Has anyone done this retrofit recently? I did it to my frontier but there are some things that are not working and I would like to figure out how to fix them. The aftermarket backup camera won’t trip when I put it in reverse but the head unit recognizes it when I go into the camera settings, the microphone doesn’t work, the illumination doesn’t work, and the steering wheel controls don’t work. I will compensate you if you are able to help me figure out my issues.

 

I need help with getting my aftermarket backup camera to trip and the button illumination doesn’t work and the microphone doesn’t work and the steering wheel controls

 

At this point you're probably better off taking it to a reputable car audio shop to figure out why your illum and mic and steering wheel controls aren't working.
The "arduino" thing is something else in its entirety.

 

Does anyone know how to code the adurino module for steering wheel controls?

 

YOu have some specific thing you're trying to do that can't be done with an ASWC-1 or PAC SWC?

 

Has anyone tried this in a 2019 Frontier? I’d really like to have CarPlay but keep the factory look and functionality. I’m just not into aftermarket radios these days.

 

I understand liking the factory look. It just looks more uniform. That's been my holdup with getting an updated head unit for my 2018. I thought I was the only one who also liked the stock look.

Every time someone has this POV it makes me wonder why.
I mean - the whole reason for upgrading an OEM head unit is to actually improve the sound, not the "looks".

Aftermarket stereos are obvious and make the truck look cheaper somehow.

Can't be worse than an aftermarket grill with giant, unmatching font "N I S S A N" lettering, can it?

 

Every time someone has this POV it makes me wonder why.
I mean - the whole reason for upgrading an OEM head unit is to actually improve the sound, not the "looks".



Can't be worse than an aftermarket grill with giant, unmatching font "N I S S A N" lettering, can it?

🤷‍♂️

 

Its cool you got it working, but at that point why not go the aftermarket route and have better sound quality too?

Good question. Same reason I have a VK56 and not a LS, try and stick close to factory.

Aftermarket would have been a ton easier, but I like the aesthetic of a factory unit.

I understand liking the factory look. It just looks more uniform. Aftermarket stereos are obvious and make the truck look cheaper somehow. That's been my holdup with getting an updated head unit for my 2018. I thought I was the only one who also liked the stock look.

 

TLDR; look at the pic (videos linked below), fully working factory Nissan Android Auto / Apple CarPlay radio. Yes, steering wheel controls, amp, fm, SXM, and backup camera working.

Up until now, I had not been satisfied with the tiny screen stock radio in my 2016 Frontier. The sound was decent but the screen was too small and lacked modern features. Old unit for sale...

In 2019 I noticed they started offering the larger screen Panasonic units in the frontiers, but they still lacked Android Auto and Apple CarPlay features.

However, last year only Nissan offered an optional Android Auto and Apple CarPlay units in some non-frontier upgraded trim models.

I purchased several and began getting it wired with full functionality in my Frontier. If I can have a fully working VK56 in my 2016 truck, how hard could it be to get a radio fully working? Well… hard. This project took over 9 months. Partially because I was without the truck for Vk56 upgrade but also COVID delays and research time.

There were some obstacles to overcome, but it has been working great. My truck has more features than my wife's Lexus now

Video of the radio and various features in action:




Some features with this unit:

• Dual USB (one in center console, and now one on right where 12v outlets are, pic at bottom of post)
• Android Auto / Apple CarPlay (this is a huge upgrade for me as a Spotify listener and a Waze user)
• Cop / speed trap alerting!!! (using Waze, pic at bottom of post)
• Larger screen (for backup and general navigation)
• Wifi (the unit will update itself over wifi so it doesn’t become outdated)
• Excellent voice command navigation (I didn’t use this much before, but it works great for changing audio and phone calling)
• Backup assist (when configured with vehicle dimensions, shows you where on road you will backup to with Anticipatory line and distance to obstacles)
• Customizable touch home screen (rearrange icons and layout)
• Similar amber LED glow colors that come on with the lights and screen dims the same as before

Things to overcome to get this unit working:

• Need to convert amplified to low-level to work with rockford amp. This means the unit will work in non-rockford systems though as well without adding an amp.
• Complex wiring harness needs created. Not a plug and play with any connector except the USB one. The 20 pin harness needs re-mapped along with the 40-pin harness. Having a 2019 Panasonic unit may not help much either.
• Antenna connector is different from normal Nissan/Infiniti for some special reason and needs modified or replaced.
• The camera, dunno why but Nissan made this difficult on the frontier.
• Steering wheel controls - This by far was the most difficult to overcome, I purchased some 2019 combination meters / gauges to try and debug but eventually ended up creating my own media-can bus (M-CAN which uses Nissan proprietary commands) and converting analog control input to digital.

Happy to discuss what the unit offers, but I feel this is the ultimate factory radio upgrade. I’ve got 4 units to sell in a kit-like fashion which I'll post up in a few days / a week. Those buyers will be the first to get the secrets of the analog->digital conversion and support to get this fully up and running so I can cover the costs of the research of the project.

This can also be used for the NV200/NV2500 and Sentra / Versa as they use the similar sized radio.

View attachment 320058

I am trying to do this with my 2014 frontier, can you help with finding the parts needed?
I already ordered the head unit I just need to figure out the harness situation and get a backup camera and figure out anything else that’s needed

 

this was one of the cheaper and easier solutions for me.

...it generally is, if that's what your main focus is (cheap and easy). If actual sound improvement is not a primary goal, then that's your preference.

I bought the radio for about $260. I scavenged parts to make an adapter harness. That's all it took. The radio bolts right in and the harness I made plugs into the factory wiring without any modification.

You failed to mention what parts you scavenged - everything still costs something.

Also, aftermarket head units will also "bolt right in" with a simple pre-made bracket, and they will also "plug into the factory wiring without any modification" once you connect the HU harness to the adapter harness; you basically did the same thing by scavenging parts and making your own harness.

Based on my research, to install an aftermarket radio I was going to need new speakers, a new backup camera, new microphone (included with new radio), and an adapter for the steering wheel controls. All of those items would need to be installed and wired in. Some would need new wire runs or at the least I would have to hack the factory wiring to use it. The adapter for the steering wheel controls has to be programmed to work with the specific vehicle and radio combination.

Not sure what research you did, but a lot of what you said is mostly incorrect, or you're misinformed, or what you read was misinterpreted.

• You don't need new speakers. But it's ideal if you actually want better sound quality.
• You don't need a new backup camera - the OEM backup camera can work with aftermarket head units.
• A new/better microphone comes with the new radio, so that's a non-issue.
• You don't always need an adapter for steering wheel control - some newer aftermarket HUs have SWC compatibility built-in i.e. Sony
• You don't need "new wire runs" to install an aftermarket head unit unless you're adding new features that didn't exist.
• Of course the steering wheel adapter does need to be programmed, and it takes a couple of minutes tops.

 

BTW, for anyone considering this swap, these head units seem to be available at reasonable prices again. I find them listed for around $260 - $300 or so. That makes it worth considering when weighing aftermarket versus a factory swap.

It's also worth noting that Nissan uses non-standard 2 ohm speakers. Most aftermarket radios are designed for 4 or 8 ohm speakers. Crutchfield recommends replacing the factory speakers if you are installing an aftermarket radio. I'm not sure it's an absolute requirement or just a recommendation so Crutchfield can sell you more hardware. Just another thing to consider if you are contemplating a swap like this to add Carplay/Android Auto functionality.

 

BTW, for anyone considering this swap, these head units seem to be available at reasonable prices again. I find them listed for around $260 - $300 or so. That makes it worth considering when weighing aftermarket versus a factory swap.

And in the end you still have an OEM head unit with out-dated features, old technology, and zero improvement in sound quality, for what? So that you can say "oh but look it's OEM Nissan head unit in my dash yay"?

There are so many accessible options on the market that are far superior to spending/wasting time replacing an inferior OEM head unit for another OEM head unit of the same quality level. You can get an aftermarket name-brand head unit with more features, up-to-date features, and much better sound quality for that same $300 or so.

But if you really, really just have to have an OEM radio in the dash for some reason, then I guess that's what you want.

 

This is an interesting thread! I'm not trying to revive an old thread but I do have a question.

I found this after already completing a similar install on my NV2500 cargo van. I bought one of these 2591A5UD0A Carplay/Android Auto compatible head units from a salvage yard. It came from a 2021 NV200. For some reason, Nissan never offered this in the larger cargo van. I made my harness and got everything hooked up and working correctly. The issue I'm having is getting the new head unit to actually save the new camera settings. The NV2500 is much larger than the NV200 and the camera is mounted on the opposite rear door. So the back up lines are not in the correct location. I've figured out the right settings, and I can go into the secret menu and change them. Everything looks great after accepting the changes and exiting out of the secret menu. The back up lines are in the correct location. The problem is, they are not saved after turning the ignition off. It goes back the the default settings for the NV200 each time I start the van again.

Is there some extra step I'm missing to make the radio store the new camera settings permanently? Could this be a defect in the specific radio I have (seems unlikely since everything else works perfectly)?

I would really appreciate any comments/advice on this issue. Thanks!

 

Hello! I am now doing the same thing as you and I need your help! Please tell me what signals via the CAN bus need to be generated for each button on wheel. I'm currently programming my arduiono, but can't find the signals. I really need your help. I would be very grateful if you could provide the firmware file for Arduino.

 

TLDR; look at the pic (videos linked below), fully working factory Nissan Android Auto / Apple CarPlay radio. Yes, steering wheel controls, amp, fm, SXM, and backup camera working.

Up until now, I had not been satisfied with the tiny screen stock radio in my 2016 Frontier. The sound was decent but the screen was too small and lacked modern features. Old unit for sale...

In 2019 I noticed they started offering the larger screen Panasonic units in the frontiers, but they still lacked Android Auto and Apple CarPlay features.

However, last year only Nissan offered an optional Android Auto and Apple CarPlay units in some non-frontier upgraded trim models.

I purchased several and began getting it wired with full functionality in my Frontier. If I can have a fully working VK56 in my 2016 truck, how hard could it be to get a radio fully working? Well… hard. This project took over 9 months. Partially because I was without the truck for Vk56 upgrade but also COVID delays and research time.

There were some obstacles to overcome, but it has been working great. My truck has more features than my wife's Lexus now

Video of the radio and various features in action:
https://vimeo.com/user120311845/review/441881198/455faab14b
https://vimeo.com/user120311845/review/441881153/a2f37fd2ae
https://vimeo.com/user120311845/review/441880882/d81bea916d

Some features with this unit:

• Dual USB (one in center console, and now one on right where 12v outlets are, pic at bottom of post)
• Android Auto / Apple CarPlay (this is a huge upgrade for me as a Spotify listener and a Waze user)
• Cop / speed trap alerting!!! (using Waze, pic at bottom of post)
• Larger screen (for backup and general navigation)
• Wifi (the unit will update itself over wifi so it doesn’t become outdated)
• Excellent voice command navigation (I didn’t use this much before, but it works great for changing audio and phone calling)
• Backup assist (when configured with vehicle dimensions, shows you where on road you will backup to with Anticipatory line and distance to obstacles)
• Customizable touch home screen (rearrange icons and layout)
• Similar amber LED glow colors that come on with the lights and screen dims the same as before

Things to overcome to get this unit working:

• Need to convert amplified to low-level to work with rockford amp. This means the unit will work in non-rockford systems though as well without adding an amp.
• Complex wiring harness needs created. Not a plug and play with any connector except the USB one. The 20 pin harness needs re-mapped along with the 40-pin harness. Having a 2019 Panasonic unit may not help much either.
• Antenna connector is different from normal Nissan/Infiniti for some special reason and needs modified or replaced.
• The camera, dunno why but Nissan made this difficult on the frontier.
• Steering wheel controls - This by far was the most difficult to overcome, I purchased some 2019 combination meters / gauges to try and debug but eventually ended up creating my own media-can bus (M-CAN which uses Nissan proprietary commands) and converting analog control input to digital.

Happy to discuss what the unit offers, but I feel this is the ultimate factory radio upgrade. I’ve got 4 units to sell in a kit-like fashion which I'll post up in a few days / a week. Those buyers will be the first to get the secrets of the analog->digital conversion and support to get this fully up and running so I can cover the costs of the research of the project.

This can also be used for the NV200/NV2500 and Sentra / Versa as they use the similar sized radio.

View attachment 320058

Do you have any kits for sale at this time? Also, your links to vimeo videos aren't working.

 

Updated the video links, thanks for noticing.

I don't have any kits available. I've moved onto other projects (fixing OD disable, and adding tow mode is my current one). I think the consensus from most was that aftermarket gave more bang for the buck after the head units shot up in price. I've seen these units regularly go for 500-1000 as they are somewhat plug and play on some sentra models that did not have these features.

 

I am extremely interested in doing this mod to my 2019 Frontier. Can someone help point me in the right direction. I'm not squeamish when it comes to modding things. I have some experiences with arduinos. Can I possibly get the code? Also, any written documentation? Thanks for anyone's help?

 

Welcome lee_stow. The head units to do this mod have gotten quite pricy. I have posted up a bit about settings and wiring though. The 2019 has a different wiring (40-pin) than the earlier frontiers so I would start there and ensure it is a project you want to tackle.

What other mods do you have? Jumping into this project as a first post is an interesting start

Feel free to DM

 

I also recently switched from a Android to an iPhone. CarPlay arguably works better, seems faster and like it gets less interruption. The CarPlay must use the black USB port in the back of the unit and not the brown where android auto can use the brown port on the back. Also the brown port is always on, so leaving something plugged in like an amazon echo auto will drain the battery (ask me how I know....)

 

@SoCal your spot on about the analog to digital conversion that I did. It is an Arduino uno that I used to do the analog to digital conversion. I had to get an exact Sentra to be-able to reverse the Nissan MCAN protocol and heartbeat. I tried a few times with other models and they had different digital signals on the media bus. I then used that info and the resistance values across the frontier steering wheel controls to build a program that would assist in the conversion. Lots of adapters on the market to go from digital to analog or digital to consumer grade protocol (SONY, pioneer, etc), but no one had anything off the shelf that would convert analog to nissan specific digital signal.

 

does anyone know where to buy the right type of connector and crimped female to male wires?

Thanks

 

Appreciate you posting the info for others to see if they want to attempt it later on their own.

 

To get into the secret menu of the radio, you hold down MENU and then push the volume button in and turn the wheel left 90 degrees then right 90 degrees a few times.

Once in, you can get to advanced configuration screens such as this:

The settings we will need to update are for the camera. Specifically these values need to be changed from the Sentra to fit a crew-cab frontier.

They are mostly measurements in mm which I determined by actually measuring the vehicle.

Width: 1849

Wheelbase: 3198

Rear overhang: 1270 (measured from center of axle, about 50” till end of bumper)

Max Steering Wheel Angle: 630 (one and ¾ turns)

Radius Turning Fact: 150 (just over 30% more than Sentra. Curb to curb on sentra is 34.8ft and crew cab frontier is 43.6ft) -- I had to guess here, maybe needs refinement.

CamX offset: 89 (we are about 3.5” left of center on tailgate)

CamY offset: 165 (we are about 6.5” above vehicle height midpoint)

CamZ offset: 1130 (overhang minus 5.5” for bumper)


Others:

Min front tire change: 1 (I may update this to 2 in the future so not as sensitive on when to kick in the anticipatory line)

 

Posting the parts here that someone would need if they want to do this on their own. I sold through the radio's I had, so am going to centralize some more information here about the parts needed for the conversion. As promised, when I sold through, I would upload additional details if someone wanted to do it themselves.

1. Nissan factory head unit:
2591A5UD0A or 2591A5UD0B

2. 20-pin female harness with any needed added wire.

3. The 20-pin male harness with wires needed.

4. A 40-pin custom harness

5. 2 x Nissan USB connectors for the back of the unit (you may already have one in the back of your unit). These came from a supplier in China and took two months to arrive, FYI.

6. A programmed board and a soldered Arduino mega board for the analog to digital conversion of steering wheel controls and a breadboard with 1k resistors for each steering wheel channel hooked to the analog input 0 and 1. You also need aSeeed studio CAN-Bus Shield V2 to create the Nissan media can-bus, these parts require programming and soldering. Once completed it will look something like below. I put a home-made case around mine eventually.

The wires are:
Incoming Steering Switch A - blue
Incoming Steering Switch B - white
Incoming Steering Ground - black
Power - ACC
Ground
Outgoing Media Can-H
Outgoing Media Can-L

7. Camera re-wiring and install instructions. This was actually harder than I expected so I documented it all and will provide photos/instructions.
Instructions available here: AA-AC Frontier Upgrade - Camera
I did see that newer vehicles 2017+ may have a 'camera det' on the wiring diagram. This may be a solid shield all the way to the camera. Someone with a 2017+ would need to poke around to verify.

8. Antenna connectors. The receiver supports an amplified antenna, but we will use it in a non-amplified manner as the frontier has a long antenna.
Showing the difference here. Need one on left, frontier on right. This seems impossible to find, but I have two of them if someone is interested in purchasing.

9. Secret menu access instructions to input the correct values for the backup camera. I did some research and had to figure these all out. There are secret screens to modify the unit from acting like a car backing up to new data to act like a crew cab wide radius frontier backing up. I'll post up in a bit.

What you may want/need still:

OPTIONAL: A dash mount USB plug (to replace a 12v outlet on passenger side). I purchased the item below off of ebay and it worked well after a shim.
USB AUX Adapter Socket 3.5mm Jack Car Dashboard Mounted Extension Cable MA1101 | eBay

OPTIONAL: A amp level to factory amp audio converter such as the SCOSCHE SLC4 (needed if you have a factory rockford amp or aftermarket amp that requires line-level). I turned the gain all the way down on mine and it works great with rockford.

Open items to be aware of:
The diagnostics of the unit will report Combination meter not working 100% since we are just imitating it
The antenna will report an open circuit as we are not using an amplifier and don’t hook up the 12v power to the radio amp (not needed unless you want a shark fin antenna)
I am not sure what would happen in NissanConnect, thinking this feature won’t work

 

Where can I get these parts?

 

@dwtalk Would your kit work on a 2011 SL? No screen currently on this model, but it has the RF system

 

I asked an airhead blonde if she smoked after sex...and she said she had never looked.

 

Understandable, most people don’t know where the smoke is coming from.

 

Smoking is bad, m'kay.
~ Mr Mackey

 

Yes, yes it is, either for a human or a car, except for after sex...

 

Again- you’re not reading. I quit last year LOL

But seriously... have you seen the price of a pack of cigarettes these days?!? Aside from the health aspect (obviously), I can’t believe how much money I’ve saved on not having to spend on smokes. On top of that, due to the pandemic I’ve saved even more cash by not having to buy gas on a regular basis the last 4 months!

 

When I quit smoking....cigarettes I was paying $8.....A CARTON. I used to smoke 2-1/2 packs a day. It would be a car payment to smoke that much now.

But I wasn’t referring to cigarettes....

 

Yeah.... our h/u even with RF package sucks.... I DID pay for the upgraded SD card with updated maps.... which actually is really helpful here in SF/CA as there are new streets and construction 24/7.... ONE THING THOUGH I WILL SAY..... is when i'm out in the middle of Tahoe National Forest with no xm or cell signal... the GPS on our trucks STILL WORKS...even on the dirt roads which i think is REALLY cool and helpful .... i couldn't believe that the GPS has the Western States Trail from Squaw Valley to Auburn.... fwiw.... was thinking too WHY don't we have the bigger screen like all the other Nissan's when we paid for the fully loaded one.... sighs....

 

iDatalink (Maestro) has helped bridge the gap(s) toward integration of the complicated interfacing scenarios. Our archaic trucks are not even close to some other manufacturers' models that use the touchscreen for controlling HVAC, for example. I love my Maestro's ability to display OBD data in 2 changeable 5-gauage clusters right on my Kenwood head unit. Pretty cool methinks.