DIY: Navigation Modification to allow input while in motion (pics)

Kevin · 06-11-2009, 11:22 PM

First of all, thanks to Pmohr for helping me ID the VSS line. Secondly this is a very easy mod, and will allow your passenger to enter destination in the NAV while you are driving. First step remove the console, pry up the area surrounding the shifter know with a flat screw driver and a cloth remove the plugs on the wire harnesses and put to the side. Pull off the front center vents with the same method, get em loose and then use both hands and pull on both sides, it should come out easy.

Next take a screw driver to remove the four screw holding the radio/NAV/Climate control unit in place and pull the unit out.

See above, there are 3 harnesses connected to the NAV, we need to pull off the middle one and cut the VSS line which has an arrow pointing to it. It is pin 14 on that harness its colore coded red/purple but the purple actually looks black on mine.

Here is another shot showing the wire harness unplugged and the VSS wire identified.

Next you want to cut the wire and snip (insert foreskin joke here) off the insulation on both ends

I used a terminal crimper and some connectors to attach the wires I ran for my switch.

Kevin · 06-11-2009, 11:23 PM

Here is the harness with the switch line spliced in.

Next all you have to do is put everthing back together and be sure to run the line to a convenient location- I ran it to the ashtray and bought a $3 switch from radio shack and mounted it in there. I plan on changing that location to somwhere else not sure where though.

The results- I did a quick test around the block and it worked. with the switch off, the destination settings are available, the car doesn't move on the map. I did not get to thoroughly test it yet because my co-pilot (wifey) was tired.

*pmohr* · 06-12-2009, 02:47 AM

Weird thing is, the FSM lists it as R/B up to a point where it splits off elsewhere, and the remainder of the wiring is PU/R (Purple/Red) up to the control unit.

din9lebeRrY · 06-16-2009, 09:44 PM

Nice mod, wish I had navigation to begin with.

ZGadson · 06-21-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by din9lebeRrY

Nice mod, wish I had navigation to begin with.

You are aware that the nav discs for our cars do not get any newer than 2005, correct? (I added OEM nav to my car because I liked the stock look. Thats all I got - the system itself is pointless, and the single-din stereo sucks butt.)

(Note to Kevin: How did you figure out how to do that? And would you happen to know anything about getting the steering wheel controls to work with the navigation stereo unit? I thought it would be plug/play for that, but its apparently not. My controls are dead.)

Kevin · 06-21-2009, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZGadson

You are aware that the nav discs for our cars do not get any newer than 2005, correct? (I added OEM nav to my car because I liked the stock look. Thats all I got - the system itself is pointless, and the single-din stereo sucks butt.)

(Note to Kevin: How did you figure out how to do that? And would you happen to know anything about getting the steering wheel controls to work with the navigation stereo unit? I thought it would be plug/play for that, but its apparently not. My controls are dead.)

I took a guess, on my other car its the same concept, disable the speed sensor and it will allow input. I needed to confirm which wire was the VSS and pmohr helped me out with that. With the steering controls- what year model is your NAV unit from and what year is your car? Are they the same ? In some cases I have seen that steering controls were only available for certain model years and that the NAV unit you install must be from the same year or later to accommodate those. In the case of the I35 though , I don't think that is it, as my understanding is that all model years of the i35 have steering controls by default. Did it work prior to the upgrade? Did you have to splice in the the harnesses manually during your install or was it plug and play ?

I also agree with you that the factory NAV is pretty much worthless when I see all the aftermarket options. since my car had it already, I needed to make it more useful for me, and this mod makes the NAV about 100% better. this is the way it should have been from the factory.

din9lebeRrY · 06-21-2009, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZGadson

You are aware that the nav discs for our cars do not get any newer than 2005, correct? (I added OEM nav to my car because I liked the stock look. Thats all I got - the system itself is pointless, and the single-din stereo sucks butt.)

(Note to Kevin: How did you figure out how to do that? And would you happen to know anything about getting the steering wheel controls to work with the navigation stereo unit? I thought it would be plug/play for that, but its apparently not. My controls are dead.)

As sad as this is about to sound, I want it for the looks too. Motorized screen flipping up is just sexy lol.

ZGadson · 06-22-2009, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by din9lebeRrY

As sad as this is about to sound, I want it for the looks too. Motorized screen flipping up is just sexy lol.

Exactly. I want to keep that part, just mount a Garmin or something where the OEM screen goes. (Now all I have to do is find some way to open/close the screen without the nav control unit. Im sure there's a wire specifically for that, just don't know which one yet.)

HomerMAC · 07-19-2009, 09:03 AM

so when your on the highway you can program or does the GPS sense the car is moving and your not allowed to enter it once again...

Kevin · 07-20-2009, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomerMAC

so when your on the highway you can program or does the GPS sense the car is moving and your not allowed to enter it once again...

You can program on the highwya no problem. I left of off for a long trip one time and on occasion it updates your location on the map, but does not lock out the programing feature.