This week in the shop – 2005 Porsche Cayenne, Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX and Murphy’s Law.
Well, it was more like 2 weeks ago in the shop I had the pleasure of doing an installation for a reader who graciously made the 2 1/2 hour trek from Boston to our shop in Brookfield, CT. Raj has experience in the tech and infotainment industry and he was just as excited about seeing Android Auto in action as I was.
He was seeking an upgrade for his 2005 Porsche Cayenne navigation radio and was leaning towards the Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX. This model appealed to him because of its Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. Additionally, it features on board navigation and a capacitive touch screen, much like the capacitive touch screen used on many smartphones.
I had some reservations about doing an install for a client driving all the way down from Boston. Only a few weeks prior, we had another customer down from the Boston area with a BMW E46 and we ran into some minor issues that were made much more difficult due to the logistics involved. It was late Friday afternoon. The vehicle was in the garage and the installation was in progress when we realized the dash kit company shipped us a 5 series double din kit in a 3 series E46 double din package. Hello Murphy! We were left with few options and very little time to remedy the situation. So, my husband John did what he could – pulled an all nighter and fabricated his own kit.
So, needless to say, I was a little hesitant about another Boston client coming down on a Friday for an installation. I thought to myself, “What could go wrong this time that would be difficult to remedy based on the customer’s place of residency?” John reassured me it was a lot more straightforward than the 3 series and there was a lot less that could go wrong. It was essentially a head unit install with some cables routed to the center console. Plus, he reminded me we would be using tried and tested Nav TV parts. I convinced myself everything would be fine with this Porsche Cayenne navigation upgrade, but in the back of my mind I was still paranoid about what could go wrong when a client travels such a long distance for the purchase and installation of car electronics.
I’ve been alive long enough to know that Murphy is always lurking around, but let’s forget my paranoia for a moment. The Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX really was the perfect solution for bringing this 10 year old vehicle’s navigation system up to date. The goal was to replace the old outdated Porsche navigation radio with a capacitive touch screen navigation radio that supported both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Even though the Porsche Cayenne was equipped with the fiber optic MOST Bose audio system, with the right parts, it was going to be a relatively straight forward job. Nav TV makes a pretty cool interface that allows you to retain the stock fiber optic Bose amp called the MOST HUR-955.
Having sold and installed several of these kits before, I wasn’t too worried about that part of the install. Besides the interface, there are several different dash kits available for this vehicle. Metra makes one and so does Nav TV. We used Metra’s ASWC-1 steering wheel control interface and Nav TV dash kit. Although the Nav TV Porsche dash kit is more expensive than the Metra version, it is made in Germany and has the same exact appearance, quality, texture and finish as the factory radio.
Shortly after Raj first inquired about the 2005 Porsche Cayenne navigation upgrade, we touched base on the phone to go over details. I quickly typed up an estimate that he agreed to. With an install date set, I started ordering in parts.
This is when Murphy made his first appearance in our 2005 Porsche Cayenne navigation upgrade. After taking a deposit and ordering up parts I realized I made a pretty big mistake. Although I told him about the Nav TV MOST HUR-955 – I explained to him what it was and how it worked – I umm, sort of somehow forgot to put it on the estimate and subsequent invoice. Yikes! Talk about an expensive error. Unable to absorb that additional cost, I made the phone call to explain the error I made in my estimate.
I didn’t know what to expect. I would be pretty peeved if someone sprung an additional $600 part onto my estimate, but Raj was quite understanding and still wanted to move forward with the job. Sweet! I was excited. This was going to be our first install with a customer who actually had a compatible Android Auto device, the Google Nexus 6.
The Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX comes with two USB ports. USB 1 for Apple CarPlay and USB 2 for Android Auto. Additional inputs include HDMI and AUX. We planned to route all 4 into the center console for the 2005 Porsche Cayenne.
Everything with the installation was going as planned until about 4:00 in the afternoon, right about when John would have been wrapping things up. Uh-oh – here comes Murphy again! With the radio powered up and the interface wired in we had no audio. John removed the Nav TV interface and tried to do a software update. It was not recognized by our computer.
John spent over an hour testing and checking while on the phone with Nav TV tech support. Meanwhile, I had a major meltdown realizing we had been shipped a bum part. After explaining the situation to Nav TV (“You know, the customer is not from our area and can’t just pop back in Monday after you ship us a new part”) they managed to ship a replacement part out next day Saturday delivery which I’m sure cost them a pretty penny. We explained the situation to Raj and I drove him over to Enterprise to pick up a rental so he could drive home while we waited for the replacement part to arrive.
Raj was extremely understanding about the situation and he attributed this to being in the tech industry and having been in similar situations. On the way over to Enterprise he asked me, “So what was the part that was defective?” I responded, “It was that $650 part that I forgot to put on your receipt.” He burst out laughing. I’m glad he thought it was funny, he handled the news much better than I had.
The next day UPS arrived at 9 AM with the replacement interface and it worked like a charm. I have had such a low defective rate with this manufacturer that I was really surprised to have a defective part. Nav TV makes nearly all of their parts right here in the USA and quality control tests each and every one before shipping. Thankfully they stand by their product and they were quick to make it right.
At the end of the (next) day we had a very happy customer with a pretty sweet 2005 Porsche Cayenne navigation upgrade. Raj, I hope you’re enjoying it!
22 Comments
Just finish installing on my 09 Cayenne JL TW3 10″ , 1 pair of JL C5 6.5 component for front doors , 1 pair of JL C5 5.25 , JL HD 900/5 and Pioneer Avic 8100 also with the set up i throw in a Rideen HD back up camera.
Door tear down was a challenge for the door first panel but smooth sailing after.. Everything sounds crisp clean and just the right amount of thumping i need. That TW3 for a flat subwoofer really surprise me ,was thinking of going JL w7 which i had before , then i just don’t want to be diving down the road with a loud thumping not classic at all 🙂
Hi Annie,
Nice write up! I have an 04 cayenne that came with a similar setup but with an alpine ilx007 and a tr7 installed. I don’t have an iphone so I went with a similar pioneer. My only question is where did you put all the cables and adapter boxes to allow the head unit to fit? My unit sticks out a full inch
Hi Nic, good question. I don’t know exactly where we hide it, but I would imagine either behind the radio in that cavity or possibly even behind the glove box if there wasn’t enough room directly behind the radio.
Hey Annie,
I too am considering to purchase the Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX system for my 2008 Cayenne. I just had two quick questions for you and would be grateful to hear your insights:
1) Is it possible to display driving info/car statistics on the 8100 NEX? I read somewhere through a proxy system, the unit could gather information from rpm to parking sensors but I don’t know if these are applicable for my car.
2) Is it possible to install rear cameras and make them compatible with the unit? Do you have any recommendations?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Tolga,
Although this model is iDatalink Maestro compatible (car information and steering wheel control module), your vehicle is not compatible with the iDatalink Maestro – so you would not get any car information on screen. You can however add a reverse camera and even a forward facing camera if you’d like. I buy my reverse cameras from a manufacturer that does not sell online, but for a factory fit style camera, check out NAV-TV.
Hi Annie,
I own a 2004 Porsche Cayenne S that has the original factory Bose double DIN stereo with the single CD and Navigation. I enjoy taking long trips in it, but the absence of Bluetooth coupled with the inability to play CD and use the navigation simultaneously take the enjoyment out of the experience. In an effort to add Bluetooth capability to the existing system, I purchased an FM Transmitter with BT capability and auxiliary input. I am able to play my Ipod music via the AUX port, but the sound quality was under part as the volume fluctuates sporadically. The phone connection is barely audible and I have to resort to hold my phone while driving. I am looking for a head unit to replace the current one while keeping everything else intact.
From reading some Porsche forums the AVIC-8000NEX is highly recommended. What will it cost me to have it installed? I am a resident of Boston, when can I bring the vehicle in to get it done?
Hi Marty,
I apologize for the delayed reply, I spend a lot of time with customers in our showroom and answering emails from my store email address so in my free time I answer questions on the blog, sorry I’m only now getting a chance to read this. If you’d like to do this type of upgrade, I would recommend the latest model the AVIC-8200NEX (really same features as the 8000 and 8100, the 8000 was from 2014, 8100 from 2015 and the 8200 is the 2016 model). Installed with tax, parts and labor this would cost $2421.98 (and there is a $100 mail in rebate on the stereo). It’s funny the photos I used in the write up was also for someone from the Boston area, he said he had a hard time finding anyone up there familiar with it which I was surprised to hear.
It takes one day to do and we do installs Tuesday – Saturday and this time of year we’re about a week to 10 days out for appointments, as it gets colder we get pretty jammed up through December, January and February. If you’re interested in traveling down to us, please contact me at the shop at 203-778-3330. Alternatively, you could reach out the folks at Nav TV (who make the interface for your car) and ask them to refer you to a trusted dealer/installer in your area.
Annie,
I have the identicle car and am looking at doing the same upgrade but was wondering is the factory Porsche CD six stacker would still work with this upgrade.
Hi Shannon, no it wouldn’t, but I doubt you’d miss it with all the newer technology. Who needs CD’s when you have cell phones and iPods? This unit does have a single CD player, FYI.
Annie,
I have a 2008 Porsche Cayenne s with Bose. I wonder what would be the reasonable option for upgrading a head unit to support iPhone music video streaming integration?
Thanks,
Steve
Hi Steve,
That all depends on what your definition of “reasonable” is 🙂 Really nothing out there that will do video streaming from the iPhone, you’d have to use an Apple Lightning to Digital A/V adapter and go with a head unit with an HDMI input. Not the cleanest looking cable connection, but at the moment, that is the only way I am aware of getting audio and video out of the apple devices with a lightning connection to aftermarket car stereos. No one really supports Apple Airplay (that I know of). They pretty much all have bluetooth though for wireless audio streaming and handsfree calling. You might want to check out the AVH-4100NEX, it has been the best selling Apple CarPlay head unit at our shop.
Annie, I have a 2006 Cayenne, but live too far away to bring it to you for work. (Alabama) My local installer says I would be better off going ahead and replacing the Bose amp instead of spending my money on the MOST adapter. Can you offer some insight? I’m afraid the amp/speaker combo is so customized that it might not sound good with another amp. Thanks.
Bruce
Hey Bruce – In the past we did do what your installer was suggesting, before NAV TV had an interface and in fact we still do that for certain Porsche vehicles that they don’t offer an interface for. Quite honestly, if your installer really knows what he’s doing and he’s really good with tuning, he can actually make those stock Bose speakers sound really good with an aftermarket amplifier – much better than the interface.
Most of our customers go with the interface from a cost/goal perspective. The interface and labor ends up being less costly than an aftermarket 5 channel amp, crossovers, wiring and labor and most of the time these consumers simply want to upgrade the head unit for better features, not necessarily to vamp up the sound of the stereo system (although it will sound better either way).
The other thing is the interface is just a 2 channel audio connection so there’s no fader control. With an aftermarket 5 channel amplifier you’ll have better control over the sound stage including stock subwoofer level control adjustment.
So technically, yeah he’s right, it will sound better, I guess it just depends on your overall goal. The NAV TV interface also makes it easy to put everything back to stock if you ever wanted to. It’s just less labor intensive overall, but not necessarily going to sound better than an aftermarket amp installed and tuned properly.
Figure we charge 4 hours labor for installing the head unit, flush mounting USB cables, and interfacing with steering wheel controls when using the interface vs about 8 hours labor to do all that plus bypass the Bose amp and install an aftermarket 5 channel. The additional effort will make it sound better when done properly, but it usually costs more and not everyone who upgrades that in dash unit is concerned with obtaining a huge sound improvement, mostly they just want to get rid of that outdated unit and get some modern technology. For that, I think the interface is the better way to go.
Great looking install! Wish I was in your area to get this done as well.
I do have a few questions that maybe you can help me with.
Does the phone always have to be plugged into the usb cable? Or will the system work via Bluetooth? I keep most of my music on my phone these days.
Will bluetooth phone controls still work?
Hi Max,
For Apple CarPlay, at the moment you do have to be connected, there may be an update released to change that in the future. For plan old Bluetooth audio streaming and handsfree calling you do not have to connect to the USB cable.
One more question: Does AppRadio work with an iPhone now the version 4 has been released? The only app I am really interested in is Waze. I have watched a few reviews of the initial AppRadio releases, and it looks awful.
Thanks again
Hey David,
Apple CarPlay does not support Waze. Pioneer’s “App Radio Mode” used to support it, but it really hasn’t supported it well the iPhone 5 came out. There was a new firmware update for the radio just released, I haven’t had a chance to do the update and see what it does, but in my experience, Waze has not worked well with ANY aftermarket stereo.
Just keep in mind Apple CarPlay only supports Apple CarPlay approved apps and since Google owns Waze, I don’t know if/when we’ll see that as a CarPlay approved app. The connection is totally different for Waze through App Radio Mode, you need to go through HDMI and you need an Apple Lightning Digital A/V adapter and you have to change the settings in the radio every time you want to switch between CarPlay and Waze as well as the physical cable connections because CarPlay is straight up USB to lighting vs HDMI to Apple Lightning to Digital A/V connection.
Thanks you for the detailed reply. This is very useful information.
I’m on the fence again. I know that I am keeping the Cayenne Bose infrastructure. Do you have any experience with the newer Android based decks? This for example.
I like the thought of having the Google store, but I’m concerned about sound quality and reliability. I could probably just Ebay it and purchase the Pioneer if it doesn’t work out. Does your company sell the MOST adapter, and Double DIN installation kit for the Cayenne? I would rather purchase from you as you’ve been very helpful.
I need to get something going. My wife is getting impatient, and needs something. She is driving around with a bluetooth speaker in the car :(. First world problem.
Hi David – sorry for the late response. No I have not seen/tried any of those cheap Android head units but someone from that company keeps trying to get their spam comments on my site and at one point they even re-posted my content without my permission on their website so I have NO desire to check out their shady products. Check with NAV TV for a dealer near you or buy direct from them – this way you can get the best customer support. I appreciate the offer to buy from me, but look how long it took me to respond to your comment. I’m usually tied up helping local customers. I would rather you buy from someone who could provide customer support should you ever need it.
Sounds great.
I’ll post an update once the installation is complete.
Great articIe! have a 2006 Cayenne with the original nav system, and the Bose fiber connected amp/speakers so this article is very useful. I have been planning my upgrade for the last few months, and I’m really interested in the Apple Carplay feature. Are there any ” gotchas” while installing, or issues with the Pioneer AVIC-8100NEX and MOST adapter that I should watch out for? My background is electronics and professional AV, and I have installed dozens of car stereos, amplifiers, etc. I also have a lot of experience with troubleshooting and repairing automotive and motorcycle electronics. If I was in your area, I would just bring the vehicle to your business for the installation, but I live in Dallas.
Hi David,
Other than programming the interface, it’s a pretty straight forward install and I would recommend using the Metra ASWC-1 because it’s auto-learning so it’s easy to install. Check out the install guide on the MOST adapter to familiarize yourself if you’re thinking of tackling the install yourself, there’s a little more set up involved than a basic head unit swap, but sounds like you can handle it 🙂