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I finally got mine done.
I had that bezel on and off more times than I want to recall.
For my install, it was a case of "the third time was the charm".
Three different head units, three different Axxess kits, multiple in and outs before all worked well as it should have from the first time.
But as of today, the new, latest, Kenwood DNX874S sounds GREAT!
And it will sound better once I learn all the different settings. I went with Kenwood because I have used Garmin GPS for decades and I like their interface.
Tired after the final push today so all I have at the moment is an unsteady Cell Pic
I do appreciate all the help from CF members were.
Special thanks to Tsumi who followed my posts and gave helpful input many times
Jim
Damn, looking at my lousy pic I see I need to raise the right side of the Kenwood a tad...........always something ;^)
I am flexible as to which head unit to get. I just need Apple Car Play and a backup camera. Is there any units out there that just fit with out sanding, cutting, etc to get them installed in the Bezel ??
So which head unit was the prototype for this bezel?
There had to be some head unit that Marc used to get the measurements from to make his bezel. Some head unit that actually exactly fits the opening in the bezel. I understand that the mounting brackets need to be adjusted - I am just talking about not changing the double din opening in the bezel to fit the head unit - but an exact fit - the one that served as the example to design around?
Well, I tried both methods multiple times today.........No luck.
I tried the pull the radio fuse #5 three times extending the time off each time.
Removed the negative battery cable then removed the console & bezel & Kenwood from the dash and disconnected the Kenwood wiring plug. Left the negative off for 60min. Followed the initiation process each time.
In all cases, the Kenwood remains on after the key is pulled and the door opened every try. And will remain on until turned off at the Kenwood.
Not sure what to try next. I will try contacting Axxess tomorrow.
Thanks to all,
Jim
Update:
I had multiple emails with Metra support. The same tech always answered my emails promptly and I really appreciated that.
But he was sure the issues were with the head unit, not the Axxess unit.
But when I replaced the Axxess unit I was asking about today with a new Axxess unit all the problems disappeared..........
how did you replace your Axxess did tech support do it? Mine is interrupting power each time I move the key to a different position on my Kenwood Ddx 9705s and it also interrupts power at low rpm dips. The Off on door close still works after the reboot from power interruption.
I also thought I did it properly, but the instructions could have been more helpful. When I did the initiation process I had my door open, so when I connected the battery the system wasn't in sleep mode and the unit didn't initialize properly. Hopefully you're system works properly now. I've noticed with mine that it "wakes up" when I unlock the doors with the fob which the old unit did, but then once I'm in the car and turn the ignition it has to "wake up" again and it can take a minute. Sometimes I have to push the power button, but not always. I've not researched to see if this is normal or not so hopefully I can resolve it. If not, it's still worth it as I'm really enjoying the upgrade. I may go back in and boost the subs a bit but for now I'm very happy with the system.
Mine works when the key fob unlocks as it should, but i get a power interrupt each time I change the key position. After it’s on with no key in - power off when the door opens which is correct. The Kenwood DDX 9705s has an annoying boot sequence each time the power is interrupted. I initialized the Axxess with a bench power supply the correct sequence. Anybody else have this problem and discover a solution?
how did you replace your Axxess did tech support do it? Mine is interrupting power each time I move the key to a different position on my Kenwood Ddx 9705s and it also interrupts power at low rpm dips. The Off on door close still works after the reboot from power interruption.
I bought my units from Amazon and returned them within their return window.
For the last try I initialized the Axxess before I connected the harness to the back of the Kenwood. But I have no idea if that really made the difference or if it was the replacement Axxess
Finally got mine installed last night. I pretty much agree with everything digi2t has said. Quality is fantastic, but don't go into this project thinking you won't have to make any modifications. I shimmed my HVAC control out as well, could probably even afford to bring it out a little bit further, but it doesn't bother me for now. I did not do any trimming to the top of the opening, but if I need to go back in again, I will as my headunit does tilt back slightly causing a small gap on the upper right edge. Overall, I am very happy with the product and can say that it is far superior to the Metra bezel from my experience.
Don't mind the fingerprints everywhere, should have wiped it down before taking pictures.
Hey i like your Sony HU. Is this the 100 or 200 model? I was debating getting a 200 or their newer 5000. I haven't read good things about the 5000. it has a bigger screen but no disc player or volume. Any feedback on your model? Do you use Android Auto or Apple Car Play with it? Or Waze or XM?
Hey i like your Sony HU. Is this the 100 or 200 model? I was debating getting a 200 or their newer 5000. I haven't read good things about the 5000. it has a bigger screen but no disc player or volume. Any feedback on your model? Do you use Android Auto or Apple Car Play with it? Or Waze or XM?
I've been looking at the same three. No disc slot = 100. The 200 not only has the disc, but also includes a SiriusXM tuner. Crutchfield says the 5000 is Sirius 'compatible' and the 100 is not...
100: 7.01 wide by 3.94 tall (from sony.com)
200: 7.01 wide by 4.01 tall (from sony.com)
5000: 7.01 wide by 3.94 tall (from sony.com)
^^^ That’s correct, I went with the 100. I didn’t need the XM capability that the 200 offered. So far, I really like the head unit. I mainly use it for Apple CarPlay and it works very well. Have only had it lock up a couple times on me where all I had to do was unplug my phone and plug it back in and everything was fine. So far with my experience, I would definitely recommend the unit. I also like the matte look opposed to all the glossy head units, I feel it matches the interior better.
^^^ That’s correct, I went with the 100. I didn’t need the XM capability that the 200 offered. So far, I really like the head unit. I mainly use it for Apple CarPlay and it works very well. Have only had it lock up a couple times on me where all I had to do was unplug my phone and plug it back in and everything was fine. So far with my experience, I would definitely recommend the unit. I also like the matte look opposed to all the glossy head units, I feel it matches the interior better.
Thanks for the feedback. I like the look of the unit as well. I'm still trying to decide on 200 vs. 5000.
Any fitment issues with the unit? Some earlier posts mentioned having to trim the opening in the Vettenuts bezel; not sure if was for a Sony head unit though. Did you have to do this?
I didn’t have any real fitment issues. I did trim the bottom corners of the opening just a little bit to correct a tiny amount of bowing on the trim piece between climate control and head unit. I could have left it alone and nobody would have noticed, but I’m a perfectionist and knew it would bother me.
Stupid question of the day. Finally getting ready for the install of the Vettenuts bezel. Does this bezel require cutting out the factory cross support like a lot of the other double dins do?
The Vettenuts website says no modifications for installation using their brackets. I don't really care, just trying to plan accordingly.
Still a little apprehensive on utilizing these plastic brackets. Just wondering if they're getting away with using plastic brackets if the new double din is resting right on the stock support shelf.
Stupid question of the day. Finally getting ready for the install of the Vettenuts bezel. Does this bezel require cutting out the factory cross support like a lot of the other double dins do?
The Vettenuts website says no modifications for installation using their brackets. I don't really care, just trying to plan accordingly.
Still a little apprehensive on utilizing these plastic brackets. Just wondering if they're getting away with using plastic brackets if the new double din is resting right on the stock support shelf.
I just did this install about a month ago. You will need to remove the metal bracket that the current radio sits on. You are right to note that the VetteNuts website does not mention this, however, I'm sure it depends on the specific fitment of the double-DIN radio you're installing. More than likely you will need to remove it, but there might be a double-DIN that fits without doing so. Also, be VERY careful with those little plastic brackets. Mine broke in just about every way possible as the plastic is extremely delicate. I had to utilize some super glue and a bench vice to put things back together. The next time I take the dash apart I'm sure those brackets will be garbage and I'll have to order another set. YMMV.
Stupid question of the day. Finally getting ready for the install of the Vettenuts bezel. Does this bezel require cutting out the factory cross support like a lot of the other double dins do?
The Vettenuts website says no modifications for installation using their brackets. I don't really care, just trying to plan accordingly.
Still a little apprehensive on utilizing these plastic brackets. Just wondering if they're getting away with using plastic brackets if the new double din is resting right on the stock support shelf.
I like the VN DD Bezel, but in my case, it was not Plug and Play.
The factory cross support shelf did need to get cut out with my Kenwood.
I had no luck with the plastic brackets, but VN may well have improved them by now.
I made my own brackets using available galvanized plates from Home Depot. Almost exactly as wide as the sides of the Kenwood and plenty of room to bend the ends to attach to the stock GM mount points. Very strong but took a while to get the correct screw locations. I used stiff cardboard to make templates for each side. The finished product wasn't pretty but works
I also reinforced the lower crossbar on the bezel by epoxying a thin strip of SS from a windshield blade to stiffen the very thin crossbar.
I also had to do some sanding on each of the insides of the cut out to get my KW to fit properly and allow for the motorized display to function.
Not the easiest head unit I have installed but works very well.
“Still a little apprehensive on utilizing these plastic brackets. Just wondering if they're getting away with using plastic brackets if the new double din is resting right on the stock support shelf.”
Yes plastic brackets are flimsy and I too was apprehensive about using them. They also don’t fit the stock radio’s alignment holes and the plastic must be dremneled. Once on they have worked in the five or more times I’ve had to remove and reinstall the Kenwood head unit - my iPhone wasn’t charging while running Waze on the head unit and after many trials and errors, I found I had to have a high end usb-lightening cable direct into the unit. I tried two of those cigarette lighter usb extensions - neither worked and neither did the Kenwood provided extensions.
Do not reef down too hard on the plastic brackets or they will crack apart.
To to get the shelf unit off you’ll need a 90 degree drill bit angle driver.
To do differently (better) I would have mounted my Kenwood in the car first then checked the bezel fit. I checked the Kenwood in the bezel outside of the car and dremeled the bezel hole on all sides so that the Kenwod could fit through.
In fact, when mounted, the head unit sits so far back only the moving tiltable face needs to penetrate the bezel and might do so without any dremeling.
It looks sharp either way and it’s very cool to have the original ashtray cover to stash my front cam remote and radar detector remote. Oh btw the ashtray is actually hardened plastic not metal so don’t vice it down too hard or it will crack when you drill a hole through it for your wired remotes.
I had some free time at work today. Got about 3 hours into these brackets. It's not hard work, just a little time consuming. I have to remind myself that this thing is not going to the Concours at Pebble Beach for petes sake.
06-08-2018, 11:08 PM
before all worked well as it should have from the first time.
