2011 Nissan Rogue S Upgrades

[MasterCPU]

Hi! Thank you for taking the time to read this post and hopefully provide me with some great feedback or point me into the right direction.

My wife and I bought our daughter a 2011 Nissan Rogue S for her 17th Birthday.
This being the base model, there are a number of improvements from the 2011 SV Trim model that I would like to install since again this is the Base S Trim model.
The SV Trim parts are also fairly cheap, so if it can work out, they would be a nice little upgrade.

The planned upgrades include:
1. Factory Reverse Camera
2. Factory Hand free driving with Radio Control on the steering wheel.
3. Factory Overhead Console with mic for hands free driving.
4. Factory Auto Headlights On/Off control and functionality
5. Fog Lights
6. Different Factory head unit/radio with a screen to see reverse camera or possibly aftermarket head unit/radio, I'll explain below what features she wants to get feedback on if factory vs aftermarket would be better.

I'm trying to have a overall look of the factory components...minus possibly needing to install an aftermarket head unit/radio.

My main question is, does anyone know if the electrical plugs and wiring are in place to install the SV Trim model pieces into the S Trim model vehicle or will I need to run wires and plugs to get all of these features connected?

I ordered some 22 AWG wire of different colors, just incase I do need to run wires. I also didn't want to start disassembling things to check for the connectors and leave the car in a hap hazard state for her to drive it, because if I take it apart once, I am not putting it back together to later take it apart again to run wires....if I don't have to.

I ordered used from eBay:
1. Nissan Rear Trim with Reverse Camera from the SV Trim model
2. Steering Wheel controls from the SV Trim Model
3. Overhead Console with mic from the SV Trim Model
4. Signal Switch to have the Auto Headlights and Fog Light options.
5. The Sun Load Sensor for the dash.

For the head unit/radio, besides accessing the normal radio stations, it needs to allow viewing of the factory reverse camera (This I know requires a 12v to 6v cable/adapter if installing an aftermarket head unit/radio), ability to play CDs (Don't judge..hahaha), ability to connect her iPhone via Bluetooth to send audio/music and for handsfree driving (Apple CarPlay would be nice, I know that's only in an aftermarket head unit/radio), and use the SV Trim steering wheel controls to answer a call, adjust volume, etc. (This I know requires an adapter if an aftermarket head unit/radio is installed.) Any suggestions on head units/radios whether factory or aftermarket are welcome.

I searched through the Rogue Forum, prior to creating this post and didn't see anyone going to this level of upgrades to an S Trim Model..maybe because it's a little insane, but someone out there has had to have done some of this or thought about it and might have some positive input or guidance.

Thank you again for reading.

[VStar650CL]

The big problem you'll run into is wires that don't exist. Nissan doesn't make universal harnesses with unused connectors taped back like some other OE's. Harnesses are specific to the trim levels and individual equipment. For example, for an '11 Rogue, the parts catalog lists 11 different part numbers for the Main Harness (the one under the dash, which you'll definitely be dealing with), 8 Body#1 Harnesses, 10 Body#2 Harnesses, 15 Engine Room Harnesses, etc.

The bottom line is, the reason you won't find posts about people doing what you're trying to do is because it's almost always impractical without either replacing harnesses outright or doing weeks of scouring wiring diagrams and then stringing new wires. You'll be much better served with aftermarket installations in almost all instances.

[VStar650CL]

Not to plug a different forum, but this is the sort of struggle you're in for (and this gent did pull the dash and swap the entire Main Harness from an SL model):
https://www.altimaforums.net/threads/2- ... wap.56220/

[MasterCPU]

Hi VStar650CL - Thanks for the replies they are very much appreciated. Great profile pic! I'm reading through the post from the other forum and that guy definitely went hard core, even after having an accident and almost had all the work in vain. Would have liked to see his final pics and comments that everything is done and working. I feel like I was left on a cliffhanger. lol You were very kind and knowledgeable, providing all that info and helping him. You should get a round of applause for sure and/or he should send you a gift card for lunch.

For me, I'm not looking to or hoping to have to replace the entire wiring harnesses, etc. Hopefully I'm not being naïve in my endeavor. My thinking is (and please correct me if I'm mistaken), since I will more then likely have to use an aftermarket radio, most of my planned upgrades focused around the radio can be achieved, since I'll have to also use necessary adapters to allow a factory reverse camera and steering wheel controls to work with an aftermarket radio anyway. I would just need to run the necessary wires to the radio compartment from those components to then be connected to the necessary adapters. The auto headlights and foglights might be a bit more cumbersome and something I might do last, if at all, depending on what all could be involved with that. Thankfully, as mentioned, these pieces weren't expensive on eBay and whatever I don't use, I could always resell them....this was just to avoid my daughter leaving the headlights on or forgetting to turn them on.

What are you thoughts on this approach? Do you think I would still need to dive down a rabbit hole of wiring diagrams?
Maybe I would need to replace the spiral cable in the steering column for the steering wheel controls and/or the auto headlights control install, is that what you might be referring to?

Thanks!

[VStar650CL]

Let me take these one at a time, some are easy, some are complicated.

The aftermarket head unit along with a factory switch set in the wheel should be easy enough for the steering wheel controls, and yes, you probably need a different clockspring. You should be able to wire the factory backup cam to the aftermarket head, but you'll need to run wires and get an appropriate cam connector. Be sure to twist the data and ground wires for the cam. That's not hard, hook the pair up in a drill and have an assistant hold the other end. Voila, twisted pair. The roof mic should also be easy, just modify the existing roof console. Plenty of room up there. If you don't already know, you can find a complete FSM for the car here in Nico. You'll find the cam description and wiring diagrams in the "Audio Visual" section:
https://www.nicoclub.com/nissan-service-manuals

The fog lights are easy-peasy, there will already be taped-back connectors for the lights on the Front End Module Harness. There was a retrofit kit for it, B61E0-1VK0A, which included the switch 25540-CM31E. Since you already have the switch, any sort of lights can be used with it, factory or aftermarket.

The Auto Lights are doable, there will already be a dead-plug for the sensor in the dash. You'll need to run 3 wires into the BCM for that. I'd suggest hitting the junkyard for a similar connector you can break down for pigtail pins, then you can just use them to stuff the appropriate BCM pin positions. Of course you'll also need a pigtail for the sensor. I don't think the BCM will need to be reconfigured, the FSM doesn't show any config setting for with/without Auto.

The sunload sensor is probably a lost cause, you'd have to convert the entire HVAC from Manual to Auto. That means replacing the whole HVAC box, which is a massive undertaking.

[TheRogue]

RE: Setting up the car for your kid . . .

I tossed in a few items into our Rogue cause I am paranoid . . . but it gave me a bit of peace of mind when our daughter took the Rogue to school a while back . . .

1) Breaker Bar with proper sized socket.

So no fiddling with the super short socket wrench they give you that doesn't have enough leaverage for my daughter to loosen / tighten lugs. I just leave it in the car with the spare. (I also put a torque wrench in with the spare as well. And I put a set of wheel chocks as well.)

2) Bicycle Foot Pump to pump up tires.

The place I go for tires suggested a foot pump is better than filling up at gas stations because the gas stations are sometimes too lazy to empty out the water from their compressors so you end up putting water into your tires. And also you can fill up your tires wherever you are. The one I have has a built-in pressure gauge. It came in handy once when I got 2 flat tires at the same time. I tossed the spare on the front and pumped up the back and drove to the tire place to get them fixed.

3) Booster Battery.

I put a small booster battery in the car. If my daughter didn't start up the car much, or left an interior light on . . . then she'd be able to boost the car herself and not have to wait for CAA.

4) Windshield Washer Fluid.

In the trunk, right side . . . I removed the lift up cover. A jug of washer fluid fits right in that spot and doesn't slide around the car. I also tossed in a small window squeegee there.

5) And I don't know if the 2011 S has a full size spare. If not, that might be something to consider. Our SL came with a full size spare. They can last longer, and take less pressure so I can get lazy and not check the spare as much because I know I have a foot pump I can pump up the tire with when I need to put it on the car. Donut spares I think need higher pressure, more than the bicycle pump can handle.

Just a thought on some practical stuff to have in the Rogue.

I have all the same stuff in our minivan. Except the full size spare, because our van wasn't designed to store a full size spare.

[VStar650CL]

I always made sure we had bandaids and iodine in the medicine chest, but I never kept my daughter from skinning her knees. My dad used to say, "God gave us pain so we don't repeat the stupid s#!t we did yesterday." I never took that as a reason not to warn my kid, but I did take it as a reason to never be a helicopter. On those grounds, when she started to drive, I gave her a homework assignment: Picture yourself with a broke-azz car on a moonless night in East Bumf#ck, then hit the internet and tell Daddy what emergency equipment your hoopdee needs in the trunk. I'll get it for you.

She did pretty good, but the Fix-A-Flat didn't help when she lacerated a tire on some freeway junk and then couldn't get the lugs loose with the weenie tire bar that came with the OE jack. I had already bought her a 16" 4-way and brought it along when I answered the call. It still goes in the trunk of her every vehicle, a skinned knee she never forgets. I'll admit to taking pride in the cumulative effect of lessons like that, she's become quite expert at outthinking life's problems and not outrunning them.

[TheRogue]

+1

Yeah. LOL.

RE: This stuff . . . I actually put this stuff in the car for me. I've been caught where I can't get the lug nuts off, or I had to wait for a boost. LOL. I just figure . . . if I want it in the car for me, then why wouldn't I want this stuff in the car for my kids. So it was really me learning from the bumps along the journey that got me to put this stuff in the car. LOL.

I guess I just want my kids to learn from the mistakes and bumps along the road I've experienced. I got to admit a lot of this stuff is stuff my dad taught me while I was starting out.