friedmaster

After years and years of debating whether to upgrade my head unit to a full featured GPS, fussing with an unreliable iSimple gateway, I decided to take the plunge.

For me, a requirement was to have the unit almost fully functional with physical buttons. My expectation of course isn't to be able to enter an address without using the touch screen, but changing radio stations, etc. I should be able to do without looking. I'd also like to find a way to make the system work with the Shaker 1000.

However, rather than going with the units that some of the later 05-09s came equipped with, I was able to find a unit out of a 2009 Ford Edge ( 9L1T-18K931-AH). As far as I can tell, the highlights of this unit are as follows:

- Interface that is the same (albeit in a smaller package) to the 2010 Mustang Navs.
- Built in hard drive for the maps and 10 gigs of potential music storage.
- Integrated Sirius, Sirius Travel Link, and some strange weather apps.
- Sync has "deeper" integration to this unit.
- Ability to play DVDs (who cares?)

The unit uses the same plugs as the

Now, of course, for the problems...

#1 -- When I try to go to the "user device" screen, I get an error saying to see dealer. I'm hoping this problem will be solved by hooking up the sync module which is on order.

#2 -- This unit apparently requires a vehicle specific "amplifier brick and harness", because it trades internal amplification for the internal Sirius tuner and hard drive. As a result, I get minmal audio to my left front subwoofer and nothing else.

A solution to this one has me stumped. My initial thought would be to pick up the Shelby Kicker 4.1 Amp (which makes use of our factory door amps for the front subwoofers, and I figure I can get the rears to work if they have the kicker trunk amp). But, if this unit is designed to work with an amplified head unit, then what would the implications be when connected to a non-amplified unit.

Any suggestions here? Does anyone have access to radio pinouts for this head unit (I have the shaker 1000s), do the 2010 mustangs have an external amp?

#3 - The lights on the side of the unit are staying on regardless of whether or not I have the interior lights on. This seems like something which I should tackle after #2.

Beargap

The external amp required for that version is available and comes up on eBay from time to time. And the lights being on are an indication that the radio will need to be reprogrammed for the Mustang as opposed to the Edge. That might fix a few of the other issues, too.

friedmaster

Interesting... would I run into a problem trying to re-program this radio for a mustang, considering that this type of head unit was never available in a mustang? I of course don't want to lose the built in sync functionality that this unit has.

On the amp part, it seems that they need to be vehicle specific. Would I be best off finding the amp and t-harness from a ford edge, or potentially a 2010+ mustang with nav?

Beargap

Perhaps the radio is similar to what was in the 2009 Mustang from a programming point of view? Other than that, I suppose it will be hit and miss testing to find something that works. In my 2008 the same radio was used in a number of Ford vehicles, and having the subs or panel lights not work right, or the wrong Logo at startup (Mercury vs. Ford, for example), or failing to get the vehicle speed info into the radio was typical unless the programming was adjusted. Some used radios from other vehicles worked right away, but I do not know which vehicles matched the Mustang.

The amp would need to match up to the radio, but other than trying to use existing wiring, I would not think it would be vehicle specific.

friedmaster

To provide an update... I hooked up a sync kit designed for a 2009 Mustang (9R3Z-14D212-A), but didn't hook up the power wire for that yet.

My speakers seem to now be working (although have to max out the volume), but the unit freezes every time I use the touchscreen and requires a reboot. I'm hoping that connecting the run/accessory power line to the sync module will solve that, and maybe the lighting issue as well. I'm not sure that programming the unit to a mustang will be possible, as these were never actually in Mustangs.

For amplification, I decided to go aftermarket. Ordered a Pioneer GM-D8604 amp along with some metra harnesses to try and do it so that I don't have to cut into the ford wiring. I replaced the component 6x8s last summer (well, replaced the fronts and have had a major pita getting the rear deck out to dynamat and replace the rears).

Even if this head unit install ends up going to crap... I'm sure the new amp will improve the factory sound.

VGMStudios

so how is your install going? Im really interested as Id like to install a Nav head in my 07 pony pkg Mustang.

friedmaster

So far not a lot of progress. (admittedly the project isn't getting my full attention, the mustang is in winter storage so I'm not in a huge rush to get it done). However, I'm hoping that today I'm able to get the power wire for Sync hooked up, and that may fix the issues I'm having with the head unit operability.

I've also decided to try and do this install without cutting any factory wiring. Basically, I'm going to try and get a set of male and female radio connectors, and wire them up together so that things like MS-CanBus and lighting go directly to the radio, but the speaker wires go through the amp (I may replace the Amp->Speaker connections with aftermarket as part of a phase 2). To do so, I picked up the following harnesses

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...71-5520-1.html

http://www.sonicelectronix.com/item_...a-70-5520.html

The first harness linked is great. It has a wire for every pin, and comes with all 3 connectors, so just a matter of building my own t-harness. The second (female), not so much. It's missing critical pins like the canbus which this head unit will definitely need.

Does anyone know of a female connector out there that has all of the pins "live"?

friedmaster

Progress!!!

So, I got the Sync Module (big thanks to member Akdoggie) hooked up and wired in. Head unit now works (no freezing when I use the touchscreen), bluetooth now works (streaming over bluetooth as well as dialing).

Things Still Left To Figure Out / Do

-- My buttons are still "green" all of the time, and it doesn't seem to go into "night mode" when I turn on my headlights. I'm not sure where to go from here on this one other than the dealer (who I'd like to avoid), so I'm open to reccomendations.

-- The "keypad" that came with the sync module doesn't work, and as a result, I'm not able to use voice activation. Not a huge deal because most of the functions can be operated with hard buttons, but would certainly be a nice to have. As far as I understand, this is because the Nav unit is looking for steering wheel controls, which I do not have. Maybe a programming thing?

-- As I mentioned in an earlier post, this navigation unit trades the internal amplifier for the internal hard drive... meaning you get extremely little volume (but lots of bass out of the door subs). I'm in the process of constructing the harness to hook up the amp as we speak, so don't see that as too big of an issue.

-- Trunk Sub. My initial thought was to just take the subwoofer connector (8 pin that goes into the radio), and just modify it so that aux aud 2 (trunk subs) runs off the same pins as Aux aud 1 (door subs), but amongst the settings here, I see "shaker".... I wonder if this can be turned on???

Has anyone done programming on Ford Nav units? What kind of equipment does one need?

Pictures

Settings screen(s)

akdoggie

I see the head you got is the newer Clarion version. Nice clear graphics. Nice screen, Glad you got it to function. Just got to this thread. Been busy the past couple weeks.

Your steering wheel controls on this head (yours) is through SWC2, not SWC1 like my set up. You have to add the newer steering wheel, 2 wpt1242's (old #wpt440), and 4 or 5 wires, depending on your application design. I had to add 4 wires to the ACM plugs to get everything to work on my 07 that came with the Shaker 500 head.

The reason your sync voice won't work is because of programming. I don't see voice enabled being turned on, or even in the pics. There are other screens I'm missing right, between the shots you posted? I've seen where others have taken their Sync modules (be careful their are 2 types of plugs so make sure to get the right one if you are doing this trick), and gone to wrecking yards, and pulled the sync module from wrecks. With the module programmed, already to go, it is an option. Those boxes are already set up with whatever configuration from the factory, so if they have the correct options, then that's the module I'd get. The new box in the 14D212 kit is open to the average things, but not to everything, until it is also programmed. That is why I mentioned using a different Sync box. JMO of course.

I see illumination is turned on, but night time dimming isn't. It probably has a blue light color for the courtesy circuit, and not the green you have right now, right? It does seem that you can just add the antenna, and your Sirius would be taken care of, other than your monthly subscription. It would also clear the DTC for the antenna grounding. The DTC on SWC 2 can be cured by adding the steering wheel controls and wiring, otherwise, they will just sit in memory. Not a big deal, I don't believe.

I see there is NO radio USB/3.5mm plug available with this head. In your case, It can be used thru the "14D212" kit, so that isn't a big thing. The Sync module leads have that circuit, so you are good to go that way anyways. Other people who try this, might not be so lucky.

It really seems, with our Mustangs, that if your car came with the Shaker 500, you have the easiest road to updating to a factory navigation head. The least easy would be the 1000's, since they have the trunk amp. The programming and wiring is a bit different in most cases. I would guess a base radio, with only the 2 plugs wouldn't be really hard, but haven't looked at that setup as of yet.

akdoggie

There is a way to set the colors and the logo function on the Audiophiles, but on your newer design, I don't think there would be the same spots on the screen to touch. Different companies, different diagnostic & repair procedures. What does your home screen look like?

akdoggie

Will these help you

friedmaster

Akdoggie, Thanks for the detailed response as always.

I believe it's actually manufactured by Clarion, but yes, the big thing that appealed to me here was the more modern interface.

Since I have the same Sync kit as you, (the one designed for the 09 Mustang), would I be correct in assuming that you don't have voice control (but do have bluetooth and steering wheel controls). For now, I think my preference is to go without SWCs, simply because I don't have a 2010+ wheel, but would like to get that little 3-key pad to work if possible. You're saying that I would need to program it?

There are other screens (a whole bunch that included frequency cutoffs and stuff that I didn't think served any value).

The buttons are currently lighting up green that matches my interior (a good thing), the problem is that they're always on, and don't respect anything that my headlight switch does (bad thing). Any ideas on how to solve this one?

BTW, did your line-in jack in the glovebox work with your sync kit? Do I have to connect those wires to the sync module directly, or does the body harness do that for me? (I didn't test mine, couldn't find a 3.5mm audio cable).

On those wiring diagrams, I see a bit of inconsistency, was wondering which might be more appropriate to the 2009 Edge? Do you have a higher resolution version of the 1st one (I can't read everything?)

edit: Also, what's the name of the connector you need to hook up the AM/FM antenna from an 05?

friedmaster

Updating this thread....

The problem with the unit freezing intermittently never went away. The GPS also never worked, and it never responded to the headlights being turned on/off. Figuring that this was a problem with the actual head unit, I picked up another one (same model #), which fixed my freezing issue.

Problem is -- this one doesn't seem to be programmed to any vehicle. The GPS still doesn't work, the lights still don't respond to the headlight switch, it is now not sending the 2volt out to the door woofers, and I haven't even bothered with SWCs yet.

Does anyone know how these radios can be programmed?

Beargap

Back in '08 when I add3ed OEM NAV to my Mustang I used Chicago Sound to program mine. You can also ask the local dealer where they send audio units to for that...we did have a more local place (1 hour away) but they actually charged more than if I shipped it to Chicago. Programming addresses things like working with interior lighting on your can, working with subs, tracking the vehicle speed and so forth.

friedmaster

Thanks Beargap.

I sent it off to 4dtech. They're going to do some custom stuff to it (Lincoln interface), Mustang Splash screen, and attempt to activate the shaker 1000, that i wouldn't have been able to get done through a normal dealer.

akdoggie

Are you talking to Dan over there? He seems to know his stuff. What are you having done? Lincoln interface? Is that the THX system? I've never heard the term. The Mustang splash screen should be kewl as hell. Glad to hear you are getting it together.

friedmaster

Talking to brad there.... I don't think there will be any "THX" addition, just the lincoln interface. Mustang Splash screen apparently may be difficult, but also (hopefully) getting SWCs, Rear Camera and both subwoofers working.

Trevor08gt

Any update on this?

jim010

I too am interested, as I just picked up this unit to install.

friedmaster

Hey guys, sorry I never closed the loop on this.

From a sound perspective, we're pretty good. I had brad at 4Dtech enable both the shaker door subs and shaker trunk subs. Once I got the gain levels dialed in on my amp, it's sounding great. The only problem is that I'm getting a "pop" when I turn on / off the car... no solution to that one yet.

From a functionality standpoint, the second unit I got works great. 4dTech programmed in the Lincoln Interface which is awesome looking. Sirius works, as does the reverse camera (which I haven't installed yet, but I get a black screeen which tells me to watch my surroundings). The only issue there is the lack of responding to the headlights. Not a huge deal for me, and according to 4dTech, just a problem associated with my year of car.

From a GPS standpoint, no go. Even though the unit picks up speed compensated volume, the GPS component doesn't seem to know the car is moving, and therefore, doesn't want to update the car's position. This again accoridng to 4dTech is a problem with the year of car, and I don't have a solution to this... obviously disappointing, but once I bother to put a mustang logo on a CD, I should be able to hide the map from the home screen, so at least it's less offensive that the GPS doesn't work.

It's interesting because apparently, the unit should work with 07+s and I've got all the wiring from an 07 in the car. The only thing (electrically) remaining from the 05 is the guage cluster, so I'm wondering if that may be the solution (even though I'm not willing to install the GT500 cluster I have).