Adding Navigation Later

[Sgt1411]

This might be some hope for those wanting to add Navigation afterwards


http://autospatech.com/ford-explorer-mytouch-navigation-system.html

 

[rmp301]

Ford is considering it in the future, but thecurrent priority is to get the MFT bugs all worked out.

.........Well THAT will take forever and a day!

 

[13Sport]

This might be some hope for those wanting to add Navigation afterwards


http://autospatech.com/ford-explorer-mytouch-navigation-system.html

That's the same (iGo) system I posted above, I can't tell if its the same company, or if it's another company selling the same system.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

hi guys..sorry I havent kept up with this topic. www.igonavigation.com is the product/company my Ford dealer (Imperial Ford) uses to add navigation to a vehicle that was not equipped from the factory. My wife has had this in her 2013 Explorer for a few months now and it has worked great. To get to the nav once the vehicle is on you push up on the phone button on the right side of the steering wheel. this brings you into the navigation module. everything is touch operated right on the factory lcd display. it has all the options and features a factory nav would have, but with more updated maps than the ones Ford uses. My dealer also told me they have replaced a number of factory navs with the Igo system because it is more user friendly and more up to date. I believe the total cost was around $1500. Basically they use a brain which interfaces with the factory touch screen. you get the audio from the lady telling you where to go just like factory. I had posted a bunch of info in multiple posts about the system, but I see my name here only once before so maybe it was on a different thread. If anyone has any questions drop me a note and I will check back. The brain is pretty small and under the drivers seat. Thats the only hardware used. On a side note I also put in a set of audiovox headrest dvd players in. I got them at best buy for $400 each. My Lincoln Mark LT has factory Invision dvd headrests. I know Ford uses both audiovox and invision. instead of paying $1400 from my dealer for them I just did it myself and saved a few bucks. as with all systems using an fm modulator the reception sucks. fortunately ford put accessory jacks up front next to the cig lighter in that little compartment. I ran my aduio and video from the headrests to that port. all concealed very nicely. the audio is perfect ad I never have to deal with static. i can also play the video on the nav screen while the vehicle is in park.

 

[Sgt1411]

So you ran your headrest DVD RCA Red/White for audio and Yellow for video up to the MFT multi media hub RCA connections?

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Yes I ran the media connections from the headrest to the front media hub. You feed one headrest into the other and then run it right up front. You can tuck it all in along side the center console then feed it up behind the dash and into the media hub compartment. It's so much better cause you don't get that horrible reception the fm modulator gives you. I got mine headrests at best buy. The black faux leather matches pretty good. My dealer had the same ones he was selling for a lot more and insisted they were factory oem. I know they use audiovox and invision systems straight from ford. Not sure why two or how to get one vs the other when ordering.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

I do want to add one more point. I think I might have mentioned this earlier. I find this very odd but maybe it's the year or just a prior way of doing things. Before the explorer my wife had a 2009 Lincoln Mkz. It didn't have factory nav. So I went on eBay and bought a factory nav unit. It plugged right into the harness and the only thing I had to do was make an end to plug into the radio for the nav antenna. I know the MFT is a far more complicated setup than a regular radio setup. I guess my point is I liked things better when you could plug and play. Now they make it so hard to do any switching or modifying of these systems. My dealer had explained it was impossible to add a ford nav to a ford vehicle that didn't come from the factory with it. That's why they use the Igo.

 

[Sgt1411]

Im pretty sure thats done on purpose to make plug & play more difficult.

Software licensing plays into it too.

That aftermarket navigation/mapping system thats out now for the MFT systems without OEM navigation is very kool though.

I did the same on a 2005 GMC Yukon Denali, bought the Nav radio off Ebay, install was 30 minutes plug & play, got it unlocked with Tech2 tool at GM dealer and its just like OEM.

Cant do that now.

 

[qc4000]

Don't 'lose' your customers!

If you have any suggestions, please pass them along to me. I will send them to the appropriate people!

Rebecca

Here's one Rebecca,

How about making Navigation standard on ALL vehicles that can go off-road, or that are determined to be 4x4s and SUVs? You wouldn't want to sell your customers off-road vehicles and then quite literally 'lose' them in the wild do you?

Alternatively, go the Microsoft way and once the System has been widely accepted, then start charging a small fee - Ford will make a LOT more money that way since gazillions of users would have already had the Nav system till then!

Best regards,
~Q

 

[FordIVTteam]

Thanks for your feedback, Q. I'll pass it along.

Rebecca

 

[dco43054]

Just out of a curiosity, I was bringing in the car for service today, and I started a conversation about this with the chief Engineer.
I was shown the module you can see in the pictures below.
They were installing it on a Ford Raptor.
The dealer told me that he cannot provide specifically the unit for me, but if I can get it "somewhere" that will be capable to enable the navi function to my explorer.

I assume by "chief engineer" you would be referring to the chief technician or service manager.

If you want to try this, be prepared for it not to work, and to be told you cannot return the part.

From everything I have read, the key to making the nav system work is updating the vehicle's software, as well as installing new hardware. It's the software piece that won't work.

As for why Sync won't work, it is because it is a cellphone enabled system that relies on a separate service to operate. I would guess there are not enough Ford vehicles on the road there to make it profitable for Ford to offer it.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Hi guys..sorry for not keeping up. I think it's real crappy you can't go to your dealer and have ford activate their own nav system on your non nav equipped vehicle. My solution is the next best thing. I was having a problem with satellite reception on my Igo nav system. The dealer finally told me they have a third party come to the dealership and install the nav. The third party is Auto Sound from Plainville Massachusetts. Look them up and give them a call or email. They simply moved my GPS antenna and now the reception is flawless in any location and in any weather. The explorer is my wife's car so I rarely drive it. She is very pleased with it. The best thing was we were able to use the factory touch screen. The backup camera still works, you can still watch movies on it, and you retain all the MFT functionality. Like I said before the mapping is far superior to Fords. It is extremely current and easily updated. I am not sure what other info to give you guys. I believe it was around 1700 or there abouts. I know I mentioned the exact price somewhere in this thread. I also installed the audiovox headrest DVD players. I wired them directly to the rca's up front and the sound is crystal clear thru the cars speakers. No need for the fm modulator which sucks. I use the modulator in my Lincoln Mark LT and hate it. Unfortunately I haven't spent the time to find a better solution yet. I am not the most computer savvy person so email me and I can send pics of the nav screen and whatever else you need. I think I can even do a video with the ipad and send that. Hpozzuoli@yahoo.com. Thank you......

 

[Sgt1411]

Hi guys..sorry for not keeping up. I think it's real crappy you can't go to your dealer and have ford activate their own nav system on your non nav equipped vehicle. My solution is the next best thing. I was having a problem with satellite reception on my Igo nav system. The dealer finally told me they have a third party come to the dealership and install the nav. The third party is Auto Sound from Plainville Massachusetts. Look them up and give them a call or email. They simply moved my GPS antenna and now the reception is flawless in any location and in any weather. The explorer is my wife's car so I rarely drive it. She is very pleased with it. The best thing was we were able to use the factory touch screen. The backup camera still works, you can still watch movies on it, and you retain all the MFT functionality. Like I said before the mapping is far superior to Fords. It is extremely current and easily updated. I am not sure what other info to give you guys. I believe it was around 1700 or there abouts. I know I mentioned the exact price somewhere in this thread. I also installed the audiovox headrest DVD players. I wired them directly to the rca's up front and the sound is crystal clear thru the cars speakers. No need for the fm modulator which sucks. I use the modulator in my Lincoln Mark LT and hate it. Unfortunately I haven't spent the time to find a better solution yet. I am not the most computer savvy person so email me and I can send pics of the nav screen and whatever else you need. I think I can even do a video with the ipad and send that. Hpozzuoli@yahoo.com. Thank you......

Im interested in knowing how you wired the headrest DVD system to the media hub RCA up front.

Im guessing this is the 3rd party navigation system your referring too?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N7zDRLGZtQ

 

[jallennh]

guys and gals be patient. I am hearing of a aftermarket system for $400 that will require one small module and sd card and its coming soon. It sounds to good to be true, but if it is, Ford will kick themselves for the next 5 years over this.

 

[LukerDooker]

iGo looked pretty damn cool, anything cooler for $400 - lets have it!

I really like that it is inside the dash and part of the OEM with all functions retained.

 

[dco43054]

iGo looked pretty damn cool, anything cooler for $400 - lets have it!

Garmin standalone GPS. Bought a last year model for about $100.

The igo system referred to says it's $1,099, and that is not an installed price.

 

[jallennh]

IGO is so high because they are the only game other than factory NAV. That will change.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

In response to the headrests and how I wired them. I pulled most of the center console out around the media inputs and cig lighter area. I needed to get behind the media inputs. Once behind them I spliced in new female rca's that hang out of sight near the gas pedal. I basically made them that long so I could get to them without removing everything again. I couldn't go right into the existing inputs for one reason. If I did I couldn't close the little lid without cutting a relief for the wires to pass thru. Since I didn't want to cut anything I went the route I mentioned above. Hope this helps. It's very easy once you get at everything.

Think of the Igo system this way. Once it's all in and installed it is about the same cost as the factory nav. You know it will work and you are done. I was fortunate I was able to wrap that cost back into the small loan we took on the truck. We did everything at the time of purchase because my dealer was already using Auto Sound to install these systems for a few years. Trying to do it after the fact means you need to come up with the cash at the time of install. Only draw back is there are very few places that install these systems. I live in RI so I was lucky to have one close by that my dealer uses.

 

[Sgt1411]

In response to the headrests and how I wired them. I pulled most of the center console out around the media inputs and cig lighter area. I needed to get behind the media inputs. Once behind them I spliced in new female rca's that hang out of sight near the gas pedal. I basically made them that long so I could get to them without removing everything again. I couldn't go right into the existing inputs for one reason. If I did I couldn't close the little lid without cutting a relief for the wires to pass thru. Since I didn't want to cut anything I went the route I mentioned above. Hope this helps. It's very easy once you get at everything.

Thanks for the explanation, my concern is pulling apart the console. I always break something or when I put it back together it never goes back as nice and tight as the factory.
I was planning on putting RCA "Y" splitters on each of the R/W/Y RCA connectors so you could still connect a second device to the media hub.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

You can still do the y splitters or even go directly to the media without doing what I did. You wouldn't be able to close the little trap with a wire in the way but honestly I can't remember the last time I saw that little door closed. I put the trucks in the garage every nite and my wife never closes that cover....makes me wonder if the extra work was worth it to close a door that is always open.

I am so happy they put that media hub there. Running the sound thru that is so much better than an fm modulator. The fm modulator is always staticky and there is always bleed over from radio stations. When time allows I might use line converters to get around the modulator in the Mark LT. It's a 2007 with factory nav, but it doesn't have all the media inputs the newer cars do. Big difference a few years makes with technology...

I Wish Ford Still Made The Mark LT!!!!!!!!!