A client from San Jose was referred to California Car Sounds and Tint by the local Ford dealership for assistance in having a CarPlay-equipped radio installed in his son’s 2019 Ford Mustang. The client wanted to be sure that the vehicle was equipped with a safe way for his son to communicate with friends while driving. After exploring a few options on our display, the father-and-son team settled on a large-screen Pioneer multimedia receiver to provide the technology upgrade.
Pioneer Multimedia Receiver Upgrade
The family chose a Pioneer DMH-C5500NEX receiver because it features an oversized 8-inch capacitive-touch display and includes Apple CarPlay. The new radio also has Android Auto, is Weblink compatible and can be upgraded with a SiriusXM tuner module.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone interfaces allow the driver to send and receive text messages and make phone calls using the voice recognition interface built into an iOS or Android smartphone. He can also choose to listen to any of the music stored on the phone by song title, artist, album name or genre. Streaming services like Tidal, iHeartRadio and Amazon Music are also supported.
One of the most popular features of CarPlay and Android Auto is turn-by-turn navigation. The driver can use Waze, Google Maps or (when an iPhone is connected) Apple Maps to get directions to almost anywhere in North America. If a business name is requested, the software will search the internet for an address automatically. All three solutions take into account real-time traffic flow information to plot an efficient route.
Mustang Radio Integration and Mounting Solution
We turned to Metra Electronics for its Mustang-specific dash kit and Axxess interface solution. This mounting bracket is designed specifically for that oversized screen of the Pioneer radio and includes a new climate control touchscreen interface. The Axxess interface allows the factory-installed backup camera to work with the new radio. Likewise, the radio buttons on the steering wheel will control the new Pioneer receiver.
Once we had the new radio mounted in the bracket, we set to work testing the radio interface to make sure the tuner worked properly and that the steering wheel controls were functional. As soon as we knew it was perfect, we finished mounting the kit in the dash.
Silicon Valley’s Car Audio Experts
The client returned to California Car Sounds and Tint in Campbell to pick up his vehicle. A member of our team explained how to use the radio. He was thrilled with the way the radio looked in the Mustang. If you are interested in upgrading the technology in your car or truck, drop by our store or send us an email using our contact form.
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