-No camera. But i'm sure that you can hook it up.
-No new antennas. The factory Sirius on the roof can be used for either XM or Sirius. And the GPS antenna can be mounted on the radio under the dash. Still recieves a great signal there. Also there is a different MIC, but you can install that in the SYNC mic location. Otherwise it can be next to the rearview mirror where its hidden well.
-Yes, its just a wiring by-pass. No extra thing to buy.

I plan on shooting a video tomorrow and post it in a new thread. Anything special you would like to see work?

 

How about your blood pressure reading after all this stress?

I am eager to see your install pics...

Regards

 

Only 25 years of age. But I'm pretty sure this event shaved a few years off my life. I don't have any install pics as the installer did it all for me. But I will take a video of the system in action.

 

Thanks Lexus, any pics would be great.

I stopped by the dealer today because I was curious if I could see any differences between a Lariat with and w/o factory Nav. Both Lariat stereo systems (with and w/o Nav) have the same roof antena. Sounds like that's the satellite radio antena only, which can be re-used. If you get the factory Nav, I'm now curious where that antena is located. Either the one on the roof is dual purpose (sat radio & GPS), or the factory GPS antena is burried somewhere else. Either way, with the aftermarket deck, sounds like there are no new visible antenas, which is good.

The only other questions is the rear camera. I understand that wire goes to the rear view mirror if you don't order factory nav, and it looks like it could be tough to re-route that wire from the mirror to the deck location, if it can even be used with the aftermarket deck vs running an entirely new camera. Being able to use the factory camera would be icing in the cake as far as going after market IMO.

Looking forward to the pics.

 

The GPS antenna is shared by both the NAV and Sirius. Or atleast thats how the OEM modded nav was used. It was like a splitter was added to the Sirius cable running into the truck. But with it added at the factory, it might be in a different location? I know the 08' nav had it under the dash just the way the installer did mine.

 

jwiedert -

Rerouting that camera wire is a lot easier than you think - all you need to do is peel back the headliner, splice in a couple of extensions or small coax cable, run them down the A-pillar and feed to the back of the deck. Seriously it will take an installer all of about 10 minutes to do it, if that.

 

lexustbs..

Previously you said that the Sat antenna can be used with aftermarket radio..

I have not got mine yet - but I was told by a online company that you couldn't use any of the factory stuff with aftermarket radio..

So could you detail exactly what & how you were able to use (original equip)

Did you unplug the factory antenna from factory Sirius Box, install a aftermarket box & plug in antenna - etc...

Any detail would be appreciated as this is going to happen as soon as I get some other things paid off..... LOL

 

Thank you rdenis, good to know. I presume most of these cameras use similar wiring, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue from a compatibility standpoint? That's my hope....

 

Damn!!! Just read every word on this post. What a pain in the azz!! You would think that the truck could be converted over to factory nav easily. Glad I got it in mine. I would have wanted to do the swap.

 

Thanks for bringing up my painful past! just a FYI on this. I wanted to sell the unit on eBay, but before I sold a bad unit I tested in our expedition that had factory nav already. Just swapped head units, and the darn thing works perfectly! I dont know...... So I sold it to a man on eBay, no word yet on if it works for him.

 

Sorry to bring it up again. At least you got rid of the Nav. Now you can tell your tech at the dealer that they are an idiot B/C it worked.

 

I think it was something to do with how the radio was programed...... Just my guess?

 

I just stumbled on this thread, whish I would have seen it a month ago and would have weighed in. I am the other guy who did this in stall, my thread was referanced on here. For the record, I did the install per the instructions. I mounted the AMP in the same location. Only thing I have not completed yet is the MIC rewire. I am actually about to leave for the next year (military) so have not bothered to finish this due to wanting to reroute the cam to the Nav unit and also install a front camera and wire that into the mirror (if possible).

I however do have the same identical problems as the original poster on this thread...My mic does not work (have not spliced it in yet) and the back lighting on my steering wheel controls do not work; the back lighting on my head light function ****; and back lighting on my interior dimmer switch also don't work. These have not worked since I put the new radio in. However, not problems what so ever with my head lights or blinkers. All work perfectly fine.

Now, I find it hard to believe two seperate trucks doing the same install with radios from the same place and it not be the same reason behind it. I spoken to my dealership when I bought the truck and wanted to have the Nav installed. The tech said that the instructions that AER provides were not completely on spot...that other rewiring would have to be done to make the MIC work and all the back lighting. What ever that information is worth.

Now, being that I am about to leave in the next week for some time...i will not be able to let anyone know how this turns out when I eventually take the truck in (March 2012?) to have this done. If it in fact turns into a flop like the OP then I will probably go the same route he did.

I will say, from all the reading, searching and talking to AER before I installed my radio...Rdenis by FAR!! is way more knowledgeable and informed then any tech at any dealership in my area, the guys at AER who wrote the instructions and any other place i have looked. Heck, I was not even the guy in this post and I am apperciative of the help he gave...

Rdenis, if your still keeping an eye on this post, welcome your thoughts on the fact my truck as pretty much the identical issues as lexus (other then the swirly head lights and blinkers)

 

Great, reading your post really chaps my ***. I was told by parts guy Ed.com that this was a plug and play install, but in no way was it. Plus they pretty much blew me off when I tried to return it because I did not save the box??? (cardboard) So in the end i lost about $1500 dollars in just the radio, not to mention the $600 I lost with the new BCM beacuse of this unit. I thought it might of been my fault, but I can confirm now it was not. My advice to you TLew is to remove that radio before something bad happens. I have tried to wire in the mic, and I am confident that my wiring was right, but it never worked for me. I feel like I got the huge royal SHAFT by the "seller." Thanks for your post Tlew. I lost a lot of sleep and money over this project.

 

Sorry to bring up the burn on this one lol, I am pretty sure it was not something you did, I has some interesting back and forth calls with then when trying to get a more detailed description to as where that plug in the kicker panel was and so on...that paper they gave as instructions was vague to say the least.

On the up side, I still have the box and paperwork, receipt and all they sent me (i think i might be a horder, never toss receipts lol)...heck I still even have the old steering wheel control I pulled out and radio and such...just not the original SDAR, had to canabalize it to make a mount to put the new amp on...Might just give them a ring tomorrow and see what they tell me when I say i want to return it and I have the box lol. Hering how clean your aftermarket one came out, its tempting...

I will post on here and let you know what they say to me when I call tomorrow lol

On the other hand, hope i didn't jack up my BCM also...but I am really leaning to the side that the way the new amp replaces the SDAR it caused something to make the lights not work. Does all your back lighting now work with the aftermarket setup?