# Pioneer's MyLink 2.0 CarPlay & Android Auto alternative



## StLouisCPhT (Sep 13, 2015)

For 1st Gen Cruze owners that would like to add Android Auto or Carplay to their vehicle with minimal modifications and keep the original look of their interior without resorting to off-shore clones of questionable quality - Pioneer has released the DMH-WC5700NEX. It is a digital media receiver version of the Cruze's radio & screen design and is intended for use in vehicles with limited dash installation space. It also supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connections.

Installation is very easy. The screen is only half as deep as the original screen and about 1/8th inch shorter, so you will need to add some support for it on the screen bezel, but nothing that would be permanent and prevent you from going back to the original system later. (I used some small clear rubber feet.) You connect the factory USB port to the radio using a 3 foot male USB-C to female USB-A cable. The factory AM/FM and XM antennas will work with adapters. If you are upgrading from a Cruze that has the basic green, non-touch sceen display you will also need to purchase a different display bezel. Part number 95216932.

*Optional* - _If you would rather use the built-in hands free microphone instead of the one provided by Pioneer, you can make an adapter cable. Directions are __here__._

Connecting the WC5700NEX to your vehicle using an iDatalink Maestro RR or RR2 allows you to control the same sound system and vehicle settings that the original radio (non-mylink & mylink) controlled. It also allows the headunit to work with both the standard and premium sound systems.

You will lose use of the dash mounted control panel, it will be decorative instead of functional.






































These are pictures of the same design DMH-W4660NEX installed in my 2011 Cruze to show how it will look.


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## shay011999 (Jul 12, 2019)

hii will it work on 2011 ls with base headunit without bluetooth and onstar?


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## DeCAY (Jun 5, 2014)

Thanks for all your posts on head units. They are great. Have you received any more info on a wiring harness to retain physical controls? Did you use a idatalink harness or another? Any idea if the RR2 would provide more connectivity than the RR?


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## EJ1171 (Dec 26, 2019)

I love it - I'm all over this. I'll definitely be doing the microphone splice as well. It's a bummer that you lose functionality of the stock control panel, but I'll be keeping an eye out for updates on this. It seems like this is an area actively under development at least at Pioneer. My only other tiny complaint is that the physical buttons on the unit fall under the bezel, but again - I'd be willing to bet this is an item that will be under development. I'd also be willing to bet the oem bezel could be modified if someone really felt the need.


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## StLouisCPhT (Sep 13, 2015)

@DeCAY
The RR and RR2 are the same thing, except that the RR2 can be reprogrammed wirelessly using a smartphone.

@EJ1171
Alpine also has a shallow depth receiver, the ILX-W650. It looks beautiful replacing the OEM screen (their menu system is an OEM Mylink clone), but you'd have to get a custom bezel made for it. In fact that is how I discovered the Pioneer unit. I tried the Alpine and loved it, but could never get a bezel made. A local custom installer refused to even consider it (I suspect because most of their clients drove things like porsches, lambos, bentleys, etc not cruzes...), saying that the only option was to go the dual screen route. Later the same day I came across a reference to Pioneer's new modular systems and immediately returned the alpine. About 3 days later, I went back to the shop to show them I found a "bezel" for the radio and see what they thought. They were surprised when I pulled off my trim and showed them the new radio and said they had no idea such a thing existed; which was funny because they carried the W650 which was announced at CES 2019 at the same time as the C2550.

To both of you, as far as I am aware there is no way to convince the dash controls to work with the radio system. It'd have to be done through the wiring adapter and good luck getting the manufacturers to do that. Well, Pac-Audio might be willing, but I can't see iDatalink doing it.


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## EJ1171 (Dec 26, 2019)

I just think it’s so weird that the cheap knock offs from overseas work with the stock control panel, but that capability hasn’t been developed here yet. There’s a YouTube video out on one of Seicane’s units, and it maintained the OEM control panel function. I wish I knew how they did it.


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## StLouisCPhT (Sep 13, 2015)

The chinese knockoffs use their own custom CPs not the OEM one. Can you show me the video of the seicane unit using the OEM CP? I can't find it anywhere and do not see any units on Seicane's site that do not completely replace the OEM screen and CP.

Here in the US, there wasn't an aftermarket modular radio created until 2019. Since all prior aftermarket headunits used touch screen and could only fit in the same space where the original radio and CP were located there was no need or point to supporting it.

Like I said, I could see Pac-Audio offering the support. They seem more open to new ideas/designs than iDatalink.


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## EJ1171 (Dec 26, 2019)

StLouisCPhT said:


> The chinese knockoffs use their own custom CPs not the OEM one. Can you show me the video of the seicane unit using the OEM CP? I can't find it anywhere and do not see any units on Seicane's site that do not completely replace the OEM screen and CP.
> 
> Here in the US there was no point to the support because there wasn't an aftermarket modular radio created until last year. Since they were touch screen and (especially in the case of the cruze) could only fit in the same space where the original radio and CP were located there was no need or point to supporting it.


Here’s a video of one unit. This one isn’t sold any longer. The CP looks OEM, and a little later in the video, there is an unboxing section, and I don’t see a new CP in there.


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## StLouisCPhT (Sep 13, 2015)

You are missing a link 
But I have a feeling that it is the video I watched just a few minutes ago. I do see the CP working, but it would be a custom wiring job by Seicane and not technically OEM.

Something to think about - Why does Seicane not offer the ability anymore? I have a feeling there were issues with it and it was easier to drop the function rather than try to resolve it.


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## TurboDieselCruze2014 (Jan 23, 2020)

StLouisCPhT said:


> Two more pictures.
> View attachment 270393
> View attachment 270395
> 
> ...


Can you post all pictures


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Some of the pictures will open if you click on them. I elevated the issue to see if they could fix the others.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

StLouisCPhT said:


> .


Yep, that's what I thought too.


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## fxsx24 (Aug 26, 2016)

StLouisCPhT said:


> If you look at the reviews for the C2550NEX on Crutchfield, I had posted 2 pictures of the unit in my car. 1 is during installation and 1 is after.


were you able to reuse the factory sxm antenna?


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## GRAMAZ (Apr 19, 2018)

If I get the Maestro RR, will this radio connect to Carplay when I use the OEM USB plug in the center console?


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## tjcinema (Apr 1, 2020)

I would like to do this mod to my Gen 1 Cruze, however, How do you support the screen, as well as the Maestro?


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## StLouisCPhT (Sep 13, 2015)

.


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## tjcinema (Apr 1, 2020)

Thank you.


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## tjcinema (Apr 1, 2020)

How were you able to get access to the car's USB port for the C2550NEX?


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## Dawson060 (Feb 24, 2020)

Hey I currently have an aftermarket radio by Sony in my Cruze but it’s mounted under the factor monocolor radio in which is deactivated. Is there a dash kit to move the radio up higher to where the regular my link is


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## wrx5 (Oct 11, 2016)

Nice article @StLouisCPhT thanks for this. I have few questions:

I am not sure if it was available by the time when you installed C2550NEX but looks like there is C5500NEX is available and provides 8" screen instead of 6.8". C550NEX's screen is slightly bigger but it doesn't have buttons like the C2550NEX has. It seemed to me that they made the screen bigger by getting rid of the buttons and keeping the dimensions same. I can be wrong... C5500NEX has capacitive touch screen which is better in response.

Looks like your installation doesn't have reverse camera but seems like it is matter of buying a reverse camera and plugging it to the correct RCA input

TPMS appears on one of the screenshots. How did you get that? is it aftermarket or you car already has that? If it is aftermarket, could you tell us brand and model of TPMS device and where is it connected to? To Maestro RR?

You have mentioned that we will lose the functionality of stereo related buttons. How about on/off, volume and source control?

The last one is about the vehicle settings. Original head unit also let us do some settings for vehicle. Will they be retained?

Thanks in advance


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## Riboild (Aug 7, 2021)

Bump since I have been watching this thread for a while and just recently got the itch to mess my own and am curious to see what others are still involved with and have done recently... Thanks all btw who have contributed and are responsible for this incredible amount of magic!!!


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Riboild said:


> Bump since I have been watching this thread for a while and just recently got the itch to mess my own and am curious to see what others are still involved with and have done recently... Thanks all btw who have contributed and are responsible for this incredible amount of magic!!!


Welcome Aboard!

The OP has not been online here for about 3 mo's, but may be back sometime.

In the meantime, you are better off tagging individual contributors and asking pertinent questions as you will get higher quality feedback that way.

Don't forget to introduce yourself and your Cruze here.


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## btempyy (Mar 8, 2021)

StLouisCPhT said:


> For 1st Gen Cruze owners that would like to add Android Auto or Carplay to their vehicle with minimal modifications and keep the original look of their interior without resorting to off-shore clones of questionable quality - Pioneer is releasing the DMH-WC5700NEX in the summer of 2021. It is a digital media receiver version of the Cruze's radio & screen design and is intended for use in vehicles with limited dash installation space. It also supports wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connections.
> 
> Installation is very easy. The screen is only half as deep as the original screen and about 1/8th inch shorter, so you will need to add some support for it on the screen bezel, but nothing that would be permanent and prevent you from going back to the original system later. (I used some small clear rubber feet.) You connect the factory USB port to the radio using a 3 foot male to female USB-A extension cable. The factory AM/FM and XM antennas will work with adapters. If you are upgrading from a Cruze that has the basic green, non-touch sceen display you will also need to purchase a different display bezel. Part number 95216932.
> 
> ...


Late reply, will this throw codes or send the car into TheftLock mode? Had the main “brain” of my Cruze replaced because it was VIN locked to the wrong VIN.


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