Well it is time to officially start modding my car. I picked my 04 NBP beauty up mid-summer last year and all I did was the aspec body kit. One thing I was definitely mad I didn't get was stock navigation. I don't know about you guys but finding a CPO with good miles, good price, 6 speed, and the right exterior/interior colors was hard to do in itself, yet alone if I wanted navigation. So guess what? Let's make it a project and add it ourselves!

Now I have read and read and read on here and other sources and I "think" I have a fairly good grasp on the subject now. I mean really, how hard can it be? I put a carpc/system into my old '93 prelude, so adding an OEM option can't be TOO difficult, can it?

So, I set off to find parts! And what do you know, the best deal I could find was right here on AZ (thanks SQAcuraTL04). When I started looking into this it seemed that everyone who had finished the project on here had spent $1500+ on everything. If I can pickup the last couple parts on ebay, I should be able to add this for under $1000 ($800 even if I can find deals). That's a steal! This was what, a $2000 option on new cars? The parts new add up to damn near $3500. Since it's winter here anyways, I'm in no rush to throw this in so I can sit and wait for the remaining parts to pop up online.

I decided that if I am going to do this, I might as well go all out right? I mean, who doesn't want phonebook importation and NavTraffic? So, I bought 07-08 parts for my 2004. I think I'll be the second or third person I know of to put the 07 system in an 04. So wish me luck.

After looking at this stuff over and over, and of course AZ makes you want to drain your wallet, I figured while I have some of the car apart I'd add some extra goodies. So during the navi install I will also be adding a comptech short shifter, speaker upgrades, minor sound proofing, LED upgrades, and any possible rattle DIY fix I can find that is in the area I am already working on (doors, pillars, seats, roof liner, rear deck, etc.)

So anyways, let's get started. I am going to make this thread my interior journal. I hope to be finishing this up by spring time. So this will be an ongoing thread about my interior adventures of modding. Discussion and or people correcting my mistakes is MORE then welcome. But let's keep it on topic for now please.


Well, my goodies. I bought these from SQAcuraTL04 here on AZ.



The parts I still need:
- 07/08 XM Receiver (need to find this used because it's $1000 new)
- 07/08 HFL (would like to find this used because it's $500 new)
- The nav drive holder/clips/screws (just buy these new - only $50ish)
- Harnesses (floor, roof, dash)

So far it appears that the hard part will be the harnesses. And really, it's not that hard. Most of the connectors came with my parts (hell Mike even sent me the wiring and harness he started working on - TY!!), but I have a couple more to get. The only difference in connectors between the sub-generations seems to be the radio-display connection (Connector A on the display). The 04 display used a 14 pin connector there, where as the new 07+ uses a 22 pin connector. Oh well, repining isn't that big of deal... The beauty of this is the building the harnesses is the hardest part, the timeliest part, but it can all be done BEFORE you even touch the car. I figure I'll be sitting in front of the tube, with LOST on, making harnesses.



Differences in radio-display connectors between 04/06 and 07/08.



Here are the pin layouts for the navigation drive (trunk)



Here is the general schematic for the entire navigation system.




Oh yea, the other stuff... I ordered all of these from V-LEDs. The total was around $90 shipped. For all of the parts I took Klutches recommendation. You can find that post here https://acurazine.com/forums/showpos...9&postcount=57



This thing is a beast! I can't wait to blind people behind me haha!






Well that's it for now. I just wanted to introduce myself and get things started. I will be taking TONS of pics, and I will also compose a detailed write-up for everything I do. So far on here the people that have done the conversion have taken decent pics, but no one has really showed a complete step-by-step. So I will try my best.

Thanks,
Chad

 

Well, welcome, and thank you in advance for what seem like it will be a very detailed, clear documentation of your future endeavor.

You're basically already making me want to do this to my own TL .. but that $1500 just always swings me the other way to not doing it. I have a little TomTom and it serves me well for the utilitarian purpose of a GPS receiver.

Nice choice on the LEDs.. you should be able to knock all those out in less than 20 minutes .. only challenging lens to remove was the visor lens (both sides)... once you figure it out.. it's no big deal.

Congrats on your project! Can't wait to see the progress and the finished product.

 

oh, and ditto on LOST .. first few episodes have proven this season to be VERY interesting ..

 

^Hell yea they have. And thanks! Figured it's time to give back to AZ!

 

oh, and while your dash is basically completely taken apart, you'll have ample opportunity to resolve rattles (possibly create new ones)...

Just get yourself a LOT of felt tape and thin strips of soft foam and an adhesive.... i'm sure you'll be meticulous and you'll not incur any new rattles and likely resolve some old ones,.

 

I completely agree. I have started to create an excel document for all parts needed, and a word document that has all of the possible rattle fixes I can find.

 

I've always noticed one under the center channel speaker -- one day i decided to pop that speaker out and noticed it was the stereo wires just dangling from it abutting several other plastic components... i never did do anything about it at that time but I've been meaning to.

I wonder what you could do about all the creaking in the center console that occurs... wonder if its worth apply a thin layer of silicone sealant to each plastic interface (say, with a small arts and crafts brush) as you replace things back to normal... would provide a nice silicone cushion ..

 

LOL wow just what I was thinking. I was taking a look at the short shifter install thread and he shows how the console comes apart. Now I get noise from the console (like general cracks and creeking) but I wouldn't consider it a rattle. It's when I go over something that really "twists" the car. Hell even I drop a gear and floor it I can replicate the noise. Anyways, looking at his pics, I think it'd be completely possible to line the entire console and all it's pieces with felt or silicone as you said. Maybe this will get rid of the odd sounds it produces.

 

Kind of like this...line red areas with something...make it a little more snug. (stole your pics jmbnova, thanks! lol)

 

the only problem I forsee is that once the silicone dries... and if any shearing of two surfaces occurs .. you may hear a "sticky" sorta sound... the silicone pulling off, etc..

then again, maybe you wouldn't .. perhaps you could just apply the silicone sealant to the places where the clips insert

 

Ok so yesterday I installed some of my LEDs and also fixed a few rattles. I took good step by step pics of the install and fixes, so write-up will come later.

The problem is, some of my LEDs are not working. Yesterday I did the front/rear map lights, license plate light, reverse lights, and doors. The license plate bulbs work, the front map lights work, and the drivers side rear map light works. The other rear map light and doors are not working.

Now I'll be frank here, this was not hard...at all. I mean, I didn't even refer to anything, just pop out covers and go. The map light bulbs did take some pulling to get out. I found the tape trick after the fact. I also didn't pull any fuses (I forgot till about half way thru). I did however makes sure that the lights were naturally "off" before the installs.

Anyways, any ideas why those lights wouldn't be working? If I switch out the rear map lights bulbs, it seems like it's the actual socket not bulbs because both bulbs work in the drivers side and not in the passengers. But BOTH reverse lights not working? Those were $36 bulbs...

These are what I used...recommended per a fellow AZer.

http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...s_per_page/100

^I used a 6 LED version of that for my front and rear map lights. Now it looks great up front, but the bulbs are mounted different in the rear (vertically not horizontally), so I don't know if these were the right choice for the rear. Hell, are they even suppose to go there at all?

http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...s_per_page/100

^I used those for the doors and vanity lights. The doors are not working at all, and I couldn't get the vanity off.

http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...ds_per_page/50

^Reverse lights. These aren't working at all...??

http://www.v-leds.com/Shop/Control/P...s_per_page/100

^License plate bulbs. Working great.

Am I missing something? What fuses should I check? If the license plate bulbs works, isn't that the same fuse the reverse lights are on? What about the 1 side of the rear map lights that don't work? Did I break the socket or something? :/ Should I switch out the doors lights and the rear map lights? If same size there led direction would make more sense...

Also any tips on getting the vanity light / trunk out? I've read and read and found good stuff on here but I'm still not seeing the "tab" release thing... Also where the hell is there a light in the glove box?