Upgrade to '19 Civic Infotainment possible?

yargk said:

Gosh, there's a lot of needless hate here. You could be an advanced driver who does 20 track days a year and sets time trial records and still want a volume knob. The volume knob doesn't add any weight and so doesn't reduce the car's performance. It's not like a dreaded sunroof which adds a lot of weight high up and hurts the car's low center of gravity.

A new head unit online is like what $700? You can sell your original one for probably $200+ And the install seems easy:

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There's been some discussion of this over on the general forums. Seems there are extra pins on the harness which makes sense since their are extra buttons.

RedGiant217 said:

There's been some discussion of this over on the general forums. Seems there are extra pins on the harness which makes sense since their are extra buttons.

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Drat, do you have a link to that thread? Did they mention the climate control? (I know the climate control from an LX can be swapped in for cheaper, but it would be cool to get Type R parts).

yargk said:

Drat, do you have a link to that thread? Did they mention the climate control? (I know the climate control from an LX can be swapped in for cheaper, but it would be cool to get Type R parts).

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https://www.civicx.com/threads/will-2019-civic-fan-controls-work-on-2018.31103/#post-522038

There's a link to the thread. Not sure if it's been verified or not

RedGiant217 said:

https://www.civicx.com/threads/will-2019-civic-fan-controls-work-on-2018.31103/#post-522038

There's a link to the thread. Not sure if it's been verified or not

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Seems like that is just for the climate control, perhaps the audio connects right up?

RedGiant217 said:

I just want the fan speed control. I couldn't care less about a volume knob

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Same. I do wonder if it’s plug and play. I’m waiting for someone other than me to blow their fuses.

garoto said:

Same. I do wonder if it’s plug and play. I’m waiting for someone other than me to blow their fuses.

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I'm waiting for Honda to start selling parts for 2019 vehicles...

It is plug and play but a lot of features don't work. Verified by a Honda tech. Its not worth buying the new headunit

art unique said:

It is plug and play but a lot of features don't work. Verified by a Honda tech. Its not worth buying the new headunit

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I'm curious what features exactly?

Wheel_Guy said:

The '19 Coupe and Sedan have the upgraded infotainment. I wonder if it is possible to upgrade the '17 and '18 CTRs to the newer infotainment hardware/software. It look "physically" possible, but I realize we're long past the days of simply swapping out head units without potential issues. That would be awesome if so, particularly if the HB and CTR don't get the update for '19. Anybody have a better sense on this? Not my area of expertise.

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Simple short Answer:
My advice -- Leave well alone.

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Long, complex answer, with same ending:

(1) The 2019 model cars that have the UPDATED infotainment system, NEEDED to be updated, to support the added 2019 car features - ie Lane watch etc.

I suspect that Cars like the 2018 R & the 2018 Si etc did not NEED to be updated, because those extra features were not added to their 2019 models .

(2)
"Can I swap my head unit" -- "looks Physically possible" -- "not my area of expertise"

That is almost like saying
"Can I swap my head " -- "looks Physically possible" -- "not my area of expertise"

The more you get to learn about the Honda Head units - especially the 500W 10 Speaker system, the more you will realize just how complex, and how much has to match & work together-- that you will eventually discover, that its just not worth the time, effort, cost, to Bluntly "SCREW UP" a very tightly engineered, complex, and tightly integrated system.

Even the Professional, after Market Manufacturers have not yet been able to produce a 100% compatible updated head Unit for the Civix X line, especially for the Higher End Infotainment system. Yes, they imply they have, but the truth is, many feature do not work on any of these aftermarket units. (and the actual Diusplay are Dim and not nearly as Bright and clear as even the Dated 2018 Honda units)

Many of the 2017 - 2018 - 2019 units look "Physically" very similar on the outside, but internally they are all very different (reflected in the vast number of different part numbers they have for each car type, and each year).

Also, you start trying to swap say the Display Module, to get a volume control, and expect the same Main Unit, that has hardware & software designed for the 2018 Buttons, to now magically work with the panel with the Volume control, it's just not going to happen.
2018 units Parts numbers are different to the 2019 Part number -- far a good reason they are DIFFERENT Units !

Then there is Warranty.. If (or unfortunately "WHEN") it does not work, you have voided any warranty by trying to swap parts of the system out, and causing possible damage. These parts are not cheap, neither is the labor to replace and correct any damage cause by you messing with them.

I would strongly advise to WAIT.. maybe someone or a 3rd party manufacturer with enough expertise and time and resources will figure out if any of the 2019 parts can be swapped back into the 2018 systems, but "Trust me", YOU do not want to try to be that person.

Even if you did manage to "update it", as some have claimed to have done, you will find (or at the very least, the Next Honda Tech that tries to diagnose your car will find) that all the "Hidden" diagnostic menus missing, will most likely end up telling you that they now cannot work on your car. (until that is corrected = $$$$$$$ )

Any of the Specific Honda apps in a China replacement unit, are (most likely), pirated software from a Honda Unit , which opens up a whole new Pandora Box, when you take the car in to a Honda Dealer, to get it fixed !!!

Ist thing they will tell you is that they have to restore the car back to original hardware, before they can work on it, and here is the Multi $1000 estimate to do that !!

Why do you think that some 2018 & 2019 CivivX still have such dated Infotainment system ? (Android 4. ? !!! , and minimal Ram & Rom)

I suspect because even Honda ( or more precisely, the manufacturers that the contract to supply the systems ie Mitsubishi) determine that it is too complex to do any significant changes to these old, but Functionally working units, (that still meet Honda's requirement specifications for the CivicX), and going to opt to only update these units when absolutely necessary. (Major R&D cost to Honda to do so)

BTW. Do NOT expect Honda USA to know much details about these Infotainment Systems, and the Dealers know even less. All a Dealer will do to fix an Infotainment system, is to try resetting it, and if that does not work, its a new or re-manufactured unit.
And it is not a Warranty repair, it only carry a 1 year warranty, and not the warranty of the original system !!

If you want the latest and greatest in your car, that would be one good argument to Lease a car. Then in 3 years time, you get another new car, with all the latest "Must Have Features" (and even more to go wrong !!)

So, we end up with the same ending ... My advice -- Leave well alone.

-- and enjoy Driving your car -- after all, that's why you probably bought a car -- to drive - not to try to redesign it, and be a Car Manufacturer.

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And I am so willing to eat my own words, apologize most humbly , and have the Greatest Professional Respect, to anyone who can successfully demonstrate that they can retrofit the 2018 Civic with the 2019 Knob Volume Control Display panel, and the 2018 AC Panel with the 2019 AC Panel with the two extra Fan control buttons.

tinyman392 said:

I'm curious what features exactly?

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lol .. I think we all are -- and I also think that if it came down to it, the Honda Tech also could not tell you precisely what features work or don't.

Your Honda tech has two basic option.

(1) Understand in detail how all this complex electronics work (which you can be sure they were not trained to do at "Honda Tech School" !!, and risk spending the time, messing with it, to figure out if he can fix it, and risk spending way too much time in doing so, and risk ending up not fixing it, and then having to answer to the Service Manager why he has wasted so much time in "non Billable Hours"

or

(2) Tell you that it is "Fried", order a new one (that you will pay for), and do a relatively simple install job, for a known time & a known cost that can be billed.

Yes, he is probably going to break a few Plastic Catches when he does the removal & re-install, but hopefully you will not notice,-- and if you do, you get to bring your car back in again, where there will suddenly be something else wrong, that has to be fixed, at a nice profitable "Billable Hour" rate.

So you Guess what option he will pick !!!

The volume knob swap worked fine.

https://www.civicx.com/threads/adding-volume-and-fan-speed-knobs.44744/