Yes, I've finally completed (nearly) the install of my AVIC-Z1 into my '05 X. I'll try to provide all of my lessons learned along with my "review" of the unit as I go along. I will also try not to duplicate any information or efforts already provided elsewhere on this forum...

To start off, the pieces I purchased were the AVIC-Z1 unit itself, the CD-iB100ii (2nd generation) iPod interface unit, the GEX-P10XMT NavTraffic XM tuner, the PAC OEM-2 interface (since I'm utilizing the factory amp and speakers, and the PAC SWI-PSI steering wheel control interface. On to the install....

The first thing I did was remove all of the center console pieces and find a place for the XM tuner:

The location behind the bottom glove box seemed ideal because it appeared that the xm unit and the ipod unit would fit behind the most protruding piece of plastic behind the glove box.

Pictured below is the PAC OEM-2 box that goes between the AVIC-Z1 wiring harness and the factory harness. I first tested the unit without this piece, and I nearly blew the speakers. I set the input level to the lowest possible. I have clear, crisp sound to all four speakers. The install was straight-forward. It was at this point that I decided to ground the parking break lead from the Z1. I knew that this would be the first step to bypassing the in-motion video lockout "feature."


Here is the PAC OEM-2 behind the environmental controls. As you can see, it's pretty tight behind there:



Test run of the unit installed (booting up and displaying a map of where you are is a good thing!):


How did I run the XM and GPS wires? Well, nothing too permanent at all, but it'll work for the time being (I've had an XM antenna installed like this for the past 8 months without a problem). First of all, they're side-by-side on the roof:

Then the wires run underneath the roof basket, to the molding around the window:

...And finally, the GPS runs through a hole in the side of the car, and the XM runs behind the molding:


...And with a max of 8 pics per post:

So I was ready to do a full test of the system:


As you can see, all of the Auxiliary inputs/outputs are accessible by simply removing the console cover (so you don't have to remove the head unit if it's a quick change):


And the obligatory DVD test:


The [initial] install location of the ipod adapter:


Looking better...


I decided to located the iPod connector in the top glove box, so I cut a hole in the top, which turned out to not be too noticable from the passenger's view:


BUT...apparently everything was going too smoothly. As it turns out, our glove boxes are not straight in the back, and Nissan had already intended on using the empty space where I had put my XM and iPod units. So I need to relocate the iPod unit, and lower the XM unit a bit:


And for the steering wheel control, you use the wiring harness that has 3 wires in it (cutting the wires got me a little nervous). The blue gets grounded, and the gray and red ones get resistors (one a 47Ohm and one a 150Ohm) tied to them, which get connected to the white wire on the PAC OEM-2. Then you provide the OEM-2 with a ground and switched power, and you're connected. Programming the OEM-2 isn't too difficult, once you know that the X is "version 3" (if you have any questions for the exact programming of the OEM-2, feel free to ask). Here is the (albeit, blurry) picture of the wiring harness that you need to cut:

More install notes:

The installation is straight-forward--nothing too advanced. This forum was helpful in locating the VSS wire (which is the light blue wire in the factory harness--and gets "translated" to a black wire on the aftermarket wiring harness). I did not install the reverse-light sensor, as I don't plan on installing the rear-mounted camera.

As for the in-motion video bypass, here is what I've done: I noticed that so long as the VSS signal is detected, it trusts the connection. This means that so long as it's on, and senses the connection, and the signal drops, then it assumes the vehicle is stopped. Soooo, I simply but a switch on that line. When I start the X, I make sure the circuit is closed, and then I start moving, and everything is as designed. Then, if I want to watch a DVD, I simply open the circuit and the Z1 thinks the vehicle is stopped (shows a speed of 0mph on the vehicle dynamics display), and displays the DVD video on the monitor. The only bad (sort-of) part to this, is that because the Z1 thinks you're stopped, it stopped tracking your GPS position. But simply flip the switch, and it relocates your position on the map to your position on the world. Not bad for a cheap fix, in my opinion...

Testing and evaluation:

AV Source Menu:


XM Display:


iPod Interface Display (notice all id Tag info):


iPod Search Display (just like using your iPod):


GPS Display (notice NavTraffic inputs on I95 around DC):


Hard Drive Library View:


Destination Menu:


Unit Open:

As for my opinion...what can I say? ---It's money, baby; it's money.


Final Shot (notice the switch for the VSS by the driver foot well--the last thing I have to do is permenantly mount the switch):


But yeah--what does one expect me to say about the unit--nothing but good things. So I'll be fair...

...Here are some cons to the unit:
- scrolling through lists is a little slower than I'd like
- when using the "preview" function in XM, the list always starts off at channel one instead of the station you're on
- there is a *slight* delay with the steering wheel control. it's managable, but I've gotten used to a quick flick of the volume rocker to raise it one "notch." it now requires a good .25 second "hold."
- nothing special about the voice recognition. as with most all voice recognition software, you still have to clearly pronounce everything louder than usual speech.

To sum up--I'm a huge fan of this unit. I'd recommend it to all! Can't wait to get a bluetooth phone so I can utilize that feature, too!

So anyway, that's my writeup--feel free to shoot any questions ya got.

Looks great, dude. I was hoping that you took pics of where the VSS wire was. I have the speed pulse generator right now and I want to take that out.

Yeah, I meant to do that...but the best I can do off the top of my head: it's a light blue wire on the corner of one of the two factory harnesses. I think I remember you having one of the Eclipse nav units, so if you're using an aftermarket wiring harness adapter like the one I've got, then it's a black wire that doesn't get connected to anything. It's fairly accurate (I've noticed +-2mph) when compared to the speedo.

Hope that helps, but I'll definitely snap a shot of it the next time I take the head unit out.

Good luck...

DAMN that looks nice!

The only reason I went with a flip screen is that I do NOT want the screen visible when I'm parked. Otherwise that thing looks MONEY.

max6spd: The blue wire in the stereo harness is apparently for RF-equipped X's. without the RF option you have to tap into the instrument cluster. Check out the thread at thenewx.

That looks great. How is the iPod interface treating you? Looks like it's leaps and bounds in front of their old one!

The fit and finish looks great. Even better than my Eclipse AVN5435. The AVN has these sightly gaps that my installer had to fabricate a plastic plate to cover.

What I didn't like about the Pioneer is the 2v outputs. The AVN has 5v and when I get money to get amps and speakers, I wanted the higher output.

I'm thinking of going with the Kenwood offering though. It looks promising with 5v output, Bluetooth, and iPod. Hmmm.....

What color are the buttons? Can you do amber or are they only green?

The buttons are blue, actually... And I don't think you can change them (but I prefer to amber, anyway).

Here\'s a link to the owner\'s manual.

The iPod interface is awesome. In fact, I don't see myself using the internal hard drive much for music--unless it's a rare case of someone else buying a cd and not letting me borrow it. But yeah...as you can see from the pics, it displays all the track info on the screen, and the sound quality is on point (makes you really notice the lossy compression that XM uses). The only drawback to the interface is the scrolling; There really isn't "scrolling," only "page down-ing." And the refresh rate is a *little* slower than I'd like, so if you start searching by artist, and you have a thousand artists on your 60GB iPod, and you want to get to Nancy Reagan's rendition of The National Anthem, it may take a while. But I realize now that good iPod playlist management is required for in-car iPod use. Once I get my playlists organized, I suspect my complaints will diminish.

So yeah, big for the iPod interface. I hadn't used the 1st gen adapter, but from what I hear, this is a much better release.

Note: I do not listen to music by Nancy Reagan. Nor do I have any Nancy Reagan music on my iPod. In fact, in all likelyhood, Nancy Reagan has never recorded music. It was just an example. I swear.

hey i've heard of a bypass that should work for a z1...i haven't tested it out but try it out.
if you have the illumination wire hooked up, simply turn you lights on and off three times, during the boot up stage.

here's a link.

http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=67&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=15

Sweet!!!

Awesome job! and what a perfect fit.

Thanks, yeah--it fits quite well.

And YES---THE ILLUMINATION BYPASS WORKS! All I do is when the "Pioneer Navigation Loading..." message pops up, flick the parking breaks on and off three times, and everything is good to go. Great stuff--I just need to install a relay or some other device that does that for me automatically...

dang...
nice...
looks good

If you read that link a little more, they talk about buying a device where you can set up the pulses and timing of the pulses. I figure why spend more money when you can easily turn the lights on and off or just hook up a toggle switch between the illumination wire off the HU and a 12 volt source.

Thanks VaTech03, for the info. I just finished installing my Z1 today. The thing is amazing! And the 3D view...wow.

Also, thanks to DieselAzn for telling where to find the VSS wire for us non-RF folks. And also for the reverse light wire. Both worked like a champ!

Another thanks to Cyclemut for telling how to get to the stereo.

The only time I was on my own was for the illumination wire for which I had to break down and spend the $20 on a multimeter.

Great site!

Oh yeah...and the flasher circuit (override "safety" features) from sminntech is worth every penny...all 3,500 pennies.

Glad you got it working...mind if I ask where you found an illumination wire?

The "illumination" wire I used can be located in the connector going to the electric mirror controls. I think it was red and it was one of the corner wires. Reads 12V when you turn the lights on, 0V when they're off.

Now, the screen dims when I turn my lights on (and the sky in 3D view turns to night complete with stars). The illumination wire was also needed to install the flasher circuit.

what does the flasher circuit mod do?

http://www.sminntech.com/z1flasher.html It unlocks all the navigation & A/V features while driving.

I found it...in the service manual, page LT-143 ... it lists all the wires that get power when the lights are turned on...looks like you used the door mirror switch terminal 16, a red wire in the corner. So I'm just posting for anyone else that needs an illumination wire, you can use any of the ones on the list on page LT-143. I'll probably use something near the radio/AC/4x4 knob to keep the wire run short.

When you figure out which illumination wire you are going to use, please share the wealth! I have been too busy to get my ddx-6019 hooked up. I would like to do it all at once if at all possible. Thanks!

Cool, I hadn't thought of using anything near the AC. I had had the Xterra for less than a day before I started installing the nav and I couldnt think of anything that lit up on the center console.

Fredericksburg, VA?? Seriously? Small world.

Haha, yeah, crazy...I wonder if we ever cross paths...I've seen a few Granite next gens here in town. Mine is probably the only silver one with shrockworks sliders, though!

can i ask how you managed to get the z1 to fit so perfectly in the center of the opening? i have had mine in for a while now and have just about given up...i can't get it to sit perfectly in the center of the double din hole to save my life. (Anyway...i just tore out all my upgraded stuff this last weekend and did an overhaul. Out went the lower budget stuff i thought would cut it and in went MB Quart Reference 6x9 components in the front doors, 6.5" components in the rear doors, and an alpine amp to drive 'em all and more dynamat than i ever imagined would fit inside the door panels. Well...good job and hit me back...i'm dying to get this thing resolved and just sitting evenly...)

Vatech...Hate to go a little off post. Was your X pre-wired for XM? If so, and if you have it...and if you want to get rid of it...Im quite interested. I am trying to install the RF unit and XM unit.

Thanks!
Jared

Well done with the upgrade! I still need to get around to upgrade all mine. I just need someone to build me a sub enclosure that tucks away in the back passenger side of the trunk (I know someone on here built one that looks pretty money)! But I just got some pretty nice stuff that my insurance company got me to replace the equipment that was in my Jeep (Yes, after 7 years of intrusion-free fun in my Wrangler, someone finally cut my window and broke into it and ripped out all my stuff--serves me right for having all that in there, I suppose).

But to return to the current topic, I also had centering issues with my Z1. When you remove the factory head unit, the bracket that mounts to the vehicle itself fits snug around the head unit, and the bottom of the head unit rests nicely on the bottom of the bracket. So when I installed the bracket on the Z1, I used the bottom as a "reference point" and installed the bracket with the bottom of the head unit resting on the bottom of the bracket, just like the factory head unit was. When I installed it, I noticed it wasn't centered vertically, so I repositioned the unit so there was a bigger gap between the head unit and the bottom of the bracket. The screws didn't fit quite as naturally (i.e., they didn't go in as smoothly), but they did fit all the same. Once I reinstalled, I was much happier with the positioning (as you can see by the pictures).

So give it a go, and see how it works out for ya. Good luck!

No, my X didn't come prewired for XM, I did all the XM work myself. If, however, you're interested in an RF Head Unit, PAC AAI-NIS aux input adapter, and/or an XM SkyFi2 unit, let me know! I'm looking to sell some stuff off!

If you have any other kind of install q's, feel free to ask!

What wire did you guys use for the illumination wire? I don't have a service manual. I am hooking up mine right now and don't want to splice into the wrong wire. Also, am i looking for an illumination or a dimmer wire?

dude, read the directions. if you don't, you might as well not even waste your time. i don't mean to sound like a jerk, but it's right there in the manual. As long as you aren't ghetto-rigging anything, all you should need to do is connect the similarly colored wires toghether and remember to seal up all the connections good and tight.

(i.e. the white goes with white; orange with orange; red with red...pretty self explanatory.)

If you read my post before responding, you would have seen that I don't have a service manual. I have the installation manual from Kenwood, but that doesn't show nissan's wires. I know how to hook everything else up. It is done already...i just need to know where the illumination wire is. It is NOT in the radio wiring harness. I hooked up the HU and the nav unit already. Thank you to the others who have helped me so far. I am VERY appreciative!!!

Armondov (sp?) sounded like he had found one near the stereo, however, I used the one in the connection going to the side-mirror controls. I think it was an 8-wire connector and the illumination wire was red.

But if you can get one near the stereo, that would be best.

BTW: Has anyone had any problems with the maps on the Z1? I've found some incorrect/nonexistent maps on mine, but the teleatlas website shows correct maps. Is Pioneer still working off an ancient version of the teleatlas maps?

This is probably one of the Best "How To Install the Insert name Here" I've seen in a long time. Well done all around VaTech03... but one very minor thing. Why not drill an X millimeter sized hole in the glove box, find a rubber grommet to produce that more "finished" appearance rather than freehand cut the rectangular piece out to run the wire?

I'm the first one to admit this is picking nits though. Helluva nice install job... and I bet you are loving your AVIC Z.

Congrats!

Ha...I know what you're saying. In my opinion, the iPod adapter is poorly designed--it is hard wired to the Pioneer box on one end, and has the iPod plug hard wired on the other...no way to easily route the cable through small holes. And the plastic in the glove box is rather thick--not sure if the gromet idea would fly. Besides...I was admittedly anxious to get everything going--so the Dremel and I had a little fun .

As for the map issues, I experience them as well. The maps seem a bit outdated. Not too happy about that, but she's always close enough to get me where I need to go. I rarely use the AVIC as a sole navigation device. I always make sure I have a good idea of where I'm going before I leave. The navigation feature on the Z1 is most helpful in general routing, showing trip progress (I love being able to answer the inevitable "Where are you?" cell phone question when on a lengthy trip), and reminding me when my exit is coming up.

Thanks for the positive feedback on the review...I hope it was helpful in some of your own installs!