Figured I'd put this out there for anyone who was interested in removing their radio and installing the Grom Audio USB/iPod Interfact Adapter to allow them to plug in an iPod, USB flash drive, or 3.5mm jack and control it from the radio. I have a 2007 M35x so, at the least, this would be the same for the 2006 M35. I haven't seen the 08/09 car so I can't say if this process is any different. This should give you the general idea though.

*Disclaimer* - I am not liable for anything you do to your car. This is just a basic walkthrough.

I took the pics with my HTC EVO 4G from Sprint (love this phone). End of shameless plug lol.

Task: Remove the radio and install Grom Audio USB/iPod Interface Adapter
Time: About an hour and a half at a pretty slow pace
Product: Grom Audio USB/iPod Interface Adapter - Link
Tools/Supplies Needed:

• LONG Phillips head screw driver
• LONG Flat head screw driver
• A long extendable magnet to grab any screws that may fall in some crevices
• A towel to rest the radio on once you remove it as to not scratch up your interior

Process:

1) Remove the cup holder




2) Remove the cup holder trim




3) This will reveal 4 phillips screws that hold the seat climate controls in place. We need to remove these:



Then move the unit away from the work area (or unplug it - I just moved it)




4) Now, engaged the E-Brake on the car and put the car into neutral. After this, you want to push the leather down from the shifter handle and reveal the chrome bezel that has clips on the front and back (near the dash and near the arm rest). Pop those out a little bit so that the chrome bezel goes DOWN. I broke one of my clips trying to figure this out since the other how to didn't explain this part. Then, pull out the small paperclip type U-pin and pull the shifter up. Should end up with this:




5) Now, unplug the shifter trim and put it somewhere (I put it on the rear seat). Should look like this:




6) Now we need to loosen the radio face. Yes, I know that the other piece is broken. Someone must have been in here before I bought the car because I found them like that. I was quite annoyed lol. Anyway, moving on. To do this, we take out these two phillips screws:








7) Now we need to unhook the stereo face and put it somewhere. To do this, unclip these two connectors:



You should be left with this:




8) Now we need to actually take out the audio unit itself. To do this, we need to take out the screws circled below (only one side visible, but other side is a mirror image of the first side):



Pull the unit out and set it on the towel you have (I draped it over the shifter rod and console):




9) Now for the Grom Audio unit, follow their directions. But you can use these pictures for reference. The wire that I spliced into was the yellow wire with the silver tracer. It is the 12v BAT wire for the system (constant voltage). This was after doing it wrong the first time and using the 12v ACC wire (violet with silver tracer). Thanks to Alberto at Grom Audio for catching this. What this resulted in was the system 'wiping' the memory positions. Meaning, if you shut your car off while listening to music in folder 5, your car would turn back on and go to folder 1 on your USB stick. Now, using the correct wire, it stays in folder 5 and your last song:






10) Run the iPod, USB, and 3.5mm wires to their desired locations. Since I am going to be using the USB and 3.5mm the most (don't like Apple products but bought the cable so if I have passengers in the car who have an iPod), I ran mine to these locations:

iPod - Glove Box:



USB/3.5mm - Center Console (had to cut a little bit of the console to fit otherwise the wires got crushed by the trim):






Done.

Here is a video of the Grom Unit at work using USB:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARksKlYW3yA[/youtube]

Does what I need it to do, although I have to speak with Grom and see if it's possible (or if I did something wrong) as to why I can't go back in a playlist (only forward) and why my steering wheel controls won't go to the next song.

Nice write-up.

Thanks.

can this thing play dvix?

Nope. It's strictly for audio from what I understand. NOW...you could plug the 3.5mm into your divx player if it has it and listen to the audio on the car system while watching it on say your portable DVD player.

Fixed step 9 per Alberto @ Grom Audio's recommendation. Was using the ACC power wire vs the BAT power wire resulting in my USB drive not remembering where it left off when restarting the car.

got a questions when you have your choice of audio component plugged in are you able to control it from the steering wheel and do you encounter lower volume levels like the pxamg system,my friend has the pxamg installed and it always sounds low even though he has all of the setting set to high?does this work with navi/sat/hdradio?thanks in advance

You can control the volume from the steering wheel but Grom is currently working on firmware to allow the 07 M's to control the 'next/back' function from the wheel. I *think* the 06 is okay.

It's definitely quieter than CD or radio, but it's still pretty loud when you have it up all the way. I'm an audiophile and had a $3,000 system in my Maxima. This works good.

I have a Navi and the ability to have SAT but don't actually have it. This will replace your SAT connection so you will NOT be able to use the factory satelite system. That's fine with me because I have an Android phone (HTC EVO 4G) and have the XM app and plug my phone in via the 3.5mm jack and listen to satelite radio that way.

Thanks for the detailed installation guide! Just one question though: where did you end up putting the Grom unit? I didn't see it in any of your pictures.

I put it on the little module that you'll see at the bottom of the radio area when you remove the stereo using double sided 3M tape. Seems to be okay.

Thanks!

No problem.

Another thing to do is to download the latest firmware and follow their instructions. This will fix the issue described in my second post. They are currently working on getting the full wheel control functionality, but I can at least go back and forth now using the radio buttons.

Also, holding forward (>>) on your radio puts it into random mode (little R instead of a little T). Holding it again, puts it back to track by track.

ILyaKol,

Does the audio from the IPOD pass through the cars stereo processing (Centerpoint/surround)?

What do you mean? Can I control the bass, treble, etc.? If so, yes.

IlyaKol wrote:What do you mean? Can I control the bass, treble, etc.? If so, yes.

Well i know with the regular AUX in you can control basic stuff like bass/treble ect..but the bose centerpoint does not work with AUX in so you barely hear the seat speakers using AUX IN

Oh. I don't have that package so I can't answer that for you. Sorry.

Have you been able to resolve all of the minor issues you were having? Also is there a reason why you chose the GROM over the Peripheral PXAMG adapter?

Yes all of my issues have been worked out.

I think my reason was price, but I don't recall now. I never really gave the PXAMG a real look because the Grom did everything I wanted. Mainly USB.

Excellent. I don't recall if you said, but you are able to skip to the next track via the steering wheel control right?

Yes. They released a firmware update that allows me to do this now. At first, I wasn't.

Short press up = next track
Short press down = previous track/beginning
Long hold up = next folder
Long hold down = previous folder

Your instructions for removing the headunit are great man. Thanks.

So my PXAMG came in today. I'm going through the install process following your guide. I get to literally the very last screw holding the radio in place and the screw doesn't want to bulge, so much that if I keep trying to get it out, I run the risk of stripping the screw. I'm beyond livid at the moment *end rant*

Get a thicker screw driver that sits better and push IN on the screw at the same time you unscrew.

And you're welcome.

it's dark out now so it'll have to wait unti tomorrow..


= me right now (still)

dvan wrote:

IlyaKol wrote:What do you mean? Can I control the bass, treble, etc.? If so, yes.

Well i know with the regular AUX in you can control basic stuff like bass/treble ect..but the bose centerpoint does not work with AUX in so you barely hear the seat speakers using AUX IN

Finally got everything worked out, so my PXAMG is now installed...Dvan I can't speak for the Grom, but the PXAMG does utilize the centerpoint system. To the poster that mentioned it being low, I think it's not too bad..not as loud as the radio or CD like IlyaKol said, but loud enough.

infiniti_lineup wrote:IlyaKol,

Thanks for your contributions to NICOclub, it hasn't gone unnoticed! Because of the depth of description, value of information, and overall helpfulness of your post we've decided to convert it into an article on NICOclub.com! You can view it directly by clicking here.

Thanks again!

Wow. I feel honored.

Glad I could help the community out! I know I relied on writeups such as this when modding the Maxima, so I know how helpful it is when someone else helps you out.

can anyone answer me if this would work on my car, i have an 06 m45 base and i would like to add which ever one would work ty

If your radio has CAT printed one of the buttons (mine has it on the RPT button), then yes because that means your stereo is capable of Satelite Radio (which Grom, at least, uses).

You can't use the GROM unit and OEM Satelite Radio. It's either or.

Same deal for the PXAMG. Your radio must have CAT on one of the buttons

So is there a way to have HD radio, USB, 3.5mm, and Ipod connections?