[MTCB Android Head Units Q&A] NYCAR:
This is my attempt to compile initial concerns and tips to perform BASIC customization of a head unit. There is a lot of fantastic information in the original Sticky, but I think there is a lot of advanced information that is getting in the way of finding basic information and that the original author(s) have so much knowledge that they forget that many of us do not understand the basics.

Feel free to add suggestions or questions to the end and I will insert them on the front page (assuming I find it useful and simple and I actually understand it). Please format your suggestions as Issue -> Solution.

And if any Moderator finds this to be duplicative and should be deleted as confusing, go right ahead. If any Moderator find this to be fantastic and wants to take over, please do. In any event, I would like to see a Sticky of things like this with the Problem listed first. Just being given a solution without knowing what it solves doesn't work for me.

For now, this is a work in progress and I'm not at my stereo. Some of my suggestions are wrong because I am not hands on right now.

Actually, I'm just going to post questions now. I'll post answers to what I know when I get a chance.

Basics;

Installation

How do I install a rear-view camera

Follow manufacturer's instruction for the camera itself.

The RCA jack on a yellow wire plugs into the RCA female jack on the head unit.

The "Back" or "Reverse" wire on the head unit needs to be connected to a wire that signals when the car is in reverse (normally spliced into the reverse lights). This will allow the screen to display the camera when the car is in reverse.

How can I have the rear-view camera on even if the car is not in reverse

Got me

How do I install a dash-cam to show on the head unit?

Sounds dangerous

How do I connect an amplifier?

I only have standard speakers

Radio

Presets are on wrong station.

Tune the radio to the desired station.

Press and hold whichever preset you want to have that station.

Radio is on wrong band.

Press either AM or FM

Signal is weak.

Sure is.

Install a signal booster (Anyone have that work?)

If your car has a powered antenna, you need to connect a wire from the head unit to engage the antenna. It should be labeled "ANT" and is probably blue.

What does everything do?

I have no idea what PTY, etc. do.

Anyone want to chime in?

No channels lock and I do not even get static.

The radio is set up incorrectly.

Go to Settings -> Factory Settings -> Enter 126 ->Application -> Look at the Radio drop-box(write down what your original selection is (eg; TEF6685) Make a new selection from choices -> Press "Apply" -> Press "Exit" to reboot the head unit to engage the choices. (If you are not asked to reboot, then you forgot to press "Apply" first.

Presets are lost on reboot

Malaysk has a solution (has not worked for me yet)

Navigation

How do I activate my Navigation?

This is a separate App that must be installed.

Use an .apk installer for one that you have.

Music Player

How do I organize music?

Poorly. As far as I know, the Player App automatically organizes it however it wants.

Get a new player that organizes it better.

How do I use a different Music Player App

I'm still working on that.

How do I adjust the time?

Settings -> Date and Time -> Turn off Automatic, Change Time Zone, ...

How do I use Google Play?

Set up account

Why did Google change the name of their app store to the child-like "Google Play"? I'm not 12 years old.

It was a horrible mistake that they should correct.

Change start-up animation

Go to Settings -> Factory Settings -> Enter 126 -> Car Logo -> Select animation -> Press Apply and then press Exit?

Change what the physical buttons do

Probably cannot without Malaysk's ROM

Set up steering wheel buttons

PHYSICAL

The physical wires must be connected to your head unit

There is a separate ground wire from the unit to the wires from the buttons.

There are two other wires (labeled "Key" on mine) from the head unit to the buttons. It does not matter which one goes where.

PROGRAMMING

Settings -> I don't remember

How do I root?

This is a very basic instruction for how to root your Android 4.4. head unit.

To my limited understanding, you cannot simply root an Android 4.4. head unit. Instead, you need to install a disk image (ROM) of one that has already been rooted. Fortunately, we have many wonderful people on this site who do this sort of thing.

This is only for installing the ROM. Updating the MCU is similar, but often not necessary and sometimes harmful.

FOLLOW THIS TO UPGRADE YOUR ROM

0- go to Settings -> About Machine to get your MCU version and Android Version. You also need to know what your screen resolution is.

1- Do a back up (copy the files somewhere safe) of your internal SD card memory. It will be wiped during the process. (From what I can tell, you can use File Manager to copy the files from Internal SD to GPS)

2- Download the ROM (Resolution 1024x600 or 800x480) and MCU (KGL, KLD, JY, GS,RM, MX, BN, HA) for your unit.

ROMs--> repository (Please go to the actual page (linked at the bottom of this instruction) to enter the repository) This will get you a file named update.img. There are different "flavors" of ROMs.

Code:

- [MENTION=853627]coudu[/MENTION] (rooted, stock). Early v4.0 and v4.1 have some problems.

- [MENTION=3590033]Malaysk[/MENTION] (rooted, with very useful mods, some come with NEXT launcher)

- [MENTION=6041319]dsa8310[/MENTION] (rooted, almost stock)

MCUs--> Latest MCUs by Malaysk are here . This will get you a file named mcu.img

3- copy the update.img you have chosen to the root of your GPS card. (This means directly onto your GPS micro-SD card, not in any sub-folder)

4- insert back the GPS card to the unit. If no window pops up, reboot the unit. At boot, the presence of update.img will be detected and a pop up window will ask you whether you want to update your unit. It will automatically reboot into recovery mode and update your unit. Once done, remove update.img from the root of the gps card or you will be asked every boot for an update.

5- In some Coudu´s (sd partition of 3Gb) and Malaysk´s ROMs versions, it is necessary to do a factory reset just after the first boot so that everything works properly.

This information is a summary of the main page here. It has been used without permission and I thus provided no actual link to the files. This is just so readers can understand what the minimum steps are to root their systems.

Head Unit is Rooted with Malaysk's fantastic ROM. Now what can I do?

That will be a much larger section. Stay tuned.

How to use a different Music Player?

Not sure. What I read did not work for me. I'll try again on my new unit

Basic questions with hard answers

The microphone is terrible

Pull out your soldering iron and be ready to potentially break your head unit.