Hey i was quoted $270 to install my Pioneer head unit, including a new pocket and getting the steering wheel controls working is this a good price? also they use their own input interface for the steering wheel controls, they told me the PAC brand ones lag, is this true? Also how much work is involved in getting the power antenna to go down by itself when not using the radio etc..? thanks
This sounds like a reasonable price, given the work involved. I just did a swap myself, and had to take half the dash apart to do it. As for the antenna, I too had that problem. We do a lot of freeway driving, and I did not want the antenna up when doing 110 kmh. So I bought a powered internal antenna that sits n the dash just near the windshield. I also installed a switch between the stereo antenna power wire and the antenna itself. So now when the switch is off (and the stereo on) the antenna is down, and when I turn the switch on, the antenna goes up (for poor country reception). I have a two way splitter connecting both antennas to the stereo. Cheers, JG
So the PAC ones that many thousands of people use are crap, but thier own brand is awesome, hmmmmm. If $270 is including the supply and fit of the steering wheel control interface device, than I suppose its not too bad. I think my local place charges about $90-$100 to install a H/U, I can't remember if that included the pocket or not, but they are fairly cheap anyway.
The antenna should go down as soon as you turn the radio off if all the right wires are hooked up and as soon as you flick back to fm/am it will go back up. There is a wire thats fors power antenna there somewhere.
My HU (cheap Chinese unit) powers up the antenna whenever the unit is on, irrespective of which system (radio/CD etc) is in use. Hence the switch.
the guy i was talking to said the power antenna should work and he looked at me weird when i said about them not working properly with aftermarket headunits so ill see what happens, also just got a quote from JB and they told me $380, thats using a CAT 10 interface for $225 though, think ill stick with the $270 from a real car audio place and hope their own interface for steering controls is good, im sure it will be or they wouldnt use it otherwise, they have been around forever.
