I bought an '09 GXP in April and it had every option I wanted... except the Monsoon upgrade. Couldn't believe someone would order this car loaded and skimp out on the premium sound. It ended up being a blessing and a curse. On one hand, I had to deal with crappy sound for three months. On the other hand, I now had the need and motivation to do a proper upgrade. If I had the Monsoon, I may never have upgraded. I do remember being satisfied when I had it on my first Solstice 10 years ago.
So, I spend a few weeks planning and ordering parts. I knew if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. That meant from-scratch, all new speakers, all new wiring, and a new head unit.
Parts:
The Good: I couldn't have done this install as smoothly as it went without the weeks of researching this forum and all the hard work so many people have done documenting and troubleshooting their own installs. I lost about 5 lbs. in the four days it took to do this task by myself, working hard in a hot garage! But the result is fantastic. I'm also pretty cutting edge by having a brand new CarPlay/Android Auto-ready headunit. And this is one that has really worked out a lot of the kinks from earlier generations (AppRadio and stuff). Totally native detection of your phone, no cable or settings to switch even cross platform. Great if you have people using both Apple and Android phones and sharing a car.
The Bad: I definitely had a few issues that I came across.
I know the "bad" list looks long enough compared to the good to make it seem like a nightmare, but there's just a lot more to talk about regarding the bumps in the road. I decided to not deal with Dynamat at this time since I knew I'd have my hands full as it is. I don't have any issues with rattles so it's not too critical for me. Maybe some day, I have other priorities (brakes and calipers are next, then shifter, then...). Also, I wish there was an easy way to enable the VSS function to adjust the stereo's volume based on speed, but I know I'd have to tap into the ECM and junk. And, you know, if only there was a way to actually see what your head unit is displaying in direct sunlight... ;-)
So, I spend a few weeks planning and ordering parts. I knew if I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. That meant from-scratch, all new speakers, all new wiring, and a new head unit.
Parts:
- Kenwood DDX9902S CarPlay/Android Auto Headunit
- Alpine PDX-V9 Amplifier (5 channel, 900 watts class D)
- Rockford Fosgate P3SD2-10 Sub (Punch 3, 2-ohm dual-coil, 10")
- Infinity Kappa 60.11CS component system for up front
- Polk Audio DB401 4" speakers for the rear
- All wiring from KnuKonceptz (4g for power, 10g for sub, 12g for everything else
- Pyle 5.0 Farad Capacitor
- Backup camera (Esky EC170-11)
- iDatalink Maestro AWSC-1 and Metra GMOS-LAN-04 harnesses
- Misc stuff like Metra double-DIN frame, FM antenna adaptor, new SiriusXM adapter and extension cable (to use original antenna), primary wire for backup camera, etc.
The Good: I couldn't have done this install as smoothly as it went without the weeks of researching this forum and all the hard work so many people have done documenting and troubleshooting their own installs. I lost about 5 lbs. in the four days it took to do this task by myself, working hard in a hot garage! But the result is fantastic. I'm also pretty cutting edge by having a brand new CarPlay/Android Auto-ready headunit. And this is one that has really worked out a lot of the kinks from earlier generations (AppRadio and stuff). Totally native detection of your phone, no cable or settings to switch even cross platform. Great if you have people using both Apple and Android phones and sharing a car.
The Bad: I definitely had a few issues that I came across.
- It took four long days to do it all. This includes taking the stock subwoofer box (that the person I bought this car from had generously thrown in because he had one laying around) and customizing it to take a 10" sub. I used a 3/4" MDF ring to make sure I had plenty of clearance. I also used a Dremel to just cut down a few of the plastic fins on the inside and, of course, make the hole larger. I used some weather proof foam sealant to fill the gap where the speaker wire goes through. It's about 1 inch square.
I also ended up having to cut a hole in the waterfall panel to let it stick through. I had originally not wanted to deal with that, but a Dremel and circle cutout tool made quick work of it. It also let me put the vanity ring on the subwoofer over the cut out so the final product looks factory. After this pic was taken, I actually bought some of that black tubing that you are supposed to put on the edge of your door to prevent dings and I put some over the rough edges on the grill around the sub to make it look even more finished and cover up the slight gaps.
- The head unit was too long and I had to use a Dremel to totally cut out the plastic at the rear of the stereo hole. As nerve-wracking as it was, it actually serves another benefit in making it MUCH easier to stuff all your wires and harnesses back there. It also probably improves air flow.
- I didn't listen, but what everyone says is true. It's probably not worth upgrading the rear speakers. But I did it anyway just because I figured "why not" when i'm already doing such a big project. The 4-inch speakers I purchased would probably fit perfectly if I didn't have to worry about a mount for them. But as it stands, they stick out about 1/8th of an inch too much so those rear speaker panels don't lay down perfectly flat. Not a big deal and you can't see them anyway.
- Running new speaker wire wasn't too bad overall, but running from the door into the passenger footwell was really tough. I couldn't find a lot of info on doing it, and most of it was people saying "it looked hard so I didn't bother." Turns out it really does help to remove the fender rocker panels. I already had one off for the battery, and the other side comes off the same way. Annoying, but not a huge deal if you are prepared.
But the fact the speaker wire had to go into the engine compartment and then back through the firewall into the footwells? I ended up poking a hole in existing rubber boots/grommets. It all worked out, though. - I had trouble with the iDatalink control for the steering wheel and that set me back a bit. Not only did I have to dig up a PC (since I use all Macs), but I had to use Internet Explorer which was NOT wanting to work. I ended up having to do it all with a Windows virtual machine on a Mac anyway. And then it just wasn't working in the car! It would receive commands, but wouldn't adjust the stereo. iDatalink's support was extremely smart and definitely knew their stuff inside and out, but it appeared to not be a problem with the unit. Ultimately I found out a wire in the iDatalink harness was loose. Works like a charm, and I love how you can easily program other things for button holds.
- After I got everything ALL put back together, the reverse camera wouldn't turn on automatically. But it worked manually. I was confused since I had hooked up the correct reverse wire in the harness FOR SURE. But then I found out that the Solstice doesn't send a reverse 12v signal through the harness. So I had to pull EVERYTHING apart and run a primary wire from the rear to the head-unit. Oh well, it was a good opportunity to reprogram the iDatalink Maestro to fix a few things I didn't like about my original programming, adjust the gain and crossover settings on the amplifier, as well as add some shims to bring the radio a bit more flush with the dash boomerang. Also turns out things go much faster the second time you've done them. Only took 2 hours to do all of that.
I know the "bad" list looks long enough compared to the good to make it seem like a nightmare, but there's just a lot more to talk about regarding the bumps in the road. I decided to not deal with Dynamat at this time since I knew I'd have my hands full as it is. I don't have any issues with rattles so it's not too critical for me. Maybe some day, I have other priorities (brakes and calipers are next, then shifter, then...). Also, I wish there was an easy way to enable the VSS function to adjust the stereo's volume based on speed, but I know I'd have to tap into the ECM and junk. And, you know, if only there was a way to actually see what your head unit is displaying in direct sunlight... ;-)