Hello. Thank you all for providing all of this information here! I have a new Z1 (build date April 2006) that was just installed day before yesterday. I have tried every headlight flashing combo that even resembles what has been suggested here and I cannot get the bypass to work. After reading some here last night, I called the installer today and asked about how he connected the parking brake and he said he connected it to the ground of the cig lighter. I pulled the panel and there is a green wire that comes to the neg for the cig lighter and then the same color green (seemingly spliced wire) returns to the unit. I assume the first one comes FROM the unit but I am not sure. I do know that the one returning will affect the unit, in other words, video does not work while parked if the return wire is not connected. Ok, so, I tried this a few ways and left it with one wire connected instead of two like the installer had it, and I still get the "parking brake" error stating it is connected improperly. I did not know to ask if the installer connected the "ILL" wire and I will find out tomorrow morning. The question I would like to ask is, I understood from reading to leave the park brake completely loose, yet in my case leaving both "sides" of the wire disconnected does not allow me to view video even when I am parked. I am dying to know about the illumination wire. Does anyone know if it is orange for a 2006 Chevy 2500HD? (Crew, Diesel, Short bed, LT3), I need to know what color it is or how to find it for this truck so I can get this behind me. I didn't think it would bother me this bad but I can see now why this is so aggravating.

branas said:

Hello. Thank you all for providing all of this information here! I have a new Z1 (build date April 2006) that was just installed day before yesterday.

Not really a "new unit" it is a new to you unit. This one will require manually flashing the lights or one of my flashers.
http://www.sminntech.com/z1flasher.html

branas said:

I have tried every headlight flashing combo that even resembles what has been suggested here and I cannot get the bypass to work. After reading some here last night, I called the installer today and asked about how he connected the parking brake and he said he connected it to the ground of the cig lighter.

If the parking brake wire is grounded, flashing the lights will not work. Once the "parking brake warning" message comes up, you will need to disconnect the parking brake from ground (don't connect it to anything) and then reset the unit with the little resessed button to the right of the eject button on the bottom left of the Z1. Then flashing the lights will work.

branas said:

I pulled the panel and there is a green wire that comes to the neg for the cig lighter and then the same color green (seemingly spliced wire) returns to the unit. I assume the first one comes FROM the unit but I am not sure. I do know that the one returning will affect the unit, in other words, video does not work while parked if the return wire is not connected. Ok, so, I tried this a few ways and left it with one wire connected instead of two like the installer had it, and I still get the "parking brake" error stating it is connected improperly.

As above, you need to remove the parking brake wire from ground and then reset the unit. Then flashing will work.

branas said:

I did not know to ask if the installer connected the "ILL" wire and I will find out tomorrow morning. The question I would like to ask is, I understood from reading to leave the park brake completely loose, yet in my case leaving both "sides" of the wire disconnected does not allow me to view video even when I am parked.

He might not have. If you go to the nav screen and turn on your lights does the nav go into "night mode"? If so he hooked it up right. If not, you will need that connected before flashing the lights will do anything.

Normally the parking brake wire being grounded is the signal that the Z1 is allowed to show you a video (even when parked you need that wire grounded to watch dvd). When that ground is removed... no video (moving or not). When the ground is there and you drive around the Z1 is smart enough to know that something is up and locks out the unit anyway and brings up the parking brake warning message.

If you want it unlocked all the time, you need to unground the parking brake wire and flash the headlights whenever you start the car. Then all features will be available all the time.

branas said:

I am dying to know about the illumination wire. Does anyone know if it is orange for a 2006 Chevy 2500HD? (Crew, Diesel, Short bed, LT3), I need to know what color it is or how to find it for this truck so I can get this behind me. I didn't think it would bother me this bad but I can see now why this is so aggravating.

I don't know where the ILL wire for your truck is, I'm sure someone here does. Check with this guy:
http://avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1057


As for the procedure for manually flashing the lights, read this:
http://www.sminntech.com/z1flash.html

Thanks for the reply Ducatiboy. I have been trying to find a post that I saw last night that I believe was by you where you showed a schematic for a manual version of your bypass, with a 3 way switch. I have searched the forum and spent an hour looking. Could you point me to that?

branas said:

Thanks for the reply Ducatiboy. I have been trying to find a post that I saw last night that I believe was by you where you showed a schematic for a manual version of your bypass, with a 3 way switch. I have searched the forum and spent an hour looking. Could you point me to that?

There actually isn't anything like that, but I will make one up and put it here. I did do a way to interface with my circuit to make the reaction of the Z1 to the headlights change between manual day all the time, manual night all the time and auto with the headlights. That would kind of do the same thing, but it has my circuit in the mix.

http://www.sminntech.com/z1fcswitchinstall.html

Thank you very much, installed a switch today and everything is working perfectly!!

I bought the switch, but found that i dont need it :) . I just need to turn the "parking" light (not headlight) on/off once while the display shows "initilizing" and I have access to everything while driving (DVD, Nav, Bluetooth).

Cigarro said:

I bought the switch, but found that i dont need it :) . I just need to turn the "parking" light (not headlight) on/off once while the display shows "initilizing" and I have access to everything while driving (DVD, Nav, Bluetooth).

Well...from your response you are very new to this forum. There are a couple of solutions to unlock the Z1. All of the solutions have been discussed in detail in this forum. Read on and all your questions will be answered.

bongus said:

Cigarro said:

I bought the switch, but found that i dont need it :) . I just need to turn the "parking" light (not headlight) on/off once while the display shows "initilizing" and I have access to everything while driving (DVD, Nav, Bluetooth).

Well...from your response you are very new to this forum. There are a couple of solutions to unlock the Z1. All of the solutions have been discussed in detail in this forum. Read on and all your questions will be answered.

Yes, I am new to this forum. But the reason I posted this is because I have only seen posts that say you need to turn your headlights on/off 3 times to overide, when in fact I have only needed to turn the "parking" lights on/off 1 time saving the wear and tear on my HID's.

Cigarro said:

Yes, I am new to this forum. But the reason I posted this is because I have only seen posts that say you need to turn your headlights on/off 3 times to overide, when in fact I have only needed to turn the "parking" lights on/off 1 time saving the wear and tear on my HID's.

It would be even less wear and tear on your parking lights if you just use the DB Circuit...Your parking lights will wear out as well.

bongus said:

Cigarro said:

Yes, I am new to this forum. But the reason I posted this is because I have only seen posts that say you need to turn your headlights on/off 3 times to overide, when in fact I have only needed to turn the "parking" lights on/off 1 time saving the wear and tear on my HID's.

It would be even less wear and tear on your parking lights if you just use the DB Circuit...Your parking lights will wear out as well.

Yep that is very true, i'm just not very good with electronic stuff, but hoping one of my friends can do it. Thanks for the help bongus!