Fitting DAB into MK7.5

[Luke4efc]

So I've decided to buy a DAB head unit with screen etc and that should be arriving early next week. I'm now looking into the aerial side of things and wondering what parts I actually need. After looking online I found the parts diagram below, but can only find the aerial, amplifier mounted in the boot and the metal grounding plate, but can't find any wiring stuff.

I don't mind going screen mounted if anybody has managed to get that working with the factory radio.

[Luke4efc]

Guess I'm tackling this by myself. Plenty of guides of replacing the head unit itself, but not a great deal on the wiring.

Does anybody at least know if the DAB option will show up after a little bit of fettling with Forscan? Or will I have to ask somebody very nicely for UCDS adapter?

[Zico]

Sorry can't help but hopefully somebody who missed this thread before might see it and come along with the help you're after. Interested to see how this goes.

[Fiesta1.25]

I’m sorry I can’t help either but I will follow this thread as it is definitely an upgrade I want to do on my car, although mine is a pre facelift.

[Smartd00d]

Hi not sure I’d bother. I have the colour sat nav version with DAB and the reception is awful even though I’m a couple of miles from Crystal Palace. It’s constantly dropping out completely or swapping to the FM station. I need to go back to the dealer, but compared to my SMAX that has the rear window aerial, it’s awful.

[Luke4efc]

17 hours ago, Smartd00d said:

Hi not sure I’d bother. I have the colour sat nav version with DAB and the reception is awful even though I’m a couple of miles from Crystal Palace. It’s constantly dropping out completely or swapping to the FM station.

I've heard about it dropping out, but we have DAB in the transit connect vans at work and it's only dropped out once or twice. That's on a site that uses frequency jammers in certain areas (not sure if that will actually affect it) and is a few miles into the countryside.

[yunii]

Hi

I failed doing this on my fiesta m7 tdci titanium. So i sold the dab unit . I hope you succeed. I even tried enabled it with ucds software but only some features worked but got no guidance to make or source for dab ariel & loom i did have sony non dab unit from factory.

Yunii

 

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[Luke4efc]

Success! After half an hour of fighting with the screen surround (and subsequently breaking my trim removal tools, resorting to me using my fingers for this job) I finally got the unit wired up. Once that top piece was prised off it was dead easy really, just a case of disconnecting the battery, unscrewing a few bolts and plugging the new unit in. I did however lose one the mounting pieces down the back of the dash for the screw which bolts the screen down. Sod going back there, just have to hope it doesn't rattle. Anyway here's a few pics.

I haven't got a DAB aerial installed (as I was asking above), however it does seem like the DAB part still works with my existing aerial, so I guess the antenna in the boot just amplifies or something. Seemed to get every channel I was after, but not had chance to test if it cuts out at any point yet.

Either way DAB1 and DAB2 are showing up now straight away after reconnecting the battery, just a case of testing before putting the trim back, I really don't want to risk scratching everything again.

 

[Luke4efc]

So just as I post that DAB just disappears from the list when you keep pressing radio. Tried turning it off and on again but nothing. It was really strange as I was just pairing my phone up again (had DAB BBC Radio 1 on in the background) and when I went to press the radio button nothing happened, starting to think it was a dud unit. Anyway when I managed to cycle though FM,AM etc. it just wasn't there.

Decided now was the time to break out FORscan and my modified Elm327 adaptor, quick look into the IPC data and I found it didn't have DAB radio system enabled. Quick write to the ECU (and some weird stuff happening on my dash, all my gauges kept clicking as wrote it's data) and boom it's back again.

Sat here now for a good 10 minutes fiddling around with settings etc. and not gone away. I think I can call this one a victory.

[10tenmen]

Congrats Luke I think that was a good buy then, when I swapped from that unit to the Sat Nav I had to enable it using Forscan and add the larger screen all worked fine, incidentally my Dab has never dropped out the reception is brilliant in Yorkshire.

[Luke4efc]

Yeah great buy, cheers Gary. I think I'll have to follow suit someday and upgrade even further to sat nav and reverse cameras. People seem to have had a better success rate, so hoping there may be more of a guide to fit.

Went for a quick drive before and DAB never dropped out still using the standard aerial. Can definitely hear an improvement in sound quality. Much crisper (almost as if it has a high pass filter on it).

[Bobr]

I've got DAB but I keep it tuned to FM due to the constant breaking up on DAB.

[Gruffster]

 Hey guys newbie here I’ve also bought dab an all the aeriels module an extra antenna for rear bumper all wired in still no dab went to ford today asked them to activate it an said they couldn’t.. like what program did you use buddy with that elm cable 

[MJNewton]

I am sure Luke will be along before long to give you some specific advice but in the meantime the software above is Forscan.

[Luke4efc]

8 hours ago, Gruffster said:

 Hey guys newbie here I’ve also bought dab an all the aeriels module an extra antenna for rear bumper all wired in still no dab went to ford today asked them to activate it an said they couldn’t.. like what program did you use buddy with that elm cable 

I didn't bother getting a replacement aerial and my DAB has been perfect since I installed it.

As said above the program is Forscan with the extended licence (free from the website). I went through my old orders on eBay and found this modfied Elm327 adapter, but mine has a big Ford logo on it instead. People say the Tunnelrat ones are the best ones to go for as eBay copies might not work properly.

Make sure you back up any files you're going to alter first. The last thing you want is a bricked ECU.

[Robwilliam]

Hi I’m a newbie to this group 😀. I have got a 2015 fiesta 7.5 (facelift). I have had exactly the same issue with SONY radio ‘retro fit’.
 

Initially it worked then something knocked it off the radio list (ecu??). 

I would be very grateful if somebody out there could guide me through the procedure on FORSCAN. Also can it also be done on IDS software too??

I have never used anything like this before. Anybody around the North York’s area????

Thanks!! 

 

 

 

[ace5]

On 12/10/2021 at 8:09 AM, Robwilliam said:

Hi I’m a newbie to this group 😀. I have got a 2015 fiesta 7.5 (facelift). I have had exactly the same issue with SONY radio ‘retro fit’.
 

Initially it worked then something knocked it off the radio list (ecu??). 

I would be very grateful if somebody out there could guide me through the procedure on FORSCAN. Also can it also be done on IDS software too??

I have never used anything like this before. Anybody around the North York’s area????

Thanks!! 

 

 

 

Yes a guide would be most helpful thanks