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My 2018, Carplay & Dual USB Mod

66K views 134 replies 19 participants last post by  astraowner 
#1 ·
#2 ·
So I've done a bit of research and found a few parts on ebay.

I almost bought this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2016-18-Chevy-Tahoe-Yukon-Silverado-CT6-Ctr-Console-USB-Aux-Port-13509942/163721197916?epid=25025323432&hash=item261e8b395c:g:EbcAAOSwnfRb2MyW until i saw the import duty.

Realising that they all said "Made in China" on them I looked elsewhere and found this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/163690525640?chn=ps for £22.01 with free delivery.

I'll update this when it arrives and I've tried installing it!

Ant.
 
#3 ·
Ok, my german is really schlecht....

Would both USB ports be active or is it one fully active port and one "charge only"

I guess that the charging would atleast be the 1A option instead of the useless 0,5A option in my 2016 Vauxhall.
 
#4 ·
I use Google Chrome as my browser that offered to translate the entire thread for me. Worked really well.

As far as I gather, it works fully. Both ports charge, work with CarPlay/Android and USB media. The OP shows his phone and USB stick connected simultaneously.

I'll keep you updated. I'm actually quite excited if this works as I've been missing using my iPod!
 
#5 ·
AstraOwner:

Just a side note as I've just seen your car model. I believe the 2016 uses a different USB connector? Isn't it more flat and square compared to the 2018?

I'm lucky that I have the Navi 900 which should fully work. From the post I mention, R4 users have not been able to use the 3.5mm socket and some 2018 R4 don't have CarPlay? By the sounds of it?
 
#6 ·
AntHunt said:
AstraOwner:

Just a side note as I've just seen your car model. I believe the 2016 uses a different USB connector? Isn't it more flat and square compared to the 2018?

I'm lucky that I have the Navi 900 which should fully work. From the post I mention, R4 users have not been able to use the 3.5mm socket and some 2018 R4 don't have CarPlay? By the sounds of it?
Mine is a standard 2016 with usb and aux inside the armrest. Are you saying that they not only changed what ports are available between MY, but also size and form factor ? I had read somewhere that i could swap my 2016 USB+AUX for a 2017 forward USB. I want to do something as my 2016 only charges at 500mA and this is barely enough to keep the phone from loosing power when using AA, GPS, and so on, and the 2017 onwards should be 1A chargers.

I dont care for the aux port as i will never use it anyway.
 
#8 ·
The part arrived today. Installation was pretty quick but slightly fiddly. Exactly as the German post suggested.

I can confirm that both USB ports work on my Navi 900 as does the Aux. I have had my iPhone and iPod both connected and charging (as yet unable to verify the amp output).

By far the best mod I've made so far!
 
#9 ·
AntHunt said:
The part arrived today. Installation was pretty quick but slightly fiddly. Exactly as the German post suggested.

I can confirm that both USB ports work on my Navi 900 as does the Aux. I have had my iPhone and iPod both connected and charging (as yet unable to verify the amp output).

By far the best mod I've made so far!
Sounds really great.

For android atleast there is an app called "ampere" that usually does a pretty good job of reporting the charging current.

Personally i also have a small dongle that i can plug into a USB port and then plug the cable into this adaptor and then i can see the current charging current in a small display.

When you say "fiddley" is that because you had to take the whole piece of plastic and armrest out of the car to change the port. ?
 
#10 ·
The only thing that was tricky was removing the cables from the existing USB box. Working unsighted trying to undo the cable restraints without knowing how they were designed. When I figured those bits out everything else was easy.

The trim removal tool went up into the cavity to release the clips on the box, again unsighted. If I was doing it again it would take no longer than 10 minutes to do, but the "I don't want to break anything" mentality meant that it took my about 45 minutes.
 
#11 ·
The 2016 only has one USB port, so it's probably not a straight swap with this ...
 
#12 ·
Gunde said:
The 2016 only has one USB port, so it's probably not a straight swap with this ...
But the person in this thread did not have a dual USB to begin with either did he ?

My guess is that there is a HUB chip in the assembly with the 2 USB ports.

Looking at the connectors it seems that there is only one Mini-USB connector and the 5 pin SIL connector like on the original one.
 
#13 ·
My car is a 2018. Gunde is referring to a 2016. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought the 2016 Astra had a different connector. Which is why it may not work. If I'm wrong and it is the same, depending on the radio unit, it may well work.

Thats correct. The unit I removed had one USB only. The replacement had 2x USB and Aux. The connection was a single Mini-USB on the bottom with a 5pin connector (although I believe only 2 pins had wire (but I couldn't see them)).
 
#14 ·
AntHunt said:
My car is a 2018. Gunde is referring to a 2016. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought the 2016 Astra had a different connector. Which is why it may not work. If I'm wrong and it is the same, depending on the radio unit, it may well work.

Thats correct. The unit I removed had one USB only. The replacement had 2x USB and Aux. The connection was a single Mini-USB on the bottom with a 5pin connector (although I believe only 2 pins had wire (but I couldn't see them)).
I have had my car taken apart in that area to retrofit the powerflex bar. Mine also had one mini USB and a SIL (SingleInLine) connector with 5 pins, mine had all wires for all 5 pins.

My guess is that the 5 pins then are :

12V
Ground
AUX-L
AUX-R
AUG-Ground

If your car was not equipped with AUX, then the 3 wires for that is probably missing.

This is a picture of the original one in my car right now. My car is a MY2016

Great thing if the 2 pins on the 5 pin connector is 12V is that this means that the 12V to 5V converter is onboard and then the 5V is probably stronger on the newer versions.

Also there MUST be some sort of usb-hub onboard, to enable the 2 USB's when there is only 1 mini-usb connector.

Were you able to pull the USB part out of the hole and replace it without removing a lot of stuff or will i have to remove the plastic centre part with the armrest to do this ? (Are the wires long enough to not have to take it apart. ?)
 

Attachments

#15 ·
Ouch, i thought the one you linked to with a price of about 22£ was shipped from the UK.

Seems it's shipped from China as well.

Bugger, that makes that part a lot more expensive for me.

In my country import tax and handling is really expensive.

A import tax and handling site estimates that i would have to pay a total of 47£ for this part, all in all.

Anything above 10£ needs to be taxed and the postal service that does the actual work wants 20£ just for the handling.

And then there is VAT on top of the product price.
 
#16 ·
astraowner said:
AntHunt said:
My car is a 2018. Gunde is referring to a 2016. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought the 2016 Astra had a different connector. Which is why it may not work. If I'm wrong and it is the same, depending on the radio unit, it may well work.

Thats correct. The unit I removed had one USB only. The replacement had 2x USB and Aux. The connection was a single Mini-USB on the bottom with a 5pin connector (although I believe only 2 pins had wire (but I couldn't see them)).
I have had my car taken apart in that area to retrofit the powerflex bar. Mine also had one mini USB and a SIL (SingleInLine) connector with 5 pins, mine had all wires for all 5 pins.

My guess is that the 5 pins then are :

12V
Ground
AUX-L
AUX-R
AUG-Ground

If your car was not equipped with AUX, then the 3 wires for that is probably missing.

This is a picture of the original one in my car right now. My car is a MY2016

Great thing if the 2 pins on the 5 pin connector is 12V is that this means that the 12V to 5V converter is onboard and then the 5V is probably stronger on the newer versions.

Also there MUST be some sort of usb-hub onboard, to enable the 2 USB's when there is only 1 mini-usb connector.

Were you able to pull the USB part out of the hole and replace it without removing a lot of stuff or will i have to remove the plastic centre part with the armrest to do this ? (Are the wires long enough to not have to take it apart. ?)
The picture is the same as the one I've replaced.

It was all really easy. The back panel of the armrest comes off. Use a trim tool about a third and two thirds down on either side. You don't have to disconnect any wires from it.

This gives you access to the underside of the connector. I used another tool to release the two side clips first and push it up, but then found that there wasn't sufficient slack to remove it from the cubby hole to disconnect it.

It took a few attempts to get the wires disconnected but was easy enough. Then everything else pushed back together.
 
#17 ·
astraowner said:
Ouch, i thought the one you linked to with a price of about 22£ was shipped from the UK.

Seems it's shipped from China as well.

Bugger, that makes that part a lot more expensive for me.

In my country import tax and handling is really expensive.

A import tax and handling site estimates that i would have to pay a total of 47£ for this part, all in all.

Anything above 10£ needs to be taxed and the postal service that does the actual work wants 20£ just for the handling.

And then there is VAT on top of the product price.
Mine arrived quite easily in the UK without any postal problems. Maybe you know someone who could send it to you as a "gift"?
 
#18 ·
AntHunt said:
Mine arrived quite easily in the UK without any postal problems. Maybe you know someone who could send it to you as a "gift"?
Usually you can chinese sellers to write whatever you want on the package, but the problem is that costums knows this and if they suspect you are cheating, they will hold back the package and ask you to show proof of purchase including the paying price and if i send them a screenshot where i edited the price for example, this is a serious offence, like faking a signature, which is punisable.

It seems that the seller you link to does not have the listing up anymore ?

Thank you for the tip about the back of the armrest coming off, that will make it a lot easier to replace it.

Am thinking about buying the plastic trim with the 2 rear USB sockets, with 3 kids in the back seat, i really need some USB ports there.

Wonder if the PSU for those USB ports are a part of that trim. If not, i can just make one myself, i did this in my old Zafira.
 
#19 ·
AntHunt said:
The picture is the same as the one I've replaced.
Wait, didn't you post a different picture on page 1, saying that's how yours looked??
 
#20 ·
A similar picture. Those are the same size connectors. I googled the 2016 USB port and it showed me a flush fitting one? Maybe it wasn't the correct image that I found?

I just wanted to be clear that I didn't know if it fitted the 2016 model. If it looks like the image I posted and in the eBay link, I guess it should.

Incidentally, the link still works for me.
 
#21 ·
Ok, I'm still unsure if the swap is possible in a 2016 car, and both new USB-ports will work :)
 
#23 ·
Thanks. Seems like it could work. I might have to bite the bullet and try myself :)

Edit: Dang, my location is excluded for some reason. Oh, well. I'm certainly not gonna pay more for this socket.
 
G
#25 ·
AntHunt said:
A similar picture. Those are the same size connectors. I googled the 2016 USB port and it showed me a flush fitting one? Maybe it wasn't the correct image that I found?

I just wanted to be clear that I didn't know if it fitted the 2016 model. If it looks like the image I posted and in the eBay link, I guess it should.

Incidentally, the link still works for me.
Thanks for this! I've bitten the bullet and ordered one! The 421mA socket is annoying the hell outta me, and when I've paid £8,991 for the car an extra £25 isn't gonna hurt!

When it arrives I'll (attempt) to fit it and run current tests on it, so @astraowner, relax fella, you have a fellow electronics nerd to be your guinea pig :)
 
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