*update* removed navigation and rewired automatic climate control

A forum for the legendary Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4.
nissan 01
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:00 pm
Car: 01 Nissan Pathfinder LE

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since i did not see any posts about people doing this i just wanted to share.

weeks back i posted about my buttons off my climate/navigation was falling off. the cheapest was to send the entire navigation/climate control unit in for repair for $800. i wasn't about to spend 800 on an out dated GPS system.

so i bought an automatic climate control unit from a pathfinder without navigation. I was able to rewire and get it to work. now i am waiting on an aftermarket GPS unit, new radio bezel, and the radio brackets....

the only hard part will be getting the bracket andmaking everything fit...i can always custom something but in a week or so everything will be done. i will post pics to who want to see.

for anyone with the same problems this is an option for u. i did not see a single post about someone doing this. most ppl sent it to short circuit repair to get it fixed.


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REZN
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how much did it cost you in total?

nissan 01
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:00 pm
Car: 01 Nissan Pathfinder LE

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well the automatic unit on ebay u find for around $50-60. i got it for $50. and wiring i did myself.

and then you will need a new radio bezel from a pathy without navigation so the new unit can sit on top like the other pathfinders. I was able to find one in black for $50. this is the tricky part. If you have the wooden trim, its impossible to find a used one....i would have wanted to keep the wooden trim piece but i couldn't find a used one. A new one would have cost 229. i might end up doing that later down the road but i'll keep checking on ebay and so. So i got a black one with the auto climate that sits on the top, and double din radio on the bottom.

I spent $500 on an aftermarket navi. so all in all i spent a total of around 600-650.


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naladude911
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Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4
Location: Mount Kisco, New York

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PICS OR GTFO

nissan 01
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:00 pm
Car: 01 Nissan Pathfinder LE

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i will post pics this week...im finishing up everything this week as my aftermarket navi comes in tomorrow.

ran into one problem...the USPS lost my clock/upper AC vent piece that i got off ebay. It was in black that would have matched the radio bezel...now i'm stuck using my wooden upper piece for now. Anyone know where i can find a upper clock/vent piece besides dealer? ebay has no more, junkyards all do not have any around my area.

i might go ahead and just get an entire wooden trim piece eventually from the dealer to keep it original....but its about $400 for the entire center piece....

Ninjakills1
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Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:49 am
Car: 2001 QX4

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Thanks for the info, this same thing happen to me too. It's waaaay to expensive just to replace buttons. Do have any pictures yet?

nissan 01
Posts: 19
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:00 pm
Car: 01 Nissan Pathfinder LE

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i only have pictures of the finished product. but i will get them by tomorrow or monday. i have to finish wiring up the aftermarket navi. i have to bypass the DVD parking brake thing. I also found the wooden trim to match it back up so i didn't have to change it to black.

it is fairly easy to get it rewired. There is a box behind the navigation and radio that matches up to the automatic climate unit from pathfinders without navigation. i will post pics as soon as i finish everything hopefully tomorrow.

u can basically change it out if u want for about 400 depending on what radio u want. i spent 700 because i got an aftermarket radio/navi/dvd player.

nissan 01
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Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:00 pm
Car: 01 Nissan Pathfinder LE

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sorry here are some pics...again i got the black radio trim with the vent. i am trying to find the wooden grain piece to match the rest of my interior. black doesn't look bad but all the pathfinder LE came in wooden grain so i would rather put it back that way. I THINK i was able to source one out and its on way from a junk yard. brand new from dealer the vent, and trim was like 400. i got it used for $125 in wood.



i stole this pic from someone but this was how it was before stock




jaredsg30
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:44 am
Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4

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Hey thanks for the write up. I have the same problem with my stock NAVI/Climate control module where the buttons are falling off. I'm having to use a piece of a wire hanger to push the buttons and its aggravating. I have a 2001 QX4 which has the exact setup at the picture you posted here but with the stock radio...



I have a couple questions...

1. Where did you find how to re-wire the climate control to the new module? Can you provide wiring instructions?2. Will a new (when I say new I mean new to me but I plan on purchasing a used one) from any year QX4 fit into where my current radio resides. I believe that on QX4s with out NAVI, the radio sits in the double din area where the NAVI unit is and the climate controls are a separate module that reside where my radio currently is.

I'll try to get some pictures soon. Any help with the modification would be great!

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Pwnin O'Brien
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Firstly, welcome to Nico! To help you get started with the wiring, you can find the wiring diagrams for both the Navigation system and the separate auto HVAC unit in the following service manual. The navigation system wiring diagram starts on page HA-36 and the separate auto HVAC system wiring diagram starts on page HA-31. Good luck!

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/QX...r.pdf

jaredsg30
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Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:44 am
Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4

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Hey thanks a lot for the quick response.

So it looks like from my research that the non-navi equipped QX4 has a different bezel then the navi equipped QX4. Is this correct? Would i need to get the non-navi style bezel to carry the separate climate control module like the OP did, or will the clime control unit fit in the single DIN area currently occupied by the radio?

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Pwnin O'Brien
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jaredsg30 wrote:Hey thanks a lot for the quick response.

So it looks like from my research that the non-navi equipped QX4 has a different bezel then the navi equipped QX4. Is this correct? Would i need to get the non-navi style bezel to carry the separate climate control module like the OP did, or will the clime control unit fit in the single DIN area currently occupied by the radio?
Actually I have been wondering the same thing myself because I always wanted to swap my aftermarket navi and HVAC controls so the navi was higher up, is that the same thing you're trying to do?

From the pictures above it looks as though it won't be possible; the auto HVAC unit is wider than the aftermarket navi so if you were to try and keep the factory navi trim the auto HVAC unit wouldn't fit in the bottom slot (if that makes any sense).

jaredsg30
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Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 8:44 am
Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4

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Yes that's exactly what I'm trying to do. I found a bezel, new, from an online infinity parts store for less then $90 and a climate control until from a 2003 QX4 off ebay for $40. now i just need to pick out my aftermarket stereo/navi unit.

nissan 01
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Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:00 pm
Car: 01 Nissan Pathfinder LE

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everything you guys said is correct. The automatic climate control WILL NOT fit in the radio slot if you have navigation. Its too tall..as I mean up and down. Although there is a possibility that you could trim the bezel to make it fit. I was planning on doing that but realized that I didn't want to try so I ended up finding the correct trim piece. Remember if you convert from stock navi to aftermarket navi/auto climate unit...you will also need the radio bracket to install the new radio in. I bought the brackets from dealer for like $20 for both sides.

As far as wiring, you have the above wiring diagrams. Look at those but also AFTER you take out the stock navigation. Look behind it and you will see a small black box with connectors to it. That box is actually the climate control unit for the cars with navigation. If you look at the wires coming out of it, it matches up to the wires coming out of the auto climate unit. I think it was only like 3 wires that did not match up. but it was for illumination or something like that. It was fairly simple. i'll take a pic of the box i was talking about. I didn't see it the first time as I was trying to figure out the wiring diagram. Then i saw it sitting back there and realized what it was for haha. made things TWICE as easy.

nissan 01
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Car: 01 Nissan Pathfinder LE

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O BTW

if anyone is looking for a black trim piece along with the upper vent im selling it. I found a wooden grain one and went back to that look.

its the one i took the picture of. All tabs there not broken or anything.

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kansas240
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I have a similar problem, mine won't turn off. I do not have navi, but when you select off, it switches to defrost. The digital display goes blank, as if it were off. but the blower motor continues on in defrost mode.

01pathyfinder
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Joined: Fri Jul 30, 2010 3:31 pm
Car: 2001 Nissan Pathfinder LE, 4x4

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nissan 01 wrote:O BTW

if anyone is looking for a black trim piece along with the upper vent im selling it. I found a wooden grain one and went back to that look.

its the one i took the picture of. All tabs there not broken or anything.


Do you still have the black trim available? If so, please contact me. Thanks.
mr_determined at hotmail

Ninjakills1
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:49 am
Car: 2001 QX4

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Nissan 01,

What wire colors did you hook up??? Im having trouble figuring out witch wire goes to witch color as mines do not all match up ( i know u mention it wouldnt all match). But most of my colors are different from what out of the nav unit then what i got with my seperate hvac control unit. I try to post some pictures of what im talking about and hopefully you can help clear up some this muddy water.

Thanks

PS: How do i insert pictures on here I've taken???!!!

Ninjakills1
Posts: 28
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:49 am
Car: 2001 QX4

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Hey GUYS,

Here's my finished work, I kept my orginal stereo bezel because I got used to having the monitor up top & simply like this look better than at the bottom. What do guys think...sweet or what!? :woot:

"Against all odds"...2pac


Image

Image

Image

TanPathy01
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2010 2:34 pm
Car: 2001 Pathfinder LE

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That looks great. Congratulations. I'm trying to remove my stock unit and replace it with another of the same kind I found in a junkyard. Do you have any pointers you could give me?

dat280zx
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 8:52 am
Car: 1983 Datsun 280ZX N/A
1974 Datsun 260Z
2002 Infiniti QX4

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Trying to get some pictures of the wiring which solved all of this. I can 1/2 use wiring diagrams, but I sort of need to photos to go with it. Still pretty new at this.

I just need to get all the 'instructions' together (diagrams and pictures) so that I can determine what I need to get, and I can get a Nissan mechanic buddy of ours to actually complete the work.

Thanks for any help. dat280zx (at) gmail

I'll even build a How To Guide for prosperity. :laugh: :bowrofl:

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Mischi
Posts: 75
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Car: 2001 Infiniti QX4

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nissan 01 wrote:O BTW

if anyone is looking for a black trim piece along with the upper vent im selling it. I found a wooden grain one and went back to that look.

its the one i took the picture of. All tabs there not broken or anything.
How much do you want for the trim piece??

tony6299
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:30 am

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Looks like you guys have navigated the path I'm about to go on....

I've got an 01 LE Pathfinder...which years are the climate controls interchangable?

djhuggy412
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:15 pm
Car: 2002 Infiniti QX4

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Currently in the middle of taking on this ridiculous challenge. I would warn any followers to have plenty of patience. This task isn't for the faint of heart!

740fizza
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:14 pm
Car: 2001 740iL, 2001 QX4

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Hi - is there any update to this thread?

I'm trying to do the same on my non navi-QX4 and know I must purchase a navigation bezel/trim, hazard & defrost switches, and a climate control from a Pathfinder.

My question is of course can the pathfinder HVAC control fit into the navigation bezel where the radio used to go? It seems that the HVAC is slightly wider then the opening but clearly according to the pics posted above, this seems possible.

The set up above is BY FAR the most OEM looking setup I have seen for the QX4.

TIA!

djhuggy412
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:15 pm
Car: 2002 Infiniti QX4

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The Pathfinder HVAC control unit will not fit in the head unit space on the OEM bezel. Based on the pictures you've seen above, the original bezels were modified so that the HVAC control unit would fit. It's not difficult to do, but I'd think twice before doing so. I too tried to modify my OEM bezel based off of those pics posted above. After several tries I was successful, however it also opened a whole other can of worms.

I'm not sure which year you have, but on my 2002 QX4 there is a bar, which is probably apart of the frame, that is hidden right behind the dash. It will prohibit you from fitting a normal 7" In Dash unit properly.

Long story short, I would order a bezel off of eBay that's from a Pathfinder with a navi unit. This method requires no modifying of any parts and a more simple installation.

With all that said, I do agree that the method above looks better, which is why I did it also... :dblthumb:

740fizza
Posts: 32
Joined: Tue Nov 23, 2010 5:14 pm
Car: 2001 740iL, 2001 QX4

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Thanks for the clarification. And yes I also have that support bar so will have to be really careful in my selection to make sure the unit is shallow enough to fit w/o interference. Given the above pics, there are def units that will clear though will limit your choices. My biggest hurdle right now is finding an OEM looking navi that is half way decent.

My bezel arrives Weds so will see what else needs to be done. Lastly, can you clarify why a Pathy with navi bezel will not require any mods? Isn't it basically the same thing? I saw one in person today and the setup minus a couple switches is basically identical.

tony6299
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 10:30 am

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Hey Nissan 01...getting ready to take on what you guys have already worked through...do you remember what wires did not match up?

sakins33
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 1:55 pm
Car: Nissan Pathfinder 2001 with Nav sys

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Does anyone have the colour match or the layout of how to connect wire form a Nav sys to and auot A/c control?

Sbowen
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2011 8:27 am
Car: 2001 Nissan pathfinder SE

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I have a 2001 SE with manuel climate controls. Has anyone swapped with the auto controls and put aftermarket navi. I was thinking of doing it but wondered if anyone was successful?


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