I just installed and I have two problems so far.

1) the stupid Metra fit kit for my car is too tight. The face can't tilt or open to display the disk slot. It's a Metra 99-8205 in a Pontiac Vibe. If the faceplate is off it opens just fine. When it's on it moves, gets stuck, then moves back to its normal position

2) I have a factory amp in my car. There were no RCA cables anywhere to be found either on the amp or the factory stereo. But when I turned on the car, the Z1 was really, really loud. I've turned it down to managable levels, but it's lowest setting is still too high for what a low setting should be.

Anyone have any recommendations on what I should do now?

1. I'd say grab a file and file the edges of the kit.

2. What you're going to have to do is get a cheap set of rcas. Cut the ends off with about 6 or so inches of wire. Strip that wire back an inch and a half. Solder the center conductor of the rca to the + speaker wire and the sheild of the rca to the negative speaker wire in the harness. I'll make up some pics tonight if that would help.

If you're able to make pics, anything would help. I'm listening the radio on volume 3...sometimes 4 when I'm on the interstate...2 when I'm diving in town.

Also, it appears the 07/06 bypass did not work for me. Some options in the navigation grey-out when I'm moving.

To ground the wires needed, some seemed to short to reach metal, so I twisted the five together (xm tuner, secret wire, parking brake wire, black wire in metra harness, black wire in z1 harness) and twisted a longer piggy-tail wire in as well, soldered them all together and just grounded the long piggy-tail wire. This should work correct?

I get the parking brake incorrectly wired warning and can't get to some options while driving. Do I need to attempt to install the bluetooth update, will that help, or will I need to purchase the "flasher"?

I did the bluetooth cd update and the bypass worked! Yeah!

Now I just need to fix the sound loudness with the RCA thing you mentioned and figure out how to get the face to move when the faceplate is on.

dakranii, EDIT: I saw this was posted just after your previous message was posted, but in case others have problems like yours I left this:

First when was your Z1 made?

If it's 06/06 and older then you either need a flasher or the bluetooth update first.

If it's 07/06 and newer then the flasher will NOT work, you won't need to buy anything. Try getting rid of the parking brake warning with a reset, press the recessed button to the right of eject.

If that fixes your problem then fine.

If you drive around and the pop up comes back then your problem is most likely at connector 2. The wire you grounded in connector 2 is not grounded. If the wires are all twisted together and the parking brake wire is grounded then most likely the wire is grounded, but where that wire is inserted into connector 2 is most likely the problem.

Thank you for the response. I had read up on here about pre and post 07/06 manufacturing dates, but I was originally unsure about mine as it had been made in April 06, but remanufactured by Pioneer. I didn't know if they would have done something to make me play by the 07/06 rules, so I wired it as such. I then read on your site that the bluetooth update should make a pre-07/06 unit work by the 07/06 rules, and thankfully it did.

I am still getting parking brake warnings, but only when I first turn on the car and it boots up. I felt like the wiring went fine. I put the cell phone mute wire in connector two in the bottom right slot, it seemed to click into place fine. I grounded it with all the others, but perhaps I missed something.

But, as it is, I have all functionalyity where moving or not, so that's good. I can handle a few warnings that pop-up if that's the case.

I am still getting parking brake warnings, but only when I first turn on the car and it boots up. I felt like the wiring went fine. I put the cell phone mute wire in connector two in the bottom right slot, it seemed to click into place fine. I grounded it with all the others, but perhaps I missed something.

 

But, as it is, I have all functionalyity where moving or not, so that's good. I can handle a few warnings that pop-up if that's the case.

Try getting rid of the parking brake warning with a reset, press the recessed button to the right of eject. If the wiring is correct, then it won't come back.

If it comes back, then the wiring is not fine and more likely than not (and I would put money on this)... If it comes back then that wire in connector 2 is not working and it's only a matter of time till that Z1 calibrates itself and will start locking you out of features while moving.

dakranii ,

also check the manufactured date on box and on unit. i used the 2 wire bypass on a june 06 unit. the box said aug 06 and the unit said june 06 .

i kept getting emergency brake error . all i did was put in ducatiboy's bluetooth fix and it was allset.. it is worth a shot..

good luck

it sounded like from his last post that dakranii already did the bluetooth update cd. Then it doesn't matter when his unit was made. If it was new enough to not need the update then it wouldn't have allowed the install. If it was old enough to need a flasher circuit it won't need one anymore. So now we have a unit that needs the 07/06 bypass. He just has to figure out where that warning is coming from. Was it from before the update was done then you just need the reset to clear it. If it's reset and comes back then it's a problem with the bypass that dakranii did.