Hi all.  Just in process of fitting an AVIC-F77DAB which I believe is pretty much equivalent to the NEX8100 but with DAB instead of XM - please correct me if I'm wrong!  I'm installing into a Toyota GT86 (also known as a Scion FR-S or an FT86 or a Subaru BRZ just to complicate things!).   There is a CAN bus connection available in the car and it's two wires:  one pink, one blue.  According to the wiring diagrams they are 'High' and 'Low'.  I've got a 5" cable with the AVIC that plugs into a 4-pin header on the back and presents a white plastic socket with 3 pins (red, white and blue).  I spoke to Pioneer about this and they just told me it only works with special adapters for Ford and VW.  So two questions:

1.  Does anyone know what the pins presented are so that I can - if appropriate - just connect to CAN-high and CAN-low?

2.  If I get it connected is it going to be able to pick up any useful information?  I'm not so worried about climate control - although all new toys are welcome - I'm thinking more about tyre pressures (as the car is supposed to have TPMS) and fuel range (car displays MPG but not range) if the AVIC will even do those.

Many thanks,

Gareth

You can't connect the CANBUS directly to the radio. For what you want to do, you need something like the Maestro RR. Go to this page and find your car http://maestro.idatalink.com/

Thanks for that.  So what's on the back of the radio isn't CANBUS but iDatalink or some other data bus then?   Given there are no steering wheel controls on my car and the Maestro site says "Gauges, Vehicle Info, Climate Control and Visual Park Assist screens are not supported with the radios below" above all the Pioneer radios, there's probably not much point....or am I missing something?

I have an FR-S and NEX8000 and never considered tapping into the CANBUS due to the lack of climate control/steering wheel buttons. It may be able to feed some gauge information in (I use DashCommander and a bluetooth OBDII reader to provide this information).

Be sure to hookup the VSS wire so speed calculations will be accurate. If you do otherwise, let us know what else you get with CANBUS access via the Maestro RR.

Hi Epsilonkore.  To be honest, I've got to justify paying out for any more kit so I need to know it's going to do more than take up space behind my dash.  I'm already in 'trouble' for spending $500 USD on the head unit....at least, that's what my wife seems to have decided it cost! 

Will be hooking up the VSS once the 28-pin connector comes in from David (www.ae64.com) in the US.  USPS are currently juggling it round Miami until they're bored of trying to damage it.   Hoping that connecting up the VSS won't cause it to start whinging about not being allowed to doing anything whilst driving as for extreme emergencies I could always put something like Peppa Pig on for my 3 year-old.  Trust me, it'd be far less distracting than the constant "What's that?!" and very little danger of me wanting to watch!  The "Are we going speedy?!" is more amusing though    Currently just grounding out the Parking Brake line seems to have worked.  No relays and no quadrant pressing required (tried and didn't seem to work).  There is a menu item "Safe mode" which is set to off ....and clearly should stay that way