Pioneer is banking on navigation. The company has put a lot of resources behind that product segment, delivering two portable and three in-dash navigation models for the automobile. The in-dash models are the company's bread-and-butter, since they offer the user the most features with the convenience of being right where you expect: in the dashboard, where the factory radio used to be. We asked Pioneer to supply us with one of these units for a tech story, and Pioneer delivered. By the way, we shot this install in a Nissan Titan a little while ago. Since then, the AVIC-D2 has already been supplanted by the AVIC-D3, but they are similar enough for you to grasp the straightforward nature of installing this product. This is an overview only. You'll have to read the instructions for the complete picture.
This is a shot of what a stock Titan center console looks like. Note the single faade covers the double-DIN sized radio and CD changer combo, as well as the HVAC controls, the hazard button, the auxiliary input, and the passenger-airbag indicator. | 
The factory faade and head unit were removed and put away, which left a hole in the dash. The AVIC-D2 kit comes with the double-DIN AM/FM/satellite radio/DVD/navigation head unit, a power cord, a connector, an extension lead for the reverse signal, an extension lead for the speed signal, a GPS antenna, an RCA connector, and screws and such. We don't have a photo of all this, you'll have to take our word for it. |
As of this point, a lot has happened. Looking at the bundle of wires, the new power cord was wired into the factory harness by crimping the yellow wire to the terminal in the dash, which receives constant power; the red wire connected to the terminal controlled by the ignition switch, and the orange/white wire connected to the lighting-switch terminal. The black ground was screwed to the vehicle's body. The pink wire connects to the vehicle's injection computer via the plastic connector from the kit. Its purpose is to direct speed signals to the nav unit so the navi can calculate more accurate location information. The light-green wire was clamped to the power side of the parking brake switch. This allows the head unit to detect whether or not the parking brake is engaged. Once these were done, the head unit showed an error message until the head unit's sensor initialization was complete. The violet and white wire was clamped to the wire that undergoes a voltage change when the vehicle is shifted into reverse. This helps the navi to determine if the vehicle is moving forward or backward. All of this plugged into the back of the nav unit. | |