CarPlay unit for my 04 9-3.
just wanted to post a quick review of the saabplus carplay unit since ive seen a few people asking about modernizing the 03-06 fiber optic setups.
ive had it in for a week now and overall im super happy with it.
the good
*actually plug and play. took me maybe 30 mins to install, didnt have to hack up the factory wiring harness or bypass the fiber optics.
*the radio works perfectly and all the buttons on the dash are still completely operable. plus the sid display on top of the dash is perfectly visible and not blocked.
*wireless carplay connects pretty fast and the whole interface is really snappy to use.
the catch: (the center vent):
alright so the trade-off is how it mounts. because of the bracket, it pretty much blocks the center air vent. you can still feel some air bleeding out around the sides of the screen, but it inhibits direct airflow from that main vent.
if you live somewhere super hot and need max a/c blasting right at your face, this might annoy you. personally i just angle the side vents and it cools down the cabin fine, but definitely something to keep in mind.
overall if you can live with losing that vent, its honestly the cleanest way to get bluetooth and nav into a pre-facelift 9-3 without ripping the whole dash apart. completely reversible too.
let me know if you guys have any questions!!!