2004 sat nav almera - can i change cd player
- Thread starter notaclue
- Start date
Sorry I'm still working on this too. No one out there provides adapters for our system. I'm guessing you find the audio poor in the SXE too then? At first I thought it was the speakers but they are the same speakers as in the 2000-2002 Almera which I owned before and had a different headunit... but then I found out the SXE has the same speakers.
The closest thing I've found to a real solution is Alpine's F.I.T. and/or vehicle hub:
http://www.alpine-europe.com/the-perfect-fit/en/index.html
This uses a device called Nav TV which links to the screen and allows you to switch source to CD, MP3 player/IPod and even allows video playback and menu display from the IPod. Nav TV doesnt list the Almera but does list the Primera, and as you can see from the pic below the Primera has a near identical setup:
I've contacted Nav TV and await their reply. So watch this space. Although if you contact them as well with a fresh enquiery maybe if it doesnt work they are more likely to make it work for the Almera
The closest thing I've found to a real solution is Alpine's F.I.T. and/or vehicle hub:
http://www.alpine-europe.com/the-perfect-fit/en/index.html
This uses a device called Nav TV which links to the screen and allows you to switch source to CD, MP3 player/IPod and even allows video playback and menu display from the IPod. Nav TV doesnt list the Almera but does list the Primera, and as you can see from the pic below the Primera has a near identical setup:
I've contacted Nav TV and await their reply. So watch this space. Although if you contact them as well with a fresh enquiery maybe if it doesnt work they are more likely to make it work for the Almera
Darren198712
Just chillin'
I have a stand a lone radio in mine but I have a SE not a sat nav version. A Stand a lone radio is a lot of work I ran new speaker wires and amped everything.
I'm a little way further into this now and have done a fair bit of damage ( I think) to the unit. Now getting a SECURE warning so no SAT NAV or Radio functions. Have managed to also ensure that the main headlights are either permanently on or permanently off. Not what I was looking for. Will soon be time to give up and rectify damage done with someone who knows what they are doing. Anyone got a wiring diagram so I can at least see which wire does what? Cheers
Hope you get on ok with your NAV TV solution
Hope you get on ok with your NAV TV solution
sorry to say this mate but someone else will if i don't. why did you start messing around with wires when you had no idea at all what you were doing? it was asking for problems!
I'm not sure why you tried this as the cd drive is exactly that... a drive. So replacing it with a headunit I wouldnt have thought would work with those wires. I called up a car audio speicialist a while back and they said to me that "the system is too clever for it's own good and that if you disconect any of the components it will throw up an error and maybe not even work at all." Perhaps it would have been wise to check for things like this before
At any rate I'm sorry you're having troubles with it as I do feel for you as the standard audio system is rubbish. I'm afraid I don't have a wirering diagram but if you do find one please post it on here!
At any rate I'm sorry you're having troubles with it as I do feel for you as the standard audio system is rubbish. I'm afraid I don't have a wirering diagram but if you do find one please post it on here!
Could you not take the outputs to each speaker, and run them into an amp? I don't know how much it would help, but that is what I did with my old head unit...
Not 100% what you mean there Philip but my concern is the quality of the audio coming out of the OEM system. So running from the OEM to an aftermarket amp might not improve things.
The way I see it is there are two options:
1. Seperate headunit in place of CD drive (but keeping CD drive connected and hidden somehwere behind the dash) (like what Darren did but sorry Daz I don't like the idea of having it in the glove box.. annoooying!). Splice the OEM system into the drive's side speaker so you still have Sat Nav audio and other audio from it.
2. Alpine's Vehicle Hub LINK
Just so I'm clear to anyone else, I'm taking about the N16 phase2 OEM system, 2003 on, excluding the 'S' model.
The way I see it is there are two options:
1. Seperate headunit in place of CD drive (but keeping CD drive connected and hidden somehwere behind the dash) (like what Darren did but sorry Daz I don't like the idea of having it in the glove box.. annoooying!). Splice the OEM system into the drive's side speaker so you still have Sat Nav audio and other audio from it.
2. Alpine's Vehicle Hub LINK
Just so I'm clear to anyone else, I'm taking about the N16 phase2 OEM system, 2003 on, excluding the 'S' model.
Darren198712
Just chillin'
you can do that using a hi to low converter or what ever you call it. I personally a after-market Head Unit
you mean with sat nav model.
I had my old radio connected but never had it turned on. I could turn it on and the rear speakers will work. when I finish off my dashboard and etc I will remove the original radio as there is no point.
I had a new radio in the glove box running a new wire and a fuse directly from the battery
another wire to my amps and ran new wires to the speakers.
on the N16 so you can run a new speaker wire through the grommet so its not a problem unlike the N15.
IF you get it to work again mate why not try and upgrade the speakers? you will prob have to make speaker pods for the front doors like i did in my n16 like but it was an easy enough job. couple of hours to take the door cards off as well as old speakers put the new spade connectors on the wires cut out the new speaker pods (mdf) and put it all back together! not a long or hard job! i'v got the same job to do on my lasses n16 when she get's the speakers.
You don't really need a high to low converter, there's no difference in the signals coming out of the head unit as long as you aren't drawing any current from the phono outputs of the headunit (which you don't have anyway). All you need to do is disconnect the wire from the speaker and solder a phono socket on the end, then wire it to the amplifier. This may improve quality as it may be the quality of the power amplifiers in the head unit, which are not able to supply a high current to the speakers. Putting a audio power amplifier in line with the speakers may improve the quality by taking the load off the amplifiers in the head unit.
I'm speaking from an electronics point of view here not an audio enthusiast so I may be wrong, but I would presume an amplifier would improve the quality of the sound a fair bit, especially with uprated speakers.
I'm speaking from an electronics point of view here not an audio enthusiast so I may be wrong, but I would presume an amplifier would improve the quality of the sound a fair bit, especially with uprated speakers.
Yeah interesting point Philip. I'm a novice myself so I'm running in the dark a bit here.
Darren, sat nav or not, the radio and controls are all integrated into the heating/fans/aircon control, so are you really thinking of removing them too? It would make your screen redundant too. What's your plan then?
Darren, sat nav or not, the radio and controls are all integrated into the heating/fans/aircon control, so are you really thinking of removing them too? It would make your screen redundant too. What's your plan then?
Darren198712
Just chillin'
I spoken to Nissan when I broken the screen and wanted a upgraded Sat Nav but they said all the sat nav stuff is NATS coded unlike the Normal SE model CD Player. I have ripped a CD player out of another Almera and tested it and it works fine.
just going to rip out my radio now and will let you know if the heater controls work without the CD player.
Darren198712
Just chillin'
Darren198712
Just chillin'
I think to wire the radio into the standard slot you need to cut the faica. then hide the orginal radio some where on the Sat nav models. all you need is perminant live, Ignition (Ciggy Lighter), and Ground and illumination if you want (Hazard Light)
then run new wires to the doors and may as well change the speakers while your there. remember to wire a speaker to the CD Unit as you may get no voice from the Sat Nav Unit
then run new wires to the doors and may as well change the speakers while your there. remember to wire a speaker to the CD Unit as you may get no voice from the Sat Nav Unit
I can't see it in great detail, but the connectors on the back of that cd drive look like the connectors on my mates 2000 N16, you may be able to use the standard ISO adapter...
Darren198712
Just chillin'
im pretty sure its the same to be honest but its better if you splice into the cable and get a power feed from there as you need to orginal radio running to use the sat nav. im not 100% sure if you need the CD player as the satnav set up and the non sat nav set up is different.