Bought M35x with no Navi - Would like to get it installed

[cruise8]

I got a great deal on a 2006 M35X Journey package but would like to get the NAVi installed on there. What do I need to do?

[NightWatch]

Not to disappoint you, but while it can "technically" be done, I don't know of any dealer that will swap out the entire center tech stack. It would also probably cost somewhere in the $3-4K range for the parts. A lot more has to be done than just install a Nav system. All the electronics including the sound system are integrated.

Suggest you invest in a Garmin that has the features you're looking for.

[szh]

Not to disappoint you, but while it can "technically" be done, I don't know of any dealer that will swap out the entire center tech stack. It would also probably cost somewhere in the $3-4K range for the parts. A lot more has to be done than just install a Nav system. All the electronics including the sound system are integrated.

Suggest you invest in a Garmin that has the features you're looking for.

Yes, indeed! The cost can be quite high, since the LCD panel is different, the electronics are different, etc., etc., etc. Even though it can be done! The labor cost would be also high if you did not do it yourself.

Our general advice for people who want to do this: either buy the correct model M from the start, with the correct package, or buy after-market add-on GPS systems.

Z

[cruise8]

ha alright. thanks all. the navi's just a bonus anyways. i do like how the lighter plug is in the armrest so it doesn't look ugly out in the open. i'll just buy a garmin. thanks all

[mcdoken]

You can install the OEM navigation system for $1000 - $1200, depending on where you get the parts. Mainly the larger 8" screen and the Navi control unit. I saw both on eBay.

A web search will turn up step by step instructions - it's been done by others. Surprisingly, it's a relatively easy conversion.
Modified by mcdoken at 9:00 AM 4/22/2009

[NightWatch]

Its a little more complicated than they're letting on.... Its not just the Nav system, its the entire electronics package including audio. Even the fine print at the bottoms says " If equipped with Bose, Active Audio, Premium, or similar type that requires amp, 99% of the time it will not work in a vehicle not already equipped with that system. We will not guarantee it to work otherwise, and no refund will be given"

But here's the link if you want to take a look at it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...sting

[mcdoken]

I bought a 2006 M45 without the nav system and wanted to add factory nav. I searched the internet for information regarding the installation and came up blank. I decided to jump in, buy the stuff anyway, and give it a shot. The project was successful. It is very easy to do.

From what I understand, the car must have the Journey package to add navigation. In addition, the navless cars come with a 7” display and the cars with nav come with an 8” display. The 7” screen will work, but the 8” one looks better.

You will need to replace the following items:

Nav screen (optional) Switches Control unit.

You will also need to buy an antenna. Any GPS antenna will do, provided that it has an HRS GT5-1S connector. They are common on eBay.

Replacing the control unit is simple and straightforward. First, remove the trim pieces below and to the right of the glove box. They snap in. Then lift the glovebox off of its hinges. It is held in place by gravity. From there, pop the soft-open cord off of the right side with a slotted screwdriver (it pops off easily, but is kind of a pain to reconnect). Once the glovebox is off of its hinges, it is easy to wiggle out. Remove the trim panel behind the glovebox by removing the screws. It then pops off.

Once the trim panel is removed, the screws for the passenger side wood or metal trim are exposed from the bottom. Remove them and pop the trim panel off. The wood or metal trim panel on the driver’s side is held in with pressure clips. Use a knife or flat balde screwdriver to wedge it off. Once the trim panels are off, remove the switch assembly. It is held in place with 1 screw.

Now, the screws holding the bottom of the display screen are visible. To remove the display screen, pop the trim bezel off. The entire bezel lifts off with the air vents and speaker cover. They are all held in with pressure clips. The screen is held in with a screw at the top and two bolts behind the switches. Remove the entire bracket assembly and swap the screen. A standard GPS antenna will fit behind the screen and will magnetically attach to the bracket. Mount it so that it is pointing up through the front window. Route the cable down to the control unit.

Plug the new switches in and replace the switch assembly. Remove the control unit and swap it for the new one. It is a simple unplug and replug operation.

Before putting the dash back together, fire up the car and make sure that everything works.

At first, it takes a few minutes for the unit to find the satellites and get a lock. If you don’t get satellite signal in a few minutes, play with antenna location or move the car to make sure you have a clear view of the sky.

Once everything works, reassemble your dash and be on your merry way.

When I first installed mine, I went into the factory maintenance mode to clear out the connection settings to force the unit to look at my car and not throw error messages based on what was installed in the car that the control unit came from. To access the maintenance mode, turn the car on, turn the radio off, and turn the volume control to the right (20 turns at least) while holding the settings key on the keypad.

The navigation components are hideously expensive if you purchase them from a parts supplier or the dealer. However, I was able to find mine on eBay cheap. Alternatively, find a junk yard that is parting out an M35/45. It needs to be the one with Bluetooth and the lever below the DVD slot. Any Nissan navigation disc (ver. 7.1 or later) will work.

Thank you.dholmgren

Modified by mcdoken at 12:37 AM 4/11/2009
Modified by mcdoken at 12:54 AM 4/11/2009

[mcdoken]

Yes, indeed! The cost can be quite high...

But with a bit of planning, it is quite low.

[New2Import]

Is the DVD connections under the console?

[NightWatch]

My general advice to you is to not comment on subjects that you do not understand.

It is generally considered sound advice not to slam the moderator....

[cruise8]

hey mcdoken - you make it sound like it's so easy. by any chance, would you have pictures of how you did it? or have any links on how to online? i can't seem to find any
Modified by cruise8 at 6:42 AM 4/14/2009

[szh]

My general advice to you is to not comment on subjects that you do not understand.

A. You entirely missed my point ... I said it could be done. But, regardless of what people want to do, most folks do not have the expertise, time or money (or some combination thereof) to do extensive modifications to their cars. So, yeah, it is possible to do anything to your M, but, it is better to give sound general advice that is likely to be better for the typical M owner.

In the case of changing the navigation out, it has been my experience that just about everybody posting about it here, when confronted by the effort or money required to get it done, decided to not bother! That is the most likely outcome in even this original posters case, I suspect.

Good for you that you went the distance ... first I know of! But, don't assume that everyone will be willing to do the same.

B. Don't flame people for no rhyme or reason. It is not good etiquette and not accepted on our board (see the FAQ) and leads to eventual departures if the behavior is continued.

Z

[cruise8]

yeah you're probably right. even though i want the OEM navi system, I may just end up buying a portable GPS and sock it away in the huge armrest when not in use. the risk/reward isn't there in case i f*** up my entire dashboard. ... then i'll be real pissed.

[szh]

yeah you're probably right. even though i want the OEM navi system, I may just end up buying a portable GPS and sock it away in the huge armrest when not in use. the risk/reward isn't there in case i f*** up my entire dashboard. ... then i'll be real pissed.

Remember that my advice in this case, is not a categorical "don't do it" statement. So, if you are truly willing to make the effort, don't let me discourage you! There are plenty of people here who have done various modifications to their M - with some good outcomes!

However, please definitely do the research on this navigation change before you start ... to understand what is entailed and whether the effort/outcome will be what you want/expect! For example, changing to the 8" screen means changing the dash too, since the cutout is larger, etc.

Z

[cruise8]

so after doing some research, i just ordered a garmin nuvi 265wt due to the following reasons:

1. the infiniti navigation isn't all that great2. ripping out the console and putting a new one in would, i imagine, cause some weird glitches. since i'm not much of a tech guy, it would be devastating to me if the console stops working.3. the cost of doing the switch would be 1K +, by doing it myself. after buyng the 800 console, the antenna, buy the dvd... 4. the garmin nuvi 265 wt has great reviews.

thanks though. i appreciate everyone's replies.

[szh]

Good Stuff™!

Z

[M45Owner]

I bought a 2006 M45 without the nav system and wanted to add factory nav. I searched the internet for information regarding the installation and came up blank. I decided to jump in, buy the stuff anyway, and give it a shot. The project was successful. It is very easy to do.

From what I understand, the car must have the Journey package to add navigation. In addition, the navless cars come with a 7” display and the cars with nav come with an 8” display. The 7” screen will work, but the 8” one looks better.

You will need to replace the following items:

Nav screen (optional) Switches Control unit.

You will also need to buy an antenna. Any GPS antenna will do, provided that it has an HRS GT5-1S connector. They are common on eBay.

Replacing the control unit is simple and straightforward. First, remove the trim pieces below and to the right of the glove box. They snap in. Then lift the glovebox off of its hinges. It is held in place by gravity. From there, pop the soft-open cord off of the right side with a slotted screwdriver (it pops off easily, but is kind of a pain to reconnect). Once the glovebox is off of its hinges, it is easy to wiggle out. Remove the trim panel behind the glovebox by removing the screws. It then pops off.

Once the trim panel is removed, the screws for the passenger side wood or metal trim are exposed from the bottom. Remove them and pop the trim panel off. The wood or metal trim panel on the driver’s side is held in with pressure clips. Use a knife or flat balde screwdriver to wedge it off. Once the trim panels are off, remove the switch assembly. It is held in place with 1 screw.

Now, the screws holding the bottom of the display screen are visible. To remove the display screen, pop the trim bezel off. The entire bezel lifts off with the air vents and speaker cover. They are all held in with pressure clips. The screen is held in with a screw at the top and two bolts behind the switches. Remove the entire bracket assembly and swap the screen. A standard GPS antenna will fit behind the screen and will magnetically attach to the bracket. Mount it so that it is pointing up through the front window. Route the cable down to the control unit.

Plug the new switches in and replace the switch assembly. Remove the control unit and swap it for the new one. It is a simple unplug and replug operation.

Before putting the dash back together, fire up the car and make sure that everything works.

At first, it takes a few minutes for the unit to find the satellites and get a lock. If you don’t get satellite signal in a few minutes, play with antenna location or move the car to make sure you have a clear view of the sky.

Once everything works, reassemble your dash and be on your merry way.

When I first installed mine, I went into the factory maintenance mode to clear out the connection settings to force the unit to look at my car and not throw error messages based on what was installed in the car that the control unit came from. To access the maintenance mode, turn the car on, turn the radio off, and turn the volume control to the right (20 turns at least) while holding the settings key on the keypad.

The navigation components are hideously expensive if you purchase them from a parts supplier or the dealer. However, I was able to find mine on eBay cheap. Alternatively, find a junk yard that is parting out an M35/45. It needs to be the one with Bluetooth and the lever below the DVD slot. Any Nissan navigation disc (ver. 7.1 or later) will work.

Thank you.dholmgren

Modified by mcdoken at 12:37 AM 4/11/2009

Modified by mcdoken at 12:54 AM 4/11/2009

Did your M45 have bluetooth when you bought it. Mine does but no navi. Would this kit work:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

I notice it comes with a bluetooth thing. How in the world would that work for me?

[mcdoken]

Did your M45 have bluetooth when you bought it. Mine does but no navi. Would this kit work:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...ZWDVW

I notice it comes with a bluetooth thing. How in the world would that work for me?

Yes. That will work. The unit with the bluetooth logo is the NAVI CONTROL UNIT which is needed to load the map data and control the system. You need to replace your AV CONTROL UNIT (WITHOUT NAVI) with it.
Modified by mcdoken at 12:23 PM 4/15/2009

[mcdoken]

...For example, changing to the 8" screen means changing the dash too, since the cutout is larger, etc.

Z

The same screen bezel fits both sizes. You don't have to change the dash. All that needs to be replaced is the bluetooth dvd-rom control unit, the dash panel (switches) and the screen (optional). Nav will work with the 7" screen and all the connectors are the same.

You will need to add a GPS antenna.

Modified by mcdoken at 11:57 AM 4/15/2009
Modified by mcdoken at 12:15 PM 4/15/2009

[M45Owner]

Yes. That will work. The unit with the bluetooth logo is the NAVI CONTROL UNIT which is needed to load the map data and control the system. You need to replace your AV CONTROL UNIT (WITHOUT NAVI) with it.

Modified by mcdoken at 12:23 PM 4/15/2009

from my understanding, the bluetooth navi control unit would need to be installed in the glove compartment in place of the current bluetooth setup. Now the DVD player thats also in the ebay link would need to get installed into the arm rest compartment? Is the wiring already running into there on a non-navi M45? Do you even need the dvd player installed for navi to work?

Sorry for all the question. Oh and where would you pick up a navi disc

[szh]

Oh and where would you pick up a navi disc

http://www.zenrin.com ... for the official, legal version.

Z

[mcdoken]

from my understanding, the bluetooth navi control unit would need to be installed in the glove compartment in place of the current bluetooth setup. Now the DVD player thats also in the ebay link would need to get installed into the arm rest compartment? Is the wiring already running into there on a non-navi M45? Do you even need the dvd player installed for navi to work?

Sorry for all the question. Oh and where would you pick up a navi disc

You are correct. You need to replace the AV Control Unit in the glove box with the Navi Control Unit.

The DVD player is not necessary for the navigation to work. I don't know if the wiring is already in place to install it in the arm rest compartment. But I suspect that it is.

There might well be a navi disc inside of the control unit. The only to find out is to power it up. If not, you can get the latest full legal version 7.4 on eBay for $140. You can also download the data from a torrent site and burn it to a DVD although I do not reccommend it. Although I know that it will work.

[M45Owner]

You are correct. You need to replace the AV Control Unit in the glove box with the Navi Control Unit.

The DVD player is not necessary for the navigation to work. I don't know if the wiring is already in place to install it in the arm rest compartment. But I suspect that it is.

There might well be a navi disc inside of the control unit. The only to find out is to power it up. If not, you can get the latest full legal version 7.4 on eBay for $140. You can also download the data from a torrent site and burn it to a DVD although I do not reccommend it. Although I know that it will work.

Thanks. I'll definitely look into doing this. If I can find the parts cheap enough, I may give it a shot. I wonder if it would screw with XM if you have it. I doubt so. I may come back with questions later

[cruise8]

hey, let me know how it works for you if you get it installed. i am curious to see if there is another success story.

[M45Owner]

Hey guys, I just purchased the control unit and switch. So I will give this a shot next week when they arrive. I did not purchase an 8" screen only because I haven't found a good deal on one yet. So i'll just hook it up to the 7" screen and go from there. If I find a good deal on the 8" i'll just replace it later.

[NightWatch]

So you're connecting a "non-touch" 7" screen to a nav contol unit that is expecting an 8" touch screen as an input device???

[M45Owner]

the '06 & '07 M did not come with touch screen as I understand it. That started in '08. I bought an '06, '07 control unit

[szh]

the '06 & '07 M did not come with touch screen as I understand it. That started in '08. I bought an '06, '07 control unit

Please do keep us posted as to how it goes! A detailed write-up with pictures (as you do the work!) would be most excellent.

Thanks,

Z

[mcdoken]

the '06 & '07 M did not come with touch screen as I understand it...

You are correct.

The Navi Control Unit will work fine.

[homeblue90]

I bought a 06 m45 sport with no navi, i didnt want to spend the money to install a factory navi because i was told by many on the forum that the 7 inch screen would not work. So i did some research and came up with a solution for many non navi M35/45....

zerothread?id=384924

check out the link, i installed it a few months ago and it works fine and the location is great.... Hope this helps many