The Raspi-based OpenAuto Pro build in my Gen4 Subaru Legacy, will no longer connect wirelessly to my phone (Android Auto).
So the OpenAuto Pro build is going in the bin*, to be replaced with a Sony XAV-AX4000 headunit.
* If anybody wants a Raspi CarPiHat for price of postage, contact me on LinkedIn
What broke?
My Gen4 Subaru legacy is a grey import from Japan. It was a top spec model with a Kenwood FGZ204F2 touch screen nav/ tv/ video etc. Unfortunately is was stuck in Japanese (voice and text) and the nav system had me always in the sea.
I spent a lot of time home building a raspberry based system to replace it, running OpenAuto Pro. With some cajoling this could be made to wirelessly connect to my phone with Android Auto.
However, at some point there has been an update to Android Auto (or Google Play Services) on the phone and it refused to connect with OpenAuto Pro. I got the red screen below on phone.
Easy fix, I thought – update OpenAuto Pro, which should have an updated Android Auto component.
It seems I missed the memo that OpenAuto Pro, and the software’s developer Bluewave Studio seems to be dead in the water. Post below from October 2024 says company got bought & will likely steer away from further development. Then some wotnot about maybe open-sourcing, says Poster, Mitch1298
A fix might be to be side loading a previous version on Android Auto and/or Google Play Services. I did not try this. Seems fraught with future hassle…particularity Google Play Services which is probably sued by a ton of other Android system and Google apps on phone.
And to be honest the home build option was always a bit shit due the to RPi’s loading time.
What i did it ripped it all out and decided to be grownup.
Sony XAV-AX4000
This is a double DIN unit that just has Android Auto wireless plus lots of other Sony goodness out of the packet (in theory). It is fairly pricey by the way (NZ$600). But i was drawn in to the idea of just being able to wire the unit in, in the hole vacating by my home-build unit, and its its done.
Gotcha #3: Not double DIN (the Subaru centre console hole)
The problem I very soon found is that there is nothing double DIN about the top hole in a Gen 4 Subaru Legacy centre console.
DIN stands for the Deutsches Institut für Normung, the German standards institute, by the way. The actual DIN defining head unit sizes is (was) DIN 75490, adopted as ISO 7736.
I don’t know what ‘standard’ the original Kenwood unit abides by except it was annoyingly similar to double DIN to give the the confidence to lay done 600 bucks on the new Sony unit and think it will be an easy swap.
I am not double DIN!
The options of conisdered:
- Cut and modify the original plastic vent component to fit the Sony head unit
- I had bought (as an option as part of the previous process) a modified non-OEM vent component from AliExpress. Its designed to take Chinese 9-inch tablet-like head units that run Android (mobile, or version thereof). the actually look fairly decent; so much so that I was tempted to take the Sony unit back to the shop and take this option.
I went with option 2, sticking with the Sony XAV-AX4000. Option 1 would be a mess.
Gotcha #2: Left hand and right hand drive versions
This is the second gotcha I ran into after the not-double-DIN gotcha. When I first tried fitting the AliExpress vent unit it just would not fit. I thought it was just because it was poorly fitting, but what niggled me was the effort the has gone into making the molds etc for the thing. Upon closer inspection the original Subaru vent unit is not symmetrical so there is a right hand drive and mirrored but wholly incompatible left-hand drive version.
Top one in photo is the original (RHD) vent and the bottom one is the LHD version I had bought.
What an odd design. Why would Subaru do that? It means the vent ducts between the components and air outflows vents also have left-hand and right hand drive variations.
Anyway – I ordered the correct right-hand drive version which fitted perfectly. You click off the ducts from the original Subaru component and they click nicely onto AliExpress one.
Adapter for double DIN
I laser cut this from black 3mm Perspex:
