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DIY #1: Aftermarket In-Dash GPS/DVD on XC90 Solved

249K views 333 replies 81 participants last post by  drprofessional 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi all so I did a lot of leg work regarding aftermarket radio installs more specifically double din GPS units on XC90's and found a solution that allows you to remove all parts of thef actory radio. As you may already know there are solutions out there that require certain parts of the factory radio behind.

I found this site company Incartec (
https://incartec.co.uk/Volvo/XC90 ) and they sell all the adapters for the XC90 radio and you can remove every part of the factory radio, over all a little costly and shipping was expensive to Canada but VERY happy. There are no errors and I was able to remove every single piece of the factory radio/amp which meant I had no space issues, getting stuff behind the dash.With by passing the amp I was able to put the new amp under the passenger seat.

This is everything they advised I needed

1 x VOLVO XC90 CANbus Interface - (39-VOL-UNI)
1 x Volvo XC90 (03-07) amplifier bypass cable - (20-307)
1 x Volvo V70 S60 XC90 PDC Interface - (25-509)
1 x Antenna extension 6 Metre - (21-009)
1x Hyundai /Kia Aerial adapter to male din plug - (21-130)
1x VolvoXC90 Radio Facia Double Din kit (50-860)

My car is a 2013 so I would confirm with them parts are the same for other model years.

Important to know that the steeringwheel interface works with the following head unit brands, Alpine, Kenwood, JVC,Blaupunkt, Clarion, Panasonic, Zenec, Eclipse, Grundig, Sony, Pioneer, Becker,

as I wanted to get the Parrot but it is not compatible.

Hope that helps everyone out.I am not sure who else sells this stuff because I looked ALL over the net but if you have an idea please post it will help others out greatly, trust me I spent 2 months looking around.

On a side note as speaker information is also limited onlineI was able to fit 6.5 components in the front doors with a mounting depth of 2.5 no problem (installer said 3" would also be fine). For the rears I was able to fit 5.25 mid ranges with 2.81 depth no problem.
 
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#29 ·
1) & 2) The clock works just fine. I simply did not reset it - doh! :facepalm:
3) I don't think the wiring harness adapter will allow for the amp to sit flush but definitely worth exploring. The sound quality is equal if not better than with the OEM amp. No center channel but plenty of power driving the speakers for a clean highs and solid bass. I believe the rest of the electronics are 'happy' and working as expected.

The Kenwood is bright at night, need to see if there is a hidden brightness option or firmware update.

Interesting note: I noticed the Kenwood version of the Garmin NAV is allowing me to enter the speed limit of my neighborhood. I recall our 2013 Jeep Wrangler's Garmin NAV having that data already populated. I need to see if a map update is available for the Kenwood.
 
#31 ·
yes - all the adapters were from incartec. I picked up an aftermarket FM antenna to use from Best Buy. I finally have everything working. I installed one of the $30 cameras off of Amazon and its working good. I had an issue where the unit was not shutting off with the key even though it appeared I had everything wired correctly with the adapters. I ended up running the red wire over to the fuse panel to a switched fuse - now the unit promptly shuts off with the key and no longer has a 10min delay.

The only issue remaining is that I cannot get the unit to sit completely flush. I prefer the angle of the current position, even eventhough the appearance on the edges are not ideal. Now I need to work on a full write-up with wiring diagrams.

Overall, the sound quality is very good, not much different than the stock high-performance setup (no center channel), the backup camera is instant on, unlike the original slide up Volvo unit and the touch screen controls make for a more modern user experience.
 
#33 ·
Hi, I'm new to the forum.

I have a 2009 xc90 which has the MOST interface. I assume the newer models do as well. I understood in all other threads I have seen that the radio cannot be removed or else things like SRS lights happen.
In your setup it looks like you removed all these parts including amp and radio. Did I understand that correctly? The most interface can basically be ignored and only the controls over the can bus are needed?
I would love to replace my stock system, and this is the first bit of hope I've seen.
 
#42 ·
Hi Jason, Yes - I have removed the amp and radio. InCartec makes CANBUS interfaces that allow the aftermarket radios to operate in the XC90. No SRS lights. Make sure you disconnect the battery and have all connections secure prior to reconnecting the battery and you should avoid and codes getting tripped.
 
#35 ·
I had the moose at my independent for the tranny drain and fill last week and asked him about the antenna. Apparently after mid 2006 the antenna is in the cd/tuner module, not the roof.
 
#37 ·
I just order some of the pieces too. Skipped the PDC, going to have the dealer de-program the car for Park Assist and NAV tomorrow. Skipped the fascia too, figured it was the same as the Metra. I did add the camera.
 
#39 ·
Hi Chris,

first of all...thank you very much for this thread and for the pictures.

In the next time i like to change the radio like you.

I have a question

I am going to work on an update wiring diagram showing the various InCarTec components and how they connect together. This should be helpful for future installs.

Do you have this diagram? Or is this diagram finished?

Awesome work....respect :)
 
#40 ·
I haven't had had the time to do it up but I have had a couple requests this week. :) Let me see if I can pull some picts together and an updated diagram this week. Everything is still working great with our setup - steering wheel controls and PDC.
 
#44 ·
If there is an adapter/interface, you might be able to use the stock amp.
 
#46 ·
#47 ·
Let's say I couldn't get the stock amp to work with the pioneer head unit... Could I run the system without any amp? Or would I definitely need to get an aftermarket amp? And what does the can bus you got do? Do you need it to retain the steering wheel controls?
 
#48 ·
I am running just my Kenwood without an amp and it sounds great. The Pioneer should also work the same.
 
#52 ·
Really sorry guys - over come by events with work. I need to find a couple hours to write the details.
 
#51 ·
Hi.
I made my installation for about a month. It works like a charm. Used all the Cables that Chris used. It was pretty straight forward. I have a double din sony unit. Installed a rearcamera, mikrofon for the Telephone and it works. The only bump on the road was that i didnt find the antenna connector om my factoryinstalled antenna. Installed a glasantenna on the front window. It works but not satisfactory.
 
#53 ·
Hi guys, I'm new to the forum. I recently bought a 2006 XC90, and I'm hoping to do the incartec install with a Pioneer AVH-4000NEX unit. Excited about the CarPlay integration. This is literally the only thread I have found anywhere on any forum that has given me hope of actually being able to put an aftermarket head unit in this car. So, Chris, many thanks for the research and the work you have put into this.

My question: Does anyone know if the Metra Axxess ASWC steering wheel control unit would work instead of incartec's unit? It's less than half the price on Amazon.
 
#56 ·
The only radio I listen to anymore is NPR and Baseball. There's APP's for both. Lot of people are doing the streaming audio too. (Spotify, iRadio, Beats)
 
#58 ·
#62 ·
You would think but I got a bill from DHL a couple weeks afterwards. Only $17 so no biggy but it was surprising. Don't care. The InCarTec stuff works perfectly.
 
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