This is a post for info for anyone interested in such an aftermarket head installation.
Hopefully it adds to another earlier post about installing an Atoto head unit by The Tango Van, which you can read here : Atoto F7XE headunit in T6 Transporter
Background: In my case, I was triggered by the failure of the touch screen of my discovery media head unit, and the extortionate cost of either a repair or a new Discovery Media head unit (DM).
I decided after reading many discussions and reviews that a 2023/24 aftermarket head unit is a far more attractive option for me than repairing or replacing a 2017 OEM discovery media unit. I chose the Atoto S8 as an Android head unit that met my needs and was far better value than Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony, etc. I'm not an audiophile. I mainly use the head unit for playing music over Bluetooth from my phone. I also use the head-unit-screen as a bigger screen for managing hands-free phone calls while driving, and I wanted to mirror my phone screen on the head unit to occasionally assist with navigation, for which I use Android phone apps such as Waze, Google maps, Co-pilot, Road Lords etc. I stopped using the Discovery Media integrated Sat Nav after the first couple of weeks as its functional navigation performance was crap despite the excellent integration into the T6 vehicle. I rarely listen to the radio, in any form. Note that this specific Atoto unit does NOT have DAB radio anyway, just FM.
My head unit was specifically this one:
https://myatoto.com/ATOTO-S8G2A74SD...tail?productId=1527478779681775620&country=GB
Widely available from UK retailers at a lower cost than listed on the manufacturer's website.
Other larger screen options are available, and also some higher spec options are available, but I didn't need those bells & whistles.
To install the head unit into my 2017 T6, I used this kit:
Connects2 - Vehicle Integration
which includes several other connects2 products within the kit. The key one for me was the adapter to make the steering wheel control buttons match the Atoto head unit and operate volume and track controls. (as well as a loom with a VW DM connector adapting to twin ISO connectors).
Widely available from UK retailers at a lower cost than listed on the manufacturer's website.
The installation generally went well regarding the basics. You need to carefully follow the wiring diagrams and make the wiring connections in the right order. The brackets and the fascia plate in the CTKVW17 kit match the Atoto unit and the VW dash pretty well. No pictures yet as I have not finished sorting out some functional gremlins. The music plays, Bluetooth connections work, cable connections work, android auto works OK when I use it, the navigation works and displays from my phone on teh head unit, and phone screen mirroring all work fine. The head unit charges my phone adequately too,
For all of the wiring connections that did not already have proper connectors, I have used Wago in-line connectors instead of the other usual options. They are very easy to use and work well, a;though a little more expensive. Widely available from retailers and electrical wholesalers.
Inline splicing connector with levers (221-2411) | WAGO GB
Now for the issues and gremlins:
1, Minor Trouble connecting the reversing camera in the Van to the Atoto head unit.
My reversing camera is an aftermarket camera purchased as a kit from a T6 forum listed vendor that is installed just above the number plate in one of the barn doors. It’s so long ago, I cannot remember exactly who I bought it from, but it is good kit. It has 3 wires - a video feed, a power feed and a combined screen and ground. I had it hard-wired into the vehicle loom at the big rectangular connector on the back of the old discovery media system. The power for the camera was a 12v feed coming from the “reversing” feed into the DM.
The Atoto head unit has a standard RCA video connector like many other aftermarket head units. Unfortunately There was no RCA connector included in the CTKVW17 kit. So I had to find/buy an RCA connector. Once I’d bought this, it was a quick an easy job to get the camera working automatically once reverse gear was engaged, as the CTKVW17 kit does include a reverse feed wire within the supplied loom, and the Atoto has a matching input wire for reverse feed .
2. Integrated microphone in my van doesn’t connect to the Atoto head unit.
There are no wires or connectors in the loom included within the CTKVW17 kit. to connect to the microphone within the van, nor wires in the loom to connect to a microphone input to the head unit.
Secondly, the Atoto has a 2-pin microphone input socket . It comes supplied with a remote microphone with a 2-pin jack to match its socket. Unfortunately the microphone is crap.
I have not solved this yet, but my outline plan is to make up some wiring with a 2-pin jack to connect the integrated van microphone to the head unit 2 pin socket, if I cannot find something suitable to buy off the shelf.
3. Integrated USB sockets in Van do not connect to the Atoto head unit
My T6 has two OEM USB sockets neatly integrated into the dash, and they are wired into the vehicle loom back to the big rectangular connector on the back of the old DM head unit.
The Atoto head unit has a small rectangular connector with eight pins (four per USB), and is supplied with a pair of USB sockets on flying leads, but without any practical easy means of fixing the sockets to the dash in a robust and tidy manner.
Unfortunately just like the microphone issue, there are no wires or connectors in the loom included within the CTKVW17 kit. to connect to the sockets within the van, nor wires to connect to the USB connectors on the head unit.
I have not solved this yet, but my outline plan B is trying to find some off-the-shelf adapters to match the Atoto head unit and connect to the integrated T6 USB sickest. Plan C is to make up some wiring to suit if I can find the appropriate bits from somewhere like RS components.
4. Integrated VW T6 GPS antenna in the Van does not connect to the Atoto head unit.
This should be fairly simple to fix (ha ha ha ha ha ). Both the T6 wiring and the Atoto head unit have Fakra connectors. Unfortunately the T6 connector is a 90-degree bend item, and the wiring is about 70 to 100mm too short to reach the much shallower Atoto head unit. Also the Atoto needs a straight connector rather than a 90-degree connector. Hopefully this additional Fakra Male to Female Adapter Cable 25CM will solve this.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BYHF1W4Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5. Mounting screws are too short:
A minor but still annoying issue is that the brackets and plastic surround in the CTKVW17 kit are thicker than the standard T6 items, so the T6 screws are too short. There are no replacement longer screws in the kit. I think I have solved this with some screws from
Bolt Base - Nuts & Bolts, Screws, Fasteners & Washers
but I’ll confirm this once I’ve received them.
I hope this post is helpful to others, and I’ll aim to provide an update once I’ve solved these problems, and include some pics.
Hopefully it adds to another earlier post about installing an Atoto head unit by The Tango Van, which you can read here : Atoto F7XE headunit in T6 Transporter
Background: In my case, I was triggered by the failure of the touch screen of my discovery media head unit, and the extortionate cost of either a repair or a new Discovery Media head unit (DM).
I decided after reading many discussions and reviews that a 2023/24 aftermarket head unit is a far more attractive option for me than repairing or replacing a 2017 OEM discovery media unit. I chose the Atoto S8 as an Android head unit that met my needs and was far better value than Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony, etc. I'm not an audiophile. I mainly use the head unit for playing music over Bluetooth from my phone. I also use the head-unit-screen as a bigger screen for managing hands-free phone calls while driving, and I wanted to mirror my phone screen on the head unit to occasionally assist with navigation, for which I use Android phone apps such as Waze, Google maps, Co-pilot, Road Lords etc. I stopped using the Discovery Media integrated Sat Nav after the first couple of weeks as its functional navigation performance was crap despite the excellent integration into the T6 vehicle. I rarely listen to the radio, in any form. Note that this specific Atoto unit does NOT have DAB radio anyway, just FM.
My head unit was specifically this one:
https://myatoto.com/ATOTO-S8G2A74SD...tail?productId=1527478779681775620&country=GB
Widely available from UK retailers at a lower cost than listed on the manufacturer's website.
Other larger screen options are available, and also some higher spec options are available, but I didn't need those bells & whistles.
To install the head unit into my 2017 T6, I used this kit:
Connects2 - Vehicle Integration
which includes several other connects2 products within the kit. The key one for me was the adapter to make the steering wheel control buttons match the Atoto head unit and operate volume and track controls. (as well as a loom with a VW DM connector adapting to twin ISO connectors).
Widely available from UK retailers at a lower cost than listed on the manufacturer's website.
The installation generally went well regarding the basics. You need to carefully follow the wiring diagrams and make the wiring connections in the right order. The brackets and the fascia plate in the CTKVW17 kit match the Atoto unit and the VW dash pretty well. No pictures yet as I have not finished sorting out some functional gremlins. The music plays, Bluetooth connections work, cable connections work, android auto works OK when I use it, the navigation works and displays from my phone on teh head unit, and phone screen mirroring all work fine. The head unit charges my phone adequately too,
For all of the wiring connections that did not already have proper connectors, I have used Wago in-line connectors instead of the other usual options. They are very easy to use and work well, a;though a little more expensive. Widely available from retailers and electrical wholesalers.
Inline splicing connector with levers (221-2411) | WAGO GB
Now for the issues and gremlins:
1, Minor Trouble connecting the reversing camera in the Van to the Atoto head unit.
My reversing camera is an aftermarket camera purchased as a kit from a T6 forum listed vendor that is installed just above the number plate in one of the barn doors. It’s so long ago, I cannot remember exactly who I bought it from, but it is good kit. It has 3 wires - a video feed, a power feed and a combined screen and ground. I had it hard-wired into the vehicle loom at the big rectangular connector on the back of the old discovery media system. The power for the camera was a 12v feed coming from the “reversing” feed into the DM.
The Atoto head unit has a standard RCA video connector like many other aftermarket head units. Unfortunately There was no RCA connector included in the CTKVW17 kit. So I had to find/buy an RCA connector. Once I’d bought this, it was a quick an easy job to get the camera working automatically once reverse gear was engaged, as the CTKVW17 kit does include a reverse feed wire within the supplied loom, and the Atoto has a matching input wire for reverse feed .
2. Integrated microphone in my van doesn’t connect to the Atoto head unit.
There are no wires or connectors in the loom included within the CTKVW17 kit. to connect to the microphone within the van, nor wires in the loom to connect to a microphone input to the head unit.
Secondly, the Atoto has a 2-pin microphone input socket . It comes supplied with a remote microphone with a 2-pin jack to match its socket. Unfortunately the microphone is crap.
I have not solved this yet, but my outline plan is to make up some wiring with a 2-pin jack to connect the integrated van microphone to the head unit 2 pin socket, if I cannot find something suitable to buy off the shelf.
3. Integrated USB sockets in Van do not connect to the Atoto head unit
My T6 has two OEM USB sockets neatly integrated into the dash, and they are wired into the vehicle loom back to the big rectangular connector on the back of the old DM head unit.
The Atoto head unit has a small rectangular connector with eight pins (four per USB), and is supplied with a pair of USB sockets on flying leads, but without any practical easy means of fixing the sockets to the dash in a robust and tidy manner.
Unfortunately just like the microphone issue, there are no wires or connectors in the loom included within the CTKVW17 kit. to connect to the sockets within the van, nor wires to connect to the USB connectors on the head unit.
I have not solved this yet, but my outline plan B is trying to find some off-the-shelf adapters to match the Atoto head unit and connect to the integrated T6 USB sickest. Plan C is to make up some wiring to suit if I can find the appropriate bits from somewhere like RS components.
4. Integrated VW T6 GPS antenna in the Van does not connect to the Atoto head unit.
This should be fairly simple to fix (ha ha ha ha ha ). Both the T6 wiring and the Atoto head unit have Fakra connectors. Unfortunately the T6 connector is a 90-degree bend item, and the wiring is about 70 to 100mm too short to reach the much shallower Atoto head unit. Also the Atoto needs a straight connector rather than a 90-degree connector. Hopefully this additional Fakra Male to Female Adapter Cable 25CM will solve this.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BYHF1W4Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5. Mounting screws are too short:
A minor but still annoying issue is that the brackets and plastic surround in the CTKVW17 kit are thicker than the standard T6 items, so the T6 screws are too short. There are no replacement longer screws in the kit. I think I have solved this with some screws from
Bolt Base - Nuts & Bolts, Screws, Fasteners & Washers
but I’ll confirm this once I’ve received them.
I hope this post is helpful to others, and I’ll aim to provide an update once I’ve solved these problems, and include some pics.
