Android Auto head unit, preserve RS monitor

Discussion in 'Electrical & Interior - Security, ICE, Wiring Loom' started by FreakyKiwi, Mar 16, 2024.

  1. Has anyone installed a China Android Auto headunit to confirm that the RS monitor still functions?

    I have found a few options on AliExpress for my 2012 which keep the "factory monitor" connected, and some which include a relocation mount for it, but I can't tell if all functions will work as the loom only has a couple of wires running back to the original small display.

    Here's the one I'm considering.
    For Renault Fluence 1 2008 - 2017 Car Radio Carplay Player Android Auto Navigation Stereo Wireless GPS Bluetooth WIFI Multimedia
    https://a.aliexpress.com/_msEiXYw
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Job done.
    The answer is to not connect the RS monitor to the head unit. Just leave it connected to the original cable and ignore the pass-through cables included the Android.
    I don't think I'm missing anything by not connecting the RS monitor harness to the Android but without the RS monitor connected the Android doesn't power on.
     

    Attached Files:

    CompRSM likes this.
  3. Do
    Does steering wheel buttons like volume work
     
  4. Yes, all of the steering wheel buttons work.
     
  5. Nice install. Can i ask were you got the holder for the rs monitor and screen combined
     
  6. I bought this multimedia unit from AliExoress which included the dual screen mounting frame and wiring harness.
    https://a.aliexpress.com/_mqMpDY2
    I specifically ordered the "C 6G 128G CAM" version.
     
    rockabilly likes this.
  7. Looks awesome @FreakyKiwi Exactly what I’d LOVE to do!

    sorry for so many questions .. but is the original head unit now completely unused/unplugged? Do you still get time and outside temp on the RS Monitor? Does the original mic for Bluetooth phone calls still work? How are you finding the new head unit overall? Screen decent quality, menus fast, sound quality good? Any disappointments or frustrations ?
     
  8. No problem at all.

    The original head unit was already gone when I bought the car and was fitted with a broken single DIN motorised display unit which was trying to uninstall itself by pushing back against the A/C controls.
    I also removed a ton of unused cables left from the original owner in Japan.

    I still can't set the clock on the RS monitor but the temp displays OK.
    The original mic doesn't work, I have used the mic supplied with the stereo and mounted it on the trim behind the steering wheel.

    The unit is more than acceptable for the low price and performs well
    The software based (Z-link) Android Auto can take a moment to connect sometimes but does support wireless android auto despite the listed specifications showing wired only.
    The sound quality is fine and the unit has an incredible DSP/EQ using the touch screen to draw your EQ curve along with individual HP/LP and delay settings for the front/rear/sub and a 3D and DBB setting which I'm not using.
    I'm in the process of replacing the speakers as the passenger front speaker had frozen solid so made no bass but with the car being relatively noisy I'm not chasing audio nirvana here but am considering installing a sub in the boot or tyre well.
     
  9. Thanks mate.

    interested to hear how you get on with speakers .. i want to upgrade the originals in mine too.

    Focals seem to be highly rated but im thinking more like pioneers .. wondering if there’s a possibility to get 6.5s in the front. As you say, on the go it’s not exactly an optimal acoustic environment
     
  10. At this stage I'm hoping to get away with 5.25" coaxial speakers. I'm not happy with the factory tweeter location and can't be bothered wiring in the tweeters and crossovers anyway.
    I've done one door so far using Infinity Reference 5032CFX speakers using some adapters I 3d printed.
    I'm not sure there would be any benefit stepping up to 6.5" as the front doors have a couple of enormous holes in them which would limit any bass gains.
    It might be worth it for the rears which are fully sealed.
     
  11. Infinity's look good @FreakyKiwi :grinning:.. and a good price here in the UK right now too :grinning:

    One more quick Q on the HU .. did it come with a canbus decoder? And if it did, what's that adding ... dim screen when headlights lights come on, activate reverse camera when selecting reverse gear? That kind of thing?
     
  12. Yes, the CANBUS decoder is included, pre wired into the harness, and pre configured.
    You just need to route the wires (not easy, not too hard) and plug everything together.

    Yes, this handles the reverse sensor and screen dimming. I don't think the car provides much else using CANBUS.
     
  13. I think you can have both.
    The steering wheel controls work automatically and don't use the SWC inputs or app to assign them, they must come through CANBUS.

    I don't have the original fascia so this won't fit in my car anyway and don't think I'd use it as there's already a touchscreen, the steering wheel controls, and voice control for Android Auto.
     
  14. Hi @FreakyKiwi .. my AliExpress haul has arrived :smiley: ... going to have a go at fitting at the weekend.

    I've plugged most of it together provisionally but wondering what the connectors in the red circle are for? Might become obvious when I get into the car but wondering if you might know? Also .. any tips from your experience of doing the install?

    Android HU wiring.jpg
     
  15. That is the connector for the RS monitor cable which I didn't connect as it leaves the RS monitor not working. Leave the RS monitor connected to the original cable.

    There are some listings on AliExoress for the cable which show what the connectors are for but it should make sense once you get to it.

    There are some YouTube videos showing the installation (in French), but you need to remove the trim either side of the A/C (clips only) , the stereo trim (clips only plus cables fit key slot and 12v socket) , the A/C unit and factory stereo (screws plus unclip cables) , the centre air vent (clips only plus flasher switch cable) and the factory screen frame (clips only plus cable)

    To deal with the lack of space on top of the dash I removed the new screen from the new frame and reinstalled once all cables were connected and everything tested.
    The RS monitor can only be installed after the new screen is in the frame.

    Getting the RS monitor out of the factory mount was a bit challenging. I initially picked open the wrong clips which separated the screen itself. I'll upload some photos of the factory frame so you can see the correct clips.
     
  16. Ok great, so probably I can ignore the 4 bigger white connectors I’d circled (?) Any idea on the small one from the black cable?

    Thanks for the fitting tips, any photos you have you be great

    Are you still happy with yours now you’ve had it a few weeks? Any frustrations or disappointments?
     
  17. Here's a photo the original RS monitor frame.
    The screen is held in only at the 4 points marked in green (I think) and will then push out the back of the frame.
    You'll also need to transfer the metal clips to the new frame.

    That black wire and other bundle to the small plug must both connect to the new screen.
    I'll try to find the listing with a better diagram of the wiring, and the installation video.

    Yes I'm still happy with it, especially considering how cheap it was.
     

    Attached Files:

  18. Here you go.
    I left the "factory screen" connections disconnected (D and E) and connected the factory cable to the RS monitor screen.


    For Renault Megane 3 Fluence Head Unit Stereo Android 10 Am/fm Rds Dsp 2 Din Car Radio Multimedia Player Navigation Gps Wifi - Buy For Android 10 Renault Megane 3,For Renault Megane3 Android Megane 3 2009 Renault Megane 3 Multimedia,Autoradio Megane 3 Autoradio Android Megane3 Megane3 Product on Alibaba.com


    Note: There was two kinds of power plugs for Megane 3 & Fluence, and now we combine both of them into one, See as the below instructions.

    [​IMG]

    Socket A is the power socket of Fluence.
    Socket B is the power socket of Megane 3.
    Socket C needs to plug into the navigation host CAN port.
    Socket D needs to connect to the plug of the original screen.
    Socket E must be inserted into the original factory screen, and then put the original factory screen in the car storage box to let it continue to work. The original factory screen assembly must be retained, otherwise a fault code will appear.
    Socket F does not need to plug in any equipment, just leave it open.
     

    Attached Files:

  19. Thank you @FreakyKiwi .. appreciate your help.

    Will have a go at the weekend
     
    FreakyKiwi likes this.
  20. Hi everyone!

    I've been looking at these android headunits for some time and didn't know there was a version that kept both screens! if i get my RS Monitor working i will go with this one.

    Doesn't the screen block the view outside? it looks a bit high on the dashboard compared to the versions without the dual display socket.

    Do these units have line-out and power control for aftermarket amp and subwoofer?

    How does the sound quality compare to a aftermarket headunit?

    Thanks!
     
  21. The one I ordered has line outs and amp/sub power control .. you can see the clump of RCAs in the pic I posted above. It also has optical and coaxial outputs.

    Hoping to fit it this weekend so can comment on sound quality and appearance after that.

    Just FYI I went for this model https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005....0.0.7fbetmjftmjfr6&mp=1&gatewayAdapt=glo2vnm .. the 9inch S5 with fan and mic and then got the facia and wiring and dab+ all seperately .. mainly to get the best spec I could manage (people seem to care about the SoC, amp, dsp and FM chips used) while keeping below the level where VAT/import duties get more complicated in the UK.
     
    FreakyKiwi likes this.
  22. Yes, it's quite a large screen mounted high and forward on the dash which isn't deal but the only option for this car.
    I don't find it to cause any visibility problems when driving.
    I see plenty of people with phones or GPS units mounted in the centre of their windscreen (and shake my head at the thought) which is much much worse.

    The sound is perfectly fine with a good DSP and volume, you can always add an external amp and sub if you want to.
     
  23. I should say I think it's the best option, not that it is the only option.
    Another option would be.a 1 DIN motorised screen in an after market fascia to replace the factory radio, but this would be smaller, too low, block the A/C controls, and probably crap.

    These units are fairly generic themselves with vehicle specific mounts and wiring.
    I went for the complete bundle linked in my first post.
     
  24. after looking around for ways of activating the RS Monitor and finding out that it can't be easily done, i think i'll go for the unit without the dual screen mount and use car scanner app to get the same data on the android screen.

    out of curiosity, i tried one of those new carplay/android auto screens. only 50€ but quality is like the price... very low...
     
  25. Gavin.

    Gavin. RSM Admin

    Got one of these in mine but before they had this new casing for the rsmonitor, will have to see if I can find a case that fits separately.

    Good post by the way
     
  26. Gavin. likes this.
  27. Had a go at test fitting the unit today .. overall went well. I just removed the old HU and plugged into the wiring behind, I didn't touch the original screen at all today. Mostly figured the wiring out (have added a new pic laid out more like the one @FreakyKiwi shared), the unit switched on, sound came out of the speakers, the RS monitor worked and the steering wheel controls worked :-)

    Couple of oddities I was hoping there might be some ideas on .. my car is a 2013 265 with Arkamys and RS Monitor but no SatNav .. incase any of that makes a difference:

    - still can't figure out what the black wire ('?' in my pic) is for, any ideas?
    - the original HU has 2 ariels connected .. a yellow and a white .. any idea what the non-FM one might be?
    - with the ignition on and engine off the new HU would only stay on for about 90secs before turning off. A press on the car stop/start button re-enlivened the lights and dials on the dash and bought the HU back to life. Is that normal?

    For anyone else that might attempt this I've added a pic of my old HU and the wiring adaptor and referened FreakyKiwi's post above:
    A - "Socket A is the power socket of Fluence." - connected to the plug from the top connector in the old HU
    B - "Socket B is the power socket of Megane 3." - not used on mine
    C - "Socket C needs to plug into the navigation host CAN port." - the little white plug from the canbus decoder and the main black plug all go into the new Android HU
    D - "Socket D needs to connect to the plug of the original screen." - did not connect
    E - "Socket E must be inserted into the original factory screen, and then put the original factory screen in the car storage box to let it continue to work. The original factory screen assembly must be retained, otherwise a fault code will appear." - connected to the wires from the bottom connector in the old HU
    F - "Socket F does not need to plug in any equipment, just leave it open." - didn't plug in
    ? - not mentioned - no idea, didn't plug in, but maybe used if there is factory SatNav controller??

    Wiring 2.jpg OLD HU.jpg

    Uncovered some strangness in the speakers on my car which I'll start a new thread for .. appreciate your thoughts on that too @FreakyKiwi :-)
     
  28. Yes, my stereo shuts off if the engine isn't running too.
    I assumed that this was normal as the previous stereo did it too and must be caused by the car shutting off the switched power.
    I think it runs longer if the doors are closed.

    Pressing the start button on my car starts the engine so I remove and insert the key card to power up again.
     
  29. After spending the afternoon pulling the drivers door cards off again, removing the stereo dash mount, the glovebox, and A/C controls to run a new switched power feed, which I though was the issue, I've finally found why my speakers are cutting out.

    It looks like the speaker wires to the doors have broken.
    When I first tested after reconnecting everything all was well, but next time I went out to test the drivers door speaker was very quiet.
    I opened the door to have a better look and it cut out altogether.
    Opening and closing the door a small amount causes the speaker to come and go so it must be a break in the wire between the body and the door.

    Luckily the drivers door card is still off and the dash half dismantled.
    Unfortunately I have confirmed that the passenger door has the same issue so that card will be coming off for the fifth time for a rewire as well.

    Is this a common issue on these cars?
    I 've never run into it before.
     
  30. :grin: New fear unlocked!

    I had been assuming / hoping my drivers door speaker doesn’t work because it’s seized or shorted or something .. but now I wonder if this could be my issue too.

    Hope the fix goes well .. would be great to hear how you fix it .. or if you have any pics of the issue / fix.
     
  31. I'l tackle it next weekend, looks like another PITA job.
    It makes me worry about the state of the other cables running through the same boot from the door to the car.
     
  32. Could you ‘just’ run new speaker wires from the HU out into the doors and bypass the existing wires in the loom? Or is there a reason to not do that?
     
  33. That's, what I'm planning to do.
     
  34. Would love to hear how you get on. Seems likely I’ll need to do the same.

    ebay uk has quite a few used door looms and they’re not too expensive. I prefer the idea of running fresh speaker wire direct from the hu though as that also helps with the components & crossovers situation.
     
  35. Yes, this is where I'm stuck now.
    If I need to rewire anyway, should I go all in and install components?
    ....and an amplifier?
    ....and a subwoofer?
     
  36. :tearsofjoy: Yes yes and yes !

    .. and then please share a detailed guide for all of it :tearsofjoy:
     
  37. Following you comment I have now seen the eBay listing for the door harness and as I wondered when looking at it in my car the harness terminates to a plug connected to the car body.
    This means that there is no way to run new speaker wire through to the door in the factory boot.
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/134689146359

    At this stage I have wiggled the harness between the door and the body which made the speakers start working again.
    I'm hoping, but doubtful, that this is a permanent fix.
    It could just be that the connection of the plug to the body socket was loose or otherwise bad.
     
  38. I hadn't realised it was a plug either until I saw them on ebay.

    Looks like if you have the time and inclination there are ways to run fresh wires through eg but looks like a lot of hassle so probably a last resort.

    I'll try wiggling the plug on mine to see if that brings the drivers speaker back to life. I need to take the card off to replace the creaky old check strap and the speaker so will do all at the same time.
     

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