‘I didn’t know you could just do that’: Driver installs CarPlay, reverse camera on 10-year-old Mazda 3. How easy is it? And should you DIY?
If you drive an older car model, you might not have to trade it in to upgrade your console.
In a video posted on Thursday with over 1.6 million views, TikToker Julia Huynh (@julia.huynh) says she decided to "mod" her car for the first time, installing a back-up camera and CarPlay—a system that lets you use your iPhone apps on your car display—in her over 10-year-old Mazda 3.
"I'm an anxious girly when I drive, so I bought a CarPlay unit that has a backup camera in it," she says in the clip.
She shares footage of her unscrewing and removing the vent at the top of her center console to access the radio. She shows a bundle of cords and plugs, which need to be installed for the new set-up to work.
"I'm in my engineer era," she says. "Elon Musk has nothing on me."
Then, Huynh shows a clip of her turning on the CarPlay display.
"It actually worked," she exclaims. "I fear I'm turning into a car girl."
Installing the reverse camera
The display screen was just the first step in modifying her Mazda. Huynh says they had to snake a wire from the center console through her trunk to install the camera.
"We were popping up sections of the car that we didn't know could pop up," she says. "I literally thought I was going to break the car."
But after her hard work, the back-up camera turns on.
In the comments, viewers praise her for her "first mod."
"This is actually so girl boss of y’all for this. need to do this!!" one writes.
"As a very hands on car guy , you actually did a great job for it being your first time," another says.
"I really like seeing people who don't know much about cars, learning about them and being able to fix their own car," a third adds.
How much does the CarPlay display cost?
Huynh shows off a box from Eonon, a car stereo manufacturer, in the clip. The Eonon CarPlay display retails for around $200 online.
Other viewers share that their mechanic also offers an installation service, but it costs more than a DIY project.
"My mechanic charges 500 for it," one writes.
While the cost of installing a CarPlay display yourself may vary by car model, commenters share how much it costs for their vehicle.
"I've seen some at Walmart go on sale for $90. normally like $120 ish there," a viewer shares.
"Normally aftermarket units are like 100/120$ and the back-up camera is like 5/10$," another says.
Some viewers are skeptical
While many viewers say they are intrigued with installing their own CarPlay units, some warn against the DIY project.
"Be careful with that, a lot of cars can catch fire from wrong wiring," one writes.
"Don't you need to get a new car battery? i read that somewhere because of the potency of the screen is more than those old radios i wanna do that to my car too but idk," another says. According to a blog post by Les Schwab, excessive use of "after market" or DIY car accessories can drain your car battery over time.
"Be careful with that screen! i put one of those in my car, and it was auto set to sleep mode when I would turn off my car and it drained my battery. check your settings!!" a third adds.
@julia.huynh car girl era who #mazda #backupcamera #modded #modding #cargirl #carsoftiktok ♬ Cooking, bossa nova, adults, light(950693) - Kids Sound
The Daily Dot reached out to Huynh via email and TikTok direct message.
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