Can anyone help with Z2 problems?

[GloPlugs]

First off, let me begin by giving kudos to all who have freely shared information with all the people that visit this board. I have been the beneficiary of your knowledge and just want to say thanks!

Before I remove my brand new, "professionally installed" (I use the term very loosely) Z2 from my brand new 2008 F-350, sell it to the highest bidder and reinstall the factory system I thought I would ask here first to try to resolve the problems I'm having, one last time.

Since this unit was installed, the navigation has never been right. It has always been at least 200 feet behind my actual position as I travel. The shop that installed this unit, "the only Ford factory approved warranty center" for audio/video/gps installation and repairs in my area, failed to connect the VSS, night mode and reverse circuits. Their response when I asked about this? "Uhh, we never hook those up." After taking the unit out myself and getting a look at what they did to my harnesses and how they made the connections, I will never let those hacks touch anything of mine again. So going back to them to sort this out, is out of the question.

After cleaning up some of the connections as best I could, I found the VSS wire provided by Ford. I made that connection as well as the one for the night mode. I did a system reset and drove around to calibrate it. The position is now worse. Not only is it lagging behind my actual position, but is off the side of the roads I travel. It shows my position at least a couple of hundred feet north and west of where I actually am. Sometimes more. While I am in motion, the map/landscape is doing what I can only describe as stop motion. Instead of a smooth, continuous picture of the map while I'm in motion, it's like it's displaying picture frames every second or so. I did 2 more reset/calibration procedures and got the same thing. I disconnected the VSS and it is no different. I've checked all connections several times and everything is good.

I'm getting tired of tearing my dash apart trying to figure this thing out. I've got almost $2k and a double handful of hours of my time in what is proving to be a piece of junk.

I mean, how is it that Garmin, TomTom, Magellan, etc. can make piddly portable units that cost a few hundred dollars that you don't have to calibrate, hook a VSS to and hard wire for night mode that are perfectly accurate, smooth and trouble free? Just plug in and go. And the map updates are about $75 vs $250 for Pioneer's. With the Z2 you you pay $2k, have fight with it for hours and if the planets aren't aligned exactly right, so sorry, start over? I was under the assumption (wrongly) that I would be getting a much nicer unit than my old dash top Garmin. To make things worse, sometimes this thing tells you to take routes that make no sense at all. I had one route that it told me to go to an intersection, make a U-turn, go to the next intersection (one I had just passed) and make another U-turn and continue the way I was originally going! What is that about?!

I didn't buy this unit just for the navigation, but it was a big part of the equation. For $2k, all of it should be right and I shouldn't have to jerk around with any of it. I haven't even got a chance to play with the rest of it yet, because I've been spending all my free time trying to sort out problems with the navigation.

Sorry for the rant. I'm just beginning to believe I've been scammed. This has been one of the worst and most expensive learning experiences I've had in a long time. I'm just about at the end of my rope. I'm not going to invest much more time in this thing. If I can't make it act like it's supposed to, it's out of here. Is there anyone that can offer me some hope of correcting the problems I'm experiencing with this unit, or is this about all I can expect from it?

Thanks in advance!

[whtcrxghst]

Where did the idiots mount your GPS antenna?

[nrg]

Without the VSS, the GPS alone should still be very accurate so like he said, where is the gps antenna located? If its inside the car, try putting it outside on top of your roof just for testing to see if everything is fine. Make sure to stick that magnet thing under it though.

[GloPlugs]

They mounted the antenna at the front of the dash near the base of the windshield. It is unobstructed except for the windshield. They routed the cable through one of the defroster vent openings in the dash, between the actual defroster vent and the opening in the dash. It's on an inclined part of the dash and they didn't use the metal pad that was supplied with the unit. I asked them about that also. Their reply was, "We mount them like that all the time and don't have any problems." I am picking up plenty of satellites though. And I consistently get 2 bars on the satellite signal. I thought about running the cable through a grommet in the firewall and changing the mounting location to the cowl between the hood and windshield and using the pad. Only one problem with that. THE JERK BAITS KEPT THE PAD! I'd have to order a new one.

This is the first time in years I have let someone else do anything on any of my vehicles. I've always said, " Nobody does anything right. Always do it yourself, unless you absolutely can't." It's been years since I installed any kind of automotive stereo and never anything like this. I figured it would probably take me a good couple of days to sort things out and make a clean install if I did it myself. These guys offered to do their "professional" install for $300 and would have it done in a few hours. I let my guard down and now I have about 10 hours in it myself after paying them to do it and it still isn't right. I got hosed! The only good thing to come from this, I will have the opportunity to steer more business away from them in the coming years than they will ever know, and possibly save someone else from having to deal with the results of these butchers hacking up their vehicle. My apologies to any butchers out there. I don't mean to insult you by comparing their work to yours. Just a figure of speech.

[whtcrxghst]

Got any spare small pieces of metal laying around? Stick one under the antenna (simulating the metal pad.) Then reset all your calibrations, connect the VSS wire, and take a test drive. When you are driving around, see if the VSS is making a bunch of beeps in the connection status screen

[GloPlugs]

I'll give the metal a try.

Should I be getting any speed pulse numbers in the Connection Status screen while in park? Mine bounces from 1 to 2 while in park. It increases with speed. If I go to the 3D Connection Status screen, it's registering 3-4 mph while in park. While moving, it registers the correct mph. Is that what you mean by beeps? I put about 50 miles on it after connecting the VSS. I put on another 25 after disconnecting it. It didn't make any difference with or without the VSS. In the top half of the 3D Connection Status screen, there are no bars next to left or right turn. I do have bars next to distance and 3D. In the bottom half of that screen the speed pulse steadily increases, distance shows 0.00, learning status is Sensor Initializing.

[GloPlugs]

BTW. This is for anyone looking for a wire to use for night mode on a 2008 F-350. There is a small harness containing maybe 6 wires that connects to the back of the dash panel that you remove to access the radio/gps, near the bottom left corner. On mine, it just plugs into the panel and doesn't connect to anything on the panel. The wire you want to tap is purple/light blue.

[whtcrxghst]

You should not be getting a reading from the speed pulse in park. As for the left and right bars, it can take up to 500 miles to fill up without the speed pulse. Usually much less with it connected

[brijr]

I am having the same problem with the avic z2 in an 08 350. same as you gps antenna is mounted on the dash. I still have factory plate i will try that and let you know. by the way what wire did you use for vss?

[GloPlugs]

You should not be getting a reading from the speed pulse in park. As for the left and right bars, it can take up to 500 miles to fill up without the speed pulse. Usually much less with it connected

I am having the same problem with the avic z2 in an 08 350. Mad same as you gps antenna is mounted on the dash. I still have factory plate i will try that and let you know. by the way what wire did you use for vss? Question

I wasn't getting anything at all in the left and right turn bars with the VSS wire connected. I disconnected what I thought was the VSS. Apparently it's not.

I've got a document from Ford detailing the "customer access" wires provided by Ford for body manufacturers, etc. One of them is a purple/orange wire in a bundle of blunt cut wires that are taped out of the way, to the OBDII harness. Here is what it says about this wire. "VS_OUT: Vehicle Speed Out. 8000 pulses per mile signal. Blunt-cut wire provided for customer access."

I should have known it couldn't be that easy. Anyway, I disconnected it and reset everything in the 3D calibration screen. It's much more accurate than it was, but still not right. At least it shows me on the road I'm traveling and the map screen flows more smoothly but is still slightly stop motion. It's still either behind or ahead of my actual location as I travel. Mostly behind. By as much as several hundred feet sometimes. I am now getting left and right turn bars but nothing in 3D.

I may give Pioneer a call. I doubt it will accomplish anything but I would like to inquire as to why my $400 Garmin that was connected by a cigarette lighter plug never deviated more than 15-20 feet at the worst of times and my $2k Pioneer can't show me any closer than 100 feet of where I actually am without a VSS, metal plate under the antenna, reverse wire, etc.? The point I'm trying to make is, the technology is not all that advanced or expensive. The less expensive dash top units are smart enough to know when you are going backwards. There are no external antennae and when it starts to get dark, it changes to night mode. All with no extra wiring, calibrating, etc.

All of this is most definitely being made worse by the fact that the jack-leg installer didn't do his part in the first place. If he had, I probably would never have known how much peripheral wiring it takes to make this thing work properly. Nor would I care. And we wouldn't be having this discussion. Sorry, I"m ranting again. But it just chaps my butt cheeks!

So, that's where I am at this point. I wanted to disconnect the VSS, reset and give it a chance to calibrate itself. I plan to try a plate under the antenna next to see if that helps. I didn't want to try more than one thing at the time, so I can know what helps and what doesn't. I am wide open for any other suggestions to try to make it better.

Thanks again!

[whtcrxghst]

Even without the VSS connected (but with the metal plate thingy,) mine was accurate to within probably 20-30 feet. Connected the VSS and I would say its closer to 10

[GloPlugs]

Even without the VSS connected (but with the metal plate thingy,) mine was accurate to within probably 20-30 feet. Connected the VSS and I would say its closer to 10

Is that while in motion? Did the accuracy vary with speed?

[brijr]

i have my gps antenna on the dash and no plate it is very accurate. i have recently hooked up to the vss wire which was the orange purple in the bundle it does seem to work, but have noticed one to two pulses when in park.

[GloPlugs]

I hooked up the correct VSS wire yesterday. The one I used is the yellow/blue wire at the wiper motor. It's in a taped harness under the hood, on the driver's side, above the brake master cylinder reservoir and just under the hood seal. Everything is working properly. I don't get speed pulses while in park and once it picks up enough satellites, it shows me on the correct road. It did not, however, help the real time position. It still shows me 100-200 feet behind where I actually am, while in motion. It has not improved the accuracy at all. I would tend to believe that it would only help in circumstances where you momentarily loose satellite reception, i.e. passing through a tunnel.

Next, I will install the metal plate under the antenna. Hopefully that will make a difference.

I still have to hook up the reverse wire. This unit doesn't have a clue where it is once I start backing up. That's another thing that gripes me. With the Garmin I had, all you had to do is move a few inches in reverse, it picked it up and flipped around to show me in the correct position going the right direction. With the Z2, I pull up to my driveway for example, start backing in and it shows me going the opposite way and across the street. It's amazing how much these things cost compared to how dumb they are.

Anyway, that's where I am right now. I'll keep posting results here as I make changes.

If anyone is aware of a good location to pick up a reverse wire (preferably under the dash somewhere) as well as the color code, I would appreciate if you would post it here. I have an OEM rear view camera in my truck if that makes any difference. I did not have it connected to the Z2 when it was installed. That's probably a good thing. They most likely would have screwed that up too. It's still completely separate from the Z2, and that's how I want to keep it.

[GloPlugs]

i have my gps antenna on the dash and no plate it is very accurate. i have recently hooked up to the vss wire which was the orange purple in the bundle it does seem to work, but have noticed one to two pulses when in park.

The wire for VS-Out is purple/orange, i.e. purple with an orange stripe. Not orange/purple. In either case, that is not the correct wire. Would have been nice. Very easy hook up. See above post. When I hooked up that wire, my unit wasn't anywhere near accurate. It wouldn't even show me on the road I was traveling. It showed my position well off the road and either in front of, or behind my actual position.