The Cheapest Way to Get Android Auto or Apple Car Play in Your Old Car

Android auto and Apple Car Play are great ways to get an easy to use interface in your car. Not only is it functional, it also helps keep your hands off of your phone while driving.
#carstereo #androidauto #dual #headunit #caraudio
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“Altek” intro animation and video thumbnail by Gary Doodles.
“Altek” intro music by Tommy Sica
Equipment Used:
Video - Nikon D5600
Audio - Zoom H4N Pro
Video Editing Software - Adobe Premiere CC
Who am I?
I’ve been an IT guy for the last 15 years with a serious passion for tech and all things automotive. From motherboards to combustion engines, I find happiness in anything that powers on or throws you back in your seat with the fierceness of a Greek god.

[@KanoValentine]

Wow this video made my day. I was just thinking about replacing my old stereo and this popped up~

[@Altek1]

Happy to help! Just remember this is the "just get it done cheap" option, I'd look at units starting around $400-500 if you want something with wireless versions of Android Auto and Apple Car Play and other features. Thanks for watching!

[@FitLabb]

Always wanted a cool stereo like this (even a cheaper crappy brand would have been fine by me) when I had older cars in pre-navigation times. Grateful I don’t have that issue anymore, but really appreciate you taking the time to make a great video like this.

[@Altek1]

Glad you liked it. For someone who likes music like I do, I need at least decent sound and a good set of features. Hope you're well bro!

[@murderpickles]

Wow I just bought one of these for my car and I wanted to see one in use and I’m putting it in my 91 integra and I so happened to find your video love your car man!

[@Altek1]

It's a great price for what it offers, and it's still working well for me in my Teggy. Always happy to hear from a fellow owner! Hope you're enjoying yours!

[@showmequick2245]

That microphone is crazy clear. Seriously what is it please ? Your voice is crisp clear

[@Altek1]

I'm using a Zoom H4N Pro with Movo LV-60 mics. Took me a bit to find a good combo that was reliable. I still run it through an EQ and some other audio filters in Premiere to get the sound just right, but it's the H4N that records in an uncompressed wav format that allows me to do it so well. A bit clunky and runs through batteries like an animal, but hasn't given me a problem yet. Glad you noticed since audio is not easy. Even works great in convertibles too.

[@anthonyv1543]

My Bluetooth doesn’t work but all in all I’m super happy with this radio. Bluetooth doesn’t matter to me because of the Apple car play. Which is amazing. The sound quality was better than my stock radio. You can also customize the surround sound as in, you can make it sound like you are in a stadium, Oprah house, cave, etc. The Apple car play works flawlessly. I have a 2014 Toyota Corolla.

[@Altek1]

I know with Android devices, the bluetooth connection happens automatically when you plug it in. It's primarily used for the phone portion of the interface, with music and maps being done via the usb connection. You can try manually connecting the phone via bluetooth before plugging it in, then plug it in and see if the phone function works. Just an idea. But yeah, for the price, it really is good. The lack of proper dimming is killer at night though, I feel like I have a spotlight in the car.

[@ninjamaster3453]

Love to see more of these. Nice to see head units so cheap. Bummer many makes and models in the last 10 years have radios moulded into the dashboard instead of the old din double din standard. Sure get a lot for the money these days. I wish modern cars would have options to upgrade their tech every few years. Ironically it's better to have a car with older buttons and knobs than a cumbersome laggy touchscreen when time moves onto better things.

[@Altek1]

You're right, those custom molded dashes and radios make upgrades near impossible. In most cases you can bypass the amp and put your own but it sure isn't as easy as it used to be. As for upgradable tech in cars, I don't see that coming for a while like you see with Tesla. It's almost like they started from a tech based implementation while wrapping a car around it where everything else seems to be a car with tech jammed into it. It's kinda sad how in most cases the car is damn near abandoned after its release as far as upgrades are concerned but at least you can now get functional and error fixing updates more commonly today than you could in the past. If you're thinking modular upgrades where you snap out the stereo and snap in a new one, that's a dream I really don't think will come true. Thanks for chiming in and watching as always Ninja!

[@sblexls]

Broooo I’m about to put in some interior work on my mom’s ‘02 C240. I just got some projector headlights with LED bulbs put in. Took off the front bumper and I gotta get the fog lights and we’re in the money. Opted for the clear look and damn they look good bro! I’m glad to see you got something decent in that Acura Integra of yours my man. I want to get a nice head unit for the car with some good speakers too. Have you ever checked out SonicElectronix.com ??? A while back before I drove the C Class I had a ‘91 Lexus LS400. Had some subs and new speakers and head unit in it and I bought most of my stuff from them. They’re based out of Santa Clarita CA. Even though you already got the head unit, why not check them out for fun. Yet another awesome video and congrats on the 6k subscribers bro, I’m happy to see this channel grow. The bloopers are hilarious too, keep them coming😂. Wishing you the best with everything, and I hope you have an awesome rest of your weekend. -Steve

[@Sabbaloui20]

Qeue’n up that ITF dawggie!! Love it! Do they make one w a hardline USB /charging port for connectivity or is it Bluetooth only?

[@Altek1]

I told you, anything that plays music in my videos will have I The Fire on it bro! This does have a USB port on it but it charges slowly, I'm guessing it's 5v 500mah. In comparison my Pioneer 4200NEX charges the phone almost like a wall charger, a 20 minute ride shoots me up like 30% battery. Thanks for watching dawg!

[@TheAhmadReza]

Awesome. thanks!

[@Altek1]

No problem! Again, not the best unit, I can't stress that enough, but it gets the job done without breaking the bank. Thanks for watching!

[@benmunger]

Very honest... Thank you

[@Altek1]

And thank you for watching

[@harysuper]

Nice vid! I think I’ll spend an extra $50 on something a little nicer. But it’s good to know this cheap one works if I decide to get this one.

[@Altek1]

Haha smart move. This is what you get for the beater you can't justify spending much money on. The drawbacks make it sensible to spend more money, but the next step is usually around $250 so it's really not THAT bad for the price. Thanks for checking out the video.

[@hiitsmartin]

So have you found a replacement vehicle for the Legend? Btw did you install the unit yourself? If so you could've made a tutorial video on installation.

[@Altek1]

Buddy, KZbin flagged this comment as spam for some reason, sorry I missed it. I've been looking at the Lexus LS400 as a replacement, the gas mileage is the only thing scaring me away. As for the head unit, I did install it myself. I didn't think of making a tutorial since there are so many out there but I may do one if I decide to install the sub and amp I have leftover from the Legend. With the winter coming, putting together any kind of content will be tricky so maybe I'll look into things like that.

[@keyjay_flasso_flames5839]

How do I connect with you other than KZbin? I just found your channel! I own a 99 Integra so you should pick up on the first video I watched. I need some advice on what to do with it since I'm in the mood for changing it up a bit or a lot.

[@Altek1]

You can find me on Instagram, Altek1. I'm even thinking of going a bit nuts with my 93, but in a clean and professional direction with both power and aesthetics. Hit me up on IG if you'd like. Thanks for checking out my channel.

[@Alexmuchacho916]

Nice to see the DA9! What kind of tray are you using for the passenger side glove box? Need one of those for my car lol

[@Altek1]

Thanks bud! The previous owner picked it up but not sure where since I can't even find it. He did mention it was an import part, I'll see if I can get more info for you.

[@Alexmuchacho916]

@@Altek1 thanks man! I really appreciate it. Please lmk any information you find!

[@mannyrivera8402]

Mines doed not turn on i wat to know why

[@kevinkev1530]

Thx

[@63256325N]

Man am I out of touch....that's a radio? Looks more like a TV. 😁 Thanks for the video.

[@Altek1]

Ha, you're not wrong, it's a screen with an amp and some pre-outs really, just a bit of software to make it all make sense. Without the need for a CD player, they can really go with the biggest screen possible. Thanks for watching bud!

[@ninjamaster3453]

Yep. Something like that in 2001 would've been $2000 or more with way less features.

[@Altek1]

I'm actually shocked the decent entry models are still $500+ from the big names.

[@SuperSexyBlueHusky]

The power won’t even come on, on mine. It could be defective and I lost the receipt. Probably fell out of the box and when I went to clean my car out I probably trashed it. We wired everything except the antenna, because I need to get the part for that.

[@Altek1]

Did you buy it online? You can get the receipt there, or if you paid credit card, a store should be able to help you get the receipt. Otherwise double check so the connections. If you used crimps, consider soldering the connections instead. There's also a fuse on the back of the unit (I think), check that. If you made the same mistake I did once and plugged it in with the key in the on position, you may have burnt out that fuse. Good luck bud.

[@SuperSexyBlueHusky]

Altek I got mine at Walmart, I had a few receipts in my car but I stuck it in the box just in case, I’ll double check to be sure I didn’t accidentally throw it away. Because I can’t return it without one if there is something wrong with it. I have a 2015 VW jetta and it’s... very picky on what it needs. I have to get all this stuff, I just hope it will be good quality wise, I hear both good and bad about this particular model, but there’s some weird thing wrong with my factory stereo, it won’t work right sometimes and want to replace it with a decent touch screen one. If you have any recommendations on other more expensive ones feel free to let me know 😁 I’m open to anything as long as it’s a 7” screen

[@Altek1]

If you check out my first Subaru video, I went through everything i needed to install a more "premium" system. There's a lot to consider depending on what you're looking for. One "must have" for me was to retain the steering wheel controls. A bit of a daunting task from a wiring perspective at first, but once i really read through the directions, it was easy as pie. I did a dedicated amp with all new wiring, it was a much bigger undertaking. If you want quality sound, this cheapo model might not be the way to go since it doesn't have the best built in amp, but it is decent for the price. The other option is to spend nearly $500 on the head unit alone, or more depending on the features you're looking for. You'll need the wiring harness, device to bring over steering wheel controls, usb adapters for your specific model car and so on. It gets overwhelming quick but tackle one feature at a time and it'll prove to be a lot easier than you think. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, i'm always happy to help. Crutchfield has a good configurator, even if you don't want to buy the products their, it's damn good on telling you what's needed to get the job done. You can then slap those part numbers into Amazon to save a few bucks.

[@peytondavis8742]

Can u show us how to connect apple CarPlay with it

[@Altek1]

I wouldn't have an iPhone to test with but it should be as simple as plugging in the USB cable to the port on the back of the unit. I don't see any mention in the manual of any other settings you'd need to change, it should just be plug and play.

[@shawnhimselff77]

I recently had this installed......there is alotta faults but I would give it a 6.5 outta 10

[@Altek1]

I don't disagree but for the price, not bad! 😁

[@Guyerbassist]

Is there a way to wire this with factory steering wheel controls, or do you have to use the wireless steering wheel controls

[@Altek1]

The same connector that's used for the IR connector can be used with an adapter to connect to a cars steering wheel controls. It does look pretty confusing but it uses PAC SWC. If you look that up, it'll streer you in the right direction. Hope that helps.

[@Guyerbassist]

@@Altek1 thank you so much. I'll have the installer look at it tomorrow. I'm excited to see how it works vs shelling out $300 for an alpine

[@Altek1]

@@Guyerbassist happy to help. It's great for the price, and I need to stress that since it does have its shortcomings but as you said, it's not $300 or $500. My biggest annoyance with it is the dimming, it's too bright at night. Let me know how it goes.

[@Guyerbassist]

@@Altek1 I found it on clearence for $50 at walmart lol that's why I'm thinking I might just use it till I have the money for an alpine or sony

[@Altek1]

@@Guyerbassist hot damn! At that price, it's the best head unit ever. I have an issue where the device resets itself every now and then, like my EQ and presets are wiped out. No biggie since I use Android Auto really but an annoyance, I'm curious to know if you ever see that issue.

[@Thejordanenthusiast]

Now you got me worried about your car. A clean Milano Red DA9 is a big enough target, now a fancy stereo just screams “steal me please”. Then again, car theft/break ins may not be common in your area compared to California.

[@Altek1]

I honestly thought the car would have already been stolen. I think the generation of people who stole these cars is older and no longer interested, or it can't really be used for parts since there's a smaller market these days, OR it's just my luck that a scumbag willing to steal it hasn't seen it yet. Either way, I'm still neurotic about it and take the proper precautions when I can. That's also why I went with a cheap head unit, at least if they steal just that, I'm not out much.

[@jackmartin154]

Does it let you hook up factory steering whee controls?

[@Altek1]

It does have a 3.5mm SWC jack in the wiring harness. It's compatibility will depend on your car I believe. I ended up going with a Pioneer unit in my newer car that had steering wheel controls. Paired it with the iDatalink Maestro since I've heard mixed results with lower end products.

[@jackmartin154]

@@Altek1 ah okay I ordered one for my car but couldn’t find anything on wether my metra harness for the buttons would actually be able to be used for it or not. Thanks!

[@Altek1]

Happy to help! I had the same problem with the Metra one, and it had limited capability if I recall. To play it safe I went with the Maestro which is almost as expensive as this head unit altogether. Even the Metra one is pricey considering. Worst case you return it, but I do love me some steering wheel controls.

[@mikeb620]

This would look sharp in my 88 GTA Trans-Am

[@Altek1]

It does look sleek, and it's great way to update an old car. Thanks for watching bud.

[@mikeb620]

@@Altek1 thanks for the content! Straight to the point! I like it!

[@Altek1]

Thanks bud! I saw other head unit reviews that were 20 minutes long and while I like in depth reviews, 3 minutes was all I could justify on this cheap option. Glad you liked it!

[@crs290]

Not gonna lie, if I hadn't seen you talk, I would've sworn it was Alan Alda doing this review. Cool vid, though.

[@Altek1]

Hah, this is like the 50th time I've heard I sound like him, he's a cool actor so I'll take it. Thanks for watching!

[@crs290]

@@Altek1 Oh, yeah! No offense meant at all. It could be way worse, like Harvey Fierstein.

[@Altek1]

Haha no offense taken. I've heard I sound like Alan Alda and look like Hank Azaria, both respectable people in my opinion.

[@dominiclavell7521]

Is the apple car play wireless ?

[@Altek1]

It is not. From what I see, only the newer Kenwood, Pioneer and Alpine models offer it starting around $500.

[@Texasdanger5]

Can't figure out how to get the android auto to work, says no devices

[@Altek1]

Are you using the same device I show in the video? Did you try a new cable? That was my initial problem, it would work then stop and the cable was brand new, tried another and it's been working since.

[@Texasdanger5]

@@Altek1 Pretty sure its the same radio, I've already noticed everything you didnt like about the radio. Ill try a new cable out it doesn't even recognize my phone under USB either. Ill report back!

[@Altek1]

What about Bluetooth? Yeah, it's certainly priced for what you get I'd say. The brightness at night is the biggest annoyance, otherwise it's pretty solid. Let me know how that second cables works out

[@shawnshan9817]

Cease production, cease production. We have a bee situation!!!

[@Altek1]

Hahah I don't mess with bees during the fall man, they're like Kamikaze pilots!

[@o0stoned0o]

Bruh.. I need thissss...

[@Altek1]

I'll install it for you dawg, you just need to stop by. Miss you bro!

[@itzsace2733]

Does KZbin work on here??

[@Altek1]

Sadly it does not, Android Auto or Apple Car Play won't support that since it's a distraction for the driver.

[@jadenhalstead7290]

As long as you turn the stereo off before you shut your car off, the settings should save

[@Altek1]

Bro, thank you, it's so frustrating setting the EQ up each time. I even rewired the harness and soldered it this time thinking it was a short but no luck. Still not bad for the price!

[@jadenhalstead7290]

Altek no problem. I’m thinking its a problem with all aftermarket stereos because I had another aftermarket boss stereo before this one and it too would erase the settings all the time. The only thing I found to fix the problem on both stereos is to shut it off before turning my car off. I alway s wait a few seconds after the screen shuts off to make sure its completely off before finally shutting my car off too. Since doing that, I haven’t had any troubles with the settings being erased. CarPlay hasn’t worked for the last few months for me but I finally got it working a few days ago and it seems it was a problem on Apples end rather than the stereo itself. This stereo is a steal compared to other ones that are easily double the price. I’m thinking about installing a back up camera next because this stereo is also compatible with back up cameras.

[@jeremywagoner2284]

Where’s the usb plug at??

[@Altek1]

It's located on the back, a small 3 inch extension hangs off the back.

[@miguelbaeza65]

Here's my solution to get free Android Auto, get the app on the phone. Google offers Android auto for free. I don't need a head unit, I use my phone.

[@Altek1]

I like the integration but you're right, the phone app works as well. Although, the interface on the phone doesn't compare to the head unit.