[bobjersey1]

Your Right...

I know what you are saying and a believe you. But from the posts and pictures ive seen so far you guys made this happen. It'd been a real long wait for me to even conciser trying this. Maybe I can help out in some way. My background is, I'm a senior broadcast engineer for NBCuni Television in New York City. I've won two technical emmy's for my work on the Olympics. I build, and maintain over $350 million in highly technical equipment ever day. I understand maniacal and IT related gear. With that said you guys went further than I thought possible. I really appreciate all the efforts pulling this off. I would like to try it but I do need your help. I don't want to screw up the car (I'm the original owner since 2008). I don't have the luxury or time to figure it out. So when I saw how nice you guys did pulling it off I wanted to give it a shot.

I found the spare parts fairly cheap but I'm not good with re-designing and cutting the panel to allow for the double-din. Then I read their more to it. I would like to join in and maybe help try to figure out the rest. I can design circuits to function and or replace whats needed to complete the process. And I would be happy to discuss/share them with you guys. But for now I don't really have a clear picture of the whole process. What you guys done so far has gotten me excited enough to give it a shot but I can't do the panel. That's why I wrote those replies in the forum. Can anyone give me the big picture in detail of this process start/finish? And where you guys are stuck or need help? Thanks Again...

Bob (201-321-0438)

 

[Dodik]

Ok so I stopped by my local audio/tint place. The guy there said he had done one tribeca before, but he put the radio where the NAV screen is, and moved the screen below.
Creative Audio Customs on 65th street in Brooklyn, so thats one option.
As far as what is involved in doing it yourself there are few steps. Do you need schematics and wiring diagram?
Schematics for HU are in the link on the first page of this thread, and if you need FSM I can PM you a link

 

[Dodik]

Basic idea is you take your original HU and cut off all audio/video components while leaving all HVAC stuff still passing thru it and connecting to the face panel.

Face panel needs to be cut out after you are able to fit stock HU and a new one inside the dash, as the angle at which new unit sits will be custom to your mounting position.

Obviously you will need to branch off all power stuff from original HU as well as connect all the audio/video cable to the new HU.
You will also need to get new Steering wheel control unit, like PAC
you will need to find a reverse wire in the dash or run a long wire back to taillights if you want an automatic back up camera.
If you have rear entertainment you will need to wire all that to new unit.

Thats pretty much the basics

 

[bobjersey1]

This is outstanding work! Very professional and nicely done!

I'm looking for the same thing need to fit a double-din receiver into the dash where the current stereo is located in my 2008 Subaru Tribeca (loaded) SUV. While keeping all functionality of existing switches and knobs. The pictures I've seen here were outstanding and very professional. So I need someone who can do the custom panel relocating whatever you need to relocate and give you the room to mount and fit a standard double-din receiver in that spot.

I can buy extra parts if needed and send them to you. I'm located in New Jersey and have the ability to install the double-din receiver into the new panel. Just need someone to re-design that panel for this install. Feel free to call me anytime at: 201-321-0438. Thank You for your time....Bob

P.S. I don't mind paying for this service and or advice. You guys here did all the hard work getting through this. I just don't have the time and skills to re-design the panel. And I'm going to need a little more in depth instruction on how it done. A couple of you guys did this mod and they all look great. I just would like to do the same, without paying someone a "fortune" to do so. And maybe I could do something to contribute. Anyway I have the spare parts to screw with. Anyone feel like doing the panel? I can pay, donate or do whatever I can to reciprocate.....

 

[Dodik]

so i was bored yesterday and came across this pic, 2015 legacy/outback hvac controls,

this is the first car subaru made that has all the functions of tribeca in a single panel, so you all already know what im thinking.
Does anyone have 2015+ to measure the width of the face?
im gonna go thru wiring to see how different it is from ours, but basically if this can be installed then the rest of the HU install will be mad simple.

 

[FLsubies]

Go over to legacygt.com and check out the 6th gen forum I am sure someone there will help you.

 

[tsm106]

so i was bored yesterday and came across this pic, 2015 legacy/outback hvac controls,

this is the first car subaru made that has all the functions of tribeca in a single panel, so you all already know what im thinking.
Does anyone have 2015+ to measure the width of the face?
im gonna go thru wiring to see how different it is from ours, but basically if this can be installed then the rest of the HU install will be mad simple.

You don't want to go that route, trust me. It's a lot more hassle, than just chopping up the existing HU. If you look at my pics in the OP, you'll see that I already went that route in 2011 and it lead no where because you have to get medieval on the electrics and that is above my pay grade.

If you check the posts date, it only took me one month to do this mod. I wasted a ton of time with the Legacy climate control unit. Most of my time was wasted figuring the electrics out and I even had some help on the LGT forums. But all that effort on the LGT forums was for naught, because it really led into a dead end

At that point on a whim I checked ebay for replacement Tribeca radio faceplates and light bulbs went off. Why reinvent the wheel when you don't have to? Once I figured out how to chop the Tribeca radio/HVAC control up it only took a few days to get it all together. The paint matching alone took over a week maybe two because it took a couple of trips to get the color just right. Thus iirc it only took around two weeks to do this mod. Bondo takes two days to mix/shape/cure.

Reading back it looks like your big issue is with the self inflicted damage to the ribbon connectors. I think it would have been better to just throw money at it and get a new radio plate. But it has been a year so I don't know where you are at, hopefully finished and done.

Btw, I saw a custom NAV unit posted on youtube last year by a shop. I assume they followed what was found here. Their aesthetic work on the trim is ugly imo though I could be biased hehe but imo they ruined the stock lines by blending the audio control trim and the radio trim.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS19PTQv3yY

 

[Dodik]

You don't want to go that route, trust me.

yeah i went with the original idea, was able to find longer ribbon cables and all is well for now. By the way thank you for all the info you provided, if it wasn't for this thread i probably wouldn't have done it

 

[06b9beca]

yeah i went with the original idea, was able to find longer ribbon cables and all is well for now. By the way thank you for all the info you provided, if it wasn't for this thread i probably wouldn't have done it

Wow, this looks INCREDIBLE.

 

[tsm106]

yeah i went with the original idea, was able to find longer ribbon cables and all is well for now. By the way thank you for all the info you provided, if it wasn't for this thread i probably wouldn't have done it

That is awesome, congrats on a fine looking install. It looks just like mine does!

You're very welcome on the info. Actually I'm surprised no one else attempted the install. All in all I don't think it is actually that difficult if one is mechanically inclined. You've gotta know car stereos to some minor degree sure, but its not serious install work. I'd say its similar to building a serious computer rig with a watercooling loop but not as tedious.

Oh btw, what did you use for SWC control? I ended up switching to a PAC SWI but the track skipping doesn't work right on when playing mp3s. It keeps resetting the playlist to the first track, very annoying.

 

[Dodik]

Oh btw, what did you use for SWC control? I ended up switching to a PAC SWI but the track skipping doesn't work right on when playing mp3s. It keeps resetting the playlist to the first track, very annoying.

same thing, although the it died on me for unknown reason, just bought a new one so will install and try agian.

they are very finicky, make sure that all the connections are good as they work off the resistance and any problem there might make it not work, also if possible you could try setting different buttons for different commands

 

[CraigJ]

Ok so I stopped by my local audio/tint place. The guy there said he had done one tribeca before, but he put the radio where the NAV screen is, and moved the screen below.

??? what the heck?

This just doesn't seem possible without some major cutting and hacking.

There is no room for a stereo behind the stock touch screen, unless you start cutting into stuff, i'm not sure you should cut into...

I don't think I would want this audio guy within 1000 miles of my Tribeca.. (OK actually my wife's.. sometimes she lets me drive it)

Egads.

We just got our Tribeca, today is one week and we LOVE it. The one thing it came without was the factory touchscreen, which they are installing tomorrow. So while I don't know that much about our Tribeca yet, one thing I DO know.. is how little space there is behind that Factory screen.

-Craig

ps. Dodik and tsm106... OMG that is Awesome, Thank you for posting this stuff. Ours may look like that very soon.

 

[monsterbash]

Thanks.

(...) I've already written a general walkthrough in pm's for another member. I can see that it gets forwarded to you. The most important part is in securing a replacement HVAC panel off ebay and modifying the stock ribbon cables from failure.

Hi tsm106,

I know it's been a long time since your OP. Absolutely FANTASTIC what you've done !!!
I still hava a Tribeca 2008 and would like to try that. If possible, would you mind sending (PM) me that "walkthrough" ?

Thanks in advance and best regards !!!

 

[tribecadean]

double din

I would like to do this.
Awesome work. nice how you have the climate controls working too.

I hope someone can walk us thru w photos

Dean

 

[Dodik]

I doubt anyone has any photos to do a walk thru,
The entire setup electrically is not any more difficult then swapping in a regular car stereo, the only thing is you have to keep the original in there as well.

How i started.
First buy a new faceplate find one as cheap as possible.
Then flip it around and remove everything from it, just leaving a bare plastic shell. the front volume.power control button is removed by pulling on it pretty hard, everything else has a screw holding it.

Once you have a bare shell, take your new stereo an mount it in the dash using original brackets, then find a way to mount original stereo below it as it will still be somewhat functional. once you figure out how and where everything will go its time to start cutting the face.
something like this

With every stereo i bought there is generally a square trim piece for the front of the stereo.
So you install stereo on its final place, then you lay trim ring on the stereo and finally you lay your freshly cutout faceplate into final position. I used plastic weld to tack trim ring to the faceplate, once plastic weld is cured, take the faceplate now with attached trim ring off, and start filling in the gaps and make it pretty again.

eventiually it will look like this.

 

[Dodik]

So now you have physically fitting two stereos into the dash, time for the not so fun work.

Rear splicing, i used two harnesses, so that i dont cut into my original one.
you will need harness that plugs into the original car side and another that plugs into the stereo, basically a 8 inch extension, with the exception that to this extension you will direct all the wires to the new stereo harness making it a three way type of thing.
your old stereo will keep all the power wires, illumination etc, while new stereo will have all the speaker wires and so on as well as power obviously.
Now if you want steering wheel controls to work you will need an adapter there is pac and awvs or something like that.
If you have subwoofer, you will need to splice off those wires as well, if you want back up cam this deals only with new stereo so just follow the instruction supplied with back up cam.

 

[WHTim]

longer cables

Where did you find the longer ribbon cables?

yeah i went with the original idea, was able to find longer ribbon cables and all is well for now. By the way thank you for all the info you provided, if it wasn't for this thread i probably wouldn't have done it

 

[Dodik]

aliexpress irc it was 0.8mm pitch, 30 pin cable you will have to cut unused portion along the length,

 

[tsm106]

Threads still going, wow.

Where did you find the longer ribbon cables?

If in a pinch, you can use the ribbons from your original faceplate. That is if you bought a 2nd one.


Btw, I saw video from a custom shop. Imo, they ruined the lines of the Tribeca dash their bondo work.

https://youtu.be/GS19PTQv3yY?t=54

 

[Dodik]

yeah thats fugly as hell,