Pioneer Avic D2 Installation in a 2006 Subaru Impreza
I've had my eye on a Pioneer Avic-D2 for quite a while. Crutchfield was running a great deal and I grabbed one right after I bought my new car. It's a bit more complicated than the iPod install, but it's still not too difficult. And please note that I'm not responsible if you screw up your car because of your own mistake or mine.
1. Remove console and dash.
Before you do anything, disconnect your battery! Now, remove the piece around the shifter buy pulling up on the part furthest from the dash (see picture.) This piece comes off very easily. There's no need to remove it completely. You just need to get to the screws at the bottom of the dash. Remove those two screws. The dash takes a bit more work to get off. There are four snaps. The bottom two come off easily but you have to pull the top two harder than you would like. I found it easier to slip a small screwdriver in the crack and help pull it out.
2. Remove factory stereo
There are six screws (3 on each side) holding the stereo in. Remove those and the stereo pulls right out. Disconnect the wires from the back. You'll need the mounting brackets so remove those as well. Those screws are EXTREMELY tight. Be very careful not to strip the heads. I finally go three off but one of them wouldn't budge. I stripped the head despite my best efforts. I ended up having to buy a new mounting bracket from the Subaru dealer. Luckily they were in stock.
3. Wire the harness
I don't have many pictures of this part because the info you get from Crutchfield and Pioneer is all you need. There are a lot of wires to connect, but it's not difficult.
This is also the point where I diverted from the instructions. If you follow the instructions, you cannot use most nav features or display video while the car is in motion. It's possible to get around this resetriction though. First, there is one plug in the Pioneer harness that is not used. Insert a new wire into that slot. I used the auto antenna wire (blue) since I don't have an auto antenna. Ground that and ground the parking brake wire. Also, do not hook up the speed sensor. The extra wire in the harness disables the internal gyros and grounding the parking brake wire makes the unit think the parking brake is always on.
4. Put mounts on Pioneer
Remove the metal cage and two black mounts from the sides of the AVIC. Take those factory stereo mounts and install them onto the AVIC. I did one at a time so I could line up the new mounts with the old mounts. You want the front of the stereo to be the same depth as the old one.
5. Connect all the wires
Plug in the newly wired harness, antenna, and GPS unit. I also plugged in an AV plug for my iPod. I ran the GPS receiver under the steering wheel, around the driver's side of the dash, and mounted it in the front left corner of the dash near the VIN tag. I routed the cable for the iPod under the center console and popped it out near the cupholders. It might also look cool if it came out through the ash tray/coin holder.
6. Test
At this point, reconnect your battery and turn on the car to see if you have power and sound. Don't worry about the GPS at this point. If you don't have sound to all your speakers then go check your wiring.
7. Finaly assembly
All that's left is putting it all back together. Screw the mounting brackets in and replace the plastic molding. Before you get too far, check to see that the face will slide open without hitting the modling. I had to remove the felt pads around the plastic molding to get it to slide smoothly. Now take it out for a drive and see how the GPS works. If you mount it inside, make sure you use that metal mounting plate they provide. I didn't get good reception without it.
8. Hack!
The unit is pretty cool now, but I have some more plans for it. Stay tuned...
[Please use my Crutchfield referral ID] I've received emails from numerous visitors who have found this site useful. Line from North Carolina suggested that I make a note of my Crutchfield referral ID. If you buy from Crutchfield and use my referrer ID, we'll both get a $20 credit towards our next $200 purchase. Here's more info about how it works. If you find my site useful and end up buying from Crutchfield, it would be great if you popped in my referral code, but please don't feel any obligation to do so. My code: pwcb9-p83kg-k1qc0