A small project I’ve taken on since truck ownership a little over a month ago was to install a backup camera to the factory radio. I really didn’t want to fool with aftermarket radios. That phase of my life is over. I just want stuff that works, sounds decent and is reliable. Just my preference. It’s my truck.
Having researched the different packages on the Frontier, I found the radio available on my SV (non-Value Truck Package, “VTP”) is the same product number from Bosch available on the SV VTP Frontier. So..... it was just a matter of wiring and plugging the right wires.
I was really just curious that I could actually make this work before finalizing the wiring, etc. So for $60, I figured, WTF? Why not try it.
After several hours of research online, I found that Mouser electronics does have 32 pin wiring connector, both male and female that mate to the Nissan connector and Bosch radio. It was just a matter of making the mate.
My first mistake was to assume the pins used were identical to those available through Mouser. They just don’t mesh well with the factory connector. So I ended up building a “jumper” harness between the factory 32 pin and the radio. AT the radio, I added the connections necessary to complete the install (pins 34, 36, 36, 44 and 50 at the M45 connector).
The only bit of advice I have here for anyone thinking of doing this is to take your time if you’ve never worked with production wiring connectors before. The little pins can be a royal pain to work with and you need some specialized tools. I took my time on each pin retrofit. I also checked continuity between the harnesses before the install.
I wanted to go the harness route for two reasons: 1) it’s easier to pinpoint if there were issues in my trial phase. 2) If I need to remove it in the future, I can just unplug the harness and return the radio to stock.
So parts used:
Mouser and manufacturers P/N:
1473799-1 (1x)
1318747-1 (1x)
1123343-1 (15x, wanted spares)
1376109-1 (15x, wanted spares)
A lot of patience, some spare wiring, solder, heat shrink, etc.
I did cannibalize a Scosche NN04RB for the gauge wire I wanted. I though this would be good for the connectors on the ends during my initial foray, but I was wrong, they are the incorrect gauge to just plug into the factory 32 pin harness. But the colored wire was helpful.
Camera was Esky EC170-08 (available from several sources)
You can also cross reference the part numbers via the TE Connectivity Electronics website as well as view several informative .PDFs and other digrams.
The remaining parts are the easy stuff.... running wiring to the camera, tapping into the reverse circuit and buttoning everything up. That’s silly stuff.
(this image is sort of poor because I still have the protective blue "tape" on the camera from the manufacturer, and it's dark-ish outside).
Anyway, hope this helps someone out there with an SV non-VTP to add a backup camera.
I will probably make a more comprehensive install with wiring diagrams, etc. But for now, I’m excited. It’s the little things.....
Having researched the different packages on the Frontier, I found the radio available on my SV (non-Value Truck Package, “VTP”) is the same product number from Bosch available on the SV VTP Frontier. So..... it was just a matter of wiring and plugging the right wires.
I was really just curious that I could actually make this work before finalizing the wiring, etc. So for $60, I figured, WTF? Why not try it.
After several hours of research online, I found that Mouser electronics does have 32 pin wiring connector, both male and female that mate to the Nissan connector and Bosch radio. It was just a matter of making the mate.
My first mistake was to assume the pins used were identical to those available through Mouser. They just don’t mesh well with the factory connector. So I ended up building a “jumper” harness between the factory 32 pin and the radio. AT the radio, I added the connections necessary to complete the install (pins 34, 36, 36, 44 and 50 at the M45 connector).
The only bit of advice I have here for anyone thinking of doing this is to take your time if you’ve never worked with production wiring connectors before. The little pins can be a royal pain to work with and you need some specialized tools. I took my time on each pin retrofit. I also checked continuity between the harnesses before the install.
I wanted to go the harness route for two reasons: 1) it’s easier to pinpoint if there were issues in my trial phase. 2) If I need to remove it in the future, I can just unplug the harness and return the radio to stock.
So parts used:
Mouser and manufacturers P/N:
1473799-1 (1x)
1318747-1 (1x)
1123343-1 (15x, wanted spares)
1376109-1 (15x, wanted spares)
A lot of patience, some spare wiring, solder, heat shrink, etc.
I did cannibalize a Scosche NN04RB for the gauge wire I wanted. I though this would be good for the connectors on the ends during my initial foray, but I was wrong, they are the incorrect gauge to just plug into the factory 32 pin harness. But the colored wire was helpful.
Camera was Esky EC170-08 (available from several sources)
You can also cross reference the part numbers via the TE Connectivity Electronics website as well as view several informative .PDFs and other digrams.
The remaining parts are the easy stuff.... running wiring to the camera, tapping into the reverse circuit and buttoning everything up. That’s silly stuff.
(this image is sort of poor because I still have the protective blue "tape" on the camera from the manufacturer, and it's dark-ish outside).
Anyway, hope this helps someone out there with an SV non-VTP to add a backup camera.
I will probably make a more comprehensive install with wiring diagrams, etc. But for now, I’m excited. It’s the little things.....
