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Review on Maestro KIT-F150 Dash Kit and T-Harness for 2013-2014 Ford F150 Trucks with 4.3 inch Screen: Easy Installation Solution for Upgrading Your Car Audio System by Jason Vigil

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great way to add navigation and front radio to a base truck

I bought this kit for my 2013 Ford F150 XLT Supercrew with 4.2" screen and synchro. I had a basic radio that also included SiriusXM. The kit fits perfectly and is an easy install with the included instructions which are pretty good. There are a few errors in the size of the screw, but they don't affect the overall result. The fairing matches my existing dash very well and looks great. As you can see in the Revain image, it supports the existing climate control knobs and knobs with a difference. Pressing the fan or temperature button will bring up a screen on the new radio with all the controls as shown. in which they are currently installed. You can use the buttons or the touch screen to make changes. Along with the kit you will need the $122 Maestro ADS-MRR Factory Integration Module which provides connections between Ford/Sync, the new radio and connections to the AC kit. The module must be programmed according to the specifics and preferences of your vehicle from the manufacturer's website. You connect the module to your computer with a USB programming cable. Before placing an order, you must decide which 2 DIN radio you want. I chose the Kenwood DNX892, which has navigation, satellite prep, HD radio, iPhone or Android integration included and included. Go to http://maestro.idatalink. com/ and follow the instructions for your vehicle (they support a lot more than the F150). You will be prompted to check some of your vehicle's settings and then select a radio station. After all, they'll pretty much tell you what you need to get the job done and provide links to installation guides. Data for 10 sensors on two pages. For example, you can control exhaust manifold temperature (great for a turbocharged Ecoboost engine), coolant temperature, and more. Pioneer radios won't do this, but there may be other manufacturers. All of this will be shown to you when you make your choice. In fact, you can run multiple radios, to see what is supported. Very elegant. You can store the controls on the steering wheel and change the assignment of the buttons when programming the MRR module. Each button can be assigned two functions of your choice. One option is selected when you press the button and the second option is selected when you press and hold the button. You can print out a small card to help you remember which options you have programmed. Another plus is that if you have tire pressure sensors and proximity sensors, those can be displayed as well. The tire pressure page on the radio shows the current pressure for each tire. When you shift into reverse, a screen will appear when the proximity sensors detect an object, giving you a visual cue to where and how close the object is. You will also hear warning tones. Kenwood supports two cameras and is labeled on the front and back. If you connect your current rear camera, it will only appear on the screen if you have the interruption enabled. You cannot display the rear camera and proximity sensors on the screen at the same time. It's either one or the other. There is a button you can click to show the second camera. In my case I still use the backup camera in my mirror, the proximity sensors on the new radio and if I want a second camera to be mounted on the back of my campervan. When setting it up, you have many options to consider. parts, but you are not set in concrete and you can change something at any time. You will also need two antenna adapters, one for your satellite dish (SAT1) and one for your AM/FM radio antenna (Metra 40-EU10) for around $10 each. Since the satellite receiver is built into the Ford factory radio, you'll also need a SiriusXM SXV300v1 receiver, which costs about $35. With Sat1 you can connect an existing SiriusXM antenna to an SXV300 which connects to your radio. By the way, Kenwood's satellite radio integration is really good. For around $1,300, I was able to take a big step forward in terms of features and functionality that look like they came installed. I now have Garmin based navigation with INREX traffic and weather. My Android phone connects to Bluetooth and I have a Pandora and IHeart radio. Once I have a WIFI adapter that connects to the radio, I can mirror my Android phone to the Kenwood display. Kenwood supports hands-free calling for two phones, which is great. Keeping your hands free on the Ford Sync means you can't keep your hands free on KenwoodNow for the Maestro folks either. The site is really good, everything is very clear and understandable. They have a tech support forum which I used before and during setup and was top notch. They responded very quickly with clear and accurate information. Their technical support is probably the best I've ever come across. I really can't say in a review what I would change about the whole setup without getting fussy. When you factor in the number of vehicle types and options and then combine that with a massive range of radios, it's amazing. Everyone from the maestro to the radio manufacturer has done a credible job. My setup isn't perfect as there was a limit to how much I was willing to spend on the radio, but overall I'm very happy and looking forward to camper trips. with first class navigation and great entertainment. Not to mention the DVD features, which you can see if you disable the parking brake connection. I haven't done it, but I'm tempted, but to be on the safe side, it's best not to. However, if you add a second display, you can share the video to the kids in the background. My kids are all grown but it would be great if my Uncle Sam would send me to live somewhere else on the other side of the country! I really hope this helps you make the right decision for your needs. There are cheaper navigation systems that are built into the dashboard. but they don't come close to what this setup does. My kids are all grown but it would be great if my Uncle Sam would send me to live somewhere else on the other side of the country! I really hope this helps you make the right decision for your needs. There are cheaper in-dash navigation systems out there, but they don't come anywhere close to what what this setup does. My kids are all grown but it would be great if my Uncle Sam would send me to live somewhere else on the other side of the country! I really hope this helps you make the right decision for your needs. There are cheaper in-dash navigation systems out there, but they don't come close to doing what this setup does. when my Uncle Sam sent me to another place on the other side of the country! I really hope this helps you make the right decision for your needs. There are cheaper in-dash navigation systems out there, but they don't come close to doing what this setup does. My kids are all grown but it would be great if my uncle sam would send me to live somewhere else on the other side of the country! I really hope this helps you make the right decision for your needs. There are cheaper in-dash navigation systems out there, but they don't come close to doing what this setup does. when my Uncle Sam sent me to another place on the other side of the country! I really hope this helps you make the right decision for your needs. There are cheaper in-dash navigation systems out there, but they don't come close to doing what this setup does. My kids are all grown but it would be great if my Uncle Sam would send me to live somewhere else on the other side of the country! I really hope this helps you make the right decision for your needs. There are cheaper in-dash navigation systems out there, but they don't come close to doing what this setup does. but they don't come close to what this setup does. My kids are all grown but it would be great if my Uncle Sam would send me to live somewhere else on the other side of the country! I really hope this helps you make the right decision for your needs. There are cheaper in-dash navigation systems out there, but they don't come close to doing what this setup does. but they don't come close to what this setup does. My kids are all grown but it would be great if my uncle sam would send me to live somewhere else on the other side of the country! I really hope this helps you make the right decision for your needs. There are cheaper in-dash navigation systems out there, but they don't come close to doing what this setup does.

Pros
  • Absolute Legend
Cons
  • Great price