add them), you'll want a 20-pin harness like the Metra 70-7552 except with additional SWC wires. Google 'Subaru ae64' for one source for that. Harnesses to retain the 3.5mm aux jack and USB socket are also available there.

[@sgcars6731]

Thank you! I see what you mean, I missed that detail, that's why I left the original version in the comment even tough it's too long and too shaky. I made this video only because I could not find any video on that except on WRX and STI (sometimes I have to search for Crosstrek for more relevant details!) Now I have a Xiaomi Yi (GoPro equivalent) and it make the latest videos more enjoyable to watch. Interesting, I might do the wheel controls mod one day, good to know!

[@AtomicAJ74]

Getting the driver's side HVAC cable off was a real challenge. I was finally able to do it by climbing upside down under the dash, using one standard (flat-head) screwdriver to push down on the tab, and another longer screw driver to pry the loop off of the gear. I spent two days trying to do it one-handed with no success.

[@sgcars6731]

Exactly! I did it one handed with a camera in the other hand, while not feeling the tips of my fingers because of the cold (5C if I remember corectly). Climbing upside down under the dash is the way to go.

[@thisoldetruck278]

Great Video!!! Thanks for the info!!

[@irmissvarbuolis8610]

What media brand /model is it? Is it any good?

[@sgcars6731]

No it wasn't the best 8 years ago when I installed it, but today there are much better options and they change every year

[@RexinOridle]

Di I need a separate steering wheel control?

[@MJGerManiac]

What did you do with the seperate ground at the back of the factory radio? Do i need to connect it with the main harness or just leave it unplugged?

[@potterfan1100]

great info! This helped a lot. Thanks!

[@sgcars6731]

You are welcome, to me, that means it was worth making the video!

[@oferyuval7756]

Is the longer version not available anymore ?

[@sgcars6731]

KZbin changed it to Pravate without my knowledge, it should be unlisted but available from the description, otherwise here is the direct link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWjUgJqvidd2f80 Thanks for the request and views

[@jeffreyg955]

Please help.. what radio its compatible whit the impreza 2012.?!?!?!

[@sgcars6731]

I cant give you a specific model, I'm sure there are manufacturers who does plug and play, but in my case I used a generic double DIN replacement radio and used the wiring diagram (and colors) to splice the right wires to the wiring harness (the model is in the video description)

[@vincelee724]

Is your car has anti theft system? I replaced mine with android but my car won't start after the replacement. So, I put back factory radio and car start again. Any idea how to reset the security system?

[@mr.anderson3645]

I read that you should turn the ac knob to heat before pulling the center panel

[@sgcars6731]

It doesn't matter. As you can see at 2:04 once you remove the cable from the white plastic lever, they are both free to turn. The cable is going to get pulled by the center console however, so make sure it's free from the metal clip.

[@TheAzimvs]

What unit you installed. Can't find the size of direct fitment.

[@sgcars6731]

In that video you can see my first unit, it was a bad Windows CE unit, now I replaced it with an Android unit from Eincar on Amazon. Those units are 2 DIN of size. I bought a front bezel kit from Amazon, but I had to cut it to fit this Chinese unit, other than the plastic peice around the unit, the fitment is direct since it's a standard 2 DIN, but you also have to buy a wiring harness for your radio plug. The Eincar radio is good, it does everything I need, but I prefer using third party apps rather dans some of the native apps. I use GoneMad as an audio player, and use Google Maps (with offline maps downloaded) and use tethering from my phone to see live traffic.

[@theposer3538]

Does the new harness use the existing USB in armrest or 'is that USB useless after replacing radio

[@sgcars6731]

The harness I showed is the analog harness, there are multiple plugs going to the radio, you would need to find which plug is the USB socket and modify it to add a male USB type A (most aftermarket radios have female type A plug on the back, you can cut a phone cable and reuse it, using the USB wire color code). You could also reuse the steering control wires if you have some. Changing a radio almost always involves some kind of modification.

[@alexs1112]

my 2015 impreza hatch sport has the climate control and and touch screen as separate panels and they refuse to budge. Can't seem to find ANY info on this year a model, etc.

[@sgcars6731]

I also try searching for references to the Crosstrek since they are the same car. Would that be what you were looking for? kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5qVdqlnasqWiqc

[@devin7822]

What size radio do I need to replace the old radio I want a touch screen how big should it be

[@Syzygizing]

Cin Smith use Crutchfield and it will show you what will fit and won’t fit, as well as the necessary harnesses

[@IROCKID]

What year are you working on?? My 2012 Impreza doesn’t look anything like that...

[@sgcars6731]

This is a 2012 Gen 4 impreza, 2012 was a transition year, Subaru had 2 different Impreza bodies. They had the Gen 4 like mine, which was redesigned that year and had a new 2L direct injection engine (it's the same body as the Crosstrek), and the WRX and STI used the old Gen 3 body for a few years before switching to the new design. If you have a Gen 3 then there are other great videos on KZbin on how to change a radio, maybe search for a previous year like 2008 to 2011, it should be similar.

[@IROCKID]

SG Cars that makes sense, mine is an STi. Thanks for the reply!

[@sgcars6731]

That's what I thought, I have the same problem as you but the other way around. When I search for 2012 parts I sometimes get shipped WRX/STI parts, so I sometimes look for newer Impreza parts and even Crosstrek parts!

[@RileyMoses]

Do you know if it's possible to use the built-in microphone with a new head unit?

[@sgcars6731]

Using your car's built in microphone? I can't say, because it depends on the wiring of the car and the inputs of the head unit you chose. I know I could have wired the auxiliary port on my radio if I wanted.

[@RileyMoses]

Ah I was hoping it would be a case of using an adapter. Thanks for the video!

[@sgcars6731]

Yes, more like making an adapter, the connectors will most likely be incompatible, so if the radio has the required input, you may have to make a new connector.

[@DirtyDiezel]

thanks!!!

[@sgcars6731]

+Hazy Meadow You are very welcome!

[@aaronhnsn]

do you lose the steering wheel controls?

[@sgcars6731]

I never had that option on mine, however, depending on your aftermarket radio, it might have wheel control inputs, but you most likely will have to modifiy the stock control wire connectors.

[@louisfredgagnon]

Steering wheel controls lost ? I bet so... maestro rr and t harness so expensive

[@sgcars6731]

That car didn't have any steering controls, but the wires are in the harness behind the radio, so if you buy a radio with the right inputs, you can splice the correct wires with the wiring diagram and program the inputs on the new radio, but that's a bit more homework to do.

[@5fifth1]

what wire harness did you used ??

[@sgcars6731]

It's a Metra 70-7552 (from Amazon), apparently it's for Nissan, but I emailed Metra, that's what they recommended and it worked. I talk about it in detail in the long version video in the description.

[@carlosnievas6985]

@@sgcars6731 About that wiring harness. One of the reviews says there is a better one available as this one seems to be missing some wires. Just letting others know. "The other reviewer talking about using a premade harness for Subarus is correct. Some of the wires don't come on this harness and they are required for radio install. For example the parking brake wire isn't there and you need to splice in the factory wires to get it working. That totally defeats the purpose of this harness which is to NOT modify the stock wiring. If you search subaru forums, you'll quickly find a much better alternative and a lot of details on how to do it. Other than that it is a quality product and was delivered quickly. It just doesn't meet all the needs of subaru drivers."

[@carlosnievas6985]

Another review... This cable comes with only the most important wires, for some reason they do not include all the connections. Missing connections are: Antenna power, steering wheel key1, steering wheel key2 and vehicle speed indicator

[@sgcars6731]

​@@carlosnievas6985 You have prompted me to do a little research and memory recovery, and the reason is this is the main plug, there are two other plugs in the original radio, the missing wires are on different plugs (sold separately). I didn't need them because I don't have a use for the parking brake, and I don't have steering controls. According to this random picture on the internet, you need a M39 harness for the steering controls, and there is no parking brake wire, you need to tap the purple wire with a red line: goo.gl/HKFK9n . Other than that, maybe there are unused pins (like 17-18) on that Metra connector, but I can't confirm: goo.gl/frQDXS If you know a better product, could you tell me which one, or the other resource you used, I could add an annotation to the video. I'm also planning on adding a reverse camera so that might be useful information.