Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. I have been having trouble connecting to this site the past couple days but I see Rondosa pointed you in the right direction.

Absolutely, yes. It isn't hard at all especially if you are only installing the D3 and nothing else. The two items I mentioned in my previous post are the only things that aren't clearly stated in the installation manual. The VSS wire is kind of a pain to route into the engine compartment but is also pretty straight forward.

I installed mine along with the Bluetooth, Sirius, and back up camera. I already had the interior out (installing Damplifier Pro to the entire car) so the routing of the wires wasn't even bad.

I will post an install thread when I get a chance.

 

had mine installed and it's fantastic

Only one problem my door subs dont seem to be working and the other speakers are distorting badly with only a small amount of bass. The car had a shaker 500 and they are supposed to have used the right harness?

Any one got any ideas?

 

Did they connect the subwoofer output RCA and remote power-on lead (see pages 13-14 of the AVIC-D3 Installation Manual)?

Are the Subwoofer and HPF options availible in the sound settings on your D3? You should have both available if they hooked it up correctly.

You will be able to adjust the crossover frequency for both the subs and the full range speakers with these two settings. You will need to set the Subwoofer and HPF for each source independently.

The first, and easiest, thing to try first is check to make sure the subwoofer is turned on in the menu (see page 119 of the AVIC-D3 Operation Manual). If this doesn't work and/or you do not have these options availible on yours you should take it back to them and have them fix it.

 

Thanks Rich!

I am selling some of the parts I have off my motorcycle so as long as I get the $$ required, I will be moving forward with this. Plan would be to get D3, XM add on, CD Changer (trunk) and backup camera. My bf is quite meticulous (sp) about wiring so hopefully it'll go smoothly. I'll be sure to remember all your tips and hopefully you'll get a chance to do the installation thread.

Cheers! Kristina

 

I had an AVIC D-2 installed in my Mustang when it was new. When the head unit on my Sport Trac died, I took the D-2 out of the Mustang and put it in the Sport Trac. I then put a D-3 in the Mustang. Other than the color adjustment, I like the D-2 better. I prefer the volume up & down buttons over the ****, but that's just me. (Easier to use the buttons at speed.) I like the navigation on the D-2 better. I especially like that you don't have to remove the disc to listen to a CD, which pretty much cripples the navigation for 'on the fly' use, including zooming in on the map. And the finish of the D-2 matches the Mustang interior better than the D-3, which looks too shiny.
As far as wiring, I had mine installed, along with Genesis amps (400w for the speakers, and a 1000w for the subs) MB Quartz speakers, and JL Audio subs, so I can't help you there.

 

Hey guys i'm new! Im looking to install a D3 too. i was wondering if you only installed the in-dash and kept your stock speakers (Shaker 500) how is the quality? If i was only going to install the D3 what items would i need to purchase? Wheres a good place to get it installed?? Also is the optional camera quality good? where would this camera come in handy?

much appreciated if anyone can answer these questions

 

hey krash, how was the d2 different from the d3 (which i now have installed) in it's gps system? i'm not so hot on the d3's gps either

 

i was where you are about five days ago so maybe i can help. i had the shaker 1000 so mine is a tad different. the sound quality is very good, however, the install requires some skill as a voltage regulator has to be installed to prevent buzzing and popping. (have no idea how to do this or where you can find the part.) to do the rest of the install you need the d3, the cage or plastic thingy it sits in, the ford wiring harness (2003 and up i believe), and of course the voltage regulator or resistor if you want to go cheap. as far as the cameras go, i have no idea/don't have a problem backing up. hope some of this is helpfull. i'd definately get a pro to do the install. the wiring around the car would have given me trouble.

 

You should be able to find the answers to all of your questions on this site with a little searching. Most are actually answered in this very thread. Look at post #22 of this thread for information on the voltage regulator along with links to more detail on wiring it up.

The bottom line is you really don't need anything other than the D3, the wiring harness, the mounting bracket, and basic wiring supplies (connectors, electrical tape or heat shrink wrap, wire strippers/crimpers, etc.) but I would recommend the voltage regulator to eliminate the popping sound when you power the unit on. I had no buzzing in mine prior to installing the voltage regulator, just a pop when the amps powered on.

I would say the camera quality, of the Pioneer ND-BC2, is pretty good considering the intended usage. It is color, has a nice wide angle (unless you mount it in the keyhole like I did ), it seems to be water tight and of good construction. Having said that...I woiuldn't have paid $250 for it but it came free with a promotion Crutchfield was running at the time so I installed it too.

I'm in OH so I can't really recommend a good place for the install. Let us know what part of CA you are in and one of the members from that area may be able to make a suggestion.

I would honestly recommend you do the install and save the money of the install if you are only planning to replace the head unit. It really is pretty straight forward/easy. The trickiest part will be soldering the wires on the voltage regulator leads if you aren't familiar with soldering.

 

thanks! much appreciated i went to best buy and they told me something completely different. they said they had to rewire the car for like $150 and that the quality of my speakers aren't going to be very good. glad theres a different approach. i'm not fimiliar with installing so i'm gonna have to get it done somewhere. i live in the bay area of california...any suggesions?

 

just for an update, i'm returning my d3. the gps is lazy and slow starting. plus, the parking break lead is constantly losing conection for no reason among other irritating glitches. bottom line, the thing is irritating and i miss my shaker 1000.

 

Ben,

The D2's navigation is MUCH nicer than the D3's. It zooms in a LOT closer, so you can find sidestreets & alleys and the like. Plus it's a 2 disc system, so it works while you're playing a CD. (For those times when the XM goes out...)

 

I haven't noticed the navigation prompts being slow on mine. In fact I have been calling it a nag due to the repeated prompting it provides. It typically prompts a minimum of two times before approaching an intersection/street/ramp/etc. It also provides lane information when appropriate. It seems to be better than the prompts on my wifes factory navigation (Dodge Grand Caravan).

Do you have the V.S.S. wire hooked up on yours? I have read where others experienced similar slow prompts when they didn't have the V.S.S. wire attached.

The D3 goes through a learning period after the initial installation and continues to increase in accuracy until it has completed the learning period. You can check the learning status at any time under the Settings/Hardware Info/3D Calibration menu.

I also haven't experienced the parking brake problem you describe but I have the bypass "installed" on mine. Have you checked to ensure there isn't a loose connection?

What other glitches have you experienced?

Are you going back to the Shaker or do you plan to try another Navigation unit? Please post your experience and comparisons if you choose the latter.

 

I'm in the bay area...I'd be able to install it for you pretty cheap.

Send me a PM if interested.

 

I just had mine installed yesterday and I love it thus far. Crisp clean look and finish. Easy to navigate. I enjoy the levels of customization it has(im picky).

Yeah the GPS system right now is in its learning stage but I was told by my installer who owns one also that once it gets past taht stage its dead on accurate. Over all I cannot complain. I had the iPod cable put in and that is by far one of my favorite features.

I highly reccomend it to anyone on the fence. I'll update some more once I have more play time with it.

 

Ain't it awesome? Especially for the price!

The learning phase lasted about 2 hours/15 miles on mine, and now is dead-on.

 

If Im understanding the system right. I only have around 40mins. Does the learning phase explain why it thinks certain POI are in the wrong spots? I tried one yesterday and it gave me weird directions and then had the end point in the wrong area. Just curious.

 

Very probably. Getting directions shouldn't work at until the learning's done -- just drive around in town, make lots of turns onto different streets, and it'll figure out pretty fast where you really are in relation to the map.

Least, it did for me!

 

Thanks

 

Oh, one other thing -- depending on where your GPS antenna was installed, you might need to setup the "Installation Angle" in the System Options menu.

I'm not sure what effect a bad setting would really have, but if it's expecting the antenna to be mounted 90 degrees differently than it is, it could play hell with the learning.

Just a thought.