'04 hu-613 ----> '05 hu-650

[pdakid]

Has anyone ever successfully completed a Head Unit swap across model years, specifically 04-05?

I have an HU-613 and I'm looking to swap up to the 05-05 setup with the outside trim ring, and I guess that the only option is the HU-650. I'm aware that the features are different and what not, I basically want to know if I can just plug and play this, or if I'll run into some software issues of something...

Found this thread (http://forums.swedespeed.com/showthread.php?133953) in my Googling and it says MY swaps can sometimes trigger lights/steering wheel control issues or require a software update that a dealer may or may not do, but I feel like someone must have done this before.

[JRL]

Can't be done, completely different electrical system, the 850 will NEVER fire up
You can go to an 803 (which is a better radio anyway than an 850)

(and it's not "just a trim ring" you would need to swap the entire console)

[pdakid]

Can't be done, completely different electrical system, the 850 will NEVER fire up
You can go to an 803 (which is a better radio anyway than an 850)

(and it's not "just a trim ring" you would need to swap the entire console)

Yeah I planned on swapping the whole entire console (trim ring, HU, AC Control, 12v panel). Are you saying that the floor console needs to be swapped as well? ...looks to me like that is optional.

I was asking about the 650 not the 850... but either one will do as long as it has the 05-07 trim ring.

[JRL]

I'm not sure what you don't understand about the word NO!
:confused:

You cannot install ANY 05-07 radio into a 01-04 PERIOD: IT WILL NOT WORK
(and yes, console too, they do not mate up)

[shammyh]

What Jim said. The electronics changed substantially between the MY '04 and 05+. A 2005+ radio will never under any circumstances work in a 2004 year car. You can install it, however, imho, it's a rather pricey exchange to get a non-functioning radio. Perhaps if aesthetics are that important to you?

From a technical perspective:

The CAN bus changed in the 2005+ year cars. It doubled bandwidth on both the high-speed and low-speed side, and there are probably tons of low-level architectural changes as well. Not to mention that actual junctions, wiring paths, and connectors changed in the 2005+ year cars as well. A 2005+ year radio simply will not be able to communicate with a 2004 year car. And in these cars, the radio is not simply a "radio" but an integrated computer, that needs to talk to all the other integrated computers. It's not just about the steering wheel controls working, it's way more complicated than that. It would be like trying to take a factory BMW radio, and putting it into a Mercedes. Simply cannot be done.