I've heard that the navigation double din is better then the GXE kit. I've only seen couple pictures of them both and would like to find out is the best one to go with if I was to replace the OEM radio? Could some one please post a couple pictures if you changed your OEM radio using a navigation double din. Once again thank you so much in advance.

Andrei

 

I thought this woudl be better also...but you get the gaps on the SIDES. lol. The sides of the navi trim is thinner than the GXE kit trim.

 

So either one you go with, there still will be a gap either on the top or the sides? Please correct me if I a wrong. Also does anyone have any pictures of the navigation double din with aftermarket head unit installed?

Andrei

 

yeah you are correct. You're probably not going ot find someone wiht an aftermarket din installed that has the navi trim panel because their headunit is where our climate control is and the navi screen doubles as the climate control. So they can't really put a double din in their cars. hehe just give up and get the GXEkit...it's the best kit available unless you want ot do a lot of HACKIGN with the scosche kit.

 

Cool, since it's going to be a flip out screen most of the time the gap will not be noticeable. But I'll figure something out to cover the gap once the screen goes in.

Andrei

 

I have a 00 gxe with the tray under the radio thing. Thinking of going nav, my neighborhood IS a security issue so either its going to be a double din 6 or 7 inch or the jvc single din nav with detatch face. What is this gxe kit you guys are talking about? And if there is gaps on the sides can that be avoided by getting a bigger screen such as the 7 i mentioned before?

 

I have the navi trim with my pioneer HU. Yes there is a gap on the sides and you have to dremel the bottom because its too long. I will TRY to post pics of it tomorrow if I have time

 

GXE Dash kit (gap on top)

 

YOU HAVE the GXE kit because you have a MAXIMA GXE.

 

It only took 9 posts before i asked a "D-oh!" question, sorry guys.
Anyway, i was gonna go with the jvc kdnx5000 but that photo up top doesnt look that bad to me. What model unit is that Mecccanoble?
Even at Crotchfeld they dont offer double dins as an option for my car, im gonna call them today ill let you guys know what they say, it looks like itll fit you just have to Mcgyver it to look proper.

 

it is VERY simple to make it fit. Install is as difficult as installing a normal headunit. No need to be mcgyver.
Mecca has an Eclipse AVN5435.

 

yup yup yup. BTW, I have been extremely happy with this head unit. Install don by Don aka Pearl96max from Edison, NJ. Look him up for best prices and great install work.

 

you gotta get a little creative and you wont get anygaps or at least not to noticable .... heres how mine turned out.....

[IMG][/IMG]

 

^^^^ Thats nice^^^^

 

Very nice! I want! How much?

which kit is that?

 

Anyone interested in following up on this?

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I searched and searched and found little information on HU installs onto the 02 Maxima's already with the stock navigation unit.

I happen to be a victim of the stock navigation in my 02 Maxima. The main thing that bugs me is not having the ability to play MP3 music, and that there's not really a prominent equalizer for this headunit. So I'm going to take on the project of converting the factory navigation out and put in a Pioneer Avic-D3 w/Bluetooth/iPod interface/Remote/XM Navtraffic/Steering control.

So far, I have a wiring diagram and an automatic climate control unit at hand. I'm going to convert the climate control unit out from the factory nav first, then leave off the stock wires untouched, then setup a new bundle of wires for the Pioneer Avic-D3 unit.


Anyone has done the factory nav conversion to aftermarket nav before? Please input some pointers as I'm about to start next weekend. Thanks.

-Peter-

 

there is an electronics sub-forum

 

Is that Pioneer hooked up to the Bose Factory Speakers or did you replace those as well? I'm sick of the 6 disc Bose skipping and not having a good option to hook a IPOD up other than the antenna or cassette adapter.

 

If you searched the audio forum, you would see that it is very possible and easy to swap your Bose HU out for an aftermarket one without touching your Bose speakers.

 

Yes, it is very true to my research, but if you have a factory nav on these 02-03's, it's a PITA to do anything, if removing the nav is required...according to my research thus far.

-Peter-

 

That's correct. You're better off replacing the speakers and adding amps before you pull the factory NAV.

 

Exactly what I'm doing here.

About to convert the nav's climate control to the regular auto climate control, then setup the new HU with totally new amps and speakers.

-Peter-

 

Climate control conversion is finished. I got the auto climate control working and totally replaced the navi's tape deck now. The climate control seems to "black-out" when I turn the headlamps "on". I simply disconnected the illumination wires and it stayed bright in the display.

One problem, though...Now the clock won't work, it's totally not powered.

Another problem, there's fitment issues to reuse the factory navi dash-vent trim. The auto climate control is a bit taller than the navi's tape deck, so in essence, the climate control unit wouldn't fit in with the navi's dash-vent trim. Also, the metal navi bracket doesn't seem usable with the Pioneer unit because the climate control bolting locations are different than the tape deck's. So, I went junk-yarding today and found some BOSE amp brackets which fit, and the vents which fit. Now I'm left with HU hole surrounding the Pioneer Avic-D3 navi unit. I'm going to try dremeling out the top of the auto climate control unit to see if I can fit the factory navi trim panel. If not, I'll order the GXE installation kit.

Other than that, I'm routing RCA cables, 5 guage power wires, and speaker wires to set up a new audio system, totally by-passing the Factory stuff. Got Kenwood 4ch amp for front and rear speakers and a Kenwood 2ch bridgeable amp for an L7 Kicker 12" Sub.

Tomorrow is my big day. I'll try to update.


-Peter-

 

Nice job Peter, good work. Glad to see someone was able to successfully conquer this.

 

Audio setup was successfully done that same Friday night on December 28th. I then drove the car 4 hours away to Houston for a couple days. Here's what I've got:

The automatic HVAC conversion is a success. All the function buttons work, except I didn't route up the rear defrog because my car originally had the factory navigation, and that defrog button is right below the gauge cluster; so I left that in tact. AC compressor kicks on/off accordingly, all fan doors operate fine, and temperature auto climate control is accurate.

For the Avic-D3 Pioneer unit, it's an awsome unit to have. It's way better than the stock navi-crap for sure. The sound is very crisp, with nice EQ and sound effect settings. I did the driving by-pass hack with this unit, so I can play DVD and change all navi settings while I drive. At 80mph, this can be very dangerous, so I can see why such restrictions are made for all navi/dvd units.

I didn't have time to hook up my nav-Traffic module, the iPod interface, nor the Bluetooth module, so I do not know how those things work so far. But I've heard good things about them in the other forum, so I'd just have to find some more time to install these add-on puppies.

2 things bothering the crap out of me:
There's only one cd/dvd slot, so I can have the nav-dvd in there, or have the music cd in there, but not simultaneously. The Avic-D3 unit has a 15 gigabyte harddrive for "memory navigation", but it only does store detailed information for 10 mile radius and less detailed information for 75 mile radius. So for traveling very far, I'd have to keep loading the navi-dvd once every hour or so. I think this memory crap is very retarded if I'd have to keep reloading the dvd.

Another thing is minor, but still annoying. The volume dispay is at the lower left hand corner, almost below the volume ****, so when I adjust my volumes, I cannot see the numbers on the display because my hand is in the way.


My clock doesn't work and my steering wheel switch hasn't been hooked up, yet. So trip meter resets itself everytime I drive. There are still more work to do, but so far, I'm just about done with the main ingredients. If anyone needs info, please send me a PM. I can send my wiring diagram and my research through email.

-Peter-

 

i like that alot....what did you do to lift yours? i have this gap as well and i'm trying to figure out what to do with it. the way my deck bracket is setup..my gap its on the top...but i'd like to have it setup like yours with the gap on the bottom, making it not so obvious

SN: i bumped this thread incase anyone else has remedied the gap w/ the GXE dash kit

 

Easy fix with a piece of ABS plastic, I just cut a piece and glued it to the back of the ABS plastic.

Pic:
http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~nbalani...a/CIMG1030.JPG

 

thats exactly what i was wanting to do...who sells/what would i get a piece off of?

 

eBay, or just swing by an audio shop and see if they have any scraps laying around. You really dont need more than 7" x 1"

 

thanks alot man

 

ABS sheet doesn't look as god as what Meccanoble did in post #13. I'd like to know what he used too. Thanks for bumping Slim this answers my recent Q's about the GXE kit

 

It's some sort of dash kit, not sure what kind. Why spend on a kit when all you need is a tiny piece of ABS?

You also have to take into account, the shape, size, and location of the decks between post 8 and 13 are totally different, thus the way the gaps are remedied will look different.

 

Fixed

 

yea but that ABS sheet looks real nice IMO and doesnt have anything protruding. its a 'hidden fix'

 

^better than gap, but not as good as the set up in post #13.

I've used that type of ABS plastic before to make a custom trim for my 300zx, it looks out of place a bit due to the texture. You could paint it and maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Also doesn't reflect light the same (this DOES matter), so it stands out even more.
IMO it was bad when it was the whole trim piece, with no contrast other than the other trim in the car. The contrast I see in that pic, it would stand out almost as bad as the gap.

I wouldn't use that, I'd find something better, but I'm picky.

 

IMO it looks like a nice trim kit from crutchfield etc, if dont correctly. even if i wanted to, where my gap is, i couldnt use that method, as well as not wanting anything protruding beyond the face of the deck.

to each his own, but i like that ABS fix. neatly glue it behind the GXE dash and pop it back in. i just need to figure out where its hitting at the bottom so the gxe dash can sit evenly in the dash again

 

^ my AVIC D2 bolt holes were same as oem, which caused the unit to sit higher (would have fit into GXE kit perfectly at the top, leaving the gap at the bottom) This would be my reccomendation, you should be able to move the HU up one position.
And IMO the gap is better at the bottom also, if you can choose.

The cheap kit requires me to have only 1 bolt holding on each side (so it can sit lower).

 

i dont have the option to move mine up. i looked at it as an option as well...theres a space/hole for the bottom i believe, but not the top, i dont want it flopping around in there.

at the end of the day, its personal preference/coupled with what your situation is. per my situation, or even if it was at the bottom, i like the ABS fix.

 

get her done boss!

If you were local I'd give you the ABS. As suggested most audio shops would give you the piece you need at no charge.

 

This gap issue must only be with using a double din? I had the GXE kit, but used a single din Blaupunkt with an Infinti storage drawer, no gap issues.