Beginning my install tomorrow morning

[thisiszachary]

I received the AVIC-Z1, SWI-PS, GEX-P10XMT, ND-BT1, and DucatiBoy's Z1-FC as of this afternoon. This evening, I removed the dashboard and OEM unit and will begin bright and early tomorrow morning (in Houston, in an un-air-conditioned garage!) with the install. I hope to be done by 2 or 3pm, but that may be too optimistic. We'll see. I'm taking pictures along the way. When I'm done, I'll post them here if possible.

I have a question that is Ford/Z1-specific, and hopefully someone out there can help me. Since I bought the SWI-PS, I'm going to have to program and/or skip buttons on my steering wheel. On the steering wheel, I have the following (audio) controls: VOL UP, VOL DOWN, "SOURCE" (indicated by a music note - this cycled through FM1, FM2, AM, CD-Changer, and DVD/AUX), and MEM (which cycled (up only) through presets when listening to the radio, and tracks (also up only) when listening to CD). My question is: how should I program the SWI-PS for the "MEM" button? Should it be the "source" button or should it be the "band" button or the "preset up" or what? Does the Z1 use terms/features like "source" ? I guess to make it TRULY like the old OEM unit, I would need to program it to the preset up feature, but I have the feeling that if I did that, I would only have functionality when listening to the radio, and that button would be rendered useless when listening to a CD or anything else. What have you done/do you suggest?

Thanks. Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for the help thus far! :D

[ducatiboy]

Yes to make it like your oem, the music note would be programmed to "source" and the MEM button would be preset up. This will work with AM/FM and sat radio.

Personally, I have the name buttons on my Lincoln Aviator, I programmed the "Media" button (my version of your music note) to track up/seek up. I don't switch sources too often and track up is much more used in my vehicle.

[thisiszachary]

[quote name="ducatiboy"]Yes to make it like your oem, the music note would be programmed to "source" and the MEM button would be preset up. This will work with AM/FM and sat radio.

Personally, I have the name buttons on my Lincoln Aviator, I programmed the "Media" button (my version of your music note) to track up/seek up. I don't switch sources too often and track up is much more used in my vehicle.[/quote]

Thanks DucatiBoy. So the "source" toggle would be between FM1, FM2, AM, CD, and Nav (or in whatever order they cycle through)? I wasn't sure if the HUs were essentially the same as it relates to "sources." I kinda got the impression that the Nav (or CD or vice versa) was on "all the time" in the background as opposed to a plain-jane HU that can only do one thing at once, if you know what I mean.

[thisiszachary]

I'm a little slow, and so is the install progress ;)

Questions:

1) I'm installing DucatiBoy's flasher circuit, so I will not connect the parking brake wire to anything. Correct?

2) If I'm not going to use a reverse camera, do I still need to connect the "reverse gear signal input"?


Thanks. I must have ridden the short bus!

[cntrylvr79]

I'm guessing on #1, but based on what I've read in the past you don't hook it up to anything. As for the reverse signal, if you don't have a camera and have no intention of getting one, then don't bother hooking it up.

[thisiszachary]

[quote name="cntrylvr79"]I'm guessing on #1, but based on what I've read in the past you don't hook it up to anything. As for the reverse signal, if you don't have a camera and have no intention of getting one, then don't bother hooking it up.[/quote]

That's what I thought. I don't have intentions of getting one. The manual (of course) said to connect it all of the time because the GPS unit would not be able to tell if I am moving backwards when I'm in reverse if I don't connect it. But I travel such short distances in reverse, I figure that the GPS will correct itself once I'm going forward.

Thanks!

[thisiszachary]

Well, it took a little longer than I expected (about 6 hours) due to unforseen technical problems. Everything's in, although not where it's going to be permanently. I still need to find a permanent place for the XM Radio/NavTraffic unit (currently residing in the small and heretofore useless glove box), but all pieces appear to be working fine. I haven't tried pairing my phone (Nokia 6682) with the unit yet, but we'll see tonight. My knuckles are a bit busted, and my fingertips are a little raw from all the wire twisting and the plugging and unplugging of the units, so this thing better be worth it.

I'll post pictures tomorrow. I took 3 (before, during, after), and I'm beat.

Thanks to DucatiBoy for all the help... He deserves every penny he earns from his circuits.

[ursijam]

I am looking forward to seeing the install pics.

I am about to do the same setup (but trying to keep the OEM Entertainment working as well.)

[thisiszachary]

Here they are. Nothing too fancy. The mounting bracket from Crutchfield fit perfectly. There is a Bluetooth unit velcroed under the dashboard, a XM Radio/NavTraffic unit (temporarily) in the glovebox, and the SWI-PS (is that the right name?) adapter stuffed in the dash also. :wink:

First picture is "before," second picture is "during," and third picture is "after." In retrospect, I think I'll pay someone to do this for me next time... or pick a cooler month in which to perform the install. I can't thank DucatiBoy and the other members of this site enough for support and help.

I'm having some issues with my SWI-PS adapter. It worked perfectly the first and second days, but today only one button worked on it at first. After a few minutes, the other buttons started to work, It concerned me, because I'm going to be a cranky bitch if I have to pull my dashboard apart and re-program it.

[ursijam]

I think that looks great. I am getting excited about doing the one for my wife's '06 King Ranch as well.

Were you able to maintain the Ford DVD Entertainment center operation?

I think that I am planning on doing 2 SWI-PS in order to get the rear-seat controls hooked in as well.

[MIUWDOGG]

Looks good Zach!

[03Aviator]

Zach...I too have the same steering wheel buttons. The "mem" button was useless to me...so I programmes the switch to mute the Z1. I really like that!

[thisiszachary]

[b]ursijam[/b]: I haven't yet tried the rear seat entertainment center. From what another poster said, it gets its power from the OEM HU, which leads me to believe that it won't work. I'm on the road right now, with no DVDs, but I'll give it a shot on Friday when I get back in town and give you a heads up.

[b]03Aviator[/b]: I programmed the MEM button to do what it did with the OEM unit. But your suggestion (mute) sounds good. I'm still having the same (intermittent) issue with only my "source" button working and the MEM, VOL UP, and VOL DN buttons not working. I'm not sure what's causing it... if it's lag from the HD/CD-R function or what, but if I have to re-program it again, I'll go with the mute function. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't have to pull things apart again, but I'm not sure why the functionality of those three buttons is going in an out.

[03Aviator]

This sounds to me like a programming issue. The damned thing is confusing! IIRC, you need to actually do something in the programming to skip an operation and get to the one you want. You can't just program your buttons arbitrarily. I know this sounds confusing...and you may be doing it correctly, but I had similar issues with mine until I realized I was doing it wrong and not bypassing the features I didn't want to use.

[thisiszachary]

[quote name="03Aviator"]This sounds to me like a programming issue. The damned thing is confusing! IIRC, you need to actually do something in the programming to skip an operation and get to the one you want. You can't just program your buttons arbitrarily. I know this sounds confusing...and you may be doing it correctly, but I had similar issues with mine until I realized I was doing it wrong and not bypassing the features I didn't want to use.[/quote]

Yeah, when I had the dash apart during the install, I programmed, tested, re-programmed, and tested the remote unit. I realized after the first attempt to program it that undesired features were to be "skipped." I accounted for that and the unit worked fine and exactly as I programmed it (and still does, 98% of the time!) before I shoved it back in my dash and put it all back together. I can't find a common activity that happens or is happening each time I experience the problem... except that it seems to happen right after I start the car. And it's only happened twice. Who knows.