Warning: It is
recommended to disconnect the negative battery terminal before beginning. Also
make sure that the passenger’s seat is in its most rear position before you do
that. Also, do not attempt to disconnect any yellow colored connectors as those
are for the SRS/Air Bag System.
Step 1: Buy Connector
Go to the Nissan dealership parts dept and buy part # J-48817-127, costs about $11.00 and
comes with 6” cables attached to the ends. Ask the parts manager to go through
the SPX connector bin, it’s a common one.
Step 2: Obtain Cable
Get a generic composite cable from any AV device or radio
shack, at least 3ft.
Step 3: Buy Coupler
Get a Triple Phono Plug
Coupler from RadioShack for ~$6.99.
Step 4: Make Harness
Get the soldering iron out and after cutting and stripping
one end of the composite cable make the connections. For a clean look use some
heat shrink tubing, but make sure to slip the tubing on before you solder J.
It doesn’t hurt to use a continuity tester to make sure all connections are
solid and correct aftwards.
Looking for from the side of the cables on the connector,
connect as follows:
Pin 1 – Right Audio + (Inner from
Red Cable)
Pin 2 – Video + (Inner of Yellow
Cable)
Pin 3 – Not Connected
Pin 4 – Not Connected
Pin 5 – Left Audio + (Inner of White
Cable)
Pin 6 – Right & Left Audio
Ground (Outer of Red & White Cable)
Pin 7 – Video ground (Outer of
Yellow Cable)
Pin 8 – Not Connected
Final Product should look something like this:
Step 5a: Use a wide
flat screwdriver with a soft cloth folded on the head, if you do not have the proper
removal tools.
Remove part of the RH side body welt (gasket around door).
Remove RH Side pillar garnish and front half of the kick
plate.
Step 5b:
Remove RH Side Finisher
Step 5c:
Remove Glove Box Assembly by opening it and then pulling on
the bottom out first as it is floating on U-shaped hinges. Do not attempt
remove the top pins of the glove box, you will damage it.
Then remove the dampener pin on the left side of the glove
box.
Step 5d:
Remove Instrument
Lower Cover by popping the 3 clips closer to you and then slide down and
forward.
Note the 3 clips on the front of the cover and 2 pawls on
the back. In this picture, the plate is resting on the floor, notice the nut on
the upper right of the picture, it will need to be removed later:
This is where the pawls slide out of, the one on the right
is carpeted, note as it will make reassembly easier.
Step 5d:
Remove lower finisher by popping 2 clips and unscrewing the
nut that is in the far corner of the passenger compartment.
Nut removed as shown in 5d above:
You should now be able to see the wiring harness and
connectors. The circled connector is the connector for the Auxiliary video
interface to which you will eventually connect the harness you made.
Step 5e:
Remove instrument
lower panel by unscrewing all 10 screws.
Note some are hard to see if you don’t have enough light. This needs to be
completely out as you will need to drill into this piece later.
Disconnect connectors (shown in red) for trunk lock switch,
glove box light and ipod cable holder. Pass iPod cable back through the panel,
no need to disconnect it from the harness.
Step 5f:
Remove instrument pad finisher in order of 1, 2 and 3 as
shown.
Note the 2 circled pieces. When assembling, the finisher
must be installed prior to the instrument lower panel which was removed in the
step above as two of the screws hold this in place.
Step 6: Make the
Connector Interface
Mark the shape of the coupler on the top of the lower panel,
near the existing ipod cable. Really this can be anywhere, but not too close to
the front as it will touch the brackets in the vehicle once it is reinstalled.
You can even choose to drill just one hole to pass the cable and have it dongle
in the glove box. I drilled holes slightly smaller than the coupler and then
used a dremmel to enlarge them slightly a little at a time so that the coupler
can be squeezed in tight and is held in place. The final product looks like
this.
Step 7: Connect the
Harness
Connect the video interface cable you made to the connector
near the back of the foot well. Run the cable along the existing ipod cable and
tie in a few places with twist ties.
Connect here:
Run cables like this with twist ties.
Step 8: Testing
(Battery needs to be connected for this)
I prefer to test this setup to avoid the hassle of having to
dismantle again. I don’t have a video ipod yet, so I got a regular DVD player
hooked it up and WITH THE ACC ON,
SHIFTER IN PARK, HANDBRAKE UP, AND
INPUT IN AUX MODE it worked just fine. Note that the GT-R system will not
allow you to put it into Video Auxiliary mode unless it detects a video signal
first. So I had to have the video enabled (DVD player turned on) before it
would recognize the AUX Video mode.
If the hand brake is released this is the message that
appears, although the audio continues. When the hand brake is pulled back up,
it starts again. I have chosen not to bypass the video for personal safety
reasons.
Side Note: The signal
strength shown is from my cell phone, the GT-R not only picks up my signal
strength, battery level, it also copied my entire address book. Sweet!!!
Step 9a: Reassembly.
Start by connecting the cables to the back of the instrument
lower panel, i.e. the trunk switch, light, ipod cable and also Yellow, Red and
White to the newly made video coupler. Let this hang around while you assemble
the instrument pad finisher. This is important as the 2 plastic hooks from the
finisher are held by the front 2 screws of the instrument lower panel.
Remember that the connectors need to clear the metal brace
and when assembling ensure that none of the cables pop out, during assembly.
Screw in the lower instrument finisher, the lower cover, the
glove box, the right lower foot well finisher, the lower finisher, the kick
plate, the body welt, etc.
Step 10: Enjoy
The final product should look something like this.
