Fitting a Bluetooth Car-kit to a Ford S-Max

BnA

Hi. I want to fit a bluetooth car kit to my wife's Ford S-Max

I was looking at the Parrot CK3100. I don't need anything to connect to i-pods or anything lik ethat. Just a simple to use bluetooth kit that is connected up to the cars own speakers.

My question is, does anyone know if these are difficult to install for someone who doesn't know what they are doing ?

Lex Luthor

to be honest, if you don't know what you're doing, don't try it

I'll try most things, but would draw the line at installing a kit like this

You can get one supplied & fitted for about €220.

I recently got the CK3100 done for this price and it was done in less than 45 min. The most you'll save is €100 and it could cost you in the long run trying to do it yourself.

cgc5483

Lex Luthor wrote: »

to be honest, if you don't know what you're doing, don't try it

I'll try most things, but would draw the line at installing a kit like this

You can get one supplied & fitted for about €220.

I recently got the CK3100 done for this price and it was done in less than 45 min. The most you'll save is €100 and it could cost you in the long run trying to do it yourself.

These are really easy to install, I've done 2 of them myself in different cars I've had and would not know much about electrics in a car. The kit can be bought for less than €100 on ebay and you just need to buy the correct wiring harness to connect the leads to the back of the Focus radio once you have removed it. Give it a go, saying €100 is well worth it around this time of the year. Give google a search for tips to remove radio. Best of lcuk.

Guy:Incognito

Lex Luthor wrote: »

to be honest, if you don't know what you're doing, don't try it

I'll try most things, but would draw the line at installing a kit like this
.

How will you ever know so?

Theres generally only 2 wires to connect for the power and then quite often a cable with block connectors for the radio speakers. the cables are colour coded , all your connecting is a live (possible a perm live and a switched) and an earth.

I've done loads at this stage. The hardest part is fitting the cables for the mic etc through and in the dash up to where you want it, can be a bit fiddly.


I've seen some bodge jobs done by installers . I much prefer to do anything like that myself.My aunts Mondeo looks like the guy put his foot on the dash and pulled the panel as hard as he could to make room to route the cable for the screen out. The screen now dangles from the cable because it was never connected securly to the dash.

Lex Luthor

ya but you got to remove panels, etc.

For a car worth over 30k, I'd pay 220 to have it fitted. My 2c

Guy:Incognito

Lex Luthor wrote: »

ya but you got to remove panels, etc.

For a car worth over 30k, I'd pay 220 to have it fitted. My 2c

It's only a few screws. If it's the first time the guys done an s-max he's going in as blind as you would.

Guy:Incognito

OT but it's ridiculous how many people wont either get it at point of purchase or have a BT car kit fitted afterwards. I see loads of peopel going around in new high end cars holding their phones to their ears. FFS , they spend 80k on a car and wont buy a car kit.

Car manufacturers should all just add €100 to the list price of cars and make BT kits standard. Maybe the EU should make it a requirement.

BnA

Stekelly wrote: »

OT but it's ridiculous how many people wont either get it at point of purchase or have a BT car kit fitted afterwards. I see loads of peopel going around in new high end cars holding their phones to their ears. FFS , they spend 80k on a car and wont buy a car kit.

Car manufacturers should all just add €100 to the list price of cars and make BT kits standard. Maybe the EU should make it a requirement.

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I'll have a cut off it myself. As I'll be getting it as a Christmas present for her, and I'm off work for the week after Christmas, I have plenty of time to take my time and do it right.

I imported the S-Max during the summer thinking it had bluetooth on it as it is standard on all new ones. However, I only discovered when I got home that it only became standard at the start of 08 and it was a 07 car I bought.

R.O.R

BnA wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I'll have a cut off it myself. As I'll be getting it as a Christmas present for her, and I'm off work for the week after Christmas, I have plenty of time to take my time and do it right.

I imported the S-Max during the summer thinking it had bluetooth on it as it is standard on all new ones. However, I only discovered when I got home that it only became standard at the start of 08 and it was a 07 car I bought.

Before investing in a Bluetooth kit, have a go at removing the trim to get to the radio. This stopped me even attempting to install one in the wife's V50 as attacking the plastic on the console just doesn't seem right to me.

I replaced the radio on a new Mondeo earlier this year and the S-Max seems to have a similar centre console. Dealer told me it was a 10 minute job and having removed radios from old Fords I had no reason to doubt. On the older models it was 2 prongs through the side of the radio and pull - job done! On the new Mondeo you have to remove all the trim on the centre console, right from behind the handbrake to above the radio (2 big bits of plastic), then the radio is held in place with 4 torx screws.

Try getting your fingers in under the gearstick gaiter and pulling up gently first. If you meet any major resistance then there are probably screws need removing, otherwise it could just be clipped. On the Mondeo the split between the 2 parts of trim was at the ashtray - I think that needed removing and a couple of screws / torx screws taking out. The bit near the handbrake was clipped in for the most part, but the bit around the radio was screwed in.

tweaf

I've just had a CK3100 installed into my wife's SMax and all I can say is I wouldn't risk doing this myself - it's very tricky and a large amount of the dash had to be dismantled.

Great kit by the way.

tred

BnA wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I'll have a cut off it myself. As I'll be getting it as a Christmas present for her, and I'm off work for the week after Christmas, I have plenty of time to take my time and do it right.

I imported the S-Max during the summer thinking it had bluetooth on it as it is standard on all new ones. However, I only discovered when I got home that it only became standard at the start of 08 and it was a 07 car I bought.

BNA, what type of stero is in the smax, if it came from UK, does it have an upgraded Sony unit.? What you need to get are the keys to remove the stereo, the ISO wiring loom, which can be picked up easy on Ebay. And then shop around for the unit itself. Check on the uk forums, for smax, defo good instrucitons on how to do it yourself. The problem id say there talking about above, is hiding the cable for the mic and the wires to the device itself.

tred

tweaf wrote: »

I've just had a CK3100 installed into my wife's SMax and all I can say is I wouldn't risk doing this myself - it's very tricky and a large amount of the dash had to be dismantled.

Great kit by the way.

how much do you mind me asking?