Swapping Headunits

[Chaser999]

So my buddy has upgraded his factory Bose headunit with navigation to an aftermarket one with (and honestly) less features but he wanted an upgraded stereo. I was curious if by some miracle that his 07 Bose would fit into my 02 pathy......

 

I know this is a long shot but its been on my mind for a little while. My truck has the bose headunit and i think it would look sweet with the bose with built in Nav. I'm gonna guess that it's not plug and play because it's never that easy but my real question would be if it's possible? I can solder and im good electrically so if i had to splice it together is there some miracle that the thing would work? Or are those headunits just too different to be able to do that. And his headunit looks wider than my stock din so i might have to dremel a little but im not that worried, i'm more concerned with the electrical part of it.

 

Also is there a good online reference for the wiring guides for factory bose systems for nissans? I googled but couldnt hit on anything (like a 10 minute search).

 

 

Opinions?

 

Advice?

 

Information?

 

-Chase

[Towncivilian]

You can find wiring diagrams for the 2007 Altima Bose unit here: http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Altima/2007/av.pdf

 

And the 2002 Pathfinder audio wiring digram here: http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/pathfinder/2002_Pathfinder/el.pdf

 

I guess as long as the unit actually fits in the dashboard and the speakers have the same impedences and/or the the amps are identical, it should work if you get the wiring correct. I have photos of the Bose speakers and amplifiers (front & rear) from my 2001.5 Bose system in this thread - no picture of the rear factory amp, but it's out of my vehicle and I can take pictures if required. AFAIK the Bose speakers are 2-ohms and the stock Bose head unit outputs a very low line level voltage to the amps (which is why you would need to use a line-level output converter with an aftermarket head unit if you wish to keep the stock Bose speakers). I don't know about the 2007 Altima's specs in detail, but my mother has one and I can try to see what the rear speakers impedance are by looking in the trunk at least. Also, the 2007 Altima has 8 speakers vs. a Pathfinder's 4, so that may be an issue too.

 

I have no idea if the factory nav system in the Altima requires any extra wiring or components, though I didn't look at the wiring diagram at all so you'd have to find out for yourself.

Edited November 26, 2011 by Towncivilian

[Chaser999]

I think the nav unit should be disc run? Not 100% sure.

 

And your the man, you have given me exactly the info i needed. This could be a lengthy project.......the wheels are spinning

[Towncivilian]

No idea, my mom's Altima doesn't have the nav system. What I meant by wiring or components was additional antennas or wiring to the speed sensor or stuff like that - but some study of the wiring diagrams and system descriptions of the FSM should tell you this.

 

Good luck with this, and if you end up doing it try to document it as best you can in case someone else wants to do this in the future.

[Tungsten]

Here is my

 

A good aftermarket unit, such as those found in Crutchfield Signature, will almost always be better than any OEM stereo. Losing the navigation is not a big deal, just get a stand alone GPS unit.

[93xe]

it will not fit even close, it will not be anywhere near plug and play , and it will be waaay more effort than it is worth.

 

Trust me don't even bother.

 

A brand new higher end double din gps can be had for anywhere from 400-800 that will have dvd, usb, aux in, bluetooth, and better than oem nav.

 

Older brand new models are the best deals, check out

 

pioneer avicx910bt

 

kenwood dnx6160

 

alpine ina-w900bt

[adamzan]

I agree with 93xe. Unless the wiring harnesses match (which I doubt because you know how they like to change things) you'll have to cut and splice. Which means if it doesn't work right or you don't like it, you'll have an even bigger mess and harder time trying to put an aftermarket one or the old oem one back in. This is how wiring rat nests begin!

[nunya]

really the wiring "omg it will never happen because you have to cut everything" can probably be solved with some pigtails for the head unit you want to use, an aftermarket installation wiring kit for the truck, the wiring diagrams to match the stuff together, and some patience. I may personally not be a big fan of wiring but just because something ain't a 5 minute plug and play don't make it impossible. I'm not saying dive in head first but don't give up just because someone sais you can't swim without even putting a toe in the water. Look through those wiring diagrams to start and see if it's a feasable start then go from there on what you want to do.

[Tungsten]

I am with nunya on this one. If you want to be cheap you can use head units from other vehicles as long as they fit exactly like the one you are replacing. Just get a harness adapter for your Pathfinder and source the connectors for the head unit. I did a stereo swap on a Dodge Caravan recently using this same method...

 

 

Old top, new on bottom...

 

 

 

It was completely different on the other side!

 

 

After some screwing around, I made the back plug in like the original one. It works great and only cost $30 to upgrade to CD and 3 way EQ!

Edited November 27, 2011 by Tungsten

[93xe]

nothing is impossible, certainly not this

 

just not worth the time and effort

 

first of all the oem gps antenna is built into the car, and does not usually work with aftermarket style gps antennas.

 

The oem nav needs to see vss (vehicle speed sense), brake, ebrake, and other signals, many of which may be altered by computer control, making it difficult to just hardwire these into a new vehicle

 

Unless the altima came originally as a radio delete car, chances are the factory radio is not a true double din size, requiring extensive modifying to fit (although it would bolt to the stock brackets no problem)

 

There are many more reasons not to undertake something such as this

 

With those dodge radios they were just am/fm and cd or tape source, not a touchscreen with navigation

 

 

Aftermarket is waaaay more upgradeable than oem any day of the week

 

Aftermarket will look better, sound better, and generally work better than an oem unit (even though most are built by the aftermarket companies)

 

People always spend too much time trying to integrate factory equipment into older vehicles when a much cheaper higher performance solution is readily available.

 

End rant

 

PS sorry just got done working a 17 hour black friday and a loooong saturday

Edited November 27, 2011 by 93xe

[Tungsten]

yeah if it doesn't physically fit then it's not even worth the hassle

 

With those dodge radios they were just am/fm and cd or tape source, not a touchscreen with navigation

 

there was a navigation unit available as well but not worth the effort to find one for a cheap price

garmin navigation units are superior to everything

 

 

FYI: BOSE sound is garbage

Edited November 27, 2011 by Tungsten

[93xe]

kenwood navigation units use a garmin nav

[Chaser999]

Yea, I've giving it some thought and i think it would be easier to run with a aftermarket one. I think its possible but i dont think i have the time and patience to deal with it all. O well a an can dream at least......