How to Swap in a 2019 Harman Kardon OEM Apple CarPlay Head Unit to a 15-18 WRX

[protivakid]

This will be a tutorial for those looking to retrofit the CarPlay / Android Auto radios that come with the 2019+ WRX. This guide is a bit long winded but anyone looking to do this should consider getting a much info as they can before starting work. In short, the swap is rather easy, you just need to build an adapter harness between the 2016-2018 AMP connections in the trunk, to a pigtail from a 2019+ AMP.

Final Pic


I previously swapped in a 2019 WRX radio into my 2013 Crosstrek and now wanted the same experience in my 2016 WRX. Though the Nav in the '16 Rex is worlds better than the '13 XV, it's still clunky and lackluster compared to using a modern smartphone. I could have done what many of you did and purchased an aftermarket double DIN radio, or one of those Android units, but aftermarket radios have never been my thing. I always thought the bezel around single/double DIN radios looked tacky and took away from the interior. Even the Seicane android units jet out like someone glued a tablet screen onto a bezel and I've had issues such as poor FM reception or UI lag when trying those in the past. Completely fine if you went that route, they are just personally not for me so I wanted to swap in an OEM radio. I was specifically looking for a MAP button radio to retain factory Nav. Why would I want this with CarPlay? Well there are times I travel to some pretty remote areas that lack cell service. Carplay is great but I didn't want to be stranded in a dead zone with no GPS. With the factory Nav (which is worlds better on the '19 than the '16) I will always have a map irregardless of my cell reception. My '16 WRX also has HK Audio with the factory Amp & Sub. Swapping in a 2019 MAP button radio will allow me to retain this as well. I set up an eBay search back in 2018 and combed car-part.com regularly hoping someone would list one. In May of 2020 I finally found one for my crosstrek, and in August of 2020 found another for my WRX. I would commonly see auctions for the 6" & 7" PHONE button radios but the MAP HK radio is much rarer radio only included on 2019 - 2020 WRX/STI's with Leather.

Parts List

• Radio 86471VA610 / 86471VA710 / 86481VA730 (MAP) - 86471VA620 (PHONE) 19-20 WRX w/ Pigtails
• Amplifier 86221va050 19-20 WRX w/ Pigtails
• Wire 18Ga 20 Colors 1FT
• Wire 22Ga 11 Colors 1FT
• Backup Camera 86267VA510 17-20 WRX
• USB Jack 86257SJ131 2019-2020 WRX XV Impreza Outback Forester Legacy
• Steering Wheel Controls 83154VA300 (83154VA320 w/ eyesight)
• Axxess AX-TOYCAM3 Harness
• AutoHarnessHouse.com Toyota Factory Amp Upgrade harness Item # 4438

Level Setting:
To start my WRX, as mentioned above, was a 2016 with factory Nav. My goal is to build a short adapter harness between the trunk connectors and the amplifier. The 2019 WRX Amp uses a completely different connector than the 2015-18. Not only that, but the amp itself was completely redesigned on the inside. This means you can't simply swap in a 2019 radio and expect it to talk to the 2016 amp. Between the 2015-2020 WRX years Subaru actually redesigned the HK amplifier 3 times and the pinouts for each are different. If you have a WRX with the base radio, and want to add a 2019+ Nav radio, this swap will be harder and you are probably better off following my tutorial for the Crosstrek as the pinouts between the HK Audio & non-HK cars are also different. This guide will assume you are going from a 2016-2018 WRX with Nav, to a 2019-2020 Nav Radio with a MAP button, but those in different boats looking to do the same should be able to take the tips here and apply them to their own situation. For the 2015 guys, referring to the service manual I noticed that two data lines pin7 & pin8 on connector R386 are not present on the 2015 models. You could solve this by running two wires all the way from the amp to the radio, but a short harness like the one I built wouldn't be possible.

When looking for parts such as the radio and Amp, I can't stress this enough, ASK FOR THE PIGTAILS!!! Most of these connectors are proprietary, you could try reaching out to autoharnesshouse.com & ae64.com but it's much easier to have the junk yard include them with the radio/amp. You can certainly hack up your harness if you'd like to, but my method was to not make a single cut in existing factory wires.

So you have all the parts, now what? If you are just wanting CarPlay / Android Auto and are fine with a PHONE button radio you can skip most of this guide and just reference items such as the camera section and the door switch wiring, you won't need to build an adapter harness as I do below. Assuming you are up for the challenge of upgrading to a 2019 MAP radio you'll need to start soldering. On the 15-20 WRX/STI's with HK audio there will be an Amplifier mounted in the trunk. The radio sends L/R channel audio to the amplifier as well as several data signals. The amplifier then interprets that and individually drives each speaker, which for the HK WRX have their wires leading to the trunk of the car. What we need to do is build a translation harness between the amp and the trunk wires so that we can leverage the existing wiring in the 2016 WRX, but allow the 2019 Amp to drive the speakers.

Pic comparing the '16 amp connectors to the harnesses mentioned above


Mapping:
The harness is essentially a re-mapping exercise. Using the service manual radio pinouts from the 2019 & 2016 WRX, I had to study both to see what pin each signal was coming in at the source (trunk harness) and where is needed to go at the destination (2019 Amp). Both manuals are available on Subaru TechNet which is $35 for a 3-day pass. I included the bits I used here, but if you need more info it's easy to grab the full PDF. I believe after everything it was just over 30 short wires that I had to re-map.

At this point you may already be overwhelmed. Once you get going it's actually pretty simple, there is nothing special going on, just connecting wires from A to B where they need to go based on the manual. Once you have all the re-mapping work planned out it's time to bust out that soldering iron. All of the wires in the harness I built were soldered and heat shrunk wrapped. This part was actually pretty relaxing spending an hour so after work each night one by one soldering connections at my dining room table. Color coding is optional but makes things easier. I bought a pack of 11 different colors of 22Ga wire which was used for the data lines going from the radio to the amp, and a pack of 20 different colors of 18Ga wire which was used for the wires going to the speakers. I had some colors left over but can't remember how many. The length I chose for the harness from trunk connectors to amp was between 6-in to 1ft so it would tuck up nicely without stressing any wires.

Pics of the harness before wrapping


In the manual you will notice that 6 of the data lines (A5, A4, A3, A2, B23, B22) are shielded, it was recommended wrapping these lines in foil tape, connecting that tape to the wire from the the ground pin (24-pin No 6 in this case), then wrapping in pipe thread tape (I used the thicker yellow oil type), and finally a layer of electrical tape as a DIY shield which I did, but given the short length may not be necessary. The data lines will go from the 24-pin connector in the trunk to the amp, and the speaker lines go from the 12 & 10-pin connector in the trunk to the pigtails included with the amplifier.

Pic showing the harness wrapped up, note the foil tape


For harness I did not want to cut or splice the factory wires in any way so I used a "Toyota Factory Amp Upgrade harness" Item # 4438 by AutoHarnessHouse.com which is the same as the 12 & 10-pin connectors on the 2015-2018 amps, as well as an Axxess AX-TOYCAM3 Harness which is the same as the 24-pin connector, allowing me to mate right up to the trunk harness, and making the whole project completely reversible should I ever go back to the stock 2016 radio.

Pic of the translation harness installed in the car between the '16 wiring and the '19 amp


You will also need to swap to a newer camera part # 86267VA510. While my 2016 Camera displayed the video fine, it would not show the guide lines. The solution was to swap in the newer camera and voilla my lines were back. The conenctor is the same so no splicing or adapters needed here, just remove the old camera (if you have a 15-16 rex) and swap in the new.

To use Android Audo / Apple CarPlay you will need to upgrade the USB jack. The stock one only outputs enough power for a slow charge, where as the 2019+ part # 86257SJ131 supplied 2.1A to the phone so it doesn't die while operating. The jack fits into the center console directly where the existing one is and the harness in my 2016 plugged right in so again just remove and replace with the newer part. One important thing to note that @lukikosa pointed out is that for some reason in the 2020+ USB jacks Subaru changed the ACC Power Pin. On the 2019 jack it is pin#5. On the 2020+ jack it is pin#6. Why they did this I'm not sure but if you plug in your phone and get no power/connectivity give that a check.

Pic of the 2.1A USB jack


The Steering wheel controls you will notice are now all mapped incorrectly. List is Vol Up & Back is now Vol Down etc. I actually passed on this for now but to correct these you will need to obtain the 2019+ Steering Wheel controls part# 83154VA300, remove the steering wheel including the airbag, and swap in the new buttons. I'll mess around with many things but I always hesitate at safety equipment. For now I am using the existing controls and just have to remember which buttons do what now until I either get brave enough to remove my airbag, or Subaru has another airbag recall at some point like they did for the older model cars and I can do it then before bringing it in .

The new 2019+ Radios also have a new feature where they will remain on after the car has turned off until the driver door is opened. For this you will need to run a single wire from the head unit to the driver door switch. The factory wire goes into pin 1 of the door switch which when de-pressed is ground. There was an empty spot on pin 2 which using a multimeter I also determined functioned the same grounding when the switch was opened. I previously removed any connectors not used on the pigtail harnesses mentions above, so I took one of the removed pins and fit it into slot 2 of the door switch. I ran the other end of this under the door jam trim to a single blue wire coming out of the 12-pin pigtail on the radio. This was the ONLY wire I needed to run to the back of the radio for this swap meaning that the only pigtail you NEED to get when buying a 2019 radio is that 12-pin connector. Without this the radio will stay on for 3 minutes each time you turn off the car, annoying but not unusable if you decide to skip this step.

Pic of he back of the radio, note the new single blue wire I ran to the door switch. All other connectors plug in as-is.


My 2016 rex didn't have the Telematics kit so I just removed the unit from the radio and haven't noticed any issues but you 2017+ guys may have to read into that to confirm nothing extra is needed.

Mapping
I may be forgetting some but here is a mapping of the wires

2016 Trunk Harness -> 2019 Amplifier
24-Pin No 5 -> 28-Pin Black No 7 (R+)
24-Pin No 3 -> 28-Pin Black No 6 (L+)
24-Pin No 12 -> 28-Pin White No 8 (ACC)
24-Pin No 4 -> 28-Pin Black No 21 (R-)
24-Pin No 2 -> 28-Pin Black No 20 (L-)
24-Pin No 23 -> 28-Pin White No 7 (INT/IL1+)
24-Pin No 22 -> 28-Pin White No 21 (INT-/IL-)
24-Pin No 8 -> 28-Pin White No 6 (CAN+/TX+)
24-Pin No 7 -> 28-Pin White No 5 (CAN-/TX-)
24-Pin No 6 -> Foil Tape Shield
10-Pin No 1 -> 28-Pin White No 12 (+B/Power)
10-Pin No 5 -> 28-Pin White No 15 (+B/Power)
12-Pin No 6 -> 28-Pin White No 25 (GND)
12-Pin No 7 -> 28-Pin White No 28 (GND)

2016 Trunk Harness <- 2019 Amplifier
10-Pin No 3 <- 28-Pin Black No 1 (FR+)
10-Pin No 8 <- 28-Pin Black No 3 (RR+)
10-Pin No 2 <- 28-Pin Black No 13 (RL+)
10-Pin No 10 <- 28-Pin Black No 15 (FL+)
10-Pin No 9 <- 28-Pin Black No 16 (FR-)
10-Pin No 7 <- 28-Pin Black No 18 (RR-)
10-Pin No 6 <- 28-Pin Black No 26 (RL-)
10-Pin No 4 <- 28-Pin Black No 28 (FL-)
12-Pin No 2 <- 28-Pin Black No 2 (TWR+)
12-Pin No 9 <- 28-Pin Black No 14 (TWL+)
12-Pin No 1 <- 28-Pin Black No 17 (TWR-)
12-Pin No 3 <- 28-Pin Black No 27 (TWL-)
12-Pin No 4 <- 28-Pin Black No 12 (WF1+)
12-Pin No 10 <- 28-Pin Black No 25 (WF1-)
12-Pin No 5 <- 28-Pin Black No 4 (WF2+)
12-Pin No 12 <- 28-Pin Black No 19 (WF2-)

2019 Radio -> Door Switch
12-Pin No 4 -> 3-Pin No 2 (Switched GND)

Attached are the Sections from the 2016 & 2019 Service Manuals that I referenced.

NOTE: On the page showing the 2019 Amp connectors, they show the amplifier plastic side down with connector (A) R386 being on the left and connector (B) R316 on the right. This is actually INCORRECT in the service manual. (B) which is the black connector is actually on the left, and (A) the white connector is on the right.

CarPlay Waze Nav on the Radio


2019 WRX FSM Section: https://od.lk/f/MjRfMjk1Nzg2NjJf
2016-18 WRX FSM Section: https://od.lk/f/MjRfMjk1Nzg3NTNf

If you want to do any deeper reading see my tutorial for the Crosstrek here: https://www.subaruxvforum.com/thread...d-unit.177571/

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

[littledrummerboy]

Awesome write-up. Interesting about the amp differences and revisions.. strange they did that.

I was wanting to do all this, but had such a hard time getting the proper wiring diagrams for the 19+, and used HUs were hard to come by in Canada (new was way cost prohibitive up here). I decided to just live with my 17 HU considering I picked up a dd with CarPlay, and my STI has become the weekend car.

Anyway, thanks for being so dedicated to this. I’m sure it will help many others. Great job.

[waltersh]

This is awesome! Thanks for writing this up.

[andrew_l_s]

Many thanks for putting this information out there. Been wanting to do this for awhile now, hoping to find a good price on the head unit.

[Subie Muchacho]

Really appreciate you doing this research for the community! I have a 2018 STI Limited (with factory NAV+HK) and I am in the process of buying all the parts. Parts that I'm still looking to find are the 2019 steering wheel buttons and 2019 amp. Trying to find the amp used to save some money. Sadly the HU that I was able to source didn't come with pig tails and doubt I'll find an amp with pig tails too. So I'll have to dig for the OEM connectors online (wish me luck). My car has the telematics unit (I hope is just plug-and-play with the 2019 HU).

I'm having a little trouble understanding your harness pinout below:

2016 Trunk Harness -> 2019 Amplifier
24-Pin No 5 -> 28-Pin Black No 7 (R+)
24-Pin No 3 -> 28-Pin Black No 6 (L+)
24-Pin No 12 -> 28-Pin White No 8 (ACC)
24-Pin No 4 -> 28-Pin Black No 21 (R-)
24-Pin No 2 -> 28-Pin Black No 20 (L-)
24-Pin No 23 -> 28-Pin White No 7 (INT/IL1+)
24-Pin No 22 -> 28-Pin White No 21 (INT-/IL-)
24-Pin No 8 -> 28-Pin White No 6 (CAN+/TX+)
24-Pin No 7 -> 28-Pin White No 5 (CAN-/TX-)
24-Pin No 6 -> Foil Tape Shield
10-Pin No 1 -> 28-Pin White No 12 (+B/Power)
10-Pin No 5 -> 28-Pin White No 15 (+B/Power)
12-Pin No 6 -> 28-Pin White No 25 (GND)
12-Pin No 7 -> 28-Pin White No 28 (GND)

2016 Trunk Harness <- 2019 Amplifier
10-Pin No 3 <- 28-Pin Black No 1 (FR+)
10-Pin No 8 <- 28-Pin Black No 3 (RR+)
10-Pin No 2 <- 28-Pin Black No 13 (RL+)
10-Pin No 10 <- 28-Pin Black No 15 (FL+)
10-Pin No 9 <- 28-Pin Black No 16 (FR-)
10-Pin No 7 <- 28-Pin Black No 18 (RR-)
10-Pin No 6 <- 28-Pin Black No 26 (RL-)
10-Pin No 4 <- 28-Pin Black No 28 (FL-)
12-Pin No 2 <- 28-Pin Black No 2 (TWR+)
12-Pin No 9 <- 28-Pin Black No 14 (TWL+)
12-Pin No 1 <- 28-Pin Black No 17 (TWR-)
12-Pin No 3 <- 28-Pin Black No 27 (TWL-)
12-Pin No 4 <- 28-Pin Black No 12 (WF1+)
12-Pin No 10 <- 28-Pin Black No 25 (WF1-)
12-Pin No 5 <- 28-Pin Black No 4 (WF2+)
12-Pin No 12 <- 28-Pin Black No 19 (WF2-)

Which of the two is the white 28-pin connector and which is the black 28-pin connector?

Thanks!

[Subie Muchacho]

Do you have a picture of the front of the female and/or male connectors for the 2019 amp? Trying to source these.

[ark1214]

2019+ HK amp - Very rarely does one shows up on ebay. Last one I saw on Ebay was few months ago and was gone in less than 24hrs. Best to source this from a recycler. In fact, most recyclers don't realize the HK amp is need (or that it even exists) for the HK head unit. My recommendation is to know the VIN of the cars that has HK system (7th position of the VIN will tell if car has HK http://www.cars101.com/subaru/vin2015.html) and if a recycler HAS A CAR that matches the VIN indicating it has HK, call to see if they have the car on hand and explain in detail the location of the amp and they can look for it and pull it if they have it.

I ended up looking on car-part and when I find car with 2019+ HK head unit models (or find listings that shows matching VIN), and calling the recycler asking if they still have the car on the lot. if so, ask them to look for the amp. Hint, the more clueless the recycler, the cheaper the unit will be. Lol I was lucky, basically got the amp for $50 when I called to inquire about the head unit an asked them to look for and add on the amp that they didn't even know existed.

Pig tails and connectors - Most connectors are easy to find except for the one that goes into the new amp (2x 28pin). After many weeks of searching, I was able to find the 28pin amp connectors (female connector, male is on the amp) from aliexpress. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...45da4c4dAtWAYO Make sure to get 2x of the one with 20cm wires (unless you want to deal with matching, sourcing, and crimping pins). They took 3 weeks to arrive tho (stuck at USPS reginal office for over a week).

The 12pin connector for the head unit that connects to door switch can be found here: http://easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__...25/nh-025.html Becareful with these connectors as they are "Push Lock" after the pins are inserted. It is nearly impossible to unlock without destroying the connector, so make sure you have ready to go before pushing down on the locking mechanism. Order 2 to be safe, they are cheap.

Other tips:
1. Get a terminal pin removal kit - you will likely need to remove/relocate pins. The tool made it so much easier, but you can fashion your own.
2. If you are looking to do your own soldering, get quality supplies, especially flux paste and lead base solder (yes lead, so avoid breathing in fumes and wash your hands after)
3. If all this is too much for yourself, contact Brian at autoharnesshouse, give him the wiring info and the connector source and he can build the harness for you for a fee.
4. On initial boot up, the head unit seems faulty.. Pixelated/streaks across screen, not responsive. Re-seat connectors and allow it time to warm up and update wirelessly (be near wifi). Once all that's done, it works flawlessly.
5. I have only updated the high powered USB ports, and have yet to update camera and steering wheel switches. They still work but no guide lines on rear camera and the switch mapping is messed up but works. Looking update them in the near future.

Good luck and feel free to reach out if you need more details. This was a fun, albeit expensive, project.

[protivakid]

Originally Posted by Subie Muchacho

Really appreciate you doing this research for the community! I have a 2018 STI Limited (with factory NAV+HK) and I am in the process of buying all the parts. Parts that I'm still looking to find are the 2019 steering wheel buttons and 2019 amp. Trying to find the amp used to save some money. Sadly the HU that I was able to source didn't come with pig tails and doubt I'll find an amp with pig tails too. So I'll have to dig for the OEM connectors online (wish me luck). My car has the telematics unit (I hope is just plug-and-play with the 2019 HU).

I'm having a little trouble understanding your harness pinout below:

2016 Trunk Harness -> 2019 Amplifier
24-Pin No 5 -> 28-Pin Black No 7 (R+)
24-Pin No 3 -> 28-Pin Black No 6 (L+)
24-Pin No 12 -> 28-Pin White No 8 (ACC)
24-Pin No 4 -> 28-Pin Black No 21 (R-)
24-Pin No 2 -> 28-Pin Black No 20 (L-)
24-Pin No 23 -> 28-Pin White No 7 (INT/IL1+)
24-Pin No 22 -> 28-Pin White No 21 (INT-/IL-)
24-Pin No 8 -> 28-Pin White No 6 (CAN+/TX+)
24-Pin No 7 -> 28-Pin White No 5 (CAN-/TX-)
24-Pin No 6 -> Foil Tape Shield
10-Pin No 1 -> 28-Pin White No 12 (+B/Power)
10-Pin No 5 -> 28-Pin White No 15 (+B/Power)
12-Pin No 6 -> 28-Pin White No 25 (GND)
12-Pin No 7 -> 28-Pin White No 28 (GND)

2016 Trunk Harness <- 2019 Amplifier
10-Pin No 3 <- 28-Pin Black No 1 (FR+)
10-Pin No 8 <- 28-Pin Black No 3 (RR+)
10-Pin No 2 <- 28-Pin Black No 13 (RL+)
10-Pin No 10 <- 28-Pin Black No 15 (FL+)
10-Pin No 9 <- 28-Pin Black No 16 (FR-)
10-Pin No 7 <- 28-Pin Black No 18 (RR-)
10-Pin No 6 <- 28-Pin Black No 26 (RL-)
10-Pin No 4 <- 28-Pin Black No 28 (FL-)
12-Pin No 2 <- 28-Pin Black No 2 (TWR+)
12-Pin No 9 <- 28-Pin Black No 14 (TWL+)
12-Pin No 1 <- 28-Pin Black No 17 (TWR-)
12-Pin No 3 <- 28-Pin Black No 27 (TWL-)
12-Pin No 4 <- 28-Pin Black No 12 (WF1+)
12-Pin No 10 <- 28-Pin Black No 25 (WF1-)
12-Pin No 5 <- 28-Pin Black No 4 (WF2+)
12-Pin No 12 <- 28-Pin Black No 19 (WF2-)

Which of the two is the white 28-pin connector and which is the black 28-pin connector?

Thanks!

Unfortunately each section does not correspond exclusively to one connector. The Black & White labeling on the right hand side tells you which connector the wire is supposed to go to however some wires are signals going in and some are signals going out hence the <-> arrows.

Originally Posted by Subie Muchacho

Do you have a picture of the front of the female and/or male connectors for the 2019 amp? Trying to source these.

I may have at one time but don't on my phone any longer. Though it looks like the aliexpress link shared below does! All I can say is that some Kia's & Hyundai's use the same connectors for their amps so maybe see if you can find those on eBay. There was also a guy in the 2015+ WRX Facebook group named Kevin Hulett that said he could source connectors and possibly even build harnesses.

Originally Posted by ark1214

2019+ HK amp - Very rarely does one shows up on ebay. Last one I saw on Ebay was few months ago and was gone in less than 24hrs. Best to source this from a recycler. In fact, most recyclers don't realize the HK amp is need (or that it even exists) for the HK head unit. My recommendation is to know the VIN of the cars that has HK system (7th position of the VIN will tell if car has HK http://www.cars101.com/subaru/vin2015.html) and if a recycler HAS A CAR that matches the VIN indicating it has HK, call to see if they have the car on hand and explain in detail the location of the amp and they can look for it and pull it if they have it.

I ended up looking on car-part and when I find car with 2019+ HK head unit models (or find listings that shows matching VIN), and calling the recycler asking if they still have the car on the lot. if so, ask them to look for the amp. Hint, the more clueless the recycler, the cheaper the unit will be. Lol I was lucky, basically got the amp for $50 when I called to inquire about the head unit an asked them to look for and add on the amp that they didn't even know existed.

Pig tails and connectors - Most connectors are easy to find except for the one that goes into the new amp (2x 28pin). After many weeks of searching, I was able to find the 28pin amp connectors (female connector, male is on the amp) from aliexpress. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005...45da4c4dAtWAYO Make sure to get 2x of the one with 20cm wires (unless you want to deal with matching, sourcing, and crimping pins). They took 3 weeks to arrive tho (stuck at USPS reginal office for over a week).

The 12pin connector for the head unit that connects to door switch can be found here: http://easternbeaver.com/Main/Elec__...25/nh-025.html Becareful with these connectors as they are "Push Lock" after the pins are inserted. It is nearly impossible to unlock without destroying the connector, so make sure you have ready to go before pushing down on the locking mechanism. Order 2 to be safe, they are cheap.

Other tips:
1. Get a terminal pin removal kit - you will likely need to remove/relocate pins. The tool made it so much easier, but you can fashion your own.
2. If you are looking to do your own soldering, get quality supplies, especially flux paste and lead base solder (yes lead, so avoid breathing in fumes and wash your hands after)
3. If all this is too much for yourself, contact Brian at autoharnesshouse, give him the wiring info and the connector source and he can build the harness for you for a fee.
4. On initial boot up, the head unit seems faulty.. Pixelated/streaks across screen, not responsive. Re-seat connectors and allow it time to warm up and update wirelessly (be near wifi). Once all that's done, it works flawlessly.
5. I have only updated the high powered USB ports, and have yet to update camera and steering wheel switches. They still work but no guide lines on rear camera and the switch mapping is messed up but works. Looking update them in the near future.

Good luck and feel free to reach out if you need more details. This was a fun, albeit expensive, project.

Great information and I appreciate you sharing. It's awesome to know the connectors can be purchased without needing a while harness. Post some pics of the adapter you ended up building sometime!

[STi_cker_Shok]

I noticed combing through the wiring diagrams that there are 2 additional mic wires on 2019's. Did your handsfree mic work without using those 2 wires?

[protivakid]

Originally Posted by STi_cker_Shok

I noticed combing through the wiring diagrams that there are 2 additional mic wires on 2019's. Did your handsfree mic work without using those 2 wires?

It did, I use it all the time for bluetooth calls and there have been no issues. My guess is the 2019 has perhaps a dual-mic setup where my 2016 only has one.

[xmadxpenguinx]

I love the write up and how detailed it is. I have a question about trying this in a car that does not have the Harmon Kardon system. I have a 2019 WRX Premium that did not come with the Harmon system. I purchased the Navigation radio, GPS antenna, and the correct amplifier. I know I do not have the harness that runs to the amp. Is there any way to get the system working in my car?

I tried the radio and it works, but the rear speakers do not sound and I cannot control the volume with the volume knob. Hoping someone here might have some info on this.

Thanks!

[xmadxpenguinx]

I love the write up and how detailed it is. I have a question about trying this in a car that does not have the Harmon Kardon system. I have a 2019 WRX Premium that did not come with the Harmon system. I purchased the Navigation radio, GPS antenna, and the correct amplifier. I know I do not have the harness that runs to the amp. Is there any way to get the system working in my car?

I tried the radio and it works, but the rear speakers do not sound and I cannot control the volume with the volume knob. Hoping someone here might have some info on this.

Thanks!

[protivakid]

Originally Posted by xmadxpenguinx

I love the write up and how detailed it is. I have a question about trying this in a car that does not have the Harmon Kardon system. I have a 2019 WRX Premium that did not come with the Harmon system. I purchased the Navigation radio, GPS antenna, and the correct amplifier. I know I do not have the harness that runs to the amp. Is there any way to get the system working in my car?

I tried the radio and it works, but the rear speakers do not sound and I cannot control the volume with the volume knob. Hoping someone here might have some info on this.

Thanks!

I was on vacation so apologies for the delayed reply. If you have a non-HK WRX, and have not yet already find my other post, then to get a MAP radio to work in your car you'll have to do what I did with other car, a Crosstrek:

https://www.subaruxvforum.com/thread...d-unit.177571/

It is a lot more work and requires sourcing an AMP but it is possible.

[xmadxpenguinx]

Thanks for the reply. I read over your installation on the Crosstrek. It looks like I have most some of the connectors in place as my WRX is a 2019. So I guess what I am looking at is making the harness for the Amp. I also have the telematics unit under the radio that I think needs to have some connections to it as well. I may need to combine some of the instructions in this and your Crosstrek installation to get mine to work. On your recommendation above, I have contacted autoharnesshouse to see if they can make a custom harness. I will let everyone know the results of that.

[kensta21]

Hey protivakid, I originally saw your post on the XV forums. I have a 2013 Impreza with base radio (no nav). I'm wanting to just pick up a base 2019+ WRX (without HK audio) head unit to bypass the need for HK amp. All I'm wanting the upgrade for is CarPlay and possibly better sound quality. Is that even possible to do this with the base radio in the Impreza?

[Joff]

Hi Protivakid, I Posted over on the XV forum that I finally found a MAP Radio version over here in AU. I think this NASIOC post is more suited to my project, can I confirm though, is the HK Amp in the rear boot trunk area in a WRX?? also is it in the same location in a MY17 XV with GPS/MAP Head Unit? can I source this info myself?? I thought I read...... it was in the rear boot trunk area?? I'm assuming though without it I may be able to hot swap my Installed amp and use it on the Newer MY19 HK MAP radio I sourced. The Wreckers Tech is aware I will need amp now, like someone said a lot of wrecking Places dont know a lot of these details.Also this newer MY19 Model has built in WiFi? or is it a plug and wire similar to the GPS antenna?

[protivakid]

Originally Posted by Joff

Hi Protivakid, I Posted over on the XV forum that I finally found a MAP Radio version over here in AU. I think this NASIOC post is more suited to my project, can I confirm though, is the HK Amp in the rear boot trunk area in a WRX?? also is it in the same location in a MY17 XV with GPS/MAP Head Unit? can I source this info myself?? I thought I read...... it was in the rear boot trunk area?? I'm assuming though without it I may be able to hot swap my Installed amp and use it on the Newer MY19 HK MAP radio I sourced. The Wreckers Tech is aware I will need amp now, like someone said a lot of wrecking Places dont know a lot of these details.

Hey, yes the Amp is in the same trunk location for all 2015-2021 WRX/STI's. If you put your head in and look up, should be next to the bottom of the subwoofer and near the trunk lamp.

[protivakid]

Originally Posted by kensta21

Hey protivakid, I originally saw your post on the XV forums. I have a 2013 Impreza with base radio (no nav). I'm wanting to just pick up a base 2019+ WRX (without HK audio) head unit to bypass the need for HK amp. All I'm wanting the upgrade for is CarPlay and possibly better sound quality. Is that even possible to do this with the base radio in the Impreza?

Hey, it should be possible but you might have to use the transplant harness from the below link first, and then follow my guide:

https://www.autoharnesshouse.com/44454_info.html

The early years base Impreza / Crosstrek have VERY different connectors behind the radio. Should still be possible, in face if I get a good deal on another radio I'll probably try the conversion on my sister's 2013 Impreza, but no immediate plans.

[Joff]

Hi Protivakid You mention in your first instructional post that the HK amp plugs are reversed? and that the Schematic Diagram is incorrect? Can someone confirm? Schematic shows Black Plug on left i386 White plug on right i316. Your picture has these positions.

[protivakid]

Originally Posted by Joff

Hi Protivakid You mention in your first instructional post that the HK amp plugs are reversed? and that the Schematic Diagram is incorrect? Can someone confirm? Schematic shows Black Plug on left i386 White plug on right i316. Your picture has these positions.

386 is White & 316 is Black.

If you flip the amp plastic side down and face it straight on Black is on the left 316 and White is on the right 386.

The 2019 Service Manual has 386 on the LEFT and 316 on the RIGHT. This is incorrect.

[protivakid]

Looks like someone is building and selling the harness now for anyone who doesn't want to wire themselves. The one thing they are not selling though is the door jam harness. Without it your radio will always stay on for 3 minutes after you stop the car. They also didn't mention that at least 2016 owners will need a newer backup camera for the guide lines to work.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/26533973936...oAAOSwAHFhV6uA

[basyager]

i have a non HK 2019 car with carplay but I think my iphone 11 is too new. HU and phone are just incompatible.. my phone was found by carplay in a 2021 wrx so yeah.. new HU it is. all the links I find have the same obvious troubleshooting. I have found some random unconfirmed fixes like charging the phone to 100% before connecting, changing the name on the phone, using a different length cable, adapters,etc..

[protivakid]

Originally Posted by basyager

i have a non HK 2019 car with carplay but I think my iphone 11 is too new. HU and phone are just incompatible.. my phone was found by carplay in a 2021 wrx so yeah.. new HU it is. all the links I find have the same obvious troubleshooting. I have found some random unconfirmed fixes like charging the phone to 100% before connecting, changing the name on the phone, using a different length cable, adapters,etc..

This probably belongs in it's own thread but my wife's iPhone 11 works fine with the 2019 radio so that's not the issue.

Things I would try in the order I would try them.
-Connect radio to WiFi and perform an update.
-Try a new iPhone USB cable.
-Try swapping USB Ports.
-Replace the USB ports in center console.

Also check if your car is still under warranty. The dealer may fix this for you if so.

[RRATS]

wondering if anyone maybe has some knowledge on this;
I have a '17 STI Limited that I am wishing to do this swap on.
Do I need to grab a radio specifically from a '19 or '20 STI or would using one from a WRX work?

[protivakid]

Originally Posted by RRATS

wondering if anyone maybe has some knowledge on this;
I have a '17 STI Limited that I am wishing to do this swap on.
Do I need to grab a radio specifically from a '19 or '20 STI or would using one from a WRX work?

The radios should be interchangable, in fact I'm pretty sure mine came from an STI despite me having a WRX. Not sure if there are any issues with the starlink as my 16 doesn't have the SOS help buttons but I believe it's a separate module so I'd think it would be fine.