The unit has a learning function, and I could link all the buttons on the steering to the unit.
BHPian ashutoshb recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Making this post, as it might be useful to Tata owners who want a budget music system, which is compatible with the steering wheel controls.
So, my father-in-law has a Tata Bolt as his second car and is well out of warranty.
His OEM Harman infotainment system (non touch) went kaput a couple of months back.
Recently he mentioned about it to me. I took the plunge to get it fixed.
First I showed it at the Tata service centre. They called the Harman person to inspect. He told me, that in order to replace the unit, it will cost Rs.65,000. And to get the current one repaired, the unit will have to be sent to Pune for inspection. The inspection charges are Rs. 3,600 and then the repair charges would be extra.
I then showed the unit to some technicians outside. One quoted Rs. 7,100, the other one quoted slightly less.
I then decided to buy a new music system instead.
Nowadays all aftermarket systems are Android. But, the car is driven primarily by the driver and rarely by my father-in-law, so a high end system was not required.
My father-in-law doesn’t use Google Maps anyways, and in order for them to run properly (with traffic info), one has to connect the unit with a mobile wi-fi hotspot. Something, he would never do.
So, a search for a basic touch unit started. But, that basic unit also had to work with the existing steering wheel controls.
After multiple searches on Google, I saw a unit by Mosfet Technologies. The link to the product is here.
They had launched this Windows CE unit, in collaboration with Map My India. But the same unit is available without the maps, for Rs. 3,990. And it supported steering wheel controls.
I got in touch with them, asked whether it is compatible with Tata cars. They were not sure. Neither did they offer any installation.
So, I took a chance and ordered it anyways. Since I live right next to Delhi, there were no shipping charges and got the unit the next day.
No technician in Noida could figure it out, and said making the steering remote work is not possible. And then I took the car to Karol Bagh.
There, I was told that there is a 99% chance, it will not work without canbus. I asked them to give it a try. I will pay for the labour, if it doesn’t work.
Fortunately, it did work.
The unit has a learning function, and I could link all the buttons on the steering to the unit.
The audio quality is not as good as the Harman unit, but for most, it will do.
What I spent:
- Mosfet music sytem: Rs. 3,990.
- Aftermarket stereo frame + coupler + labour + Rear Camera: Rs. 2,800.
Total: Rs. 6,790.
I know they overcharged me for the coupler and the frame, but I was so happy that the experiment worked and did not haggle any further.
I thought of sharing all this information, so that if someone wants to opt for a budget alternative, this info would come handy.
A video and some images:
Keyword: Replacing the Tata Bolt OE headunit with an aftermarket one