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Originally Posted by thriller

2016 BRZ Aftermarket Head Unit Install


Almost all of this information was compiled from these two threads. Many thanks to @Akuma147, @Luftwaffel, @sLoPy, @SVXdc, and everyone else who contributed. This is just my attempt to distill many pages’ worth of info into one post for 2016 BRZ owners. Although this is specific to a 2016 USDM BRZ, I've tried to include additional information for different model years as well.

2016 BRZ Head Unit Wiring Harness
DIY - Aftermarket Head Unit install on 2017 BRZ

This thread will also be helpful to take everything apart:

Full BRZ interior disassembly for sound deadening - lots of pics, every panel off

Mechanical

There’s 3 good options if you are installing a standard 7” aftermarket double-DIN head unit. I used the AV Escutcheon with an Alpine iLX-107, since I have a 2017 Canadian (rectangular opening) dash trim on my 2016 USDM BRZ, but it should be pretty similar for most. However, the brackets holding up the 2016 head unit interfered with the Escutcheon, and I had to Dremel out a few millimeters from the Escutcheon (on the sides of the head unit, so completely invisible from the front).

If you are very particular about small gaps, or if you end up with a large gap above or below the head unit when using the Metra or Escutcheon adapter, you can use some black foam to make small adjustments, buy some black rubber gaskets to fill in the gaps, or look for other solutions.

2012 - 2015 BRZ or any dash trim with rectangular opening. Converts standard 4” x 7” head unit to the 4” x 8“ (200mm) opening:

Gloss (piano) black:

Subaru BRZ AV Escutcheon (JDM spacer) - P/N H0017CA900

Matte black ABS plastic:

Metra 95-8202

2016 - up BRZ or any dash trim with trapezoidal opening:

Scosche SU2032B (gloss black)

Connectors

There are 7 connectors for the factory head unit coming out of the dash. Here’s what you need for those connections one by one, as well as the layout for each of the connectors, in case you need it. Please note that the pin layout is based on the connectors inside your dash, so if you look at the ones on your harness connector, they will be reversed (for example on the 6-pin connector, the RR speaker (green wires) are on the right side of the connector (pins 2 & 6) but if you look at the connector on your harness, the green wires for RR speaker will be on the left side.

10-pin Connector
(Front speakers / power)

Pin Layout:

1 - Right front speaker (+)
2 - Left front speaker (+)
3 - Accessory (+) 12v
4 - Battery / constant power (+) 12v

5 - Right front speaker (-)
6 - Left front speaker (-)
7 - Ground
8 - Power antenna
9 - Not used (you may need to move this wire to 28-pin connector, pin 9 on your aftermarket harness for 2016-up)
10 - Illumination (+) (not used on my head unit, but if your head unit has a wire for it, use this one instead of 28-pin connector, pin 3)

6-pin Connector
(Rear speakers)

Pin Layout:

1 - Right rear speaker (+)
2 - Left rear speaker (+)

3 - Right rear speaker (-)
4 - Not used
5 - Dimmer? (black/white wire in the dash connector, but no wire for it on the Metra 70-1761)
6 - Left rear speaker (-)

What you need:

Metra 70-1761 (includes both 10 & 6 pin connectors) and solder each wire to the corresponding wire on your head unit’s harness

Or any head unit-specific Toyota / Subaru harness if you want to skip the soldering. As long as it has 10 and 6 pin connectors, you should be ok, except you may need to disconnect pin #9 from the 10-pin connector and move it to pin #9 on the 28-pin connector for the OEM amp (door speakers won’t work if you don't)

Power antenna wire note: on my Metra harness, pins 8 and 9 were wired together, presumably to account for either position of the power antenna connection. This blue wire (not blue/white, that’s the power amp wire) should go to your head unit’s power antenna connection. The blue wire from the Metra 40-LX11 is not used on the BRZ and can be snipped off. A double check of the connector in the dash of a 2016 BRZ confirmed there is nothing for this wire to connect to. If you have a different model year or aren’t sure if you need it, just solder the blue wire from the Metra 40-LX11 onto the other 2 blue wires (one from the power antenna connection of head unit, the other from 10-pin connector, pin 8/9).

28-pin Connector
(Mic/Amp/Backup Cam/Aux/Steering Wheel Controls)

Pin Layout:

1 - Not used
2 - Reverse signal
3 - Bright (not typically used by aftermarket)
4 - Mic power (+) 5v
5 - Mic signal (+)
6 - Mic Detect
7 - Not used
8 - Not used
9 - Amp signal (+) 12v
10 - Not used
11 - Backup camera power (+) 6v
12 - Backup camera video signal (+)
13 - Backup camera video signal (-)
14 - Not used
15 - Parking (e-brake)
16 - Not used
17 - Vehicle speed sensor (VSS)
18 - Mic shield ground
19 - Mic signal (-)
20 - Camera power ground
21 - Not used (steering wheel control 2017-up)
22 - Not used (steering wheel control 2017-up)
23 - Not used (steering wheel control 2017-up)
24 - Not used
25 - Aux enable
26 - Aux right
27 - Aux ground
28 - Aux left

What you need:

Aux, Backup Camera, VSS, & OEM Amp

Here’s three options. The first two include a voltage converter for the backup camera. For the third option, you will need to buy one separately.

Autoharnesshouse 28-pin connector (this is what I used):

http://www.autoharnesshouse.com/67122.html

This includes 12v to 6v converter.

There will be a yellow RCA video cable that you connect to your head unit’s backup camera input, red and black RCA cables to connect to your head unit’s AUX input (depending on your head unit, you may need a female stereo RCA to male 1/8” stereo converter).

There will be 6 remaining wires:

Amp Power: solder to head unit’s Amp Power / Remote wire. If you don’t connect this wire, the OEM amp will not work and you will get no sound from the door speakers.
E-Brake: solder to head unit’s E-Brake / Parking connection (if it has one, otherwise just tape it off)
Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS): solder to head unit’s VSS wire (if it has one, otherwise just tape it off)
Reverse: solder to head unit’s reverse / back up wire (if it has one, otherwise just tape it off)
Ground: solder into the black ground wire running from the 10-pin connector, pin 7 to the head unit’s ground connection
Video ground: solder into the black ground wire running from the 10-pin connector, pin 7 to the head unit’s ground connection (there will be 4 total wires connected)

Or

Metra AXSUB28SWC6V (there are many comments about poor quality & the pins not being straight on this particular connector, so you definitely want to inspect the pins, and you may have to straighten out the pins manually)

Includes 12v to 6v converter

Wiring is presumably similar to the above

Or

Metra AX-SUB28SWC (not sure if quality is any better)

PLUS

12v to 6v power converter for backup camera

DROK 12V to 6V Converter P/N B00CGQRIFG / 090597
12v (+) red wire from DROK to 28-pin, pin 2
12v (-) black wire from DROK to 10-pin, pin 7
6v (+) yellow wire from DROK to 28-pin, pin 11
6v (-) black wire from DROK to 28-pin, pin 20
RCA (yellow) from harness to RCA (yellow) head unit

The remaining wires should be similar to the above

Steering wheel controls (2017-up)

AXSUB28SWC6V and 120ASWC1 - see Akuma147’s excellent 2017 Head Unit Install DIY:

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111866

OEM Mic

Don’t bother trying. It was poor quality to begin with and if you can get it to work, it will probably sound even worse. Use the mic your aftermarket head unit came with. Route it either under the dash and up the driver’s side A-pillar to come out near the visor, or behind the glove box, up the passenger A-pillar, and behind the headliner to come out near the rear view mirror or in the OEM spot. I have both my aftermarket mic and my dash cam routed out of the headliner next to the rear view mirror and they are very discreet looking from the inside and almost invisible from the outside. Or the easiest way is to just route it out of the dash near the steering wheel.

This thread will be helpful for getting things apart:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53511

USB Connector (BRZ Limited)

2012 - 2015 BRZ: Metra AX-SUBUSB

2016 - up BRZ: Metra AX-SUBUSB2

Just connect it to the factory USB connection and directly to your head unit’s USB port

Antenna Connector

Metra 40-LX11

Connect the antenna side to your head unit, the plastic connector goes into the connector in your dash, snip off the blue wire for 2016 models (see Power antenna note above)

GPS Connector

Check for an adapter for your specific head unit or just use the GPS antenna your head unit came with. I used the one that came with my head unit and routed it behind the glove box, up and out of the gap where the dash meets the passenger-side A-pillar, then ran it along the dash next to the windshield and glued it next to where the OEM one is (look for the dome on your dash). I didn’t have to remove the entire dash for either this or for my mic, but removing the glove box, the A-pillar, and the side dash piece that faces the passenger door was extremely helpful.

Supplemental Ground Connector

You can probably just rely on the ground from the 10-pin connector, pin 7 for an aftermarket head unit (I did with no issues). If you are using metal brackets to attach the new head unit to the metal brackets in your dash, you could bolt this connector onto one of the brackets in your dash to ground the whole thing, but it’s probably unnecessary.

Are the pinouts on the 28 pin the same on base model 2031 FR-S? A lot of the pin locations are not occupied like the diagram. For instance the #2 pin reverse signal. There is no wire on my car. Then again my car did not have anything in the headunit that would require a reverse signal. My new aftermarket unit does tho.