Nav to Non-Nav Conversion Walkthrough (7 Viewers)

[drowzyGX]

So this chip shortage really threw a wrench in the gears of my non-nav conversion.

head units from reputable brands like sony, kenwood, alpine, and pioneer are sold out everywhere unless you want one of the $1K+ ones.

looking at one of the China Android units as a stop gap until the Sony XAV-AX5500 is back in stock with crutchfield.

3 questions before ordering from Ali express. Here’s the unit I’m considering.

1. Are the canbus harnesses from these vendors legit? It looks like they only work for JBL / Pioneer amps, but I’ve got the ML. Crutchfield says their JBL harness also works for ML. Wondering if this is the same
2. What is needed for steering wheel controls? When ordering from crutchfield they provide 2 harnesses: 1 for the head unit to the amp and 1 for steering wheel controls. It looks like these Ali express vendors only provide 1.
3. For the trim, can I just use the metra paint-matched trim from crutchfield?

Crutchfield provides a nifty little kit with the trim for the head unit and the 2 harnesses. Wondering if I can buy that and use it with the Chinese head unit until Sony is back in stock.

 

[ZIDCONPRO]

So this chip shortage really threw a wrench in the gears of my non-nav conversion.

head units from reputable brands like sony, kenwood, alpine, and pioneer are sold out everywhere unless you want one of the $1K+ ones.

looking at one of the China Android units as a stop gap until the Sony XAV-AX5500 is back in stock with crutchfield.

3 questions before ordering from Ali express. Here’s the unit I’m considering.

1. Are the canbus harnesses from these vendors legit? It looks like they only work for JBL / Pioneer amps, but I’ve got the ML. Crutchfield says their JBL harness also works for ML. Wondering if this is the same
2. What is needed for steering wheel controls? When ordering from crutchfield they provide 2 harnesses: 1 for the head unit to the amp and 1 for steering wheel controls. It looks like these Ali express vendors only provide 1.
3. For the trim, can I just use the metra paint-matched trim from crutchfield?

Crutchfield provides a nifty little kit with the trim for the head unit and the 2 harnesses. Wondering if I can buy that and use it with the Chinese head unit until Sony is back in stock.

canbus for Pioneer/JBL is also suitable for Mark Levinson. I myself bought on Aliexpress android for gx470.
on the wiring with the canbus there will be a power connector and a steering wheel button connector as in this pic.

The canbus for the Prado 150 with the factory sound amplifier is also suitable for the Prado 120/GX470.

 

[drowzyGX]

Fantastic - thank you! Sounds like this android unit should work until the Sony ones are back in stock.

 

[jdevtac]

So this chip shortage really threw a wrench in the gears of my non-nav conversion.

head units from reputable brands like sony, kenwood, alpine, and pioneer are sold out everywhere unless you want one of the $1K+ ones.

looking at one of the China Android units as a stop gap until the Sony XAV-AX5500 is back in stock with crutchfield.

3 questions before ordering from Ali express. Here’s the unit I’m considering.

1. Are the canbus harnesses from these vendors legit? It looks like they only work for JBL / Pioneer amps, but I’ve got the ML. Crutchfield says their JBL harness also works for ML. Wondering if this is the same
2. What is needed for steering wheel controls? When ordering from crutchfield they provide 2 harnesses: 1 for the head unit to the amp and 1 for steering wheel controls. It looks like these Ali express vendors only provide 1.
3. For the trim, can I just use the metra paint-matched trim from crutchfield?

Crutchfield provides a nifty little kit with the trim for the head unit and the 2 harnesses. Wondering if I can buy that and use it with the Chinese head unit until Sony is back in stock.

Fantastic - thank you! Sounds like this android unit should work until the Sony ones are back in stock.

If you swap back to a traditional name brand din, you can get a PAC rp4.2 ty11 (<$100) which interfaces with the ML amp and provided steering controls all in one.

 

[drowzyGX]

If you swap back to a traditional name brand din, you can get a PAC rp4.2 ty11 (<$100) which interfaces with the ML amp and provided steering controls all in one.

that’s great! All this stereo stuff may as well be a foreign language to me. So I was just gonna grab the “kit” from crutchfield to keep things easy. I’ll check harness out though.

 

[ZIDCONPRO]

adapter for a standard Pioneer and Mark Levinson amplifier, when installing a non-standard radio. Price ~$100 in our country.

 

[drowzyGX]

Look what got re-stocked at Crutchfield! Woo! Can’t wait to knock out the non-nav conversion. The wiring harness from @ZIDCONPRO will be here soon, and then it’s happening!

 

[binaryaudax]

@jdevtac thanks for the tip about the PAC unit.

After much internal debating, I'm ditching the Tesla-style 10" Android unit and converting to non-nav climate control and a Pioneer double-DIN headunit. Just waiting on the non-navigation radio brackets to be delivered.

I was able to source the holy grail... a non-navigation climate control unit for 2007-2009 years.

(If anyone has a non-navigation climate control unit from 2003-2006 that they want to part with, PM me. I have an extra board from a 2007+ unit that I want to see if I can retrofit into the pre-2007 unit.)

 

[IGetLost]

@jdevtac thanks for the tip about the PAC unit.

After much internal debating, I'm ditching the Tesla-style 10" Android unit and converting to non-nav climate control and a Pioneer double-DIN headunit. Just waiting on the non-navigation radio brackets to be delivered.

I was able to source the holy grail... a non-navigation climate control unit for 2007-2009 years.

(If anyone has a non-navigation climate control unit from 2003-2006 that they want to part with, PM me. I have an extra board from a 2007+ unit that I want to see if I can retrofit into the pre-2007 unit.)

The only one for a 2008 I've found was outrageously expensive - can I ask how you found yours, and what you paid? Thanks

 

[epab]

Hi peoples. Lurked for awhile, and just finally registered to see if I can find some assistance.

I was attempting to get through the conversion from nav to non nav and following the guide here.
For my production year 2/05 it says to use 88650-60771 as the non nav replacement for the climate controls. Took me awhile and I found it, went to do the swap and the male to female parts don't seem to match at all. I'm terrible with electronics, but can generally follow guides. The second picture at the top is the non nav portion for conversion, and the bottom is the who nav piece that I'm taking out. What am I missing? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm kinda in the dark here

 

[binaryaudax]

Hi peoples. Lurked for awhile, and just finally registered to see if I can find some assistance.

I was attempting to get through the conversion from nav to non nav and following the guide here.
For my production year 2/05 it says to use 88650-60771 as the non nav replacement for the climate controls. Took me awhile and I found it, went to do the swap and the male to female parts don't seem to match at all. I'm terrible with electronics, but can generally follow guides. The second picture at the top is the non nav portion for conversion, and the bottom is the who nav piece that I'm taking out. What am I missing? Any help would be greatly appreciated as I'm kinda in the dark here View attachment 2745798

View attachment 2745800

The correct plugs for the non-nagivation climate control are somewhere else entirely. On navigation models, the A/C is controlled by a computer on the right side of the passenger foot well. You have to remove your glove box, and relocate the three plugs from there all the way over to the center console to plug into the non-navigation climate control unit.

Here's a link to the original write-up on how to do this conversion: 2006 Lexus GX470: Convert navigation model to non-navigation? - https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/a/51071

 

[trinydex]

The correct plugs for the non-nagivation climate control are somewhere else entirely. On navigation models, the A/C is controlled by a computer on the right side of the passenger foot well. You have to remove your glove box, and relocate the three plugs from there all the way over to the center console to plug into the non-navigation climate control unit.

Here's a link to the original write-up on how to do this conversion: 2006 Lexus GX470: Convert navigation model to non-navigation? - https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/a/51071

there's someone who makes an extension harness so you can just plug on one end and the plug into the new unit. it's about 120 bucks. it's a Russian user on GXOR Facebook group

 

[rommelrommel]

there's someone who makes an extension harness so you can just plug on one end and the plug into the new unit. it's about 120 bucks. it's a Russian user on GXOR Facebook group

He is actually active in this thread, although he’s not Russian.

 

[trinydex]

He is actually active in this thread, although he’s not Russian.

eldar karimov?

 

[drowzyGX]

eldar karimov?

Username is @ZIDCONPRO, and I vouch for the awesome quality of his harness! Made my conversion so much easier.

 

[epab]

Great, thank you all for the info. I've reached out to zidconpro. Has anyone who's done the conversion made a video, or have further recommendations on parts, steps past the guide?

Thanks again!

 

[drowzyGX]

Great, thank you all for the info. I've reached out to zidconpro. Has anyone who's done the conversion made a video, or have further recommendations on parts, steps past the guide?

Thanks again!

If you’re on Facebook, the GXOR group there has - I believe - a lot of detailed instructions on the conversion. I don’t have Facebook, though. So I went by this thread and the really old stack exchange OG conversion guide. For parts, this thread has that covered: the hvac controls, the metal brackets for the controls and the head unit (can’t re-use the ones for the nav head unit), a trim piece to house the head unit (crutchfield has a great one from metra that is color-matched almost perfectly), and a new backup camera. Otherwise, the harnesses for the amp and steering wheel controls will depend on the head unit you get and whether or not you plan to keep the ML amp.

if you have rear AC, then do not underestimate the pain in the ass that is running your backup camera wires to the rear door. No space back there to run wires through the rubber sleeve that goes from the body to the rear door.

Don’t forget to set the balance and equalized back to neutral values before you pull the factory head unit (if you plan on keeping the ML amp).

take your time pulling the head unit, and, in particular, the ac vents around it. Really be patient or you’ll crack the delicate clips.

get some of that cloth wiring harness tape from Amazon. There’s not a ton of space behind the head unit to bundle and pack your cables. The tape and zip ties really helped me keep things neat.

otherwise, follow the instructions that came with your head unit. Crutchfield sent over fantastic instructions for wiring up my head unit and the various adapters for it.

despite being really, really time consuming, it wasn’t too complicated for a first timer like me.

good luck! You’ll dig the final product. My truck feels brand new between this Sony car play unit and the 120k mile tune up.

 

[epab]

If you’re on Facebook, the GXOR group there has - I believe - a lot of detailed instructions on the conversion. I don’t have Facebook, though. So I went by this thread and the really old stack exchange OG conversion guide. For parts, this thread has that covered: the hvac controls, the metal brackets for the controls and the head unit (can’t re-use the ones for the nav head unit), a trim piece to house the head unit (crutchfield has a great one from metra that is color-matched almost perfectly), and a new backup camera. Otherwise, the harnesses for the amp and steering wheel controls will depend on the head unit you get and whether or not you plan to keep the ML amp.

if you have rear AC, then do not underestimate the pain in the ass that is running your backup camera wires to the rear door. No space back there to run wires through the rubber sleeve that goes from the body to the rear door.

Don’t forget to set the balance and equalized back to neutral values before you pull the factory head unit (if you plan on keeping the ML amp).

take your time pulling the head unit, and, in particular, the ac vents around it. Really be patient or you’ll crack the delicate clips.

get some of that cloth wiring harness tape from Amazon. There’s not a ton of space behind the head unit to bundle and pack your cables. The tape and zip ties really helped me keep things neat.

otherwise, follow the instructions that came with your head unit. Crutchfield sent over fantastic instructions for wiring up my head unit and the various adapters for it.

despite being really, really time consuming, it wasn’t too complicated for a first timer like me.

good luck! You’ll dig the final product. My truck feels brand new between this Sony car play unit and the 120k mile tune up.

Thank you, all good to hear. Setting up facebook to get in the GXOR group. What might be the deciding factor in keeping the ML amp? Crutchfield is pretty much out of the headunits I'm looking into, other than ones bundled with amps so I may go that route. Honestly the ML stuff sounds good enough for me if that simplifies it all.

 

[ZIDCONPRO]

Thank you, all good to hear. Setting up facebook to get in the GXOR group. What might be the deciding factor in keeping the ML amp? Crutchfield is pretty much out of the headunits I'm looking into, other than ones bundled with amps so I may go that route. Honestly the ML stuff sounds good enough for me if that simplifies it all.

to use ML and any 2DIN radio then you need to use the AMP TY-01 adapter (made in Russia), I have one such adapter

 

[binaryaudax]

Finished my non-navigation conversion this weekend. The wiring was a bit of a pain, but mostly just because of trying to untangle the wires in the harness inside the small area under the dash.

I used the PAC RP4.2-TY11 to interface my Pioneer double-DIN headunit with the ML amplifier. That works perfectly, although you do lose the ability to use the fader controls, and the auto EQ and time alignment in the headunit (because only the front channels are sent to the ML amplifier). The PAC RP4.2 harness is quite bulky so I spent a lot of extra time depinning it and removing the wires and connectors not used in the GX.

The trim piece for the climate control is a discontinued part so I had to use an aftermarket trim piece from Aliexpress. Unfortunately, they only came in black, which doesn't match the OEM gray. The aftermarket piece doesn't fit very well and doesn't align with the buttons perfectly, so a few of the buttons rub against the trim and can get stuck. Also, the top part of the aftermarket trim doesn't align well with the Metra double-DIN trim from Crutchfield. There is a decent gap between the Metra piece and the climate control. I ended up using the aftermarket black trim for both the climate control and the double-DIN.

While I had the climate control unit out, I also changed the linear polarization film on the display to invert it. Looks a bit less dated.

I wired the reverse camera to the factory rearview camera at the "television" ECU on the right side of the passenger footwell.