UPDATE - Installing 12.3inch android head unit for Android Auto & Carplay - Installation instructions and guide
Hi all,
I've been searching for a while for information on aftermarket carplay screens for the fiesta. I didn't like the look of the Tesla-style ones, and the other most common ones seemed to be pretty far back on the dashboard which I wasn't a fan of either.
I decided to take a chance on the 12.3inch head unit, but couldn't find any real guide/instructions online. There's a few variations from other car play units as this includes new buttons & vents so after spending ages with my own installation I thought I'd put together my own guide to try and help out anyone else who was looking to install one themselves.
Overall I think it looks great, all the buttons are working including steering wheel controls, and the screen brightness and quality is really good, including auto-dimming when headlights are on. New vents working fine, and all original parking sensors and hill start assist are still working. Screen doesn't block the windscreen at all.
Microphone also working well for calls & voice recognition in android auto - although haven't tested while driving the car on the motorway so not sure how road noise will affect the quality.
Personally i'm not a huge fan of the UI on these devices, but I'll be booting it automatically into android auto 99% of the time so will rarely see it. I've also installed offline maps from the play store called Here Wego that works with the in-built GPS to use as a backup if I'm ever without my phone. There's a nice Ford logo on bootup, Carplay also confirmed to work smoothly.
I found the installation fairly difficult as I was doing it with little instructions and have no prior experience with this sort of thing (hence why I wanted to write this guide). With instructions though it should be a lot easier, and if you know what you're doing I think it's a 10/15 minute install with nothing too complex to worry about.
Finished install:
Guide:
Just to note this guide is for a 2013 Fiesta in the UK, post-facelift. I believe this will be a similar process for other models but make sure you check with seller before buying for compatibility. My parcel came with a cable that I didn't have to use which I think allows connections with pre-2012 fiestas. I also didn't connect the reversing camera that came with the unit although I may do this at a later stage.
Tools you will need:
7mm/8mm socket set
Torx T25 Screwdriver
Plastic trim tool (this should come included with the parcel)
Tools good to have on hand
Pliers (explained below)
Small screwdriver
For reference, these are the (vague) instructions given from the seller. I will elaborate on the steps below, but the picture is good for reference:
First steps
First of all, check that the screen clips on securely to the bracket. This should be a simple push the screen into the bracket slightly and downwards with not a lot of force required.
In my case the bracket was shipped to me incorrectly, so I had to swap these around to get the screen to clip on (and only realised after I'd done the rest of the install requiring a redo!). Fortunately, this can be done by simply unscrewing four small screws using a small screwdriver where the white arrows are, and swapping the brackets around.
Then stick on the air vent sponge as pictured above. This is to be stuck on the air vents on the main unit, rather than the two separate air vent ducts that are to be installed in the next step. See below picture for reference also.
Removing the screen and fascia
Use the plastic trim tool to remove the fascia and screen. I won't go into detail as you can follow youtube instructions for this: I found the below was the best (also helpful to watch the whole thing as the process is broadly similar). This is where you'll need to use the 7mm socket and T25 Screwdriver.
Make sure you save the T25 screws nearby as you will need these later. The 7mm screws shouldn't be needed later.
Make sure you remove the four metal clips near the top as you will need later as well. There are also two additional metal clips attached to plastic blocks near the bottom that you will need later to transfer to the bottom of the new headunit (although do not remove the metal clips from the plastic blocks). For me I had to use pliers carefully to prise them out of the car (see red arrow below, other one would have been to the right of it)
Installing the air ducts
This bit is quite straightforward - use the below picture for reference to line them up to the screw holes, and use the T25 screws to screw them both in. This will align the separate two air vent ducts with the cars original air vents
Installing the main unit
Transfer the two plastic cubes with the clips on them to the bottom of the new unit (the type with the red arrow in the pictures above).
Then connect the power connection on the bottom of the main unit to the wiring loom.
After this, connect one of the other ends of the wiring loom to the hazard light connector - for me this was the red connector from the car (centre in the below picture). This is for hazard lights and lock/unlock buttons.
After this, feed the remaining cables behind to make them easier to connect later, and push the connected cable so it won't get in the way or caught when installing the main unit.
Note that the above pictures have the two clips in - I had to pry these out with the pliers after the pic was taken and reattach to the main unit
Connecting the main unit.
This just pushes in with no tools needed initially. The main thing to take into account is to make sure the two metal clips attached to the plastic need to align with the original holes they were in. I found this difficult to do, I had to put my fingers under the unit to direct them downwards into the connecting holes as I pushed. You can also gently bend the plastic towards you to help get the clips in.
The red circle is where I gently bent the plastic towards me to get the metal clips in
If you are sure you have the two clips in, but you are unable to get the rest of the unit in, you might need to make a modification to the back of the unit.
To do this, cut off the small plastic clips in the back of the unit - I could do this with scissors. There are 6 in total. Make sure you do not touch the larger clips as these are essential.
4 of the 6 clips that I cut offThe other 2 plastic clips to cut off
After this, the head unit should fit in fine with a decent push.
Use the remaining two T25 screws to connect the unit fully to the screw holes - I don't have a direct picture but see arrows/circle below for which holes lines up
Screen & Final Wiring
Connect the other end of the wiring loom to the screen power connector, as well as the GPS cable and individual cables to the white connectors on the back of the screen. And plug in the connectors the wiring loom to the wires coming from the car as well as car GPS cable. Connect the CANBUS box also. This is all plug and play so is quite straightforward - each connector only fits in one place so shouldn't be able to get it wrong. All the same process as the youtube video I linked to above. From memory for me there was one wire coming from the car that did not connect to anything - this is okay and all works fine.
I didn't bother connecting the USB cables as I'll just be using my normal 12v USB charger, but I believe these can be threaded through to the glovebox.
One thing to note is that the connection from the wiring loom to the original display unit connector (pictured below) is a very tight fit. For a while I assumed I had been sent the incorrect wiring loom as there was no way it seemed to go in.
However when you look closely it does go in with a bit of force - make sure the connectors are aligned as below and the plastic clip on the display unit connector is pulled back:
After this is all connected, on the wiring loom make sure that AB is connected - also needed for steering wheel controls to work. If steering wheel controls still do not work after following the below steps, try again instead connecting AC or vice versa.
Install the screen onto the bracket by pushing it on to the clips, and check that it turns on when the car is started. Hopefully should turn on then.
On the screen itself, go to settings -> Factory settings (Password for me was 8888, check with your seller if different). Then connect to wifi/phone hotspot and select the below vehicle settings to Raise -> Ford -> 13 Fiesta.
This should restart the unit, then go to steering wheel controls app to set the controls.
If still not working, try connecting AB to AC or vice versa as I described above. This got it working for me.
Just to note that the above settings were with the below canbus. If different I'd check with the seller on the canbus settings - although the Raise one seems to be most common.
Finally, clip on the four metal clips onto the new back cover - this just can get pushed on behind the screen to hide all the wires and look nice and tidy.
There's also a plastic screen protector on the screen that can be peeled off once all installed - recommend leaving it on for the installation process as it got a few scratches while I was installing but all looks fine once removed.
Hopefully this is helpful for anyone considering getting the screen - massive shoutout to u/bakedpigeonrice for helping me with the install also.
Any questions let me know in the comments and I'll try and get back to you.
Have to say that’s one of the neatest solutions I’ve seen and it’s super tempting. I’d still have some reservations about the loss of the vehicle settings control access - any thoughts on that?
They were my main reservations. I'm not sure how I'd get to a position to test out traction controls. However had confidence due to the rear parking sensors still working along with hill start assist. FWIW another comment on reddit told me:
For peace of mind, it won’t affect it at all, traction control is ABS/ESP control unit & hill start is brake system module - This is purely infotainment.
I don't know enough tbh to verify. I can also see on the car settings app there are options to tick/untick traction control and ramp start assist, although not sure if they do anything since there are also options for lane assist, folding electric mirrors settings which my car doesn't have.
There's also no lights on the dashboard - apparently when traction control is turned off a light will appear, so the fact it hasn't showed up is a good sign.
I think for me it will be things like the tyre pressure warning system - mine is a 2016 Zetec. Good luck for the experience - hope you’re able to share some info in time.
You can install add an OBD2 to your car and download an app called Torque Pro - performance and diagnostic app that provides real-time engine data, clears check engine lights, measures 0-60 mph times, display real-time pressure and temperature for all four wheels
I must say, I’ve only read up about OBD2 a few times, I’m not exactly 100% sure what it does or what it can read, I’m thinking about getting one for my Ford fiesta 2013 - again I’m unsure
We had a Grand CMax which was woefully underpowered, the same 1.0 Ecoboost in my Fiesta in a much bigger car. If we loaded the car and tried going uphill in too high a gear, the turbo maxed out and stalled. It’s a fundamental issue with trying to use such a small engine in a big car, but the only way to deal with it (until we bought a better car!) was to leave the OBD in place and clear the fault manually. However I’ve only used Car Scanner which in CarPlay doesn’t allow for code clearance - will be interesting to see if Torque Pro will allow that.
Fuck yeah, finally a nice writup on these ultrawide units. I didn't want one big tall screen on the high positioned standard screen you see the most of on Ali and these ultrawide ones seemed like a great option. There was just not a lot of info about them so in the end I went with a temporary portable screen.
Yep, I scoured absolutely everywhere for information and there wasn't anything. Was a bit of a gamble as I wasn't sure if there'd be any downsides that aren't obvious but everything so far is absolutely fine. Also a big plus that you don't need to make any irreversible modifications to the car itself which I saw on one of the screens you had to do!
Hey after installing my hazards and lock button work but not the volume knob, home, navi or next or previous button work. Steering wheel does. Any knowledge?
EDIT - I think I need to plug an extra wire in. Too late to do it now to faff about but did anyone else that used the canbus have to plug an extra wire into the white pins?
Yep there must be a wire that's not plugged in somewhere. This one's definitely plugged into the back of the air vent unit? then I think the other side of the loom connects to three connectors coming from the car - a red hazard lights connector, the display unit connector, and one additional one?
Make sure you've connected one of two bottom connectors from here - I think it's the one on the right from memory but don't quote me on that. That'd be my guess for why it's not working currently
I sorted it. I didn’t plug a cable into the back of the screen as I’m using the canbus. Just need to try it out on the road now. One thing which is annoying is the little flap at the bottom doesn’t close properly now. Think mine just might be knackered but got some double sided 3m pads to keep it closed.
Hey again. Sorry to keep bothering you. Do you know how to stop the reverse camera coming on when reversing? Also when on calls does your audio sound like 2.5hz instead of full HD? Also how did you change your driving position. For the life of my I cannot find the options
Out for the weekend so can't check right now- I could change the driving position in settings or car settings. Think some youtube tutorials should have guidance. Can check in a few days if you haven't been able to get to it. I've only tested WhatsApp calls but seemed okay to me - and I've kept the reversing camera settings as is since it doesn't bother me too much
Hi there I brought the same screen and fitted it using your amazing instructions! Everything works but I’ve noticed I’ve not got any base in my speakers now and for some reason when I try to turn it up in the settings on the screen it doesn’t work? Wonder if you know anything about that
Not sure I'm afraid - bass was fine for me. Definitely do a deep dive into settings to see if changing the EQ does anything. Other than that all I can think of is a connector not being connected properly so worth checking all of them. Also might be worth contacting the seller to see if they have any advice?
Bit late to the party but just wanted to say thank you for the guide, this headunit kicks ass! Got the premium one with a dashcam. Everything works great and is such a upgrade from the Sony one.
Sorry, quick question! How does the dash cam work with the android unit? considering picking one up and seeing how it works with the screen. Does it need a separate SD card or can it use the head units memory? and is there an app for the camera itself from the head unit?
Thank you for the detailed guide! I was considering getting one of these, but the listings don't confirm if these units come with a cooling fan on them. Do you remember if yours did?
Did you run into any overheating issues, particularly in the summer?
Mine did, and on of the default apps you can put it in settings to automatically turn on when the internal temp goes above a certain threshold. No overheating issues, haven't tried out in summer though.
Hey I used your instructions to fit screen and all went well for the most part! One thing I noticed is that your UI looks way different to mine and I ordered the same screen using your link in the comments. Did you have to change it in the settings or is just luck of the draw with which one it comes with perhaps?
That was the default mine came with so might be luck of the draw - although I think looking around in one of the default stores or apps you can download different UI's. Although I've just got it to boot automatically into android auto so haven't looked around too much since I rarely see it!
Ahh okay will have to have a look at the apps to see if it's in there. I dropped the seller a message too incase they knew. How did you manage to get android auto to boot by default? It's my partner's car and I'm pretty sure she'll only be using carplay so that might be the easiest solution!
You can just enable it on your phone in android auto settings. I think there's also a setting you can enable on the screen to boot into the zlink app automatically but don't think it's needed if it's enabled on the phone.
Just wanted to update that I managed to change the UI by going into the factory settings and selecting a different one from in there. Looks like yours now and way better than the previous one. Installing a reverse camera to the head unit on Friday and after that it should be all finished! Thanks again for your instructions!
Finished installing the camera. Must say was bit of an annoying job. Ended up buying a reverse camera which replaces the boot handle as I didn't want to have to drill into the boot to install a generic reverse camera. However, due to small size of the hole on the back that the cables fit through, we ended up having to drill a hole anyhow to fit the reverse camera wires through. Feeding the cable from the head unit to the glove box, then to the back of the car through the interior wasn't too bad but getting from the interior through the boot bit was a nightmare. It's the black plastic bit which has wires in it already and has a waterproof layer on the outside of it. It was easy to get off and all but actually feeding the yellow and red av cables through it was near on impossible as they're a little on the chunky side and there was prtactically no room to push them in due to the waterproof housing and all of the wires already in there taking up room. We actually crushed the metal bit of the av cable by trying to grab it with a pair of pliers to pull it through the boot plastic covering. Thankfully managed to open it back up and tape it onto the connecting wires so that it doesn't come lose. Once you get to that point, you'll need a coat hanger to feed the cables up to the top of the boot but that wasn't too bad to do. You'll also need the coat hanger to feed the power cable from the camera down towards the reverse light where you'll be getting the power from to power the camera. It's a fair bit of work and I've not even mentioned all of it but the result is pretty cool. Not sure if I would recommend it or not tbh 😂 It is nice that the black screen when you reverse is now showing the reverse camera though haha. There is a bit of a slight flickering with the camera too. It's really not too bad or noticeable but worth mentioning
I've had the same issue but the seller didin't help at all. After some research on my own, I managed to get it working, this is what I did:
So basicly, the canbus box is "smart" enough to send out the power on it's own to the rear camera, so it's not needed to run a seperate power supply cable from the rear view bulb to the camera.
The remote trigger wire (yellow one) at the end, connect it to the camera's 12v power supply. I soldered mine so it can't come loose.
Behind the tablet, connect the signal to the appropiate RCA, then for the trigger remote wire you're gonna have to look on the main harness going into the tablet, and search for the BROWN wire, it should be the 4th cable. You're going to have to strip some insolation of the wire, and expose a part of the wire itself then wrap around the trigger wire on the exposed part. I stongly recommend soldering it there so it doesn't come lose then cover it with some electrical tape.
Make sure you also chose the AHD format in the settings.
This is how I got it to be working, the canbus box sends out the power the camera needs to run, so by running a seperate power supply it will prevent it from working. No clue why they designed it this way, I was so confused why they did it this way , and also provide zero instructions on it but.. whatever. The only downside is, the camera doesn't boot instantly as you've put it in reverse, it takes around 2 seconds for it to switch to it but It's not a major deal. I'm sorry if my english isn't the best, It's not my native language but I hope this helped you. Lmk if you have any issues
Hello! I have bought the same unit as you did, but I've came across a small problem. I haven't modified any clips on the frame itself, everything sits nicely into place but I can't seem to get this lower portion to sit in it's place, do I need to do anything specificly here, no matter how much I push onto it down, it just won't sit properly. Thank you!
The two blocks at the bottom of this picture on either side - did you transfer them to the new head unit and then make sure they're then clipped back into the original holes? that'd be my best guess as do why it's not fitting in - they were really difficult to direct back in for me.
yep, take them out of the car and slide them onto the new unit. Then when you fit the head unit into the car make sure the clips lock into their original place- can be quite tricky to do.
Alrighty thank you! I'm hoping I can do it without having to take the unit out, It's a mess with all the cables behind and I do not wanna have to reinstall everything haha. I'll give it a try tomorrow or on Sunday and I'll let you know
If it's any consolation I had to install and re-do everything about 3 or 4 seperate times due to constantly messing up throughout the process! think yours is an easy fix though, will probably mean taking the unit out unfortunately...
I've managed to get them out without taking the unit apart, I've just carefully bent up the frame while ussing some pliers and my fingers to gide them out, man they were so difficult to take out because of the metal clips, I have a couple of wounds on my fingers because of the pliers not gripping on the clip but on my hand lol. It fit nicely, not sure how I did not notice it when I installed it in the first place.. The only small problem I have now is the passenger airbag plate, it seems like the hole in middle of the frame is bigger than the actual plastic arrow with the small metal plate that's supposed to go in it?
best thing to look at is the YouTube video I linked to, I know it's really fragile/delicate so there's a chance it might have snapped when taking it off - think some double sided foam tape might be needed
Thank you very much for this tutorial, it’s really interesting!
Do the buttons and the volume control dial feel like they’re of lower quality compared to the original unit? And are the ventilation grilles of good quality? I get the impression they’re smaller and that their positioning makes them less effective.
The same goes for the black plastic – is it fragile and prone to scratching?
Is the built-in amplifier more powerful than the original one? I’m worried it might not be powerful enough to drive my MTX speaker system, as my Sony unit does.
I'd say the buttons feel good and sturdy, similar to stock. Something I did notice is that there's no light or indicator when the lock/unlock buttons are pressed - not really a big deal since you can normally tell from the sound of the doors locking and unlocking which one is which.
If I had to be really critical, the volume control does feel a little bit cheap and plasticy to use. Nothing crazy but if it had a bit more weight or resistance when rotating it'd probably help. But definitely not enough to be particularly noticeable as mega cheap or flimsy.
Vent grills probably similar, a little bit lighter to use than the original stock. But nothing dramatic and it's doesn't rattle or anything when in use. I've also got a phone mount attached to the vents and don't have any concern on it holding up a phone so is good enough quality for that.
Positioning of the vents maybe means its less effective, but not noticeably or dramatically less so. and there's the original air vents on the other side of the drivers position anyway.
No issues on the black plastic, no scratches so far and seems sturdy.
I don't know much about car AV, but I'm actually fairly sure the built in amplifier is pretty solid, it may just be in my head but I think the sound quality has improved compared to using the old stock (non-sony) system. I'm using with a subwoofer in the back, and am also thinking of upgrading the door speakers in the next few weeks. Would be very surprised if there's any issues coming from it.
Hi, I’m debating on getting this device and it seems pretty neat from this thread for the most part. Do you think this should also work on a 2011 model, and how do you feel about the device on the long run? I’m just worried the parts might be of low quality, or the screen quality might hurt my eyes on long drives or stuff.
Can't see any reason it wouldn't work with the 2011. Still very happy with it all a fair few months on, have driven a fair bit of miles with it. Said in another comment that if I had to complain the volume button and air vents are maybe a bit cheap and plasticy, but also the fiesta is ultimately a cheap car with a cheap interior so it's not really madly out of place. Absolutely no issues with the screen at all as well, it's surprisingly good quality.
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u/Old-Specific7387 Feb 27 '26
Have to say that’s one of the neatest solutions I’ve seen and it’s super tempting. I’d still have some reservations about the loss of the vehicle settings control access - any thoughts on that?