Factory Navigation Use While In Motion (w/pics)

[gistecknician]

I found out how to do this on my 2004 Expedition EB from a posting in the Expedition & Navigator forum. The person that orginally posting the instructions on how to do this was bridge, and elder member here on on the Ford Forums. I am going to list a combo of his/my instructions along with the pics I took while doing this mod on my vehicle.



1. To remove the black dashboard trim, remove the two screws above the instrument cluster. You will be tempted to just bend the trim piece enough to get at the headunit screws but the headunit must come out of the dash anyway.




2. Once the instument panel has been removed you will see two bolts below the radio that hold it in place. Remove these two bolts and the radio will come right out.





3. Once out (or out far enough to get at the harness), looking down at the back of the HU you will see a harness with only 4 wires on the right side. There will be a black wire with a white stripe, that's the VSS wire.

• Push back the cloth material wrapped around the wires and cut the wire a few inches from the harness.
• Strip the wires and crimped on two 20ga crimp connectors (the red ones).
• Prepared your switch by soldering about a foot of wire onto each pole. I used a simple STDP switch, but I would suggest mounting a black push button switch somewhere near the HU. Not a momentary switch. You want one that will switch between on and off and stay either on or off.
• Crimp the switch wires into the VSS wire crimps you place on the VSS wire.

4. Mount your switch where ever you like. (I mounted mine under the steering column, out of sight but functional) Done deal!




As you can see in this pic, I am going 30 MPH and the Nav Options are still available. It works!






Well thats all folks, once again I would like to thank bridge for the excellent instructions that he provided. Without them I would not have know where to start on this mod.

[Beerstalker]

Good instructions and pics. I should have known Ford would do it the easy way and just use the VSS wire to tell the unit when the truck is in motion (most aftermarket units tap into the parking brake wire and you have to depress the parking brake in order for the screen to show movies or allow navigation changes).

This should work in the Super Duty trucks as well, although I believe the VSS wire is a grey wire with black stripe in them.

[chucks_net]

Great write up

I don't have built in nav soplease excuse my lack of knowledge on this subject -you mean if you are driving you can't use nav?

Why would you ever need to use the switch?

[Beerstalker]

You cannot use the touchscreen to change destination, route, etc. when the vehicle is moving. They do not want the driver trying to mess with the navigation while driving down the road. However, if you have someone else in the vehicle it is very annoying that they can't make changes for you, so many people have sought out ways to override this kind of safety feature.

[gistecknician]

Ford puts this great tool in the truck, with all of these great features (buisness directory especially) and then takes away the ability of your "navigator" (historically the passenger) to utilize them when you need them most.....While You Are In Motion!

I can at least understand the need of aftermarket companies to put this type of restriction on their units due to the fact that 99.9% of them are also DVD players, and it is illegal in most places to watch movies while operating a motor vehicle, but Fords Navigation unit is not capable of playing DVD movies in its factory unmodified state...so why the restriction??

[fordboy_52]

i will be adding this to the tech folder at the top. props!

Matt

[gistecknician]

No Prob, always willing to help!

I am also waiting on a 8000k HID kit, I will be sure to take pics every step of the way and post that here for another tech forum (if it isn't here already)

This is probably the most active forum I have ever been on, I look forward to a member for a looong time.

[fordboy_52]

ok, its up there. good job! +1!

Matt

[Jody7]

Sorry to be skeptical, will this mod work on my 2008 F350 nav system??

[Beerstalker]

It should, but you need to figure out what wire the VSS is. I know in the 05-07 trucks it is a grey wire with black stripe, I am not sure about the 2008 though.

[Jody7]

Thank you Beerstalker

Anyone know how I comfirm the wire is the same (grey with black stripe) or is another color in the 2008's???

[drbalazo]

Jody7:

try this link:

http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9921

[Beerstalker]

According to this link the VSS wire should be in pin 14 of the 24 pin connector, next to the ground wire. I am not sure what color that wire is in the 2008, or if it is the correct wire, but it is where I would start.

http://www.discountcarstereo.com/pdf/frd04-aux.pdf

[wiingnut]

Good info gisteck and Beer. I hope to use this info by the end of the month

[soxfan81]

good info gave you some rep for this one. thanks