Ground is the black wire. Tap into that one

mccullough1212,

If you are looking at the back of the Avic unit, the bottom left connector (when the back is facing you) is a black connector compared to the other 2 white ones. This harnesses several wires including the power supply. There is a black wire there as well.

Follow the black wire and make sure that it connects somewhere to ground on your car (usually another black wire) via a connector or splice, or any other method of joining 2 wires. If you can confirm that this black wire is connected to your car's ground wire, then that is the ground wire from your Avic and it is grounded.

Tap into that wire with the MUTE wire and the P.BRAKE wire, separately, I am assuming that part of your problem is that you are unfamiliar on how to do this part. Here is one way:

-Remove the insulation, it should be much thicker than the other wires. (If you do not have a splicing tool, use a lighter to burn the plasitc off. Don't worry, the copper wire inside will not burn.

-Stick a small precision screw driver into the copper wires so to separate them into 2 parts evenly-

Kinda like from this || to this ()

-Twist the screwdriver so it pushes the copper wires apart creating an opening inbetween them

-Stick the copper end of the MUTE wire into the opening you have just created

-Close the gap onto the MUTE wire

-Wrap the remaining MUTE wire that is sticking out around the ground wire's copper

-Apply electrical tape to prevent further contact and seal the connection you have just made

I did the update and grounded both wires then i reset the unit... i got a inproper connection error after a little while and i had to reset the unit then it works again prob for so long any ideas?

I did the update and grounded both wires then i reset the unit... i got a inproper connection error after a little while and i had to reset the unit then it works again prob for so long any ideas?

If it comes back, bad ground. Try again.

First off, thanks a lot for the quick post, you guys are awesome. Secondly a few more questions from a beginner.How do I know if my parking brake wire is grounded? What color is it and where is it located When I got the unit installed my installer said he didn't know how to bypass the unit but I almost remember him saying that he would ground that wire to see what effect it has on the system. Sometimes when I start the car I get the "improper connection" message. Does this mean that it is ground or that it isn't hooked up at all. I am going to attempt the grounding technique that you suggested. Currently when I drive and play a movie, it plays for a little bit them flashes to a blank pioneer AUX screen and back to the movie. I would assume that that is the problem everyone else is having. Hopefully my next post is another success story because of the help from the AVIC411 crew. Thanks again.

First off, thanks a lot for the quick post, you guys are awesome.

Yes we are, aren't we?

Secondly a few more questions from a beginner.How do I know if my parking brake wire is grounded?

Hit:

Menu - Settings - Hardware - Connection status

And look at the parking brake line. If it's "on" all the time it's a good indication.

What color is it and where is it located

Well, there is a parking brake "sense" wire. This is light green and comes out of the back of the Avic. Your vehicle has a parking brake wire as well. That tells the dash to put on the "parking brake" light in your dash (if you have one). I don't know where that one is. Normally the light green parking brake sense wire that comes from your Avic should be tapped into the car's wire... so the avic also knows when you apply the parking brake. Generally when people try to bypass the lockouts, instead of hooking the avic's parking brake "sense" wire to the car's actual parking brake wire, they INSTEAD, ground it right behind the avic.

When I got the unit installed my installer said he didn't know how to bypass the unit but I almost remember him saying that he would ground that wire to see what effect it has on the system.

Not quite the right way to do it, but oh well.

Sometimes when I start the car I get the "improper connection" message. Does this mean that it is ground or that it isn't hooked up at all.

"sometimes"? It should happen every time. Once you get that message it should come up every time and keep coming up till you hit the recessed reset button to the right of eject.

If you do that and it comes back, then the parking brake wire is grounded but the second wire in connector 2 is not.

I am going to attempt the grounding technique that you suggested.

That's the way to do it.

Currently when I drive and play a movie, it plays for a little bit them flashes to a blank pioneer AUX screen and back to the movie. I would assume that that is the problem everyone else is having.

Not really, sounds like a loose wire actually. But it could be th internal gyros just on the verge of syncing in or something. Doesn't sound typical.

Hopefully my next post is another success story because of the help from the AVIC411 crew. Thanks again.

Sure, do the 2 wire ground correctly and let us know.

ok fellas b4 I got a chance to send my Z2 out to Pioneer for repair the sent me an email with a firmware update for prevent lockup and freezing of the Z2. Here is the email below

September 14, 2007

Dear Valued Customer

Re: Free Firmware Update for Pioneer AVIC-Z1 & AVIC-Z2 to Address Lock-up/Freezing Issue

We would like to inform you of the availability of a free firmware update for the AVIC-Z1 and AVIC-Z2 to address a potential lock-up/freezing issue. Pioneer has become aware that a small percentage of AVIC-Z1 and AVIC-Z2 systems, especially in very hot temperatures, lock-up or freeze when powered on, such that the systems do not proceed further than the initial boot up screen.

If you are not experiencing any lock-up or freezing issues currently, there is no need to take action at this time because the one-time fix to resolve the issue will be available if an AVIC-Z1 or AVIC-Z2 later experiences the issue and because your system may never experience the issue. Importantly, this potential service issue does not pose any health or safety risk, and there is no risk of property damage.

To address this potential service issue, Pioneer is offering a free firmware update. If you would like to receive the free update, you may do so in one of the three ways listed below. Before obtaining the firmware update, you need to know whether you have an AVIC-Z1 or AVIC-Z2.

Download the free update to your computer from http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/avicz1update/ and burn the update onto a computer disc for insertion into your AVIC-Z1 or AVIC-Z2; OR

Order a computer disc containing the free update by calling Pioneer Customer Service toll free at 800-421-1404; OR

Call Pioneer Customer Service toll free at 800-421-1404 to arrange for your AVIC-Z1 or AVIC-Z2 to be mailed to Pioneer for installation by Pioneer of the free update.

There are separate firmware updates for the AVIC-Z1 and AVIC-Z2. Please only use the firmware update that corresponds to your model, as the firmware update for the AVIC-Z1 will not work for the AVIC-Z2 and the firmware update for the AVIC-Z2 will not work for the AVIC-Z1.

If you have any questions, please contact Pioneer Customer Service toll free at 800-421-1404

Pioneer service representatives are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Eastern Time).

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this potential product issue may cause you, and we thank you for your cooperation and continued support of Pioneer.

Sincerely,

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc.

PLEASE HELP!!!

I just did the convert from Z1 to Z2 and when i try to update to do the bypass it gets to the screen where it says "start update" and asks yes or no but the "yes" button is greyed out and can only pick no.

ANYONE PLEASE HELP!!!

THANKS

put your ebrake on or ground the wire.

Thanks bobmun!!!! Will Try!

Also one more question when i press the "v" button next to the "open/close" button it should bring up a screen where i can control the dimmer, brightness, etc. I was able to that before on the z1 but when i converted to z2 i can not do that.

ANY THOUGHTS????

Thanks

You have to be stopped to get to that menu. In other words, put on your parking brake...or do the bypass

Thanks bobmun!!!! Will Try!

 

Also one more question when i press the "v" button next to the "open/close" button it should bring up a screen where i can control the dimmer, brightness, etc. I was able to that before on the z1 but when i converted to z2 i can not do that.

 

ANY THOUGHTS????

 

Thanks

I have problems with mine locking up as well.. Does anyone know if we do the firmware update that pmason718 got from pioneer whether it will have any affect on the bypass update that I already installed?

Doesn't effect the 2-wire bypass at all

I have problems with mine locking up as well.. Does anyone know if we do the firmware update that pmason718 got from pioneer whether it will have any affect on the bypass update that I already installed?

I can't say thanks enough for all you guys that worked on the bypass. This forum was a life saver, not just for me but also for pioneer. EVerything was a success.

Just to let everyone know, I hadn't done the software bypass because I wanted to get the locking/freezing up issue resolved. Well I did the Z2 update for the locking and freezing up and after a couple of hiccups it updated and my deck works like it should. So I thought I would be brave and do the Z2 pre/post bypass with the ISO image that was so generously made and given out. Everything was going like it should til it rebooted after the update. I got a "Starting up Pioneer Navigation" or something to that effect and nothing else. Just a big black screen. So I waited about 30-60 minutes and then started up my vehicle and the deck hung at the same spot. So I thought what the heck and put in the Z2 Freezing/Locking update disc and my system went through updating yet again. This time it was flawless and I didn't get the update failed but got the update completed and the deck came right up. Being that when I got my deck installed I had the installer do the 2wire bypass back in March hoping that it might work alone. But it didn't so I already had that 50% of the process completed. So I thought that I would take it out for a test drive and see if my DVD's would play right and see if I could use the Navigation while moving. And low and behold everything works like it should. So I give big props to the guys that brought this release. I will be donating some money to the cause out of my next paycheck, fo sho.

So to clarify? Does the new firmware update for the Z1 or Z2 locking issue disable the 2-wire bypass? Also, has anyone had success updating an upgraded 60gb drive?

I don't want to kill my perfectly working image with some firmware update I don't really need.

Matt

NO. The 2-wire bypass is unaffected

Hey guys. I downloaded the file, burned it on to a cd. I have my z2 already installed with the 2 wire bypass. I insert the cd into the unit and when I hit map it just brings up the map view options. I don't know if i'm missing something, please help.

Did you try it without pressing the map button? What burning program and media did you use?

Hey guys. I downloaded the file, burned it on to a cd. I have my z2 already installed with the 2 wire bypass. I insert the cd into the unit and when I hit map it just brings up the map view options. I don't know if i'm missing something, please help.

Did you try it without pressing the map button? What burning program and media did you use?

 

Hey guys. I downloaded the file, burned it on to a cd. I have my z2 already installed with the 2 wire bypass. I insert the cd into the unit and when I hit map it just brings up the map view options. I don't know if i'm missing something, please help.

I used a riDATA cd and I used sonic burning software.

I tried it with inserting the cd , pressing map, then reset.

I also tried without pressing map

I have two headrest monitors that worked perfectly before the bypass. After the bypass (which otherwise worked great) they say "no signal" and I can't find anywhere in the Z2 to re-activate them. Any suggestions????

I have a Z2. Effectively did 2-wire bypass and ISO update. DVD works magnificently, BUT my navi is all screwed up. It shows me going at a 45 degree angle away from my current direction and only shows half speed. GPS antenna signal is high, VSS speed sensor is connected and showing a signal. The unit will update my current location approximately every 10 seconds (GPS?) but still shows me going off course between updates.

Also, it seems as though the unit is only showing me going about half the speed I currently am. Only had the problem since I updated. Any suggestions, besides the obvious resetting the system and checking grounds (which I've already done). Thanks guys!

Go to the source menu and change the setting for 'Rear Monitor'

I have two headrest monitors that worked perfectly before the bypass. After the bypass (which otherwise worked great) they say "no signal" and I can't find anywhere in the Z2 to re-activate them. Any suggestions????

I thought my z2 deck was fixed with the bypass. But my wife said the next day that she couldn't see the dvd or use the nav while driving over 10-15 mph. Anyone have any ideas? I mean I did the update and drove the vehicle that night and drove perfectly, now nada.

Check your grounds on the bypass wire and parking brake wire. Also make sure that the pin you moved is in the new location securely

I thought my z2 deck was fixed with the bypass. But my wife said the next day that she couldn't see the dvd or use the nav while driving over 10-15 mph. Anyone have any ideas? I mean I did the update and drove the vehicle that night and drove perfectly, now nada.