2008.12.19 - Kenwood KNA-G510 GPS Navigation System
- Installed Kenwood Nav System into the car
- Removed Kenwood stereo and cleaned up wiring
- Re-wired Kenwood stereo and nav unit to obtain power directly from battery (w/ 15-amp ATM fuse)
- Removed HVAC controls, replaced burned out bulbs, lubricated cables and sliders
- Put everything back together
This turned out to be a very long and in-depth project. I decided that I was going to take the time and put forth the effort to do everything right and to fix some other annoyances while I had everything apart. I'm just going to gloss over the major points, because if I went into as much detail as usual I'd probably have to divide this entry into chapters. :-P I fabricated a mounting bracket and mounted the nav unit on the rear bulkhead next to the ECU. This turned out rather nicely because there was already a pre-formed bulge in the carpet (which I assume was meant for some optional item that the PEP cars didn't come with) that was basically the perfect size and shape, and it should also help protect the unit from sun and moisture. The GPS antenna has a magnetic base and was easily secured to the package tray in an indention beneath the carpet. I haven't really had a chance to play with the nav unit much yet but it seems to work quite well and it interacts perfectly with the stereo. I might need to update the firmware, but that should be easy to do. It probably wouldn't hurt to get some updated maps from Garmin with new "Points of Interest" added, but I probably won't bother any time soon since the map updates are not free.
The bulbs used in the HVAC control appear to be some proprietary design, but a #70 bulb seems to be an acceptable replacement as it is about the same brightness and fits into the socket base fairly well.
$295.49 - Kenwood KNA-G510
$3.17 - Nylon bolts, nuts, and washers for nav unit mounting bracket
$7.44 - Bulbs, ring terminal, fuse holder
$41.65 - A/V patch cables and connectors (RadioShack cables sure have gotten pricey in recent years...)
- Removed Kenwood stereo and cleaned up wiring
- Re-wired Kenwood stereo and nav unit to obtain power directly from battery (w/ 15-amp ATM fuse)
- Removed HVAC controls, replaced burned out bulbs, lubricated cables and sliders
- Put everything back together
This turned out to be a very long and in-depth project. I decided that I was going to take the time and put forth the effort to do everything right and to fix some other annoyances while I had everything apart. I'm just going to gloss over the major points, because if I went into as much detail as usual I'd probably have to divide this entry into chapters. :-P I fabricated a mounting bracket and mounted the nav unit on the rear bulkhead next to the ECU. This turned out rather nicely because there was already a pre-formed bulge in the carpet (which I assume was meant for some optional item that the PEP cars didn't come with) that was basically the perfect size and shape, and it should also help protect the unit from sun and moisture. The GPS antenna has a magnetic base and was easily secured to the package tray in an indention beneath the carpet. I haven't really had a chance to play with the nav unit much yet but it seems to work quite well and it interacts perfectly with the stereo. I might need to update the firmware, but that should be easy to do. It probably wouldn't hurt to get some updated maps from Garmin with new "Points of Interest" added, but I probably won't bother any time soon since the map updates are not free.
The bulbs used in the HVAC control appear to be some proprietary design, but a #70 bulb seems to be an acceptable replacement as it is about the same brightness and fits into the socket base fairly well.
$295.49 - Kenwood KNA-G510
$3.17 - Nylon bolts, nuts, and washers for nav unit mounting bracket
$7.44 - Bulbs, ring terminal, fuse holder
$41.65 - A/V patch cables and connectors (RadioShack cables sure have gotten pricey in recent years...)