Instructions
Sorry for the delay...I've been flying a lot this week. I received Hibbidiji's PM asking for more info, so I'll start with a quick data dump for now and try to make it more user friendly with his help. Let me apologize up front...I didn't even think to take pictures along the way, but this project was surprisingly straightforward. The theory behind this mod comes from Ryu's thread
Video on navi with reverse camera kit. I used a relay to choose whether the rearview camera or the DVD signal (both are composite video) is sent to the Nav unit, which converts the signal to RGB and sends it to the Nav Display. I used a switch to energize the relay and to trick the Nav unit into thinking the van's in reverse to display the backup camera input.
You'll need to access connectors for two components: the DVD player in the lower dash and the Nav unit under the driver's seat.
If you have access to the Helm shop manual, the following pages are helpful:
Nav unit connectors: 23-76, 23-77, 23-83
Nav unit removal: 23-121
DVD player connectors: 23-131
DVD player removal: 23-162, 20-129
I built a small circuit board in a project box from Radio Shack. See
my CarDomain webpage for the circuit and supplies. Please note, I am not an EE--my circuit might not be pretty, but it works! You should end up with a black box with 9 wires hanging out. It helps to label the wires so you know where they connect:
1. DVD signal--from player
2. DVD ground--from player
3. Camera signal--input to Nav
4. Camera ground--input to Nav
5. Camera signal--from camera
6. Camera ground--from camera
7. +12v ACC--to switch
8. Ground
9. Backup signal--+12v in reverse
The 10th wire is not on the black box…it taps from the DVD player to the switch
10. +12v ACC
I mounted the rocker switch in a blank switch cover near the VSA button. Drill a ¾” hole for the switch. (I used a rotary tool to remove most of the blank’s support structure before drilling the hole.) The switch fit tightly enough that I didn’t need to use the nut to secure it. Remove the driver’s door sill trim and kick panel by pulling to release the snaps. Unsnap and remove the following trim on the lower part of the driver’s seat: the left front riser cover, the rear riser cover, and the outer riser cover.
With your black box near the driver’s seat, run wires 1 & 2 under the carpet, to the door sill, up the kick panel area, under the dash and over to the center dash near the DVD player. Run wire 8 under the carpet, to the door sill, and to the kick panel area. Using a crimp-on ring lug, attach the wire to a bolt holding the fuel door handle. Run wire 7 under the carpet, to the door sill, up the kick panel area, and to the rocker switch on the dash.
To remove the DVD player, first remove the lower dash cover as follows: on the driver’s heater lower cover, carefully pry out the round trim clip, and pull the cover toward the driver’s side to release another snap-on clip near the bottom. Then pull the cover rearward with a wiggling motion to remove it from a slide-on stud. Repeat on the passenger’s side. Pull open the cupholder drawer and remove 2 phillips screws below the drawer. Remove another phillips screw on each side of the lower dash cover. Now pull the cover rearward to release 4 snap-on clips and move the cover out of the way. (You may need to remove the connectors for the seat heaters and sockets.) Remove four 10mm bolts securing the DVD player. Remove the 22-pin connector from the back of the player. Tap wires 1 & 2 into the BLU and PNK wires on the connector. Tap wire 10 into the YEL/RED wire on the same connector and run the wire under the dash to the rocker switch on the dash. Secure all wires with wire ties.
To remove the Nav unit, move the driver’s seat all the way up and back. Remove two 10mm
nuts to remove the kick protector rod in front of the Nav unit. Remove four more 10mm
nuts securing the Nav unit to its bracket and slide it forward. Disconnect the five connectors from the back of the Nav unit. Locate the 7-pin connector and cut the BLK and YEL wires leaving at least an inch of wire accessible--you will need to remove tape from the wire loom to have enough wire to work with. Tap wires 3 & 4 into the wires leading to the Nav unit connector. Tap wires 5 & 6 into the wires leading back into the wire loom. Locate the 8-pin connector and cut the GRN wire--again, remove tape as needed to get enough wire to work with. Tap wire 9 into the wire leading to the connector. Noting the correct polarity, connect the diode to the other end of the cut GRN wire and tap it into wire 9.
Your connections are complete—easy, huh? Test it before putting everything back together: replug the DVD and Nav unit connectors. Make sure your rocker switch is off. Turn the ignition key to run. After the nav system initializes, shift into reverse to make sure the backup camera still works. Shift back to park, and turn the key to ACC. Start a DVD and make sure it’s displaying on the flip-down display. Now, flip your new rocker switch. You should see the DVD on the Nav display. If your van doesn’t work as described, re-check all your connections. Note, when the DVD is playing on the Nav, you won’t see the back camera until you turn the rocker switch off. Now put everything back together and go impress your family and friends with your technical wizadry, all for below $40 and less than a day’s effort.
Lucien
Edited to add pictures available at another website:
CarDomain. Also, the Nav unit is secured by 10mm
nuts, not bolts like I originally wrote.
