Replacing the OEM head unit

[dinari]

I’ve looked around here and other sites and can’t seem to find any examples of someone actually following through on this. I’m hoping that by using the idatalink maestro I’ll be able to retain the factory screens that allow extended charging. I’m pretty sure I’ll retain factory satellite radio, aux input and gps, but extended charge is the only thing I’m thinking may be a deal breaker. Has anyone tried this? I have what I think are all the necessary wiring harnesses, etc. arriving soon and am keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully I’ll be updating this thread with a success story and pics of my new head unit in action.

 

[hokiematt]

I'm not familiar with this setup, but I doubt it includes support for the extended charge option. However, after 10+ years your battery pack probably has little to no extended capacity remaining, so you're likely not giving up much.

 

[miimura]

Here is an example of someone who did an aftermarket head unit.

www.facebook.com/groups/718609568173137/posts/6892858770748155

This is a "Closed Group" which means that you have to ask to join before you can see the posts. I am happy to add you to the group if you go through the process and answer the questions with logical human answers.

I posted a couple of months ago that my touchscreen display died and was looking for advice from anyone who had tried to replace it with an aftermarket unit rather than pay thousands for an OEM replacement head unit. I have since gone through the process and am now passing on what I learned.
I purchased a Pioneer DMH-2660NEX at Best Buy ($290 open box). The cost of labor for install is free when you spend over $200 at Best Buy but you need to get a few accessories. They provided me with the following list:
DIN Kit: Meta 95-82426 [do not get this one]
Wiring Harness: Meta 70-1761
Antenna Adaptor: Meta 4-LX11
USB Retention: Axxess AX-TOYUSB
Backup Camera Wiring Harness: Axxess AX-TOYCAM3-6V [I also bought an Axxess AX-TOYCAM1-6V and they used some parts from it]
One key issue I had to explain to the installer is that even though my car is a 2013 RAV4 the EVs are based on the 2012 RAV4 model so the DIN kit they recommend won't work (the basic RAV4 got a remodel for 2013 year). The kit that worked best was the Meta 99-8217. I also tried the Meta 95-8217B but although similarly shaped it didn't work as well as the 99-8217 according to the installers.
I decided to opt to retain steering wheel controls for which there was an additional labor charge ($65) and part needed (Maestro ADS-MSW, $60). I think it was worth doing.
All in all I spent $500 before taxes and got a nice unit with a lot of cool features including Apple CarPlay. The unit doesn't fit perfectly but looks fine. I thought they'd be able to use the existing microphone and USB port but they ended up putting those in separately (see pics). There are a couple funky changes in other areas of the car display including a notice that A/C is off when it's on (see pics). And of course, I've lost the ability to do an extended charge which sucks but not worth $3000-$6000.

 

[CorrinMIXR]

I’ve looked around here and other sites and can’t seem to find any examples of someone actually following through on this. I’m hoping that by using the idatalink maestro I’ll be able to retain the factory screens that allow extended charging. I’m pretty sure I’ll retain factory satellite radio, aux input and gps, but extended charge is the only thing I’m thinking may be a deal breaker. Has anyone tried this? I have what I think are all the necessary wiring harnesses, etc. arriving soon and am keeping my fingers crossed. Hopefully I’ll be updating this thread with a success story and pics of my new head unit in action.

I’ve been tempted to replace the OEM head unit on my RAV4 EV but have held off because of the same concerns about losing functionality, especially extended charging. The idatalink maestro sounds like it could be the solution to retaining those factory features.