2016 Impreza Base Android Head Unit

[midwestlight]

I really want to get GPS on my head unit and the base radio generally sucks. I 'm thinking about one of these 7" Android units you see on ebay and Amazon because the price ($200-300) is right. I'm not familiar with Subaru wiring and I'm concerned with that aspect. I also read varying things about the units being too large to fit in to the dash. I have a dash kit that will allow the 7" but that is all at this point.

1. Has anyone installed one of these in their cars? If so, is there any advice you might impart on me in terms of things to watch out for?

2. The android units have a ISO connector, and my understanding is that the Impreza has a 28 pin connector. When I look videos and photos it seems to me that the base units have 5-6 connectors that plug into them. I'm just trying to gauge how to do the wiring conversions.

3. Related to #2, is there an adapter harness that anyone is aware of? If not, I would need to know the wiring pinout for the stock harness so that I could splice them to the new radio. I've found a pinout for a 2016 WRX/STI 28 pin connector, but I cannot find one for the 2.0 base am unsure if the pin out is the same or different.

Your help is appreciated.

UPDATE 1: Using the Impreza / XV factory service manual for model year 2015, I've been able to compile a list of pins for the 28-pin connector and generally what they do. I've also compared the list I created to a photo I found online for a 2016 WRX / STI.

2015 Impreza / XV 28 pin pintout:

1 Not used
2 Back Up Light System
3 Illimunation
4 Microphone
5 Microphone
6 Microphone
7 Not used
8 Not used
9 Not used
10 Not used
11 Rear View Camera
12 Rear View Camera
13 Rear View Camera
14 Not used
15 Parking Brake
16 Not used
17 Vehicle speed sensor (adjusts volume based on car speed)
18 Not used
19 Microphone
20 Rear View Camera
21 Steering wheel control Up down L-R-Return
22 Steering wheel controlMute, Talk, Source
23 Steering wheel controls Ground (-)
24 Not used
25 Aux
26 Aux
27 Aux
28 Aux

Note that the above was created independent of any reference other than the factory manual Impreza / XV for 2015.
The following is a photo was found through google images and shows a 2016 WRX/STI. As you can see the pinout appears to be the same, therefore one can be confidant in using this diagram assuming no changes were made in the base Impreza between 2015 and 2016:



The following photo is of the stock 6.2" starlink radio on the base Impreza and XV for MY2015 and 2016 along with pinouts of each connector:


Best effort pinouts for i85 and i131 connectors. I'm not 100% sure if these pinouts are on the unit side or the harness plug. Best guess is that these are how the pins are if you are looking at the unit side.

Connectors_zpsybfv5vnc.png Photo by freakwithracket | Photobucket

Connectors_zpsybfv5vnc.png Photo by freakwithracket | Photobucket

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[GregoryOwen]

from what people say, the sound out of the android units sucks just as bad as the OEM ones.

[midwestlight]

Originally Posted by GregoryOwen

from what people say, the sound out of the android units sucks just as bad as the OEM ones.

I don't really care about that aspect. The sound of the OEM radio is fine for me. I want GPS / Google maps and other apps on it.

[Rausstek]

Originally Posted by GregoryOwen

from what people say, the sound out of the android units sucks just as bad as the OEM ones.

No they sound way better than OEM

[Potaticals]

I was wondering if you ever found out how to wire it.

[Mulder]

OP has not been on this site since 2017.