My Phone Mount is My New Arch-Nemesis

[macking]

My car’s infotainment system is stuck in 2012—no CarPlay, no Android Auto, just a clunky Bluetooth connection that takes 30 seconds to pair.

Every drive starts the same: fumbling with the phone mount, jamming the charging cable in (third try—always the third try), then manually launching Spotify and Maps. Meanwhile, my wife’s car auto-connects before she even buckles her seatbelt.

The Bluetooth delay is brutal. Calls pop up after I’ve already said “Hello?” twice. And if I dare touch another audio source, the music never comes back unless I restart the car.

Worst of all? The phone overheats on the dash mount, throttling brightness until the map turns into a pixelated mess. I’ve missed exits, taken wrong turns, and once circled a roundabout three times like a tourist.

Next car will have CarPlay. This is my villain origin story.I came across a website that sells CarPlay retrofit kits（https://www.carputech.com/?ref=oonbwkvl）, and their products look pretty good. I'm just not sure how complicated the installation process is. I don't really want to pay for professional installation. Has anyone used their products or similar ones before? Is it possible to DIY? How difficult is the installation? , can I buy the products in it?

 

[Miami-Dade]

@macking It would help if your put your vehicle information [year model] here. Then it can be put in the proper section.

Wellcome from NYC!

 

[OR VietVet]

Welcome to the forum, from Oregon.

What @Miami-Dade said.

 

[Doubeleive]

that reads like a straight up BOT post

 

[Hoesgottaeat2]

I got nothing for ya.
8-tracks and cassettes are still ok with me.

And welcome to the forum from NY.

 

[Doubeleive]

I've been running android auto since 2015 and other options previous to that, to me there is no excuse to not be using it. Tons of options out there now

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

Change out your head unit for a more modern one, and your issues will be resolved. If you purchase a compatible head unit and the correct interface unit, you can do the job yourself and not have to cut or splice wires.

As @Doubeleive stated, Android Auto works very well, and I believe that the newer head units even have a wireless connection for Android Auto.

Call the folks at Crutchfield, tell them what you want and your budget, and they will tell you what radios meet your requirements, along with an interconnection module that doesn't require any wire cutting and soldering, AND will preserve all of your steering wheel controls.