Hello,

Looking at buying a used 2013 or 2014 F-150 Crew. I currently have an '04 F-150 with an aftermarket Pioneer double DIN radio Nav, bluetooth, backup camera, phone, etc. I may want to put it in the new truck, depending on what I buy. Does anyone have experience here?

Low end radios on the newer trucks appear to have no screen. Can I install a Double DIN radio? Do these models have radio buttons on the steering wheel, etc?

Mid grade seems to have a small screen. How about installing mine in these? It would be nice to find one with a backup camera and hook it up to my radio. Maybe use external buttons, etc?

Thoughts? Jim

 

Hey Jim, I've been through this in the last year. I used Crutchfield, and had a terrible time.
The low end stock stereo....sucks. It does have a 4" screen that gives time, temp, stereo functions etc.
Yes you can put your double din stereo in the newer F150.
The steering wheel controls for the stereo, I believe are there, depending on different options. And you can retain those controls using various harnesses, and modules.
The dash kit I bought, and it looks just like the stock dash is Maestro K-150. It comes complete with ***** for your HVAC, defrost etc. I also bought idata link connector that does a lot for the stereo.
And a picture of my Kenwood, using the dash kit that I told you about.


Unk Bob

 

The issue that guys run into is cost. 10 years ago you could pop an aftermarket radio into a truck for $150 bucks. These new ones are close to $500 just for the parts to do the install, then whatever you spend on a head unit. Many guys are ending up with $1,000 invested by the time they get the nav head unit installed and steering wheel buttons connected. It's just not worth it to most guys.

Best thing to do is shop for a truck that already has the NAV/Sony system installed from the factory.

 

Absolutely true!
The face plate in my truck was $300, and at least another $150-$200 for various harnesses/adapters. That alone is more than I paid for my Kenwood.
But the stock stereo in my 2013 was terrible.

Unk Bob

 

Maybe it doesn't take much to keep me happy, but I'm completely satisfied with the factory system with SYNC in my '13 STX. Somewhere down the line I may look into upgrading the door speakers, but that's about all I have in mind as long as this system continues to work.

 

That's the second time in the last few days I've seen someone make a statement like this. Maybe you're just being had by stereo shops?

This is the invoice for my Pioneer AVH-4200NEX with dash kit and base wiring harness. Add $100 for the idata harness if you have steering wheel controls and Sync. You can get that head unit now for $450 and is still better than any factory Nav unit when utilizing an Android device to run Android Auto with Google voice recognition and Google Maps for navigation. The harness and faceplate combined to be less than $70. It would have added about $100 if I wanted steering wheel controls and Sync. After having two vehicles with Sync, I will never buy another with it (or delete it shortly after purchase.) It's garbage.

 

The stock stereo in my 2011 sound great, but the one in my 2013, with the 4" screen just sucked. And I really, like my music. And SYNC.... I always had to fight it, so I use the bluetooth in the aftermarket stereo. I did also upgrade to Kicker door speakers, with crossovers and tweeters in the front pillar.

I don't feel like I was taken at all. I tried two different Metra kits, and hated them both. The Maestro looks and works just like the stock controls. I do agree with you on SYNC. I've had it in two different trucks and fight it all of the time. So I use the aftermarket stereo's bluetooth. Works perfectly.

 

I'm wondering if you're confusing two different things as the same thing?

The Metra "kit" is just a faceplate. It fits perfect and simply retains the factory button configuration and hvac controls; nothing changes at all there as you can see in the picture I posted. You can still, for less than $100 more than what I paid, get the Maestro interface box and cables to retain factory steering wheel controls and Sync (though I'd skip Sync and use Google voice recognition.)

Earlier this year, my parents picked up a new 2016 F350, diesel, 4x4, with all the bells and whistles, Sync, etc. They drove down to visit us to put some miles on it before towing their RV, and the first thing he did when they arrived was had me go jack with the Sync and connecting his phone through the factory bluetooth. I had forgotten how much I hated Sync. As it turns out, it was just as bad in 2016 as the earlier versions of it I had in 2009 and 2014. He had played with the setup in my pickup before and messed with it some more when he was here.

He has already told me that with less than 10k miles on the truck, next time I go up to visit to bring some of my tools and all the parts needed to install the same unit as mine in his truck. He's already fed up with Sync's BS. Understandably so...

 

Did you already have Nav? I don't see how you could spend $67 bucks and be ready to install a Nav unit unless you already had the opening for it from the factory. Just the new bezel alone is hundreds for a XLT like mine, not including all the wiring. Even places like Crutchfield were going to run me about $500 just to be prepared to install a head unit of my choice.

 

I forgot to throw out my thoughts on the rest of your questions; my bad.

The small screen in the center of the dash can be retained. I was told I would have to get the idatalink cables to keep it working but tried it without first. Turns out that wasn't true.

You can get backup cameras anywhere from cheap to $100+. I spent about $90 on mine to get the Pioneer camera that goes with that head unit. I went that route because it was supposed to be good in low lighting and hid it between my tailgate and bumper. It works great for hooking up trailers by myself. You could also use the OEM camera that replaces the Ford emblem on the tailgate. It's a bit pricey though, at ~$280 new on Amazon.

 

No, I had the base stereo in mine without steering wheel controls. Mine is also an XLT. If you google the part numbers I threw up there, you can see it has everything needed to get the head unit I went with going. That coupled with Android Auto running Google Maps gives you the best navigation on the planet without paying silly subscription or map fees to any of the nav companies.

 

Locked for cleanup

 

All personal attacks and bickering have been removed.

Now, if you can all play nice, ill leave it open.
If not, ill delete the whole thread.

It's up to you.

 

After a few years of listening to the crappy stock radio in my 2013, I decided I would put in all my equipment that was just sitting in my garage from my last truck. I ended up buying the Maestro K-150 and the iDataLink kit and all the stuff that was supposed to make it awesome and easy. Getting the OEM stuff out was easy, getting the new plate in was easy, understanding the manual for wiring was a challenge, but in the end the new "OEM like" control wouldn't work at all. So now it's back to factory and I hate it. I ordered all this stuff online and can't return it and I can't find a stereo shop that will do it for me. I sure miss my 2011, should have never traded it in.

 

I've got the 4200NEX also with the i-maestro. Good combo and has worked well for me.

Incidentally, one of my favorite things about the iMaestro is being able to read the sensors, CEL check and clear, and the gauges ain't no "dummies". Last couple days my radiator fan has been coming on full speed and I can hear it from inside with the A/C on, some music, and traffic noise. Checked my gauges and sure enough, temp was up to over 235c. I've gotta do a quick visual inspection in the morning. When I get to driving around, the temp goes back down. Hoping it's just low on antifreeze.

4200NEX is a great unit. Prices have since dropped now that the newer models are out. Got mine for around $500 year-and-a-half ago.