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Hi,
I had installed a display unit from a 2017 model that supports CarPlay, unfortunately it didn't work for me, was wondering if you had to change the USB port or anything to do with the USB port?
Thanks,
Haz
2017 Honda Pilot headunit black box on 2016 Pilot
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I had installed a display unit from a 2017 model that supports CarPlay, unfortunately it didn't work for me, was wondering if you had to change the USB port or anything to do with the USB port?
Thanks,
Haz
Hey All, I wanted to say thank you for all the information provided in this thread. I recently bricked my 2016 EX-L Head Unit by rooting it, and I had to replace it with something else. I wanted to add in my experience. Some of this info may be repetitious, and some is the little "gotchas" that I came across along the way. To be specific, I upgraded from 39542-TG7-A11 (2016 EX-L no RES/ no NAV) --> 39542-TG7-A13 (2018 EX-L no RES/no NAV)
1. Rooting via HondaHack appears to be relatively safe, but I think I got into trouble when I also added SuperSu and also BusyBox. I was attempting to install Viper4Android and remove the crappy factory DSP/EQ settings from my radio. Also, Android Auto with the amazon dongle does "work", but it's not very elegant. I didn't find it reliable enough that I would want to live with it every day. That's just one man's opinion.... At the end of the day, I borked my device screwing with this stuff, and ended up with a 2018 head unit anyway, which appears to be much more reliable.
2. Ordering a new head unit from LKQOnline was relatively painless from a process perspective. The hard part with this process is that the part numbers and item descriptions are all over the place. The part I ended up ordering was listed like the below. As you can see, no honda part number at all. There was the part number for the 2016 non-NAV head unit listed in the description 39542-TG7-A11, but that isn't what they sent me. What I actually received as 39542-TG7-A13. It has already been said previously, but I will stress it again, this site is a crap shoot. You really have to check the details before you order. If you are not sure, I don't think calling them will help. Probably better off coming here and asking for advice from the hive mind IMHO....
3. The part I received was an exact replacement for my radio, meaning it was a clarion unit with the same exact plug configuration as my existing radio. As long as you stick between 2016-2018 and match your trim level, this should be plug and play. That being said, the part they send me was cosmetically NOT GOOD. The radio screen had a bunch of scratches, the bezel was chipped up, and the mounting brackets were bent to hell. Be prepared to swap out all these parts from your existing radio (Unless of course yours are in worse shape). Swapping the screen is not hateful, but it is going to take patience if you are not comfortable with electronics. You have to take the top off the radio unit and disconnect two ribbon cables to remove the screen. Not very hard, but not for the faint of heart either. Interesting tidbit, they sent me ALL of the wiring connectors as well. Looks like they just yanked the radio out of the dash and cut the wires off instead of taking the time to unplug them. Having these wires may come in handy. I have plans to try and power it on my work bench and unbork the radio. So far, I can't figure out the secret sauce to make this think come alive on a straight 12v power supply, but that is a conversation for another thread.
4. The Anti Theft code was interesting. I used the site previously quoted on here with success Honda Radio / Navigation Code Retrieval and Reset Instructions. The primary thing I noticed here is that it DID NOT MATTER which VIN I used on this site. I tried it with both the VIN of my vehicle and that of the donor car, and the codes produced were identical. The second code I was given worked like a charm! The largest gotcha here is the serial number of the radio. The sticker on it has a long alphanumeric number on it: ABCEFG123456789 When inputting that into the website, you have to omit the first seven characters: 23456789. That's the only way this works. No idea what the logic is behind that one.
5. After install and code input, the radio comes to life, but it has all the settings from the previous user. At this point, it's probably best to just go to the factory data reset option, and wipe this thing clean. I don't need random person's iphone settings on my radio, or the violet background colors, or the wrong time zone....
6. Only other really annoying thing is the android auto. For some reason, when I first fired up, the volume was all the way down. I struggled for a moment thinking something was wrong. Then I realized I just needed to turn it up to hear it. This lead me to the discovery that when I am in Amazon Music, there is no indication of what the volume currently is. It is not showing on the Driver's information screen and there is no Volume indicator on the screen for android auto. That is really annoying to me, but it is what it is. I have not yet figured out if this is by design, or a byproduct of this hacky little endeavor of making a square peg fit into a round hole. Losing the read outs on the driver information screen was unexpected, but I rarely used that anyway, so not a big loss for me. Just be aware that that appears to be a thing when you change radios to a newer model. I'm using an Alpine PWD-X5 in my system, so I have the annoying byproduct of two separate volume controls for my stereo as it is.
That's all I can think of at the moment. Sorry if I repeated information, but I hope this is as helpful to someone else as it was to me.
Thanks!
1. Rooting via HondaHack appears to be relatively safe, but I think I got into trouble when I also added SuperSu and also BusyBox. I was attempting to install Viper4Android and remove the crappy factory DSP/EQ settings from my radio. Also, Android Auto with the amazon dongle does "work", but it's not very elegant. I didn't find it reliable enough that I would want to live with it every day. That's just one man's opinion.... At the end of the day, I borked my device screwing with this stuff, and ended up with a 2018 head unit anyway, which appears to be much more reliable.
2. Ordering a new head unit from LKQOnline was relatively painless from a process perspective. The hard part with this process is that the part numbers and item descriptions are all over the place. The part I ended up ordering was listed like the below. As you can see, no honda part number at all. There was the part number for the 2016 non-NAV head unit listed in the description 39542-TG7-A11, but that isn't what they sent me. What I actually received as 39542-TG7-A13. It has already been said previously, but I will stress it again, this site is a crap shoot. You really have to check the details before you order. If you are not sure, I don't think calling them will help. Probably better off coming here and asking for advice from the hive mind IMHO....
Description | Qty | Price |
~299094922 - Radio Audio Radio - Audio Video Equipment PILOT,4DR,EXL W DISPLAY SCREEN, DASH MOUNTED, (US MARKET), 8.0 SCREEN YMM Fits: 2018 Honda Pilot | 1 EA | $277.80 |
3. The part I received was an exact replacement for my radio, meaning it was a clarion unit with the same exact plug configuration as my existing radio. As long as you stick between 2016-2018 and match your trim level, this should be plug and play. That being said, the part they send me was cosmetically NOT GOOD. The radio screen had a bunch of scratches, the bezel was chipped up, and the mounting brackets were bent to hell. Be prepared to swap out all these parts from your existing radio (Unless of course yours are in worse shape). Swapping the screen is not hateful, but it is going to take patience if you are not comfortable with electronics. You have to take the top off the radio unit and disconnect two ribbon cables to remove the screen. Not very hard, but not for the faint of heart either. Interesting tidbit, they sent me ALL of the wiring connectors as well. Looks like they just yanked the radio out of the dash and cut the wires off instead of taking the time to unplug them. Having these wires may come in handy. I have plans to try and power it on my work bench and unbork the radio. So far, I can't figure out the secret sauce to make this think come alive on a straight 12v power supply, but that is a conversation for another thread.
4. The Anti Theft code was interesting. I used the site previously quoted on here with success Honda Radio / Navigation Code Retrieval and Reset Instructions. The primary thing I noticed here is that it DID NOT MATTER which VIN I used on this site. I tried it with both the VIN of my vehicle and that of the donor car, and the codes produced were identical. The second code I was given worked like a charm! The largest gotcha here is the serial number of the radio. The sticker on it has a long alphanumeric number on it: ABCEFG123456789 When inputting that into the website, you have to omit the first seven characters: 23456789. That's the only way this works. No idea what the logic is behind that one.
5. After install and code input, the radio comes to life, but it has all the settings from the previous user. At this point, it's probably best to just go to the factory data reset option, and wipe this thing clean. I don't need random person's iphone settings on my radio, or the violet background colors, or the wrong time zone....
6. Only other really annoying thing is the android auto. For some reason, when I first fired up, the volume was all the way down. I struggled for a moment thinking something was wrong. Then I realized I just needed to turn it up to hear it. This lead me to the discovery that when I am in Amazon Music, there is no indication of what the volume currently is. It is not showing on the Driver's information screen and there is no Volume indicator on the screen for android auto. That is really annoying to me, but it is what it is. I have not yet figured out if this is by design, or a byproduct of this hacky little endeavor of making a square peg fit into a round hole. Losing the read outs on the driver information screen was unexpected, but I rarely used that anyway, so not a big loss for me. Just be aware that that appears to be a thing when you change radios to a newer model. I'm using an Alpine PWD-X5 in my system, so I have the annoying byproduct of two separate volume controls for my stereo as it is.
That's all I can think of at the moment. Sorry if I repeated information, but I hope this is as helpful to someone else as it was to me.
Thanks!
Great recap of your experience; but, if you find, in your adventures of getting the unit to work the way you want, that you're able to restore the driver's information screen connection, I'd appreciate that info. I liked this feature of the 2016/2016 match in my Pilot and do find it annoying that going to the 2016/2017 setup has taken that away.
Hi @Mikeyx31
Thanks for the write up. I have a 2016 EX also and am looking to pull the trigger and replace the head unit. Did you lose any functionality? Specifically did you lose the right turn camera on the head unit? My wife loves that and it would be a deal breaker.
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I have a question. I got a problem replacing my 2016 radio (39540-TG7-A11, no NAVI) with 2017 radio (39540-TG7-A11). I bought the 2017 radio from LKQ and I am surprised that it shares the same model number with my 2016 radio. Taking out the radio is not that difficult, after reading the instruction from this thread. When I start my car with the 2017 radio, I only see the lighted buttons on the left and the screen is all black. There is no Honda logo at start, no backup camera view, and no passenger side camera view. I try power+menu+brightness. Nothing comes up. Then I hit somewhere in the middle and I hear a ding sound. Looks like I am still able to access to diagnostic screen with black screen. Does it mean the screen is bad? Does it happen to anyone before?
Thanks.
Thanks.
I know it has been few years since you posted this. I am looking to do this soon. I can't get access to the docs for some reason. Can you share the links you have with the PDF for me to download?Took the plunge!
I took the plunge and installed a 2017 head unit (39542-TG7-A12) in my 2016 EX-L (non-Nav). Many thanks to Anekin007's instructions!
Here are my takeaways:
1) The trim removal tools are a huge help! See Anekin007's original post.
2) The instructions you need for getting all the trim pieces removed are linked below. (Again, thanks to Anekin007!). I would recommend printing them out, as it's easier to refer to while you're working.
Audio Unit Removal and Installation (8in screen)
Dashboard Center Middle Trim Removal and Installation
Dashboard Side Lid Removal and Installation
Driver's Dashboard Lower Cover Removal and Installation - for this process, this piece just has to be detached along the top, not completely removed.
Passenger's Dashboard Trim Panel Removal and Installation
Dashboard Center Panel Removal and Installation
3) The bolts to loosen just prior to removing the head unit are further recessed than they appear in the service drawings. You may need a box-end wrench (8mm, I believe) to loosen them. I had a ratchet driver and it was a pain to contort through the openings. If I had a "short" extension (1") for my driver, it would have been just about right. Again, you don't have to remove these bolts, just loosen them. When you can spin the washer freely, that's good enough.
4) When pulling out the old head unit, use a very wide trim tool along the top of the screen, toward the corners. Pulling gently with that tool plus your hand along the underside of the unit will let it come straight out. Once you get it loose and the air vents are free of the dashboard, it comes out quite easily.
5) The connectors are keyed so it's pretty easy to get things plugged back in correctly. Make sure you locate the release tab for each connector and pull only on the connector, not the wires!
6) The flexible circuit connectors from the head unit to the screen are fragile. The best way to unlatch the connector is with a small plastic trim tool. Slide it under the black part of the lock tab along the edge where the flexible circuit exits, and gently raise it up, like a lever. When you put it back together, just ensure the flexible cable is laid straight into the connector, and sits down in the grooves of the connector - then close the latch and it should be good to go. Pictures are attached...
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7) Once you get things powered back up, you'll need to clear the power-up diagnostics. (Thanks to wendellb for the tip!) I made a video of the process:
8) My system seemed to work fine without changing the microphone. But, for good measure, I changed it anyway since it was cheap enough to not fret over. (The 2016 model is 39180-T0A-R01 and the 2017 model is 39180-TLA-A11). This mic lives in the roof console where the map lights, HomeLink transmitter, and "conversation mirror" are located. There are some small mechanical differences between the two. They are the same form factor and are easily swapped out, but the aperture for the mic changes from a pair of "curved slots" in the 2016 model to a pair of concave depressions with small holes in the center for the 2017 model. Not sure how much it changes the characteristics of the audio it captures, or the sensitivity - but there are visible differences between the two. Instructions for changing out the mic:
Roof Console Module Removal and Installation (optional, but may be easier for some)
ANC-Active Sound Control Microphone Removal and Installation
9) I found that the only USB port that works with Android Auto is the left-most one just below the head unit. It's a 1.5A port, which at first disappointed me since I thought I might need the extra power for charging my phone. But, as it turns out, my phone still charges even with AA running full bore, including music & navigation.
Overall, I am very satisfied with the upgrade - well worth the money saved vs. buying a 2017 EX-L. Android Auto is great, and getting better rapidly! The navigation is super-smooth and having handsfree access to Google Play Music and Google Now is awesome!
Hi everyone, 2016 w/rear entertainment… first off, LKQ, $249, found 1 in the country!! Bought it, touch screen was a mess. I swapped out my touch screen and did the ribbon cables. The people getting light up buttons with a black screen, it’s your ribbon cables not installed correct, ask me how I know!!! Got the VIN and serial off the radio, called Honda, got 20 numbers. After the 5th try, my unit locked. Brought it to the dealer…. $150, said my radio is junk. Disconnected the battery, pulled the fuse… rubbed my nose, nothing. Got another radio from car parts.com, best place ever!!! Found many units from 2017-2018, got one from a 2018 EXLw/rear entertainment for $150. You can buy these things 3 ways… complete, just the unit or just the touch screen. I got the complete unit, pull out mine, plug in the 2018!!! Also, local dealer gets the right code the first time!!! I bitched to him due to the $150 I spent to tell me the radio was junk. Got the code everything works, but CarPlay!!!! It’s acting like my 2016 radio. USB port changes my phone, but no CarPlay menu. I also found out that I needed to set up my phone for CarPlay and still no luck!!! Someone else here has the same issue and after reading thru 30 pages, I didn’t find the fix. Also, I don’t get a screen with the 3 finger hold menu. Sooooo frustrated!!!! HELP!!!!
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I found a unit that looks like it would match my 2016 EX-L w/ RES (which apparently is a unicorn) but I think the part is designated as Canadian part. Would that work for my Pilot in the US? has anyone had experience doing that swap?
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I purchased a 2018 radio for my 2016.... so I thought. I swapped radios, had the code.... nothing. Spent 3 days trying everything I could find online, nothing.
At 3:30am, nature calling.... I'm lying in bed thinking 3 things. #1 Maybe my dealership needs to flash my computer to recognize my new radio??? #2 Maybe I need to go into develope mode and change settings or #3 Check the VIN from the radio they sent me, to make sure it's a 2018 radio.
BINGO!!!! #3 it was... a radio from a 2016!!! They sent me what I have!!!
So I purchased another radio yesterday, had the guy tell me the VIN, checked it online, as he's giving me a huge attitude, it IS for a 2017!!! STay tuned!!!
At 3:30am, nature calling.... I'm lying in bed thinking 3 things. #1 Maybe my dealership needs to flash my computer to recognize my new radio??? #2 Maybe I need to go into develope mode and change settings or #3 Check the VIN from the radio they sent me, to make sure it's a 2018 radio.
BINGO!!!! #3 it was... a radio from a 2016!!! They sent me what I have!!!
So I purchased another radio yesterday, had the guy tell me the VIN, checked it online, as he's giving me a huge attitude, it IS for a 2017!!! STay tuned!!!
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I have 39540-TG7-K11
I want to add car play, could I use a A11 instead, the connectors are not the same.
a little help here.
thanks..
Is there a thread with step by step instructions to remove the head unit. I know there were some listed in a link but they we inaccessible.
First, thank you to every contributor here. The shared knowledge and experience is of HUGE benefit to the greater Pilot community.
I just jumped into this pool and bought a used receiver from a crashed 2017 Elite to install into my 2016 Elite. It includes the screen and everything. Should be a relatively simple swap.
I bought my Elite a couple of months ago and, having driven many rental cars with factory installations of Apple CarPlay, I decided that I had to have it. After a week of ownership, I had a local installer put in a Pioneer DMH-WT7600NEX floating display head unit. I was thrilled with how it looked but the functionality and interoperability with the existing technology of the Pilot was really sub-par. Since the installer left the original connectors in the dash and just spliced in new wiring, I decided to pull the Pioneer out and put the factory system back in. Immediately, I knew that this was the way to go. I just needed to find a 2017 version so I could have CarPlay.
I'll report back here when I have the new (used) unit and the dust settles. I'm looking forward to having the factory look and feel with the added benefit of CarPlay.
Thanks again to all of you who gave me the courage and knowledge to figure this out!
I just jumped into this pool and bought a used receiver from a crashed 2017 Elite to install into my 2016 Elite. It includes the screen and everything. Should be a relatively simple swap.
I bought my Elite a couple of months ago and, having driven many rental cars with factory installations of Apple CarPlay, I decided that I had to have it. After a week of ownership, I had a local installer put in a Pioneer DMH-WT7600NEX floating display head unit. I was thrilled with how it looked but the functionality and interoperability with the existing technology of the Pilot was really sub-par. Since the installer left the original connectors in the dash and just spliced in new wiring, I decided to pull the Pioneer out and put the factory system back in. Immediately, I knew that this was the way to go. I just needed to find a 2017 version so I could have CarPlay.
I'll report back here when I have the new (used) unit and the dust settles. I'm looking forward to having the factory look and feel with the added benefit of CarPlay.
Thanks again to all of you who gave me the courage and knowledge to figure this out!
So I bought a head unit ( 39540-TG7-A13) for my 2016 Pilot EX-L no navigation, from a 2018 Pilot. I must have purchased the wrong unit because there were no spaces for 2 connectors ( light blue and white) on the new unit. Can someone please tell me the exact year and make unit that will directly swap into my 2016 Pilot EX-L with no navigation. Thanks
Where did you buy the new unit? LKQ? You have to be absolutely sure that the unit you are buying is from a 2017 or 2018 EX-L. LKQ has the specifics on the donor car and pictures so you can double check. I'm pretty sure that with or without NAV doesn't matter at all. That's just software in the unit, and shouldn't have any effect on the connectors.
The Driver information screen doesn't appear to have the programming to show the information for android auto, since our 2016 didn't have that particular feature set. It will show the navigation prompts, but it won't show the audio source information or volume when you are using android auto. I don't honestly think there is any way around that unless you also replace your dash cluster with a matching unit from a 2017-2018.
I'm totally spamming this post now, sorry. I had screen problems with my swapped radio and I wanted to share what I found. When I first got the radio the plastic bezel and screen was scratched to hell. I popped the radio and the screen assembly apart and put my 2016 screen and bezel assembly onto the 2018 black box. That worked for about 6 months, but then my screen started exibiting strange symptoms. It would not respond to touch all the time. I would go to touch it and it would sometimes respond, sometime lag, and sometime appear to be completely frozen for about 30 seconds. My first though was that the underlying system was hanging, but it turns out that the actual LCD panel was going bad. I was torn about what to do because I assumed that the plastic bezel and LCD screen were a pair that could not be separated. I took a risk and did surgery on the leftover parts I had from my 2018 radio swap. It turns out that the plastic cover/bezel and the LCD unit itself can be separated. You have to take the circuit board off the LCD panel and reveal a single hidden screw under the circuit board. You also have to disconnect a ribbon cable that runs from the plastic bezel to the screen's board. Anyway, I managed to take the LCD screen module from the 2018 radio and marry it to the bezel assembly from my 2016. Effectively all the guts from the 2018 radio I got are now in the car, and the only remaining parts from my old radio is the plastic screen and vents. Hope this helps someone who may have a similar experience.
I bought it on eBay and they gave me the vin number
i bought it on eBay and the vin checks out as a 2018 Pilot EX-L. I’m literally at my wits end trying to figure out which one fits my Pilot. Any help would be greatly appreciated 😊
Can you post pictures of the units, old and new?
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