I know there are many topics on this, but most of the ones I found were from about 5 years ago and also I have specific questions that were not answered.
So I spoke with this guy that I know who does car audio installations but he was not very clear so I would like to confirm with you guys.
I have a 2018 Rogue SV, it does not have the bose system. I was told that I can keep the stock head unit and just buy new speakers and an amplifier to make the speakers louder. I was recommended to buy the GX600C JBL speakers for the front and the GX602 JBL coaxial speakers for the back. I really know nothing about car audio, so is that how it always is? The rear ones have to be coaxial and the front ones component ? I was told that the only difference between the two is that the component ones have the tweeters separated and the coaxial ones the tweeters are integrated into the speakers. I think that's why he said to buy component for the front so that I can replace the stock tweeters as well, right? The other issue is that I am not sure how to install the tweeters and I was wondering if anybody here knows how to do that? The front speakers also come with crossovers and I also would like to know if there are any videos or anything that I can watch to do it myself? I also wonder if I could install the tweeters without the crossovers, is that possible? Shouldn't the car already have crossovers since it already has tweeters?
And then for an amplifier he said to get the alpine power pack KTP-445U because it will be easier to install than a normal amplifier.
The other thing is I was looking at the polk mm6502 speakers, do you know if they are better? The other thing with them is I don't know if they are coaxial or component and I don't know if they would work for both the front and the rear. Also if I get those he said I would need a better amplifier to be able to power those.
My other question is, I know the Rogue SL comes with 9 speakers compared to the 6 that the SV has. Do you know what those 3 extra speakers are and if it's something that I can add to my current car?
I'm sorry I have so many questions I would just really like to learn all about car audio. Thank you.

This is a matter of personal preference, and if higher volume with excellent sound quality is your primary objective, replacing the speakers and adding an external amp is not a bad move.

Personally, I've found that upgrading the head unit and amp (even by using the built-in amp on a high-end aftermarket head unit) and keeping factory speakers has produced satisfactory results for me in older vehicles. My Rogue still has all stock equipment, but it's a 2013 with the Bose system, so I never had any reason to look to replace it. It's not the best, not even close, but it's still pretty damn good.

Do you have the around view monitor or just the backup camera? I'm presuming since you don't have the Bose system that it doesn't have navigation or satellite radio. I'd look to replace the head unit before I replace the speakers, but obviously there are other considerations as well, such as the camera views on the screen. I'd like to be able to watch DVDs while I'm driving (illegal in most states, but I don't care), but that reason alone is not enough to make me want to replace the factory head unit. From what I understand, the factory subwoofer is not compatible with any other head unit, so it's not worth it to me to mess with what I have.

mac , I don't have time for any more detail than CLASS AB amp , CLASS AB , CLASS AB , CLASS AB - all the crappy sound in a LOT of cars today is from class D ,sonically it's JUNK & ONLY GOOD for the loud thundering BASS. Get like a HELIX G4 , or a Fosgate (thats class AB & they run COOL) Study the Crutchfield site ,has only the better gear & great tutorials p.s. "High level"or aka "speaker level" input allow taking the signal from factory head units' speaker-outs ,it's convenient.

I got the premium package so yeah the head unit has the around view cameras the satellite radio and all that which is why I wanted to keep it. I think I have decided to just get the speakers that he recommended the JBL. I guess my only question is, how do I install the tweeters and the crossovers ? Do I have to use the crossovers or can I install the tweeters without them? I just want to know how to connect the crossovers and where to put them. I might not even get an amplifier I will see how they sound without it first

mac , I would see what the "He" who recomended , and your doing the buying from first has for wiring diagram, if still not sure - run what they say to another "knowledgeable" person for verification that it makes sense. Adding ,just tweeters now , basically utilizes an electrolytic capacitor (NON-POLARIZED ie, Tantalum-usually at least 30 volt & around = 4 mf ) one side to pos. speaker out from amp -other end to pos. of tweeter term. - and neg. of tweeter term. to neg. speaker out from amp. AND this is NOT a crossover (full bass block -hi pass etc. or let alone 3-way) - TWEETERS ONLY just need a capacitor to "separate " the highs !
G 3/10/2018

Tried searching far and wide for info, but can't find anything for the 17-18 models of Rogue. Has anyone successfully swapped in an aftermarket head unit? Having Carplay and Android in my vehicles are a must for me. I'm wondering how much of a difference in wiring and plugs there are in between a 2016 and 2017.

My main worries are if there are adapters to retain the factory USB and Aux plugs, and having all steering controls (volume, tracks selection, Call answer/Siri, Call hang up). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

ncowner and Exodus1818, you both have 2nd gen Rogue's. The info for the 2014, 15 and 16 models will apply. For the most up-to-date connector info, go to http://www.metraonline.com/

As for what brand of stereo or speakers, DTASFAB nailed it when he said it's a matter of personal preference.

Actually, Brian Cooley from CNET explains this issue clearly:

Exodus1818 wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 10, 2018 9:45 pm

Tried searching far and wide for info, but can't find anything for the 17-18 models of Rogue. Has anyone successfully swapped in an aftermarket head unit? Having Carplay and Android in my vehicles are a must for me. I'm wondering how much of a difference in wiring and plugs there are in between a 2016 and 2017.

My main worries are if there are adapters to retain the factory USB and Aux plugs, and having all steering controls (volume, tracks selection, Call answer/Siri, Call hang up). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Funny that you should mention that. I am in the middle of a work-in-progress car stereo upgrade which consists of:

- Replace Front door speakers and dash corner tweeters
- Replace Rear door speakers
- Add powered subwoofer in the trunk
- Replace Factory Radio Unit (CD with SiriusXM, 4.3 inch screen) with aftermarket Carplay/Android Auto Unit

So far, I am about 90% completed. As you mentioned, it's been a challenge to find quality information to aid in installation and removal. However, based on some detective work, reading, and online access to service information, it has not been as impossible as I originally had thought.

To your worries, I have been able to complete the following so far:
1. Retain Steering Wheel controls using Axxess AWSC-1 (Volume up/Down, Track Forward/Back are working, I have not checked the Siri and Call hang Up yet)
2. Retain Factory Backup camera using the Axxess AX-NIS32SWC-6V
3. Retain Factory USB port. When I removed and dissembled the panel that contained the USB/AUX pot and 12-Volt accessory port, I was surprised to see that the receptacle on the back
of the USB port was a standard USB mini port. I simply connected a USB mini to standard USB-A cable (Think Blackberry charging cable) from the receptacle to the back of the car stereo. I
have not addressed the AUX port yet, as I may just tap into the existing cable located where the connector mated with the old head unit

There were other technical challenges that I encountered but resolved (e.g. location of the Speed Sensor wire on the factory harness, Using a Brake bypass kit specific to my head unit to avoid cutting into the parking brake wire.) Another point is that you will lose the use of the factory integrated microphone located in the "Map Light" area overhead. Nobody seems to offer a phantom power supply for it to supply the voltage to drive it from an aftermarket radio. The factory radio provides this (It's a three-wire electret condenser microphone).

I still have to work out where on the firewall that I can run the power wire from the battery to the trunk where the self-powered subwoofer. There aren't many well documented summaries on google or bing regarding anyone who has tried this on a 2017/2018 Rogue or Rogue sport. I don't like the idea of running a 10 gauge power wire through a fender wheel well, as I see some have posted. I will keep looking for a suitable entry point.

Going by what others have mentioned in this thread so far, I had a specific sound aesthetic in mind when choosing my components. My tastes in music range mainly in Jazz and Classical, so I was looking to for something warm sounding with smooth but defined bass response.

More to come hopefully.

Regards,
Ked

Another thing to mention, you will also lose the clock on your dashboard, as it does not sync with the aftermarket radio.

Regards,
Ked

UPDATE:

1. Firewall Entry point for amplifier power wire

On the 2018 Rogue Sport, you have to remove the entire battery from the compartment, then remove the entire air cleaner assembly in order to get to the firewall grommet where the harness passes through to the cabin. It was challenging, but once I carefully uses a pair of scissors to poke a hole through a small area of the grommet, I then used a Nylon wire snake that I bought from Crutchfield to enter carefully through opening. After opening the driver door, I can see the snake penetrated through successfully and had already reached the floor. The power wire was then attached to the end of the Nylon wire snake with some TESA tape (holds much better than standard electrical tape). Slowly, I pulled the wire through the firewall. I want to add that I used a 10-gauge OFC power cable that was enclosed in a nylon split loom tubing made by Painless to provide good protection while under the hood.

2. Steering wheel controls - Call End and Call Receive button works. Siri button does not and requires firmware update and additional manual programming of the button in order to work. This is not a show stopper for me, as the iLX-F309 has a button for Siri on the front and I can live with that for a while.

3. Ground loop considerations
Learning a lot of nuances and caveats of modern car audio installation along the way. Several takeaways include making sure that all of the devices grounds tie to a SOLID chassis ground. Do not use any ground wires that may be in the factory harness (Pin 20 specifically), but tie these to chassis ground. The chassis ground cluster is located on the driver side once the sill trim is removed and several points of the carpet are removed through the retaining clips (sounds more invasive that it really is, but it's easy as pie). You may need to use a diode on the remote turn on lead to prevent back flow of power from the Amplifier/powered subwoofer remote lead. Some batty things start to happen at that point (e.g. Radio doesn't turn on initially when starting the car, some radio settings don't work even when the parking brake is engaged.)

Regards,
Ked

If you go to the Crutchfield web site, you can plug in your vehicle and optio0ns and get a listing not only of what will fit, but the wiring harnesses you will need to make the equipment work.

ras_oscar wrote: ↑

Tue May 08, 2018 10:03 am

If you go to the Crutchfield web site, you can plug in your vehicle and optio0ns and get a listing not only of what will fit, but the wiring harnesses you will need to make the equipment work.

Incidentally, the Metra radio harness that they sell worked fine, but there are a couple of caveats. There is a black ground wire on it that has a sticker that says "For Subaru Only," even though on the Rogue Sport's harness there is a matching black ground wire in the same position. I did NOT connect and use this. I ran a separate ground directly to the chassis ground location on the driver's side. This will reduced the possibility of any ground loop issues. The other point is that the Metra harness DOES NOT contain a wire at Pin 18, which is the vehicle speed sensor wire on the factory wiring harness. I had to run a manual jumper from the Alpine head unit's speed sensor wire to the harness (squeeze tap connector).

Anyway, the whole system is now working and complete. It sounds way better than the standard 6-speaker non-Bose CD system and, I'd argue, sound better than the Bose system in my wife's 2017.5 Murano. And I didn't to spend a boatload of money.

Regards,
Ked

Ked you've been tons of help. I have a Sony XAV-AX5000 coming in this afternoon and I'm excited to get started. Luckily all the wiring kits I've gotten are the ones you used. Will also definitely take your ground loop advice.

I have another question concerning the front speakers. Did you use the stock wiring for the components? I'm about to order the component speakers for the front but can't find any info on how the stock crossover works or where it's located. Am not sure if I'm going to have to end up running new speaker wire to the front doors and tweeters.

Also, bummer to hear that I'll lose the dashboard clock. I was worried about losing that since the settings are set in the stock unit, but was really hoping it would still let me set it in the dashboard settings. At least now I now so I'm not disappointed after all the install work!

Exodus,
Better check out the ohms on your factory speakers too! My 2018 Sentra had 2 ohm speakers.
That being said, will you have enough power to run your aftermarket speakers with tweets
and cross overs?
Bobbychet

Ked wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 18, 2018 1:45 pm

Exodus1818 wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 10, 2018 9:45 pm

Tried searching far and wide for info, but can't find anything for the 17-18 models of Rogue. Has anyone successfully swapped in an aftermarket head unit? Having Carplay and Android in my vehicles are a must for me. I'm wondering how much of a difference in wiring and plugs there are in between a 2016 and 2017.

My main worries are if there are adapters to retain the factory USB and Aux plugs, and having all steering controls (volume, tracks selection, Call answer/Siri, Call hang up). Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Funny that you should mention that. I am in the middle of a work-in-progress car stereo upgrade which consists of:

- Replace Front door speakers and dash corner tweeters
- Replace Rear door speakers
- Add powered subwoofer in the trunk
- Replace Factory Radio Unit (CD with SiriusXM, 4.3 inch screen) with aftermarket Carplay/Android Auto Unit

So far, I am about 90% completed. As you mentioned, it's been a challenge to find quality information to aid in installation and removal. However, based on some detective work, reading, and online access to service information, it has not been as impossible as I originally had thought.

To your worries, I have been able to complete the following so far:
1. Retain Steering Wheel controls using Axxess AWSC-1 (Volume up/Down, Track Forward/Back are working, I have not checked the Siri and Call hang Up yet)
2. Retain Factory Backup camera using the Axxess AX-NIS32SWC-6V
3. Retain Factory USB port. When I removed and dissembled the panel that contained the USB/AUX pot and 12-Volt accessory port, I was surprised to see that the receptacle on the back
of the USB port was a standard USB mini port. I simply connected a USB mini to standard USB-A cable (Think Blackberry charging cable) from the receptacle to the back of the car stereo. I
have not addressed the AUX port yet, as I may just tap into the existing cable located where the connector mated with the old head unit

There were other technical challenges that I encountered but resolved (e.g. location of the Speed Sensor wire on the factory harness, Using a Brake bypass kit specific to my head unit to avoid cutting into the parking brake wire.) Another point is that you will lose the use of the factory integrated microphone located in the "Map Light" area overhead. Nobody seems to offer a phantom power supply for it to supply the voltage to drive it from an aftermarket radio. The factory radio provides this (It's a three-wire electret condenser microphone).

I still have to work out where on the firewall that I can run the power wire from the battery to the trunk where the self-powered subwoofer. There aren't many well documented summaries on google or bing regarding anyone who has tried this on a 2017/2018 Rogue or Rogue sport. I don't like the idea of running a 10 gauge power wire through a fender wheel well, as I see some have posted. I will keep looking for a suitable entry point.

Going by what others have mentioned in this thread so far, I had a specific sound aesthetic in mind when choosing my components. My tastes in music range mainly in Jazz and Classical, so I was looking to for something warm sounding with smooth but defined bass response.

More to come hopefully.

Regards,
Ked

can you give me a little info on how you got the backup camera to work? I have purchased this harness and could not get the backup camera to work.. nice radio everything works great even turned off the video on while driving, but cannot get backup camera to work. I have a 17 SL with Bose.

nayers1981 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:15 am

can you give me a little info on how you got the backup camera to work? I have purchased this harness and could not get the backup camera to work.. nice radio everything works great even turned off the video on while driving, but cannot get backup camera to work. I have a 17 SL with Bose.

I am so sorry for not getting back here soon enough - in a very long time I might add. But I have the benefit (or not) of just under 3 years of owning my Rogue Sport and have had a number of issues that started about several weeks after what I believed was the completion of the installation. Now that there is some time again, I have decided to revisit the installtion again to address and resolve (hopefully) all of the problems and artifacts of that installation.

Initially, everything had worked fine. The only outstanding issue for me was identifying the Parking Brake wire, which I could never get a consistent answer from installers or the Nissan wirng diagrams. I opted to use a "Parking Brake bypass", which created some new issues that I have not addressed until now. Some initial concerns of the installation were resolvable. For example, the USB retention was easy because once you disconnect the factory USB harness from the radio to the socket on the panel, you realize that the socket on the panel uses a USB-Mini socket. This means that a simple USB-Mini to USB-A cable can directly connect that socket to the back of my Alpine iLX-F309. It is even simpler now, because companies like Scosche and Spiralaudio have released complete interface harnesses that include a USB retention cable the plugs into the factory pigtail cable that is attached to the socket.

Let's get back to what was available back in March 2018 when I first started project. The problem was, I had ventured into uncharted territory. While a lot of the radio installation of the Rogue Sport was similar to the previous year's Rogue, the electronics were not exactly a smooth ride. There was a difference in whether or not you had a vehicle with the factory Navigation system installed or not. Most information I had researched or provided was geared to that factory installation, some of which was completely wrong. I received an installation instruction "Master Sheet" for the Rogue, but was NOT tailored for the Rogue Sport. So all of the nuances along the way were unexpected. Crutchfield was correct - to a point. They did not have a compatible SWC or backup camera instruction set at the time, so I felt that it was incomplete information. The differences between the factory installed navigation system and standard 4.3 inch stock radio turned out to be significant, as all of the nomenclature at the time did not make that distinction. Another example is that the version of the Axcess ASWC-1 turned out to be only partially compatible with the Rogue Sport, so many of the steering wheel controls do not work correctly. I believe the interface does not handle the CANBUS signals properly; the Parking Brake Bypass locks up my radio sporadically, will not turn on sometimes for nearly 3/4 of my hour drive to work; the display sometimes goes blank and control backlighting stays on; the radio volume will mute itself randomly even though the radio does not have a mute function. To this day, Axcess has said that they have not tested the original SWC interface or it's replacement on the Rogue Sport. At least, that's what their technical support relayed to me. So, I have put up with this for almost three years now and finally have some time to rework it and fix the issues.

Since that time, other companies have come out with products that I have been told (by their engineers) are compatible. The Scosche LNN10 and the CRT-NN02 are the only mainstream solutions that I have been finding that supports the following:

- Steering Wheel Controls
- OEM phone buttons
- OEM AUX/USB inputs
- Vehicle Speed Sensor Wire (VSS), Parking Brake Wire, Reverse Signal wire (LNN10 provides these, not sure if Reverse Signal Wire is Needed if you use CRT-NN02 interface)
- Factory backup camera retention (the CRT-NN02 does this and provides the necessary Reverse signal output wire to the radio).

Another company called Spiralaudio also has a complete kit that does all of the above under the part IX-NI003 (for cars with Factory Navigation installed) or IX-NI003-1 (For cars with the standard 4.3 stock radio). I have not heard back from them yet but would like to see their installation manual first before I buy it - plus it's currently out of stock.

On the curious front, if you venture into the rest of the world you will find the Nissan Quashqui (2014-209 version) - essentially the same vehicle has the Rogue Sport. A company in Australia called Aerpro makes a SWC interface which handles all of the above duties, plus provides the ability to set the factory clock, and has the option to easily integrate to the custom aftermarket harness to make it a truly a "plug-and-play" installtion. I have not ready any feedback on the Aerpro regarding anyone attempting to adapt it to the Rogue Sport, so I wouldn't even recommened it as a solution until someone tries it.

I guess we shall see. I'll try to pop in here as I make progress with this "re-work" installation.

Ked

nayers1981 wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 12, 2020 8:15 am

can you give me a little info on how you got the backup camera to work? I have purchased this harness and could not get the backup camera to work.. nice radio everything works great even turned off the video on while driving, but cannot get backup camera to work. I have a 17 SL with Bose.

I don't think I answered your question. Does your 2017 SL NOT have a factory installed backup camera in it? The INSTAX-NIS32SWC-6V I used was meant to connect the factory camera to an aftermarket radio. That needs to be used with the AWSC-1 steering wheel control interface. The camera works intermittently, but I think it's because the interface does not always detect the reverse signal correctly. That's another reason why I am re-doing this again with modern interconnects.

Another thought. Make sure you look for a dash installation kit that has METAL brackets to secure the radio into the dashboard. The Metra and some other generic kits typically have "plastic" brackets that attach to the radio and secure into the dash. This may be fine for in-dash receivers, but the Alpine iLX-F309 is a "floating dash" unit. I feel like every time I hit a bump that the bracket will snap. I can see the LCD display shake a little too much on extreme bump. It has a bit of play to it if you bump it. It's not loose per se, but the plastic bracket construction is not solid. The Scosche kit looks like it has metal brackets, but I need to reach out to their technical support to confirm. Worst case scenario is that I try to adapt the metal brackets that came with the factory radio, but they contain "nibs" that subtly insert in to the radio to secure the position until you secure it with the screws. I also don't like modifying factory brackets for after markets because it negates a clean removal and re-installation, if necessary.

The key to getting this installation "re-work" completed seems to be the Scosche LNN10. The Metra AWSC-1 interface at the time of the original installation is not fully compatible. So, it has to go. Now, I just have to get the CRTNN02 backup Camera Retention interface (On backorder at the moment). Again, the original Metra part intermittently works, with a black screen displayed much of the time when the car is in reverse.



The target vehicle. Since a lot of people prefer and respond to pictures, I will post as many as I can.

At the time of installation in early 2018, there was no off the shelf kit to accomplish what the Scosche LNN10 could do. That is, retain the Factory USB AND AUX jack functionality. So, I had removed the harness and made the decision to only keep the USB functionality. A simple USB-Micro to USB-A cable (Like the old Blackberry Charger cable) provided the connection. However, I plan on restoring the both the USB and AUX with the Scosche kit.

The genesis of a speaker installation in the Rogue sport. This is why confusion occurs when you have some sites claiming that 6x9 speakers are installed in the vehicle. There were no 6x9 speakers in the Rogue Sport. Here are the stock speakers that were installed:



I patterned my installation aesthetic on the 2018 Subaru Forester, which seemed more mainstream in terms in premium factory audio. So, I chose Rockford-Fosgate for the replacement speakers. The front installation has 6 3/4 with seperate tweeter, while the rear are 6 3/4 two-way. Crutchfield has the necessary adapter brackets ans sound insulation material that I added behind the speaker. The result is a tighter, door vibration-free sound experience. Here is the adapter bracket and sound dampening material, along with wiring harness to speaker connector.



The finished result:

The factory-installed in-dash tweeters were removed, but I had to widen the opening to accommodate the Rockford Fosgate speaker.



The final assembly looks like this:

Two goodies came today. The Scosche replacement dash trim panel arrived. I am happy to report that it in fact comes with METAl brackets to attach to the aftermarket radio. Metra and a couple others supply plastic brackets. The other item that showed up was the LNN10 SWC interface. It has exceeded expectations in that it comes with the wiring harness adapter already wired and integrated, so all you have to do is connect the aftermarket radio wiring to the LNN10. Also, the LNN10 will allow you to set the dash clock - to which I've been living without for the past 3 years.

Ked wrote: ↑

Tue Dec 08, 2020 10:07 am

At the time of installation in early 2018, there was no off the shelf kit to accomplish what the Scosche LNN10 could do. That is, retain the Factory USB AND AUX jack functionality. So, I had removed the harness and made the decision to only keep the USB functionality. A simple USB-Micro to USB-A cable (Like the old Blackberry Charger cable) provided the connection. However, I plan on restoring the both the USB and AUX with the Scosche kit.

Mistake in the text of the picture. It is a MINI USB socket, not MICRO. I just noticed it.

I ordered the Scosche CRTNN02 Backup Camera retention interface to day. This will replace the very strange on problematic Axxess adapter, which was such a mess to install. The Scosche looks much easier to install, but I forgot if there was a separate factory harness for the camera - I'm pretty sure that there was, based on the old Metra adapter. Now as we're getting closes to winter, I'm wondering why I didn't do all this work a month or so ago.

The wiring harness thus far. This is the Scosche and Alpine wiring at this stage. I am still waiting for the CRTNN02 backup Camera interface to arrive - which should be next week. Once this arrives, I can start making the individual connections and clean up this rat's nest of a wiring array. Installation, however, depend on whether or not we get a warm enough day here in the northeast. It's only less than two weeks until the official start of winter and so far it hasn't been to bad, with several days at around 70 degrees.

For anyone that's interested, here's what the factory 4.3 inch CD player with integrated SiriusXM satellite radio looks like from my Rogue Sport. I think this is considered standard equipment on the S and SV model, but I am not a salesman or expert. I removed the exterior fascia dah playte that contains LCD display and radio controls. It was easy and you have to remember to NOT damage the ribbon cable once you separate the dash plate from the main body of the radio. Just put a small piece of masking tape on the loose ribbon cable that's still attached to the main radio.



The very important "rear of the radio"

One of the biggest challenges was to find a suitable entry point for the power wire that supplies the remote powered subwoofer that is located in the hidden portion of the Rogue Sport trunk. I used a nylon snake from Crutchfield, which is nothing more than a coiled piece of nylon plastic that about a half inch wide by three feet long. I did not want to use a wire-based fish tape or snake, not knowing where it would exit or possibly damage any component or trim. Once the nylon snake went through the hole in the grommet, I used harness tape to attach the end of the amp wire (encased in the wire sleeve) to pull through the hole. This created a nice tight seal around the wiring sleeve, as the hole in the grommet only widened if it needed to. If you don't need a bigger hole into the cabin, why make it big initially? The cable pulled through successfully and was routed to the trunk by way of removing the door jamb molding in both driver's side front and read door wells.

Asa side note, the Nissan grounding cluster is also on the driver's side front. After you remove the door well molding, you can pull back the rug slightly to reveal a series of various ground wires bolted to a sngle metal chassis point - just around mid-section of the door well slightly in front of the driver's seat.

Well, the CRT-NN02 is a bust. It seems that the vendor I bought it from took a week to cancel the order after they said they had one left and now they don't. What a waste of time. Anyway, I am not sure about that adaptor anyway. I don't remember of the camera had it's own harness or if it was on the Nissan 45-pin harness. If it is on the main 45-pin harness, then I have some extra work to do. I also want to find a way to use the built-in wired OEM microphone. I'm surprised nobody came up with a small kit to leverage it. It's a three-pin condenser microphone that should have a way to be used. The microphone on most aftermarket units are two conductor non-condenser.