I had the AVIC-Z1 installed in my 2003 Ford Explorer last Saturday...

$1599.00 + $65.00 to install + tax = $1775.84

But before they installed it, I asked about playing DVD’s while driving...of course the manager said "that can't be done unless the parking brake was on". So, I said what about after I start the car, I turn the lights on and off for 5 seconds....he said "we haven't found that to work, in fact we haven't found anything to work with the parking break off"

so, they installed it and on Saturday night and Sunday morning I'm installing all my wife's cd's and my cd's and I'm playing around with it and I notice it's not dimming when I turn on the lights....so, I guess that they didn't hook up that correctly.

I forgot to mention that on Saturday they had 1 Bluetooth adapter on hand but the manager said he didn't have a price on it yet, so he couldn't install it, but he would call me on Monday (yesterday) with a price....so, I'm sitting at work, and it's around 3pm and no call, so I call the manager and he gives me a price on the Bluetooth ($95.00) and said he could install it today....so, I go there and after awhile I mention to the installer that my lights aren't dimming the AVIC-Z1, and he says "I'll check that out"....

so, I get home and I'm hooking my wife's phone up (Samsung A920) which by the way, it's really a pain in the butt to send contacts to the AVIC-Z1, cause every time I sent one, it disconnects the phone, then I have to search for the Bluetooth connection all over again, then send the contact, very time consuming....wish it would do them all at once, plus sometimes when it's sending and I go back to the phonebook, it seems to have sent them sometimes 2 or 3 times and I have to delete the dups...real pain....anyway, after I get done that, I do the re-start the car and flicker the lights on and off for like 5 seconds with the parking brake off, and pop in a DVD, and it works, so I'm able to watch DVD’s (really my front passenger is able) while the car is in motion, and the kids are able to watch their DVD’s with the factory installed rear DVD player using their headphones.

So, do you think they purposely forgot to install the dimmer correctly, so I wouldn't be able to do the 5 second on/off thing? I think so.

But, anyway, it's a decent installer, their cheap, the Bluetooth like I said was $95.00 plus $15.00 to install plus tax came to $115.70...pretty cheap.

niteone said:

So, do you think they purposely forgot to install the dimmer correctly, so I wouldn't be able to do the 5 second on/off thing? I think so.

Oh absolutely they did. After my installation I asked the installer if the Ill wire was hooked up. He told me no because they have had problems in the past with the illumination wire frying units(not referring specifically to the Z1). He told me that they could hook it up for me, but that I would be responsible if it fried the unit, not them....BS if you ask me, I told him to do it! Then I politely taught the crew about how to bypass the security features. I was still extremely happy with their work. Like I said in my first posting here - they had it installed and ready to use in an hour.

well, I agree also....but there was no mention of 'frying' anything, he just said, 'I'll look at it", and never mentioned that he did or didn't...and I went home like I said and tested it, and it worked.

they had mine installed in about an hour and a half....

and, about 15 minutes for the bluetooth after the fact.

I'm still trying to look for a cover....I think there has to be something out there based on the size of the faceplate of the AVIC-Z1, even if it's not a fake radio cover, just a black cover will do....I have room on either side and top and bottom to put something there....just need to find it.

The phone is supposed to disconnect while it's transferring information. Mine did with every entry I sent. I did not have to go find the connection every time though...once it sent it, it was ready to go with the next one.

03Aviator said:

The phone is supposed to disconnect while it's transferring information. Mine did with every entry I sent. I did not have to go find the connection every time though...once it sent it, it was ready to go with the next one.

I must be doing something wrong with the setup/registration cause I have to search for a bluetooth connection everytime....I must be doing something wrong with the phone not keeping the connection....I can't seem to get the phone to always remember the AVIC-Z1...it remembers my HP PDA though. Weird.