aftermarket alpine radio question

hackitz · October 24, 2019

Hi All,

Has anyone installed the Alpine X110-SLV Restyle system.

Looks really interesting.

Looking for someone who has installed it and there experience with it?

Features, extra features, things you lost.

I have a 2018 sierra Denali, thinking i might upgrade to this.

Here's a link to a review

14 Silvy · October 24, 2019

They don't make it anymore iirc.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

hackitz · October 25, 2019

emailed alpine and the new one is I209-GM.

has anyone bought this one?

Nitrousbird · October 25, 2019

https://www.alpine-usa.com/product/i209-gm

I really don't see how this is any better than the factory 2.5 unit. It doesn't even have wireless Android Auto / CarPlay, which might be a reason to upgrade. I'm just not seeing what this will get you. Now, if you are planning a full system upgrade with aftermarket amplifiers running anything, getting pre-outs on the head unit is nice and may justify it. But if running stock audio gear, total waste of money.

superdave160 · December 20, 2019

I just finished installing the Alpine I209-GM unit and the Denali cluster in my 2017 Silverado WT. I also installed a new steering wheel with the buttons on the right side to control the cluster. I removed the IO3 unit.

The Alpine display is amazing. Since the display is much larger, the backup camera is much more useful. I can also display the "guide bars", but they don't appear to swing back and forth as the steering wheel is turned like they do in some other cars. The audio quality is also much better. The IO3 radio would get loud, but the Alpine unit, even without an external amp, has a much better depth of sound. The Alpine unit also has an HD tuner so I can now pull in stations that I couldn't before. Using Android Auto, I can display maps and driving directions on the Alpine which is becoming more important as more states are passing "hands free" laws that make it illegal to hold a phone in your hand for the purpose of navigation.

The also love the Denali cluster (a big "Thank You!" to WAMS). I love the different displays.

Since I went with the Alpine I209-GM unit, there are a couple drawbacks. The radio and the Denali cluster apparently do not communicate with each other. Compass heading, radio information, and navigation information won't display on the Denali cluster. I ran the wires from the cluster connector to the A11 Radio plug, but that plug is not connected to anything with the Alpine unit installed. I also ran the new wire from the clock spring plug to the cluster so that the steering wheel buttons would work. These issues are minor compared to what I have gained. The only one that I am really going to miss is the compass heading.

Snowcamo · December 20, 2019

I just finished installing the Alpine I209-GM unit and the Denali cluster in my 2017 Silverado WT. I also installed a new steering wheel with the buttons on the right side to control the cluster. I removed the IO3 unit.

The Alpine display is amazing. Since the display is much larger, the backup camera is much more useful. I can also display the "guide bars", but they don't appear to swing back and forth as the steering wheel is turned like they do in some other cars. The audio quality is also much better. The IO3 radio would get loud, but the Alpine unit, even without an external amp, has a much better depth of sound. The Alpine unit also has an HD tuner so I can now pull in stations that I couldn't before. Using Android Auto, I can display maps and driving directions on the Alpine which is becoming more important as more states are passing "hands free" laws that make it illegal to hold a phone in your hand for the purpose of navigation.

The also love the Denali cluster (a big "Thank You! to WAMS). I love the different displays.

Since I went with the Alpine I209-GM unit, there are a couple drawbacks. The radio and the Denali cluster apparently do not communicate with each other. Compass heading, radio information, and navigation information won't display on the Denali cluster. I ran the wires from the cluster connector to the A11 Radio plug, but that plug is not connected to anything with the Alpine unit installed. I also ran the new wire from the clock spring plug to the cluster so that the steering wheel buttons would work. These issues are minor compared to what I have gained. The only one that I am really going to miss is the compass heading.

Thanks for posting a solid review dude!

Sent from my LG-G710 using Tapatalk

Nitrousbird · December 21, 2019

4 hours ago, superdave160 said:

I just finished installing the Alpine I209-GM unit and the Denali cluster in my 2017 Silverado WT. I also installed a new steering wheel with the buttons on the right side to control the cluster. I removed the IO3 unit.

The Alpine display is amazing. Since the display is much larger, the backup camera is much more useful. I can also display the "guide bars", but they don't appear to swing back and forth as the steering wheel is turned like they do in some other cars. The audio quality is also much better. The IO3 radio would get loud, but the Alpine unit, even without an external amp, has a much better depth of sound. The Alpine unit also has an HD tuner so I can now pull in stations that I couldn't before. Using Android Auto, I can display maps and driving directions on the Alpine which is becoming more important as more states are passing "hands free" laws that make it illegal to hold a phone in your hand for the purpose of navigation.

The also love the Denali cluster (a big "Thank You! to WAMS). I love the different displays.

Since I went with the Alpine I209-GM unit, there are a couple drawbacks. The radio and the Denali cluster apparently do not communicate with each other. Compass heading, radio information, and navigation information won't display on the Denali cluster. I ran the wires from the cluster connector to the A11 Radio plug, but that plug is not connected to anything with the Alpine unit installed. I also ran the new wire from the clock spring plug to the cluster so that the steering wheel buttons would work. These issues are minor compared to what I have gained. The only one that I am really going to miss is the compass heading.

But why the Alpine over an IO5 or IO6 retrofit? I imagine the cost for the IO6 is the same or less than the Alpine. Your complaints, such as the swinging guidelines, compass and no Denali cluster integration are things that work on the IO5 and IO6.

superdave160 · December 21, 2019

I don't want the same truck that everyone else has or I would have bought an LT with those things in it. I enjoy working on cars/trucks and personalizing them to my own tastes. I purchased a new 2017 Silverado WT 4x4 with the 6.5 ft. bed in 2018 for $30K. It was a demonstrator and had 2300 miles on it. They had some LTs with the short bed for around $38K at the time. So I got the bed that I wanted and I'm still in it for less money than the LT with the radio unit that I wanted and the Denali cluster. If I had a truck with the color cluster and the IO6 radio like the LT has, I probably wouldn't have spent the money for the Alpine unit. My son has a 2017 Sierra with the IO6 radio. We are going to compare the two radios the next time he comes over to the house.

superdave160 · December 21, 2019

Attached is a picture of the cluster and Alpine unit after installation was complete.

truckguy82 · December 21, 2019

i once considered doing that too. Just buying a base model truck and outfitting it diy with all the goodies

it is slightly cheaper to diy them but it is a lot of work

the main issue with that, and why I didn’t do it, is resale value. Spending 25k on a truck with $10k in upgrades is going to have way way less resale value than spending $40k on a truck that came with all the stuff.

it only works out of you intend to drive it to the ground.

I had a dream of doing it to an rcsb with an lt4 swap though, but the trimotor cybertruck I ordered crushed that dream.

hrlyrdr · December 22, 2019

18 hours ago, superdave160 said:

Attached is a picture of the cluster and Alpine unit after installation was complete.

You stated that you put the right side controls on wheel.. are the wires in the column? I have a base work truck with only power locks and want to put the radio/nav and back up camera..which I have.. screen like my 18 3500 LTZ but I haven't found any one that can tell me EXCATUALLY what I need other than the radio/nav from another truck. Thanks

superdave160 · December 22, 2019

1 hour ago, hrlyrdr said:

You stated that you put the right side controls on wheel.. are the wires in the column? I have a base work truck with only power locks and want to put the radio/nav and back up camera..which I have.. screen like my 18 3500 LTZ but I haven't found any one that can tell me EXCATUALLY what I need other than the radio/nav from another truck. Thanks

I replaced the steering wheel with one that already had the right side buttons and the radio buttons on the back. One wire had to be added from the clock spring connector to the cluster to so that they would work. The Alpine unit has an adapter harness that connects to the clockspring connector for the radio buttons.

If you have the monochrome instrument cluster, it will have to be replaced with the color cluster or the Denali cluster because the monochrome cluster does not have necessary data communication capability. I don't know much about the factory radios because I chose to go with the Alpine unit, but if you add the wires as described in the thread below and add the cluster and the radio it will probably work. You will have to have the cluster and possibly the radio programmed for the truck that you will be installing them in.

Read this thread if you haven't done so already.

Scott Killman · May 3, 2020

On 12/21/2019 at 11:14 AM, superdave160 said:

Attached is a picture of the cluster and Alpine unit after installation was complete.

How much did that Denali cluster and programming run you? I've considered upgrading to the Denali cluster. Looks really nice.

superdave160 · May 3, 2020

14 minutes ago, Scott Killman said:

How much did that Denali cluster and programming run you? I've considered upgrading to the Denali cluster. Looks really nice.

I got the cluster and programming from White Auto and Media Services (WAMS). The cluster was $450.00 and the programming was $200.00. You may be able to find a cluster for less money, but you are way better off getting the cluster and programming directly from WAMS. There are other posts on this forum where people have sourced their own cluster only to learn that their cluster either had something wrong with it or wasn't the correct one for their application. You really can't go wrong with WAMS. They are a contributor on this forum and they have excellent customer support.

Scott Killman · May 3, 2020

2 hours ago, superdave160 said:

I got the cluster and programming from White Auto and Media Services (WAMS). The cluster was $450.00 and the programming was $200.00. You may be able to find a cluster for less money, but you are way better off getting the cluster and programming directly from WAMS. There are other posts on this forum where people have sourced their own cluster only to learn that their cluster either had something wrong with it or wasn't the correct one for their application. You really can't go wrong with WAMS. They are a contributor on this forum and they have excellent customer support.

I’ve seen their posts on here before. I’m going to have to wait for that upgrade but I will eventually.