Hi everyone! First time poster here and I've found this site to be packed with knowledge...I am sorry if I bring up a topic that might have been listed in another post, but there is just too much to read it all! Searches helped a little.

Anyway, I have had an Avic-D2 since April of last year. I have decided that I now want to purhcase a Z1. I had the D2 professionally installed. Is the wiring harness the same for both units??? I am hoping that I can just pull out the D2 and slap in the Z1 with only the addition of the microphone. Since someone already went through the trouble of ripping my dash apart and ran wires for the rear cam and antenna, I hope that I can use it.

My second question is about backing up the Z1's hard drive. I have read about it being locked and unreadable to standard OSs but can I install the drive in my laptop, boot with Symantec Ghost boot disk and make an image of the drive? I'd like to experiment with it but would certainly want to keep a factory backup in case I do something wrong. I know Ghost can create an image and not care what OS it is, but I don't know about the whole Locked vs. Unlocked thing. Thanks for any info you can provide!

Hi everyone! First time poster here and I've found this site to be packed with knowledge...I am sorry if I bring up a topic that might have been listed in another post, but there is just too much to read it all! Searches helped a little.

 

Anyway, I have had an Avic-D2 since April of last year. I have decided that I now want to purhcase a Z1. I had the D2 professionally installed. Is the wiring harness the same for both units??? I am hoping that I can just pull out the D2 and slap in the Z1 with only the addition of the microphone. Since someone already went through the trouble of ripping my dash apart and ran wires for the rear cam and antenna, I hope that I can use it.

No you can't do that. Sorry, the connectors are not inter-changable.

My second question is about backing up the Z1's hard drive. I have read about it being locked and unreadable to standard OSs but can I install the drive in my laptop, boot with Symantec Ghost boot disk and make an image of the drive? I'd like to experiment with it but would certainly want to keep a factory backup in case I do something wrong. I know Ghost can create an image and not care what OS it is, but I don't know about the whole Locked vs. Unlocked thing. Thanks for any info you can provide!

No you can't do that either. With the drive locked, ghost or any other utility will not be able to read the data off the drive.

You can install it in a desktop with an adapter, then you can unlock the drive for $50 with a tool available online. Then you can make a backup image of your drive to a second desktop drive and then restore it if you make a mistake. Replacement drives have not been reliable in the Z1. We don't know why. The stock drive is an "automotive" drive and the ones we tried were just standard laptop drives.

Here is how to unlock the drive and keep it unlocked:

http://avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=728

Thanks for the response...not the answers I wanted to hear, but at least I know

The antenna and the backup camera just plug right in the same way. If that makes you feel any better.

And the harness shouldn't take you more than five or ten minutes to swap. Just match the colors to the new one

This is true! If the camera and the antenna are the same, I would assume them to be the hardest part. Someone already found the backup and speed pusle wires etc... I can just trace the paths back. I still don't like the concept of pulling my dash apart, I never know what snaps, pops or breaks!

What year/make/model. Is the car. Shouldn't be too difficult to pull the d and swap it with a z.

It's a 2005 Mercury Mountaineer.

Extremely easy vehicle to dismantle. Page 5 of this pdf tells you how.

http://www.metraonline.com/_assets/manu ... 9-5026.pdf

Basically the dash trim around the radio pops off. Disconnect all the plugs and set it aside. Then there's 2 7mm bolts at the bottom of the dash kit that hold the radio in place. I'd say no more than 5 minutes worth of work. By the way if the shop that installed your avic didn't hook up the vss it's in the radio harness. Might as well tie that in while you have the car apart.

That looks very easy! Thanks for sending the link and for the guidance. Now I just need to find the best price on a Z1!

doubt you will find one, but if you do and they have more post to let others know (especially Rodge)

According to Pricegrabber, a place called PowerSellerNYC.com has it for the best price. See the attached JPG.

Also shows it's in stock with free shipping. I don't know if it's true or if they are a reliable reseller...or is this more $ than those who know the system would pay for it?