Upgrading Volvo RTI display to Android Auto

(or Carplay)

Replacing your original Volvo RTI for an Andoid Auto (or Carplay) display is a great value, but takes some time and effort.

I did it for my 2011 C70, but it won’t be much different for the other P1 models.

In this article, I share my experiences so you can get it up and running at once.

Disclaimer: It is purely to share my experiences: I give no guarantee or whatever.

Buy the kit

I bought my kit at aliexpress: Android For VOLVO C30 S40 C70 2006 – 2012 Car Auto Radio Multimedia Video Player Carplay GPS Navigation camera Screen DVD Screen

It contains: Frame, housing, display, cableset, bone-tools, CanBus decoder, dashcam and rear cam.

How doe it work?

Complete new system

You replace the existing display with a completely new display unit, including a new cover.

The new display is an autonomous android computer with its own cell phone (and its own sim card), its own GPS and its own apps.

After correct installation, the display switches on and off with your carrs accesories and automatically connects to your phone.

Original RTI is redundant

The original Volvo screen and its dashboard cover are removed. The new screen no longer folds down

Although I have not yet removed the RTI DVD player in the glove box, I think that should be possible; it no longer has function.

Android Auto is an app

If you only want to use Android Auto, as I do, the ‘Android Auto app’ on the display uses this system as an external screen from your phone on the dashboard in the car. That’s the screen you normally use to control the navigation and media system. So Android Auto allows you to run your phone’s applications on the screen in your car. The home screen of Android Auto is your home screen, where you see shortcuts to the apps most important to you. This way you can access all your apps from your phone on the display.

Antennas

It is not entirely clear to me which GPS antenna is being used now; the one on the phone or the one on the display. So I installed all the included antennas and other input devices.

Volvo Sound System

The original sound system remains intact. So you can continue to use the original radio and CD player.

For sound output, the display has an AUX output that connects to the AUX input of your car. So you keep the fine sound system of your Volvo.

Hint: Check cable-set

After arrival, check the cableset: mine had TWO broken connections; cables came lose from under the shrink tubing connection. (Pull the cables in the black heatshrink tubing to make sure they are secure!)

Step 0 – Before Starting:

• Open your doors so the windows go down for opening (otherwise you can not open/close doors without power!)
• Disconnect the negative cable from the battery (you do not want short circuits or  upsetting the Canbus signals)

Step 1 – Removing the Original RTI

Frame

• The display frame has four clamping lips: two on the front and two on the back.
• Rock the frame up using the auxiliary tool provided.
• Keep the iron clips: you will need to transfer them to the new frame.

Display

• The RTI display is mounte with 4 T25 screws: losen them and take the whole unit out.
• Disconnect the two connectors from the RTI: they will be no longer used.

Hint: Removing car cable connectors

• Most car cable connectors have a tab to secure it in place. Press the tab, and wiggle the connector loose
• I will point out the location of these tab’s since sometimes you have to work by touch

Step 2: Removing the radio Frame

• The frame has two clamp lips: left and right top
• Unclip these with the bone tool and tilt the frame forward

Step 3: Removing dasboard panel behind waterfall

• Behind the waterfall dash is a small panel that you easily losen with the bone tool from above and then remove in its entirety

Step 4: Removing the center console

To disconnect the original radio, the “waterfall” dashboard must be removed. To do that, the center console must be loosened.

1. Handbreak cover

• First, remove the handbrake cover plate. This is firmly attached with three lips. Push the plate to the left (driver site in Left Hand Drive). You may have to use a screwdriver to pry up the lugs of the tabs

2. Console cover

• Remove the two screws under the armrest cover
• Use the bone tool to lift the upper cover of the centerconsole; Wiggle up the 4 mounting tabs. The cables from the roof switch and cigarette lighter are very short.
• Disconnect the rooftop switch- and lighter connectors.

Step 5: Removing the Radio display

• Place your hands beyond the display and wiggle the display toward you; it is attached with two clip tabs.
• The display has two connectors: 1 fiber optic and 1 control.
• The release of the large connector is at the top. That of the fiber optic connector is on the side

Step 6: Removing the Waterfall

This part is attached with 4 screws and a connector.

• Remove the top two screws.The bottom two are slightly hidden:
  • Down right you can access through the cigarette lighter hole
  • On the left you can access through the slot of the hand brake cover. (Be careful not to drop the screws into the tunnel!)
• Once the four screws and connector are loose, you can pull the entire dash toward you and gently pull the “feet” out from behind the rest of the console. I had to bend the plastic of the console up slightly, but it can be done.

Step 7: Removing the Radio

• Release the two screws from the radio
• From rear, wiggle the radio out.
  Note: The radio has a curb that sticks behind the edge of the dashboard: push the edge up a bit with the bone tool
• The radio has three connectors: (See also ‘Radio Connector Pinout below)
  • Two black antenna cables
  • Large gray connector
  • Fiber optic connector
• Disconnect all three The release lips should be visible now.

You are now done disassembling: we will start to build in the new display.

Installing the new display

Step 8: Preparing the display cover and antennas

• There are two antennas:
  • The GSM/DAB antenna (long one)
  • The GPS antenna (Square one)
• First I tried to bring them behind the mirror, however the cables are not long enough. Placing them on the window, they where irritating in sight. So I changed the cover a bit to put them on the cover itself.
  • Dril a 10 mm hole in the edge of the display cover; the part that later disappears into the bottom cover. Make sure the antenna plugs will fit through it.
  • Make two 4.5mm holes for the cables; just above the edge of the bottom cover (see photo) and provide a slot to the 10mm hole
  • Pull the cables through the hole and stick the antennas in place as shown.
  • Screw the display cover to the bottom cover with the four screws.
  • Tie the antenna cables in a bobbin

Step 9: Attaching the cable set

Detour cables

• The cable set has two detours/connections to the display:
  • One between the radio and the radio cable. This provides permanent 12v on the display and for the AUX connection.
  • The second is between the display and the display connector. This one provides connection to the CANBUS module (which should route the steering wheel controls to the display.
  • Connect the detour cables on the original Display- and radio cables; the other sides will now go to the radio and display.
  • Bring the leads from the detour cables up through the hole behind the alarm light switch.

Hint: how to guide the new cables

• When the radio is put back in place, the new cables should not get caught. They are just long enough, so there is hardly any slack.
• Take into account the other cables so that the new cables do not have to go around the old ones, wasting space that way
• I routed the cables LEFT past the radio, which is a little fiddly when sliding the radio back later. The CANBUS lead from the display bypass is very short; make sure you have enough room to get the display connector on the display later!
• I ran the USB and SIM card cable (about which more later) RIGHT past the radio

Display cabling

Display Connectors

1. black power connector
2. large white utilities connector
3. CANBUS connector
4. USB 1 connector (front dashcam)
5. USB 2 connector (I us for cellphone battery loading)
6. Rear Camera connector (the two small blue wires are WIFI and Bluetooth antennas)
7. GPS antennaconnectorr
8. GSM antenna connector

Since we keep using the car radio, no FM antenna is needed

Hint: how to start cabling

• After installing the detour cables, it is best to work from the display to the rest of the car: that way you don’t keep unnecessary cable pieces residing in the already cramped cable compartment under- and behind the display.
• Feed all cables through the hole in the cover to the space under the cover so you can easily tilt the display up and down when you want to reach it.
• Use plenty of tie wraps to make cable bundles: This will prevent disarray, cable breakage and rattling
• Especially make sure that before and after a splice in the cables (visible through the black heatshrink) a tie wrap stabilizes things (I had a cable come loose twice!)

Connecting auxiliary cables

• Pull all cables from the display as far as possible below the cover, in order to save space behind the display.
• Connect the (new) AUX cables from the radio to ‘AUX OUT’ of the display.
• Make sure all plugs are connected (CANBUS see below)

The second USB and the SIM card holder we carry down to be bessible behind the waterfall.

Step 10: Place microphone-, dashcam-, rear cam- and CANBUS cables

Left or Right?

• I specifically did not want to run cables past airbags to prevent them from somehow conflicting with an airbag. That’s why I’m going along the driver’s side to the side of the car.
• I first tried down along, but then the microphone cable is really too short. So better go above long!
• There is no airbag in the window post of the car, so you can safely open it.

Opening the Tacho Housing

• The tacho Housing has two screws on the top. remove them
• Pull the steering wheel down and towards you as far as possible
• Pull the housing towards you to remove it
• Looking from the tacho right up, you see the passage to the space below the display

Opening the left dashboard cover

• With the door open, you can remove the left side of the dash with the bone tool
• Using the bone tool’s “crowbar,” you can now remove the gray plug from the ventilation attachment, and take out the ventilation attachment. (see left bottom in the picture)
• In the photo I have removed the panel under the steering column: it is unnecessary.

Opening the left window pillar cover and place dashcam and microphone

• Place the dashcam RIGHT of the mirror; in this way you will be able to access the memory card
• Use the bone tool to pull off the cover
• Using the bonetool, push the cable under the cover above the window and let it exit into the window pillar
• The cable of the microphone should be just long enough to come out at the end of the window pillar cover.
• Secure cables with tie wraps to prevent rattling.
• Push the cover back into place; use the bone tool to put the rubber back in place
• Stick the microphone as close to the driver as possible
• Tie all cables that are too long together behind the side cover of the dash and secure them with a tiewrap

Connect cables and lead to left side of car

Pull the cables from the left side of the car, through the tacho space to the space under the display. Bundel them together into a cable harness

• Plug in the microphone connector
• Plug in the Dashcam USB to USB1 connector (take care: It does NOT work on USB2!)
• Plug in the green CANBUS cable (see CANBUS section below) 
• Plug in Rear Cam cable (see REAR CAM section below) 

Step 11: With- or without CANBUS decoder

The CANBUS decoder is used to connect the steering wheel controls from the original RTI to the new display.

This decoder also causes the display to “know” that you put the car on ignition (by sending 12v to pin 2 ‘ACC’ of the power connector) and that the car is in reverse (by sending 12v to pin 3 ‘Reverse’ of the power connector).

Since I could not get the CANBUS module to work, I made a tap at the cigarette lighter to pin 2: now the display goes on and off automatically with the ignition (ACC)

Question 1

After installing everything and starting the car, my boardcomputer gave serious alarms about malfunctions in break, airbag and lumination. When disconnecting the CANBUS decoder, the system recovered. I guess I did something wrong here: the two small connectors could be swapped to connect…

Question 2

Supplier’s description on connecting the rear camera says that pin 11 should be a black ‘back’ cable. Another description says that it should be on pin 3. In reality there is no black ‘back’ cable. On which pin should 12v go when the car is in reverse?

3 = Reverse?

Question 4

When using Waze or Google Maps in Android Auto: Which GPS antenne will be used?

1. Antenna from phone?
2. GPS Antenna from display?

Reassembling the ​Dashboard

The display

1. When all cables are neatly tied together and fed through the base cover: fold the display into its housing and fix with a screw

2. Put all cables into the space under the cover and place the cover in place (wait a moment to fix with the original clips).

The side covers

3. Replace the ventilation tube and secure with the gray plug.

4. Close the window pillar cover (if not done already) and the left dashboard cover; give it a firm tap so that the clips audibly click into place.

The Radio

This takes a little patience…

5. The branches of the radio cables as well as the display cables go LEFT up past the radio. In my opinion there is no room to go behind. If you do, such a cable will get stuck when screwing on the radio.

6. USB2 kabel met de SIM kaart kabel gaan RECHTS langs de radio naar beneden en komen achter de waterval ter hoogte van de waterval connector naar buiten.

7. When the radio is back in place nicely, screw it in place. You can possibly check if the cables are free by trying to pull them up slightly from above. 

The Radio Display

14. insert the optic fiber connector first; it has the most slack

15. Now insert the display connector; pay attention to the “click” so that it is really secure.

16. Push the display into place; you will hear the click.

17. Reinstall the radio-display cover: bottom first

Connector PinOut descriptions