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For awhile in the 2000's, practically any Chrysler head unit could be swapped from one Chrysler-branded vehicle to another, whether it was a Charger, 300, Jeep Grand Cherokee or even the minivan. That's why you saw a lot of broken glass around Chrysler vehicles until they put the anti-theft system in the radios. I had a Chrysler 300 radio in my old Jeep Grand Cherokee and all I needed was for the dealer to program it to my VIN. The only thing I couldn't change was the boot up screen which still had the Chrysler wings on it. It was just a simple way to cut costs by having basically a "universal unit." There was even a Ferrari that had a mildly disguised Chrysler radio!
Now as far as our HHR's, honestly any dash kit will look nice in our cars since the dash is very simple. It's literally just a rectangle-shaped, flat surface.
As you can see, with a double DIN radio, the radio pretty much takes up most of the opening with only the trim bezel showing. Even if you don't want a touch screen, there are double din radios with a big ole' volume knob in the center, just like the stock radio. I'm a Pioneer fan so here's a short chassis one I recommend for people who just want an uncomplicated radio - even the colors match the stock radio:
Every single factory touch screen unit I've ever seen was slow, lacked features and had many functions hardware/software locked with no ability to unlock them (such as turning on rear view camera whenever you wanted, or using the 360 camera, changing settings or adding a new device while driving, etc)
The ONLY way I would enjoy them is with carplay/android auto but only if through Wi-Fi/bluetooth/nfc. (My USB port is f*d)
Unfortunately, any new double din with navigation built in (does not require a phone to work) are usually expensive if you have vehicle info via obd or other features. Older double din with just nav can be had for $100-$200 but are pretty slow to start up (30 seconds) granted it's been a few years since I touched them.
A tablet would be a much better option for big screen navigation. 3.5mm to an EQ for muzik. It's nice having 20 songs listed on screen with a fast scroll. For some reason every double din seems to be slow and crippled when scrolling...Im guessing it's the OS (windows ME or something?)
This guy had a nice stinger 10" touch screen at the show I went to yesterday. It was actually pretty nice but it will block a lot of surrounding areas.
Sadly they have not yet made an affordable double din with decent features and responsive screen for some reason. Unless you go super Chinese maybe? (Like off brand names)
I gave up on double din years ago.
I used to work at a shop for a bit. Even the higher end models I installed ($1,000) with all the bells and whistles still managed to disappoint. Mostly because of the slow response of window/menu transitions and what felt like inferior touch screen response and scrolling. Personally I would guess that all the units had the same processor/OS and they just unlocked a few more features on a few and charged more. This was one thing where "you get what you pay for" did not make sense.
Oh and just my personal preference, but you can save a lot of money by eliminating the blinker and door chime.
Normally you would need a (moderately expensive)special harness to retain them, but if you wire the ignition wire (turns on the head unit) to a wire located about 12 inches away in the passenger side interior fuse panel or a toggle switch, you can save a lot of money.
Personally, I prefer having the head unit on a switch that I control. Lets me turn the unit on without turning the key to ignition (can't remember if you have to turn it all the way till the fuel pump turns on or not, but that is definitely a battery killer if it did)
Charger nav radio Hmm, no fit, need to trim adapter Meh, could look better
OK, I have a little update here.
I bought a Power Acoustik head unit, mechless with Android Auto for $67 at Walmart. I stopped paying more for less years ago, as I often upgrade my car audio when new features are available on lower priced units, so I don't really care if they die after a few years (the importance of this will be clear later)
But first, a mini-rant:
The reason I was hoping there was a gm touchscreen that would work is I like plug and play, and factory fit and finish. In short, every thing should work and look like it belongs.
I ordered my dash kit and wiring through Crutchfield, no issues with them at all. Takes all the guesswork out. The issue is that with any adapter, there is a compromise. I spent about an hour mating the adapter harness to the stereo harness, all solder and shrink tube. Mount the radio in the dash kit, well it 'fits', but because there is a slight curve to the dash the radio looks sunk in a bit instead of flush. Might have to rework this or maybe 3D print something. That's a future me problem.
When I put a newer factory navigation radio in my Charger, all i needed was the GPS antenna. I got a lockpick module to add a backup camera and that was it. It looks stock because it is stock.
Rant over
So, I got everything hooked up and the stereo works, OnStar works, subwoofer works, time to plug in the steering wheel control and map the keys. Here's where it starts going bad. The controller recognizes the steering wheel buttons,but not the radio. Try the troubleshooting tips, no good. pressing Volume up activates OnStar. That turns the radio off. Not good, volume up is supposed to start the radio programming sequence for the buttons. Reset and try again. Now volume down activates OnStar, lol.
it's getting late, I decide to deal with SWC later and just put it in the dash because i need to go to work. After much agony and gnashing of teeth, its in the dash. Now, the radio powers up, plays at low volume and nothing is responsive on the radio, so I call it a day and drive the Charger to work. I shall mess with it tomorrow.
I have installed hundreds of car audio systems, am an electrician by trade, and do PLC programming anf robotics at work. I write Arduino code for fun. This isnt an issue of not understanding the work, its an issue of knowing it could be better.
But in the end, this is why i prefer to go with factory parts, they just work. All this because I want Android auto in my car and a backup camera without hanging geegaws on my dash.
Mongo - I had the same issue with the steering wheel controls. Turns out the instructions are wrong - DO NOT cut the green/orange wire as listed in the instructions.
Mongo - I had the same issue with the steering wheel controls. Turns out the instructions are wrong - DO NOT cut the green/orange wire as listed in the instructions.
Give Axxess a call and they’ll help you troubleshoot it.
Interesting. I got the premade harness to retain all factory features, so I didn't cut anything. According to the led flashes, it's recognizing my SWC but not my radio. I plan to give Axxess a call when I pull everything back out to install the backup camera.
