An iPhone is connected to a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu equipped with Apple CarPlay apps. Let’s face it, most OEM’s stock operating software isn’t the greatest. The GPS is glitchy and slow, the audio controls are laborious and the general app layout is labyrinthian. Compared to the smartphone in your pocket, the screen on your dash is a bit of a dum-dum. That’s why AppleCarplay and Android Auto are such game-changers. The programs allow for a car’s system to act as display and control for an iOS or Android device, giving your ride all the friendly functionality of your phone. But what if your car isn’t compatible with Apple CarPlay and its ilk? Can you get Apple CarPlay retrofitted to older models? The answer to that question is yes — depending on what you drive. Through a process called “flashing” or “reflashing,” some cars’ computer software can be upgraded to allow for the integration of programs like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but there are some limitations. Namely, that it only works on vehicles with modern-enough computer modules. “Most people know that modern-day cars are almost more computer than car, and basically what flashing does is allows you to add things to your vehicle that weren’t there from the factory,” says Chad Cole, owner/operator of Coastal Flash in Victoria, B.C. “Ten years down the road, the screen (on a flashed car) could look and act the same as a brand-new car’s”Cole, 26, found himself drawn into the industry when he went searching for ways to update the module on his own 2014 GMC Sierra. Finding the existing services lacking and overpriced, he decided to learn how to do it on his own, despite not having any experience in the realm. Today, Coastal Flash services GM models from 2013 to 2019 exclusively, offering a range of customizations, from updating navigation system to unlocking reverse cameras to function while the vehicle is in motion to allowing for video display in motion and, most commonly, adding Apple CarPlay or Android Auto functionality. “It’s amazing how many people prefer (CarPlay), and I understand why,” says Cole. “The first reason is that OEM GPS kind of sucks, to be honest with you… So, by adding CarPlay, not only do you get a fancy screen that you can do all sorts of useful stuff on, but you get the ability to add GPS to a car that may not have come with GPS.”Another factor driving people to update their vehicles to accept CarPlay and Auto is the fact automakers aren’t as on the ball with providing software updates, leaving most people with years-out-of-date technology mounted to their dash.  “What’s neat about CarPlay and Android Auto is the fact that it actually runs updates,” says Cole. “Looking at your vehicle 10 years down the road, the screen (on a flashed car) will potentially look and act the same as that of a brand-new car, and I think that’s also appealing to people.” Some modern automakers are already using the constant-update model. Tesla, for one, pushes regular software updates to its vehicles when theyre connected to Wifi hotspots. Other automakers require owners to bring their vehicles in for service to receive such updates.And though the majority of new vehicles come with the compatibility built in, for the most part, automakers aren’t helping update the old ones. BMW and VW, two brands commonly flashed by amateurs, don’t offer any official retrofitting services at dealer centres. Mazda, however, does. Canadian Mazda owners are able to retrofit CarPlay or Auto into any Mazda that’s equipped with the Mazda Connect infotainment system, including the 2014 Mazda3, 2016 Mazda6, 2016 MX-5, 2016 CX-3, 2016 CX-5 and 2016 CX-9. According to a Mazda Canada spokesperson, the retrofit includes a hardware and software update that takes about 1.5 hours at a Mazda dealer and costs $445.  Similar services by Coastal Flash’s North American competition cost US$900, but by keeping his overhead low, Cole is able to offer the CarPlay/Android Auto HMI Upgrade for almost half the price. Conveniently, most flashing tasks don’t require a technician to actually lay hands on the car. Owners simply remove the onboard computer module, an act that Cole says can be “as simple as replacing a cabin air filter,” and ship it to Coastal Flash’s HQ on the West Coast. There, Cole uses a computer system that is “the equivalent of a car” to reformat or tweak the module’s programming. Most upgrades are sent back to their owners within a week. The fact that a young man with no previous experience is able to operate one of the leading companies in the game from a coastal corner of our nation is testament to how new this whole “flashing” thing is. The fact that he’s busy every day of the week, updating cars from all over the US and Canada, suggests we’ve really only touched the tip of the iceberg.
Origin: How to get Apple CarPlay retrofitted to your older vehicle