'08-'12 Armada/QX56 Watch DVD's on your Navigation Screen!

A forum for the Nissan Armada, Infiniti QX56, and beginning in 2014, the Infiniti QX80
tonelab77
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:42 pm
Car: 2011 QX56

Post

nacoma wrote:Ground VSS and Ebrake to screw or other sufficient ground
Wrong.
nacoma wrote: DPDT position 1- connect VSS wire that leads back to main harness
DPDT position 2- connect VSS wire that I grounded in above also back to radio
DPDT position 3- connect ebrake wire that leads back to main harness
DPDT position 4- connect ebrake wire that I grounded in above also back to radio
DPDT position 5- ground to vehicle
DPDT position 6- ground to vehicle
Wrong

The following numbers represent the back connectors of the DPDT switch:

1 4
2 5
3 6

#1 is VSS away from AV (Brown/White wire at pin 82 on the 32 pin connector)
#4 is Parking Brake away from AV (White wire at pin 80 on the 32 pin connector)
#2 is VSS TO AV (Brown/White wire at pin 82 on the 32 pin connector)
#5 is Parking Brake TO AV (White wire at pin 80 on the 32 pin connector)
#3 & #6 Go to GROUND (which can and should be the same ground)

Note: I used the upper left screw (there are four) that holds in the AV Control Unit for grounding both #3 & #6 ground wires. I also soldered these two wires together. The exposed portion of them can be an inch long so you wrap them around the grounding screw securely.

The following picture is from Timmbo regarding the same mod (ignore the colors written on the sketch):

Image


tonelab77
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:42 pm
Car: 2011 QX56

Post

This is what I did on my 2011 QX (start to finish):

The only difference on the 2011+ QX & The Armadas is the Parking Brake Signal wire location on the 32-pin connector. On the 2011+ QX the wire is on pin #65. On the Armadas, it's pin #80.

I'm going to try to be very detailed in these instructions, but please let me know if something doesn't make sense, and I'll try to explain it further.

First of all, you should read this thread in its entirety (if you haven't done so already). Then follow instructions below.

These are the best instructions for taking the interior apart: https://docs.google.com/file/d/1AhhyMi3 ... sp=sharing

Here is the Audio Video Service Manual for the QX56. Page 51 shows the terminal layout: http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/QX56/2011/AV.pdf

You can try your luck with a screw driver wrapped in cloth of some sort. Or, you can spend $5 for these interior disassembling pry tools for the center console: http://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-ny ... 69668.html

I soldered everything together to make secure connections. If you don't know how to solder, don't worry. It's not that hard. Get the cheapest soldering iron, solder, and flux from Rat Shack, watch a couple of youtube videos and practice on stuff you don't mind messing up on first. After 15-30 minutes of practice, you should be a pro . If you're still not comfortable soldering, find someone who is and have them do it for you.

Buy a DPDT switch for $4 from Rat Shack like this one: http://www.radioshack.com/product/index ... Id=2062525

Get a decent pair of small wire strippers.

Get two feet of CAT5 or CAT6 (solid not stranded) Ethernet cable and take the sleeve off. You should now have 4 twisted pairs (blue/green/brown/orange). You can discard one pair (I discarded the blue). I used the green pair for ground, the brown pair for the wires going to the AV Control Unit, and the orange pair for the wires going away from the AV Control Unit. Strip an 1/8th of an inch from all wires to be used. With the solid strand of all twelve wire ends exposed, add a tiny bit of flux to each wire, then "tin" each one, and while you're at it, tin all six connectors on the DPDT rocker switch too. Tinning means getting solder onto the wires or connectors...kind of like prepping what you're working on. It makes it a lot easier to make connections whilst working in your expensive luxury SUV.

Once you have the AV Control Unit wires cut (1/8" exposed wire), tin them too.

The following numbers represent the back connectors of the DPDT switch. Wire it up like this:

1 4 (1 = Brown ethernet wire, 4 = Brown/White ethernet wire)
2 5 (2 = Orange ethernet wire, 5 = Orange/White ethernet wire)
3 6 (3 = Green ethernet wire, 6 = Green/White ethernet wire)

Solder these to the corresponding AV Control Unit wires below before you wire them to the DPDT rocker switch.

#1 is VSS away from AV (Brown/White wire at pin 82 on the 32 pin connector)
#4 is Parking Brake away from AV (White wire at pin 65 on the 32 pin connector)
#2 is VSS TO AV (Brown/White wire at pin 82 on the 32 pin connector)
#5 is Parking Brake TO AV (White wire at pin 65 on the 32 pin connector)
#3 & #6 Go to GROUND (which can and should be the same ground)

Note: I used the upper left screw (there are four) that holds in the AV Control Unit for grounding both Green and Green/White ethernet wires. I also soldered these two wires together. The exposed portion of them can be an inch long so you wrap them around the grounding screw securely.

The following picture is from Timmbo regarding the same mod (ignore the colors written on the sketch):

Image

VinceG
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:29 pm
Car: 2008 - Nissan Armada LE (Smoke) - Trade-In
2009 - Nissan Armada LE (Silver) - Totaled
2011 - Nissan Armada Platinum (Silver)
2012 - QX56 - Fully Loaded (Platinum Graphite)
Location: Wilmington, Delaware

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tonelab77:

Thanks for all of the great Write Ups!!!

Curious about the specifics here.....you mentioned:
"Thanks for that info, but there's no way I would ever consider converting my existing video collection just so they'll play in our QX. I'm quite satisfied with the combination solution I came up with, using an iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, XBMC and a Seagate Wireless Plus. It works great, plays all possible codecs, and fits 1TB of media!"
Do you keep the Segate Wireless plus in the QX56, and then stream to one of your apple devices which is connected to the QX56 via the usb port to play on the 7" screen? This seems like a slick solution!!! I guess there are a few options for powering the Segate wireless plus....one of the 12V sockets, the 120V inverter plug behind the center console, or perhaps hardwired and stored in a discrete place out of sight.

Curious as to the specifics of how you do this???

I have 2 large raid servers with approx 12TB of storage each dedicated just to share movies to all of the TVs and devices throughout our main home and also our vacation home. We probably have a collection that would rival netflix or Amazon. :chuckle: Over the years, I have ripped thousands of movies that we either own or have rented.....it's very easy to access them via just about any device on our network at either home. The problem is that I have always ripped movies preserving the original format and size. Regular DVD's average about 4-8GB and the blu rays are approx 25-30GB per movie. I know that I can compress to save space, but we have many very large TVs throught the houses, and a theater room in each house with 100"+ screen sizes, so it's really nice to watch and experience the full uncompressed movies on the large screens.

The problem is that I have to convert movies to .divx and compess to under 2GB for the qx56. This is very time consuming and requires me to save 2 copies of each movie one for home (uncompressed) and one for the QX56 (compressed).

I would love to find a better way to have a permanent and very large hard drive say 3-4TB in the qx56 for movies. I would also love to be able to access the drive via wifi to move movies to/from the drive without having to take the drive out, bring it into the house, plug it to a computer to sync files. In my driveway or garage, my vehicles receive a strong WIFI signal...so I would love to be able to sync when I am within wifi range of the house. It seems like you may be able to do some of this with your solution?????

I think what I am ultimately looking for is a full computer in the SUV. I have explored some options online but have not really seen anything worth pursuing.

Always open to new ideas that push the limits....... :dblthumb:
Last edited by VinceG on Wed May 29, 2013 8:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

tonelab77
Posts: 18
Joined: Tue Mar 26, 2013 12:42 pm
Car: 2011 QX56

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VinceG wrote:tonelab77:
Do you keep the Segate Wireless plus in the QX56, and then stream to one of your apple devices which is connected to the QX56 via the usb port to play on the 7" screen? This seems like a slick solution!!! I guess there are a few options for powering the Seagate wireless plus....one of the 12V sockets, the 120V inverter plug behind the center console, or perhaps hardwired and stored in a discrete place out of sight.

Curious as to the specifics of how you do this???
From what I understand, you can't actually stream video out of an iDevice via USB for some reason. So, you'd need a composite video adapter for the iDevice (which is what I use). I plug this into the center console composite inputs. As far as power goes, the Seagate Wireless Plus holds a charge for a good while, but when it does need power, you can plug it in to any of the sockets you mentioned above, and continue streaming while charging. I usually keep it in the center console.
VinceG wrote: I have 2 large raid servers with approx 12GB of storage each dedicated just to share movies to all of the TVs and devices throughout our main home and also our vacation home. We probably have a collection that would rival netflix or Amazon.
I hope you mean 12TB. :) I have the same thing in my house. I use a Drobo FS. I have all the popular and obscure 80's movies and cartoons from my childhood, and tons of TV shows' complete seasons. However, most of my content is SD, which is fine by me. Quality isn't super important to me as long as it's watchable. So, needless to say, I don't have any 30GB BD rips. I just don't care about watching movies that much. In fact, we're going to be moving into a larger house soon (9,368 sq. ft.), and it has a perfect room for a theater, but we hardly watch movies at home, so I want to turn it into an arcade with air hockey, hoop shot, pinball, super chexx hockey, foosball, point blank, and a mame multi cabinet with all the old school arcade games. We only watch movies (and TV shows) right before bedtime, unless there's a Lakers game on. The main reason for watching video in the car is to keep my kids entertained and quiet. We have hacked Apple TVs (with XBMC) in every room at home, mainly for keeping kids entertained with content that we approve of, because Nickelodeon and Disney channel's programming is mostly inappropriate garbage these days.
VinceG wrote: I would love to find a better way to have a permanent and very large hard drive say 3-4TB in the qx56 for movies.
Since streaming files of that size will give you problems on a wireless connection, you have two options:

1) A small HTPC with two hard drives (one for system & one 3TB-4TB for storage), HDMI out, and a converter from HDMI to composite.
2) 1st gen AppleTV (w/XBMC) with large external HDD connected via USB, and a converter from HDMI to composite.

HDMI to Composite AV adapter: http://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Universal- ... B0080KN18K
VinceG wrote: I would also love to be able to access the drive via wifi to move movies to/from the drive without having to take the drive out, bring it into the house, plug it to a computer to sync files.
You could do this, but transfer times would be excruciatingly long on files that large. Hardwired would be the best/fastest method for transfers.
VinceG wrote: I think what I am ultimately looking for is a full computer in the SUV. I have explored some options online but have not really seen anything worth pursuing.
If that's what you really want, I would go with a small HTPC like I mentioned above. You would need a wireless Bluetooth track pad to navigate it though. You could also install a 3.5" HDD dock in the 5.25" optical drive bay, so that you could easily remove the 3TB-4TB HDD and take it inside to dock on your main computer for updated file transfers.

Well, that's my $0.02.

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NJGuy
Posts: 557
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:05 am
Car: 2008 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD

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First of all, I just wanted to say that this is a great thread. I'm looking into doing this mod for my EX35 and have learned a lot from reading this.

I did have a few questions though.

1. I know that most of you have been recommending a single DPDT switch to ground both the VSS and parking brake wires.
Would there be any functional benefit from a user perspective to be able to ground the wires on separate SPDT switches? I'm much more concerned about having the ability to access the NAV commands while driving in comparison to being able to watch video on the display. I would really only perform the mod that enables video while moving because I would already have the center dash disassembled and the head unit out.

I know it requires a bit more work up front to wire up two separate switches, but it looks like there are more size and style options when it comes to selecting a SPDT switch. I'm contemplating whether or not I should install 2 SPDT switches or instead to just ground the parking brake wire.

Further, does anyone know if the head unit requires the parking brake signal for any diagnostic tests while the car is in for service?


2. I think I found the spot where I would like to mount my switch(es). I have two unused switch blanks on my dash to the left and below the steering wheel. The third spot is taken up by the Lane Departure Warning switch.

Do any of you know if there is a standard Nissan/Infiniti SPDT or DPDT switch that would fit in either one of those slots? I think the 04-09 Quest minivan dome light switch might work, but I need to verify the size first.

I don't care too much about what is printed on the switch, as I can cover the face; I care more that the switches function in the manner I need and that they can snap into place without any cutting needed.


Thanks in advance.

marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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the job for this mod is to trick the AV unit into thinking you are not moving. this will release the lock out controls and allow video to be shown, etc. the park brake needs to be grounded for either function to work anyway, and its just two wires (VSS and park brake) so its best to follow the procedure here.

when the switch is not active, the system functions as normal so if you take the car in for service you should not encounter any problems.

I have done this mod on two armadas and a 12 qx and have not had any issues over the years in using this setup.

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NJGuy
Posts: 557
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:05 am
Car: 2008 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD

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marctronixx wrote:the job for this mod is to trick the AV unit into thinking you are not moving. this will release the lock out controls and allow video to be shown, etc. the park brake needs to be grounded for either function to work anyway, and its just two wires (VSS and park brake) so its best to follow the procedure here.
I understand that both the VSS and parking brake signals need to be hacked in order to watch video. But like I said before, my primary concern is addressing the lockout of the NAV controls while the vehicle is moving. I would do the mod to allow video on the screen just because I would already have everything taken apart.

I thought that in order to access the NAV commands on the touchscreen, the vehicle just needs to think it's not moving? I haven't ridden in a QX56/Armada, but in my EX35 the NAV commands become accessible once the vehicle is stopped, even in gear and without the parking brake applied. Once the speed goes to 'zero', the commands are no longer locked out.

My wife waits for me to get to a stop sign or red light before she tries to type in addresses in the NAV. So I believe that just for accessing the NAV commands, there would not be a need to ground the parking brake wire. Otherwise, I'd have to have the parking brake engaged every time in order to be able to enter a destination. I'd understand the necessity of having the parking brake applied if there were an input into the head unit for the gear position and/or regular brake switch; but I don't believe that either of those signals enter the head unit.

Maybe I'm wrong, but I wouldn't think that any of the other Nissan/Infiniti vehicles require the use of the parking brake to be able to access the NAV commands. If you think about it, how many drivers in general actually use the parking brake? I would find it hard to believe that Nissan/Infiniti would make it mandatory to require the parking brake to enter an address, as from an operational perspective it would likely frustrate the user even more.

marctronixx wrote:when the switch is not active, the system functions as normal so if you take the car in for service you should not encounter any problems.
Yes, I'd like to have the system function as normal with the switch(es) set to the 'off' or 'stock' position. But I guess I have to take my question a bit further.
1. When the Nissan/Infiniti tech runs a diagnostic test on the vehicle, does he use the display screen on the head unit? I would think that the tech has a computer in the garage bay that shows all the necessary information on his monitor.
2. And if he uses the vehicle's display screen, how much vehicle operational information can he actually access? I would only think that it would be limited to the electronic systems and controls related to the items that relate to the audio, media, entertainment, convenience and camera type of information and settings. I do recall reading something about a "Secret Service Menu" accessible on the head unit display. So to me it seems like the only benefit of having the parking brake wire connected to a switch would be for diagnosing problems with those auxiliary electronic systems; and not anything that would affect any of the engine, transmission, emissions, steering, cooling, or braking systems. Can anyone confirm this?

Sorry if my post and questions go too much in depth.

Thanks.

marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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hi,

you need BOTH VSS and park brake leads modified in order to unlock the controls.

the AV system has a gyrocompass in it that needs to be told when the car is moving and when its stationary. both of these wires MUST be modified in order to manipulate the system into thinking its not moving.

as a result, you get the benefit of both the DVD use whilst driving for the passenger and the controls are unlocked.

some tests require the systems touchscreen. this mod will for sure void any warranty work if its found to be a cause for some issue up or down stream, so do this at your own risk.

the tech may or may not ever find this mod in place, but if you have switches installed in it, this could tip of a tech to ask you what those switches are for. Again this all comes down to how thorough the tech is and/or how deep the trouble is (if any) on your system if its going in for service.

the AV system is the heart of the entire car. the CAN bus (computer network) is the veins/arteries and the AV system is the heart, so many commands/sensors of the car can be accessed through the AV system.

all of this sounds scary or complicated, but it really is not. as long as you mod the system properly and prevent any loose grounds or connections, you should have worry free service of this mod thru the life of the car. sure a relay may go bad but that is super rare.

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NJGuy
Posts: 557
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:05 am
Car: 2008 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD

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marctronixx wrote:you need BOTH VSS and park brake leads modified in order to unlock the controls.

the AV system has a gyrocompass in it that needs to be told when the car is moving and when its stationary. both of these wires MUST be modified in order to manipulate the system into thinking its not moving.
Although I'm having trouble picturing why the parking brake lead needs to be modified in addition to the VSS to unlock the NAV controls, I'll take your word for it and ground the parking brake signal via the switch.

While it's a bit harder to find a DPDT switch (as opposed to SPDT) with the form factor and specs I want, I think I've found a few viable options online at the bigger electronics supply companies.

marctronixx wrote:some tests require the systems touchscreen. this mod will for sure void any warranty work if its found to be a cause for some issue up or down stream, so do this at your own risk.

the tech may or may not ever find this mod in place, but if you have switches installed in it, this could tip of a tech to ask you what those switches are for. Again this all comes down to how thorough the tech is and/or how deep the trouble is (if any) on your system if its going in for service.
I'm not too concerned about warranty issues, as both the basic factory warranty and powertrain warranty are expired for my car. I don't care that much whether or not a tech sees the switch; and if he has any questions about it, I wouldn't mind telling him what it is. If I were to ever encounter such a severe problem, I would think that the mod would be one of the easiest things to either correct or rule out.

marctronixx wrote:the AV system is the heart of the entire car. the CAN bus (computer network) is the veins/arteries and the AV system is the heart, so many commands/sensors of the car can be accessed through the AV system.
I didn't expect the AV system to be the heart of the entire car's electronics. I thought that perhaps the AV unit can access certain bits of vehicle information via the CAN bus, and that there are other "brains" that handle the computing of more vital vehicle operation functions (engine control, emissions, transmission control, SRS, vehicle dynamics control, etc.) . I also thought that most sensor readings, commands, changes, and updates are done through a vehicle data link connection, and on a computer terminal with specialized software.

marctronixx wrote: all of this sounds scary or complicated, but it really is not. as long as you mod the system properly and prevent any loose grounds or connections, you should have worry free service of this mod thru the life of the car. sure a relay may go bad but that is super rare.
I'm not too concerned about the potential problems the mod might cause, as it seems like the quality of the installation work is what's most important here for avoiding any potential issues.

Thanks for addressing my questions.

marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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hi,

ok i may have misunderstood you when you spoke about the tech noticing the mod. disregard then if you dont care about that.

yes the AV system has the HDD which has all the software for the car. its not just for music and nav.

CAN bus is a serial system in nature so ALL commands run through all sensors and the AV system. the CONSULT III is a program nissan uses to talk to the system and make adjustments, etc. the TCM, BCM ECM all go through the combination meter and the AV system.

in regards to grounding the park brake, yes that is needed when viewing a dvd , etc on the front screen. grounding the park brake may NOT be needed when JUST accessing the nav functions. I do apologize for mis reading your question. :(

most people who do this mod want both the dvd screen to work whilst driving and the nav functions.

does one need to ground the park brake to access JUST the nav functions and dont care for the DVD? probably not, and if you just decide to only do that, you may have to modify this mod to work with your setup.

again, my bad for confusing you on this. hopefully i have corrected myself to your satisfaction.

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NJGuy
Posts: 557
Joined: Fri Sep 23, 2011 10:05 am
Car: 2008 Infiniti EX35 Journey AWD

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So here is how I see it:
-In order to access NAV commands while the car is moving, only the VSS signal needs to be bypassed.
-In order to view video on the display while the car is moving, both the VSS and parking brake signal need to be bypassed.

I was trying to figure out if there would be an operational benefit from using separate switches to bypass each individual signal. But when I think about it further, it seems to me that navigation function and video are really optimized for the user when they are not being utilized at the same time.

If the video is displayed on the screen during a programmed route, the NAV will have a slight lag when determining the true location of the car. If the user wants to remove the lag, then the system will have to be 'switched' back to stock form, thus taking away the video. To get the video back he/she will have to move the switch back to the modded mode, and in addition, set the display input back to 'video'. This would also happen if the user wishes to change the destination address; as he/she would also have to reset the display to 'video'. The operation to switch back to video is a tad clunky, but I understand that it was not originally intended nor was it designed to be seamless anyway.

And if the user is only using the navigation function and not the video display, then the AV system would not care whether or not the parking brake signal is bypassed.

So I guess there would be no functional benefit to being able to switch the VSS and parking brake signals separately. Keeping everything wired on one switch would keep everything a bit cleaner and less complicated from a user/operator perspective.

Sorry for the lengthy writeup, as I'm just thinking out loud.
marctronixx wrote: yes the AV system has the HDD which has all the software for the car. its not just for music and nav.

CAN bus is a serial system in nature so ALL commands run through all sensors and the AV system. the CONSULT III is a program nissan uses to talk to the system and make adjustments, etc. the TCM, BCM ECM all go through the combination meter and the AV system.
Thanks for the explanation on how the car's electronic systems are intertwined, as I never gave it much thought before. :bigthumb:
I tend to picture things much more easily from a 'mechanical' or 'physical' perspective. Electrical systems and electronics really aren't my forte, so I'm trying to learn about them a little bit more.
marctronixx wrote: again, my bad for confusing you on this. hopefully i have corrected myself to your satisfaction.
Also, no problem in regards to your confusion or misinterpretation with our prior posts. I wouldn't consider myself a great communicator. Sometimes I've got a million thoughts in my head, but I don't think I was blessed with the ability to easily organize them and relay them to others in a coherent manner. :cool:

marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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no worries on explaining your thought process! I do the same thing. I was following your post word for word and you did make sense. ;)

I appreciate your posts and sharing your thoughts with the class. :)

pedro66
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:03 pm
Car: 2013 Armada Platinum

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Hi

Anyone have the pin positions for the 2013 Armada the navigation radio is different than the one on the first page

Thanks

marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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http://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/
go there and look for the service manual.

2011armadalover
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:48 pm
Car: 2011 Armada

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Anyone out there tried the DVD mod with a 2013? Awhile back a guy named Timbo (great help) helped me do this in my 2011. I have since upgraded. I see the AV system is a bit different. Just wondering if anyone has done it on the newer models yet? I have Head Rest DVD's with a Head Unit with Nav.

marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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wire colors/harness locations may be different but the same two wires need to be tapped into. parking brake and VSS wire.

i initially did this on my 2008 armada as well. then i moved to the 2012 q and although the wire locations on the harness was different, the same wires were the ones to tap into.

pedro66
Posts: 7
Joined: Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:03 pm
Car: 2013 Armada Platinum

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The 2013 Armada is the same wiring as the older 2011+ QX56 so as you say its changed I don't have the connections to had but next time I take the dash out I will post I got a Prestigious Society box from a wrecked 2011 QX56 very cheap and used it but it just does the same and was plug and play

marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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OP can also just get the service manual for the 2013 armada and locate the VSS and park brake wire. boom done.

2011armadalover
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:48 pm
Car: 2011 Armada

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I think I can pull this off on the 2013. I"ll post the wire colors etc when I get it done. Does anyone know how to get all three screens to show the same movie? Front Screen, two rear seat rest DVD players? Is it even possible.

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Timmbo
Posts: 3212
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:14 am
Car: 2013 Infiniti JX35 AWD & 2013 Nissan Maxima Sport Pkg
Location: Green Bay, WI

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Hey there! Nice to see you still have the Nissans! Here is the deal, if you can get the video to play on your front nav screen with your parking brake on, then the EXACT same mod will work. I have an Infiniti JX that has dual screens in the headrest, I performed the same mod and it works perfectly. Let me know if you have any questions!

junior6197
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2014 2:36 pm
Car: 2010 Nissan Armada

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Hi Timmbo i got a question for you i understand everything the only i need is the illustration on how you dyi the relay and toggle switch with the radio. i mean i know is 80 and 82 wires on the system but how you do the connection on the relay and toggle switch

skizza
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 7:19 pm
Car: 2011 Nissan Armada SL

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Hi, i am looking at buying a 2014 Armada platinum. Can anybody tell me if the mod kit still works on this model? i currently have a 2011 armada SL and have a kit to watch dvd on the front screen and couldn't imagine not having it any more. My wife loves it on road trips.

Thanks!

marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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yes it works on the 2014.

what you need to do is verify the VSS and park brake wires as they could have changed colors.. but still same wires to tap into.

skizza
Posts: 4
Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 7:19 pm
Car: 2011 Nissan Armada SL

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Thanks Marcotronixx! I just purchased the 2014 Armada platinum with reserve package today. I believe it was Timmbo who helped me with a mod kit 3 years ago. Can somebody in here help me this time around? I also am interested to see if there is a way to get the video to play on all 3 screens at the same time. It looks like the rear dvd's in the head rest only feed audio out, and also don't receive the video from the front screen. any help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

Pumaro
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:28 pm
Car: 2013 Infinity QX 56 4x4
2012 Armada Platinum (Lakeshore Slate) sold
2007 335i (Monaco Blue)
Location: Little Rock, AR

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Does this apply to 2013 QX56 ?

Pumaro
Posts: 14
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2011 3:28 pm
Car: 2013 Infinity QX 56 4x4
2012 Armada Platinum (Lakeshore Slate) sold
2007 335i (Monaco Blue)
Location: Little Rock, AR

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marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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VSS and park brake wire is all you need to tap into.

get a DPDT switch, power it with a relay. boom. 20 bux or less in materials.

usaf-lt-g
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2015 11:03 am
Car: 2012 QX56 - Deluxe Touring, Technology, Entertainment, and everything else they ever made for this car.

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This is what I did on my 2012 QX56, and I suggest this for anyone else looking to bypass the screen limitation cleanly.

Ok, so I really had to do some digging for this info. Utilizing information provided by tintmasters (Shane), service manuals for the 2011 - 2015 QX56 / QX80, and digging for parts.... I decided to make a better Wiring diagram to bypass the DVD system (utilizing a switch with an LED) as has previously been described for the Armada.

The previously uploaded JPG image, was not the most clear (I couldn't zoom in and read the #s and there were some lines drawn that were confusing. I tried to simplify this.

Please NOTE: This is NOT for the Armada, this is for the 2011 - 2015 current year Infiniti QX56 / QX80.

I also included parts you can source off amazon for a grand total of $26 if you want to do this the right way.

Image

marctronixx
Posts: 518
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 2:07 pm

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dont know what you had to dig real hard. this is readily avail over the internet. Shane was the first to make this avail for armada in 2008 and he was the one to make the unit for my 2012 qx.

this system is just the same as the ones peddlers sell for 200+dollars. THAT is a travesty...

anyway, pleased to see this being pursued as the years pass. it really is a fantastic and simple mod...

usaf-lt-g
Posts: 11
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2015 11:03 am
Car: 2012 QX56 - Deluxe Touring, Technology, Entertainment, and everything else they ever made for this car.

Post

marctronixx wrote:dont know what you had to dig real hard. this is readily avail over the internet. Shane was the first to make this avail for armada in 2008 and he was the one to make the unit for my 2012 qx.

this system is just the same as the ones peddlers sell for 200+dollars. THAT is a travesty...

anyway, pleased to see this being pursued as the years pass. it really is a fantastic and simple mod...
The circuitry image. The one's floating around on the internet were very hard to read and contained low resolution. If I zoomed in on the image it made the image too fuzzy. I re-did the diagram in VISIO, and included in the circuit the pinout for the Infiniti, as well as put in the entire switch assembly (missing in previous elecontronic diagrams).

I was simply trying to share a better diagram specific to the infiniti all-inclusive.


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