Scosche GM5201AB - Dash Kit Issues Story (Info)
 

Hello All,

Figured I'd let you know my troubles with the dash kit that I purchased from Crutchfield on my 2014 LS.

I initially decided to upgrade my audio system and went with the Scoshe dash kit as it was much more aesthetically pleasing than the Metra.

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The first kit installed with no issues, and worked for about four months. The only issues I noticed were ones that already noted in other threads (shorter range to unlock/lock doors mainly). I then added a rear view camera, and it worked great. Two weeks later the kit didn't even turn on without any kind of warning. I contacted Crutchfield and they sent me a replacement. :frusty:

With the replacement I did not change the original wiring harness, and just plugged the new kit in and it worked for about a week, and then just stopped turning on. I contacted Crutchfield again, and they sent me a new one. :frusty:

This time I changed the wiring harness, and everything was great. It worked about two months, until I decided I got annoyed that my steering wheel controls were not working. I first tested using the Scosche dash kit (it is supposed to have this built in), and realized that it was not working at all. I tested multiple times, and resets of the dash kit, and nothing worked.

I then purchased the Axxess controller (ASWC-1) to fix that, and all I needed to do was splice into the pink wire (pin #38), and power/ground. I did so with inline crimps so there would be no disconnect of power (and positive terminal disconnected). Reconnected the battery terminal, and dash kit wouldn't turn on. Contacted Crutchfield again, and they sent a new one out. This kit was plug and play, and I was good to go upon arrival. :frusty:

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The final straw was this past week. I turn my car on, and noticed the right side of the kit (door lock/unlock/hazard/settings), was not lit. I didn't think anything of it until I got pulled over, and went to turn my hazards on and nothing happened. I contacted Crutchfield, and yet again they sent me another kit. :frusty:

I installed the new kit, and went to go test the hazards, and it worked ONLY once. They turned on, and the button died. So now at 11 PM on a Friday night my hazards are stuck on. No matter what I did they would not turn off (even disconnected the battery hoping they would stay off).

Furious I rip the kit out, and install the stock head unit to turn them off. Once I verified they were off, I proceeded to put the kit back in and just not use the damn hazards. As soon as I touched the negative terminal to the battery, I see flashing lights. I'm ready to scream at this point. Nothing was making sense. It is this stupid kit that is causing me all these issues.

I contacted Crutchfield this morning, and let them have a piece of my mind. Not for nothing, god forbid this kit caught fire and burned my car I would of been seeing red. They agreed to swap the Scosche kit with the Metra one, in efforts to resolve my issues.

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TL;DR?

Bottom line, the Scosche kit is the biggest piece of shit I have used and very unhappy with the events that followed.

Hopefully after I install the Metra kit tomorrow, I will have a better answer on which is the winner.

I am current looking to upgrade mine please keep this going i was about to buy same kit today until i seen this. Now mine is 2010 but still.

I want to upgrade to an aftermarket head unit, and I keep hoping Scosche will get it's act together. But threads like this keep pushing me towards the Metra kit.

I'm leaving work early tomorrow so I can install the Metra kit. I'll update the thread once I have it installed.

I been running my scosche kit for a year and a half with no issues besides the remote range. Seems like these kits are hit or miss. I would do the my link over the metra

I have had my scosche installed in my camaro since the summer of 2014 and it is still going strong. I've not noticed the remote distance issue; however, I'm never really far at all when I try to lock or unlock my doors. I suppose it is possible that I'm experiencing this issue but I just haven't noticed. As for most of the issues explained, I have not encountered any. It was stated that the buttons on the right side of the scosche kit wouldn't light up; last time I checked (not sure if new models have been produced) there are no lights in the buttons to begin with. None of my buttons light up, except for the AC button which has a light to indicate when it is on. It is also stated that the steering wheel controls didn't function. Mine work pretty fine. From what I remember from the stock HU, the next/previous scroll button used to be more responsive; sometimes I need to scroll it up about 3 times to actually skip a track (this could potentially be an issue with Bluetooth latency). The volume and source buttons don't seem to give me issues. I've only had one major issue that I noticed almost immediately since I did the install over the summer; when it gets very hot outside, the scosche kit simply boots into a white screen and I can't use it until the unit cools down and I reset the car. I have found an easy fix to this issue however. It seems that the unit fails due to direct heating and not simply form being hot. I simply block the touchscreen with a piece of paper (I just have it in my glovebox for when I need it) on a hot summer day and the kit works fine when I come back to my car. I have no severe complains and the kit definitely works enough to keep it installed. I'd surely recommend it to anyone who asks me about it.

Metra kit here as well-had to change it once, due to a steering wheel control box issue, but later found out it was just a firmware update. Good to go!

3 Count them 3 kits and finally said screw it and bought a metra, who is ready for the class action vs Scosche?

Where nobody wins but the lawyers. Not gunna happen, and not gunna be worth it as their isn't enough people/market to make it worth it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Finally got around to installing this kit. Had a buddy assist, to ensure I was not doing anything incorrectly.

I'll list the Pros vs Cons (vs both kits)

Scosche
Pros
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Touch Screen
- Relatively easier to install than the Metra (wiring)

Cons
- Shortens Range of the the wireless transmitter to lock/unlock doors
- Does not seem to integrate into the car well (with programming into, and staying that way)
- Feels flimsy compared to Metra
- Does not include the On-Star module built in. You have to buy the module separately.

Metra
Pros
- Looks ok, it has a older feel to the look with all the buttons. However the buttons feel like they are quality, the kit doesn't move in when you press the buttons.
- Integrates great with the car. It only took thirty seconds for the car to recognize the kit and start functioning properly. I was honestly shocked of how easy it was compared to the Scosche one. The Scosche one takes ten minutes for the computer to turn off, and then back on for the kit to function properly. The metra took a minute flat.
- Has the Steering wheel controls connector built into the harness. Huge plus with having less wires.
- On-Star Module built in, less wires. Huge plus again.

Cons
- The wires should of been longer for the harness. Everything is kinda tight when trying to push them back in. A few more inches of slack to each plug for the harness would of been better.
- The colors do not change for the buttons when you change the LCD screen, so it makes changing the color pointless unless you want to different colors (which looks hideous in my opinion)
- The directions suck, and with the wiring harness being so tight, it feels like you bought a ball of wire.

I recommend having a friend with you for the install. I have a lot of stuff behind mine (amped speakers, back up cam, and usb cables for an iPod and firmware update extender cable, also a GPS). Having the extra set of hands was really benefical to accomplish the install. However, I do like this kit a lot better because it worked instantly with the car and no issues. No complaints as of yet, but it appears to be the winner.

On a final note, the head unit sits lower in the Metra kit, than the Scosche kit. Which means the sun should not effect you being able to see the screen, which is huge for me. That was my biggest complaint with the kit when it was working.

http://i.imgur.com/tFM9d70.png

Good write up I purchased the onstar module and steering wheel harness for my scosche mine was recognized quickly and boots instantly. Like I said it just varies by kit. Can't go wrong either way. Metra does seem like the safer bet though.

If anyone wants to give the Scosche kit a try, don't buy the On-Star Module. I'll sell mine for 20 bucks :)

Private Message me if you are interested.

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_142CAMO...odule&skipvs=T

So I have some unfortunate news.

After the first Metra kit was installed, I was good until, I took a two hour drive. During the trip, I noticed my front left speaker was cutting in and out in very short intervals. I contacted Crutchfield again, and had a replacement shipped.

I installed the new one, and everything was working great until I noticed the same issue again, however this time the speakers were not cutting in and out, just lowering the music coming out of them. This is the On-Star module, when it lowers the music when making a call or any action with the On-Star setup. It wasn't terrible and only happened for a few seconds, so I decided to make peace with it and move on with my life.

I was driving home from the store, and noticed the light in the photo (below), was red. I do not remember anything I did when I had the stock system, or Scosche kit to change that color.

Shortly after my radio turns off (loss of power it looked like), then the dash kit, then the On-Star lights in the rear-view mirror, AND my speedometer screen (between the gauges). I turn the car off, and back on, and they are still not powering off. I pull home, and let the car sit for a bit (fifteen minutes). Start the car up and everything is normal.

I'm going to monitor it for the next few days and see if the issue comes back.

http://i.imgur.com/PBAHaqr.jpg

Anyone experience this before?

Just as a heads up, if you have several different items tapped into the auxiliary power wire, it can eventually (within a week or so) cause the scosche kit to shut down randomly on start up.

The shop that did my install fixed it by installing a relay which basically lets the unit boot up first then any other accessories after. Sorry I can't give a more precise description--that is why I had a shop do the install.