What Our Customers Asked in October 2026: CarPlay, Dash Cams and Japanese Imports
In October 2026 we fitted more than 15 cars a day at our Dublin 11 workshop and on callouts. This report collects the questions customers asked most, about keeping steering wheel controls and cameras, adding CarPlay to a factory screen, Japanese import radios, dash cam parking mode and sound, with our answers and what happened on the real cars.
The question we heard most in October was whether the steering wheel buttons and the reversing camera keep working after a new screen. On supported cars they do: car-specific wiring keeps them, and 360-degree cameras need their own cable set. Next came adding CarPlay while keeping the factory screen, Japanese imports stuck on two radio stations, and dash cams that record while the car is parked.
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CarPlay for your car: options and fitted price
Pick your make and model to see what fits, what it costs fitted and real installs on the same car.
Every month our installers, sales team and support line answer hundreds of questions about car radios, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, dash cams, cameras and sound. Most of them repeat, which means the answers are worth writing down. This is the first of a monthly series: what customers asked us in October 2026, what we told them and how it turned out on the real cars in the workshop.
The questions come from WhatsApp, the website forms and the phone. We have rewritten them in our own words and left out names and registrations; the car, the year and the outcome are real.
October 2026 at the workshop in numbers
Every job goes into our Work Report. In October it recorded, on an average working day:
| What | October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Installations, for private drivers and car dealers | more than 15 a day |
| Cars fitted on callouts | more than 10 a day |
| Units sold without fitting | more than 5 a day |
| Average fitting time, dealer cars | 52 minutes |
| Average fitting time, private cars | 75 minutes |
Drivers came from all over Ireland, not only Dublin: this month we had questions from Galway, Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Athlone and Arklow.
The cars we fitted most
| # | Car | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Volkswagen Golf | VW Golf CarPlay options |
| 2 | Toyota Yaris | Toyota Yaris CarPlay options |
| 3 | Volkswagen Polo | VW Polo CarPlay options |
| 4 | Toyota C-HR | CarPlay and Android Auto installation |
| 5 | Toyota RAV4 | Toyota RAV4 CarPlay options |
| 6 | Toyota Yaris Cross | CarPlay and Android Auto installation |
| 7 | Honda Fit | Honda Fit CarPlay options |
| 8 | Honda Vezel | Honda Vezel radio conversion |
| 9 | Toyota Aqua | Toyota Aqua dashboard conversion |
| 10 | Toyota Camry | Android car radio fitting |
Toyota was the most common make by a wide margin, ahead of Volkswagen, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. Two classics made this month’s write-ups: a 1984 Mercedes-Benz 230 CE W123 that now runs Apple CarPlay from a screen set into the original wooden console, and a 1994 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado with a retrofit radio.
Two classics from October: CarPlay in the wooden console of the 1984 Mercedes 230 CE, and the 1994 Land Cruiser Prado’s retrofit radio in the original slot, tuned to RTÉ lyric fm.
What customers asked about CarPlay and Android Auto
Will CarPlay fit my car?
The question behind most CarPlay enquiries, asked this month about a 2015 Mercedes SLK, a 2015 VW Touareg, a 2010 Suzuki Splash, a Jeep and a 2011 Land Cruiser 60th anniversary edition. Most likely it will: we fit car-specific screens and CarPlay interfaces to older and less common cars too. To check yours, send us the make, model and year and a photo of the radio you have now, on WhatsApp or through the form, and we confirm what is possible and the fitted price.
Will my steering wheel controls, reversing camera and 360 camera still work after a new screen?
This was the question of the month, asked about a 2017 Toyota Prius import, a 2015 Nissan Note with the factory 360 camera, a 2018 Nissan Note import and a 2020 Honda hybrid import among many others.
On cars we support, yes. The new Android screen goes in with wiring made for the car, so the steering wheel buttons and the reversing camera input keep working. A 360-degree camera system is the exception that needs planning: it uses its own video feed, so it needs a car-specific cable set, which we confirm from your registration before the booking.
What happened in October:
- Toyota Prius: the new screen went in with the factory reversing camera and the steering wheel buttons both connected and working.
- Nissan Note: the factory camera stayed in use through a Nissan camera adapter.
- Honda Stepwagon: the 360 camera needed its own, more expensive cable set, which we fitted together with the screen.
- Mazda Demio: the factory camera could not be brought up on the new unit, so we fitted one of our own reversing cameras instead. It happens on a small number of cars, and it is why we check before quoting.
The CarPlay and Android Auto installation page shows how the wiring goes in, and the Toyota Prius CarPlay page and Nissan Note head unit page list what fits each generation.
Fitting a new Android screen in a Toyota: the unit is fixed into a frame made for the car before it goes into the dash, so it sits like the factory radio.
Can I keep my original screen and just add Apple CarPlay?
We were asked this about a Mercedes E-Class W213, a 2016 Audi A3 with MMI, a 2017 Mazda CX-5 with Mazda Connect, a 2014 BMW 5 Series F10 with Harman Kardon sound and a 2015 VW Golf Mk7. Most people wanted to keep the factory look and, in the BMW’s case, the factory sound system.
There are three routes, and which one your car takes depends on its system:
- Factory CarPlay activation. Many BMW iDrive, Mercedes NTG and Audi, VW, SEAT and Skoda MIB systems already have the hardware, and CarPlay is switched on in software. Nothing changes in the dash. See Apple CarPlay activation in Ireland and our 2020 VW Tiguan activation.
- A CarPlay interface behind the factory screen. Where activation is not possible, a wireless CarPlay and Android Auto interface goes behind the original display. The screen, the buttons and the factory speakers stay as they are.
- A new Android screen. For cars with a basic radio, or a factory screen that has failed, the head unit is replaced with a screen made for the car, with CarPlay and Android Auto built in.
Factory CarPlay activation on a 2020 VW Tiguan: CarPlay runs on the original screen and nothing in the dash changes.
What happened in October: a 2013 Golf Mk7 owner who asked for a CarPlay radio and a reversing camera had both fitted. If you are not sure which route your car takes, the guide to adding Apple CarPlay to any car walks through it.
How much does a CarPlay or Android screen cost fitted, and is VAT included?
A car-specific Android screen with CarPlay and Android Auto starts at €390 fitted for the Regular Spec unit and €460 for the High Spec unit, which is the faster unit with a brighter screen and stronger sound. Premium cars such as an Audi Q5 or a Land Rover are quoted from €800 to €900. Prices on our website include VAT. The exact figure depends on the car, which is why we ask for the registration; the Android car radio fitting guide compares our prices with others in Ireland.
A reversing camera added at the same time was the most common extra this month, followed by a dash cam.
Is it wireless CarPlay and Android Auto?
Several customers asked whether their new screen would need a cable, and one 2015 MINI Cooper import owner wanted wireless only. The screens and CarPlay interfaces we fit support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Wireless Android Auto needs Android 11 or newer and a phone with 5 GHz Wi-Fi, as explained on the Android Auto installation page.
How long does fitting take? Can I wait?
Fitting an Android screen takes one to two hours at our Dublin 11 workshop, and the October averages above, 52 minutes on dealer cars and 75 minutes on private cars, show where most jobs land. A screen, a reversing camera and a dash cam together take longer, so tell us everything you want when you book. We are open Monday to Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm.
What customers asked about Japanese imports
My Japanese import only gets two radio stations. Can it be fixed?
Asked about a 2017 Peugeot 308 and a 2017 Volvo XC60, both imported from Japan, and about a 2022 Toyota Aqua. Japanese radios tune 76 to 95 MHz, while Irish FM runs 87.5 to 108 MHz, so most Irish stations above 95 MHz never appear. The fix is a Japanese to Irish FM conversion on the original radio, or a new screen that tunes the full Irish band.
What happened in October: a 2022 Toyota Aqua had its original radio converted to Irish FM, keeping the factory unit in the dash.
The 2022 Toyota Aqua after the FM conversion: the original radio now holds Irish stations above 95 MHz, such as 99.9 and 100.3.
Can you change the dashboard and menus from Japanese to English?
Asked about a 2012 Lexus CT 200h, a 2014 Honda Fit, a 2017 Lexus GS450h, a 2015 VW Beetle and a Toyota Aqua hybrid, plus a 2022 Audi A3 and a 2019 Mercedes A-Class that needed European maps and the Irish time zone. Most Japanese dashboards and radios can be switched to English in software; see Japanese to English dashboard conversion and radio conversion.
What happened in October:
- Toyota Aqua 2022: the instrument cluster was converted from Japanese to English.
- Honda Vezel RV3: the factory radio was converted, the same job as the Honda Fit GR3 dashboard conversion from September.
- Mercedes A-Class import: the Japanese navigation had to be removed before the clock could be set to Irish time. The clock now works; radio station logos are not available on that unit.
Before and after: the same Toyota Aqua cluster and menu, first in Japanese, then in English as “Meter Brightness”, on the factory display.
Selling Japanese imports? The short video above is for car dealers: send us the model and a photo of the screen, and we tell you what can be switched to English before the car goes on sale.
The Japanese import conversion hub covers every car we convert, and the Japanese import conversion price guide compares costs.
What customers asked about dash cams, cameras and parking sensors
Will a dash cam drain my battery in parking mode, and can you fit one I bought myself?
Asked about a Kia EV4, a 2023 VW ID.4, a 2025 Toyota Yaris and a Ford Tourneo Custom nine-seater that needed more than one interior camera. A hardwired dash cam with parking mode runs through a kit that watches the battery voltage and switches the camera off before the battery gets low, so the car still starts in the morning.
We also fit cameras bought elsewhere. Fitting your own dash cam hardwired costs €100 an hour and usually takes one to two hours. What happened in October: a Honda Fit owner brought their own front and rear dash cam, and we fitted both. For which camera to buy, read the best dash cam in Ireland and Nextbase vs 70mai vs Viofo; prices and the fitting process are on the dash cam installation page.
Left: hardwiring a dash cam, the cable goes into the headlining and A-pillar trim so nothing hangs across the glass. Right: a dash cam going in behind the rear-view mirror of a new Renault 4.
Can the reversing camera show on my original screen?
Asked about a 2019 VW Transporter T6 with Discover Media, a 2022 Transporter T6.1, a 2021 Renault Clio with Media Nav and a 2016 Opel Astra K. On many factory screens it can, with an interface that switches the screen to the camera when reverse is selected. The VW Transporter reversing camera page shows how it works on the T6, and the reversing camera installation page covers other cars.
Left: a reversing camera with guidelines on a new Android screen in a VW Transporter. Right: on the factory screen of an Audi Q5, which switches to the camera when reverse is selected.
My front parking sensors only work in reverse. Can that change?
A VW Sharan owner asked exactly this. The factory setup only showed the front sensors with reverse engaged, and he wanted them in drive as well. We replaced the radio with a unit that shows the front sensors when he needs them, and they now work the way he asked. More on what is possible on the parking sensors installation page.
What customers asked about sound
My speakers stopped working, or I want more bass. What are the options?
Asked about a 2013 VW Golf Mk7 where only the driver’s speaker played, a 2011 Skoda Octavia with blown speakers, a Hyundai Ioniq 5 with room for two under-seat subwoofers, an Audi e-tron GT on the standard sound system and a 2014 Renault Megane.
What happened in October:
- VW Golf Mk7: the original speakers were upgraded.
- Skoda Octavia 2011: new speakers plus bass hidden under the seats, as the owner asked.
- Toyota Avensis: a full soundproofing job to cut road noise.
Toyota Avensis: sound deadening mats on the inner door skin to cut road noise.
The options are on the car speakers, subwoofer installation and car soundproofing pages.
After the install: questions from our support line
My clock did not change when the clocks went back, or an app stopped working. What do I do?
The clocks went back on Sunday 25 October, and a few owners noticed their screen was still an hour out. Others asked about an app such as YouTube freezing, the phone not reconnecting after a phone reset, the reversing camera picture showing mirrored, or the microphone sounding quiet on calls. Many of these turn out to be settings rather than faults, such as automatic time or the camera mirror option in the unit’s settings menu.
If a setting does not fix it, send a photo or a short video on WhatsApp to 087 911 0423 with the car and roughly when it was fitted. Units we supply and fit carry a one-year warranty, and if it needs hands-on work we book you in.
Ask us for the next report
The November report goes out at the start of December. If you have a question about your car, send it with the make, model, year and reg: you get a direct answer, and if many people ask the same thing it goes into the next report. Every installation from this month is in our latest jobs, and you can get a fitted price for your car any time.
Real installs from the workshop
The cars behind this article: what was fitted and how it turned out.
1984 Mercedes-Benz 230 CE W123 Apple CarPlay Upgrade in Dublin
2022 Toyota Aqua Original Radio FM Conversion
2022 Toyota Aqua Dashboard Conversion — Japanese to English
Toyota Avensis 2002–2008 Full Soundproofing & Sound Deadening
1994 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Retrofit Radio Installation
Honda Vezel RV3 2021+ Radio Conversion
Updated 2 November 2026
