[Speedmetal]

I was wondering if anybody has installed aftermarket head unit in a MS6 while retaining the factory center console . I do not like the idea of the replacing the console and not have it match the rest of interior like available install kits.

 

[Riki desu]

I have not and I only have a Mazda 6 sport but my friend gave me an idea for installing a headunit in there without replacing the console. I dont know about your car, but mine has that little pop up storage above the center console on the dash. It was suggested to me to cut out the back of that thing and place a headunit in the storage then wire it up, so that I wouldn't have to replace the center console just re-wire it so that the aftermarket headunit controls everything but leave the ac controls alone so I wouldnt have to deal with any problems from a metra kit. Then whenever I leave the car, just close the top of the storage and everything looks stock. Hope this is understandable and Hope it gives ideas.

 

[Whiterabbit]

I've been thinking about ways to do this for months. I have a ton of ideas on how to accomplish this, and each one would take way too long to go into.

You'll have to be fairly fearless with hardware or electrical fabrication. There are no bolt-on solutions.

But complexity varies based on what performance you want. How do you want to interact with your aftermarket stereo? Do you want the OEM buttons to work? remote? no remote? placing the aftermarket face up high OK? map pocket OK? don't want to see it at all? Must use the OEM LCD? Do you need access to the OEM CD slot? can you function with the CD slot elsewhere? iPod only? changer only?

etc etc etc. When you want to change your user experience like this, you have to get VERY specific on how you want your design to work. As is your right when you chose not to use a bolt-on solution!

 

[Speedmetal]

The goal would be to put a single din aftermarket radio into the MS6 and still utilize the factory dash . I would still have the steering wheel controls interact with the aftermarket radio. Wiring the aftermarket radio would not be a issue. The challenge would be to have a single din radio mounted in the location of the stock radio while retaining the factory dash . The metra kit for the 6 looks really out of place in the MS6 and would not be a option. Hope this helps a little .

 

[Whiterabbit]

definitely. This tells me:

a. the CD player MUST be mounted where the OEM cd player is mounted
b. the OEM LCD screen need not be used
c. steering wheel controls must be used
d. OEM faceplate buttons may be be used if desired.

So how would this go down? Like this:

1. the aftermarket faceplate needs to be exposed. Two locations that would work are the map pocket (ike the caska DVD thing) or in the headliner in front of the moonroof controls. There's a DIN sized space right there that would be perfect.
2. the CD player body needs to be in the OEM space. This requires the use of the OEM CD slot, but nothing else.
3. a metra kit is still required. This is not because of the dash kit, but because of the circuit board that gets used to enable the climate controls. Alternately, the OEM cd player can be remote mounted with a ribbon cable going into the dash. This negates the need for the metra kit PCA but requires a big wiring effort. The intention is ONLY to enable climate controls on the LCD.
4. steering wheel controls go through a PAC SWI
5. OEM faceplate controls *can* be enabled via reqiring the buttons to a resistor ladder then piggybacking on the SWI. optional only.

Note that none of these action items (minus SWI integration) is easy. But none are impossible, too. Is the metra kit sounding better by the minute? =p