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Based on the comments from the video, this has been confirmed to worked on the 2010-2015 370 in North America and Europe, 2011 EX35, 2017 QX50 and all 2010+ G37.
This should work on any 2010+ Nissan/Infiniti with the "08IT" navigation. Here is a list from infiniti.navigation.com and nissan.navigation.com in late 2022 before they stopped selling the map updates.
Would this mean a navigation unit from any of those models would work? The USB connection on the back of mine is having problems and I'd like to replace it. So if I could get a unit from a Murano or Altima for less than a 370 then reprogram it for the G37 that would be nice. I know part numbers between the Z and G were the same besides the last digit so I assume it's just a parts catalogue differentiator for how they are programmed.
I assume you are trying this on a G37, which model and what year?
What is your navigation version? (Info > Navigation Version or Info > Other > Navigation Version)
"sd reformatter on Windows 10" > Did you mean the sdcard.org formatter program? If not, that is the next thing to try.
Also, in Windows, make sure the "show extensions" is turned on and check to make sure the filename isn't "UsbDebugStart.ivanaX.txt"
Or just check the filename on your Mac. (Note: During testing on my bench top navigation unit, my M1 Pro Mac Studio worked, so this isn't a Mac issue)
You can also add a line a text like "UsbDebugStart.ivanaX" in the UsbDebugStart.ivanaX file. Some systems don't seem to like an empty file.
As for not having a boot screen, what happens if you leave the car for a few hours and then start it. Do you see the boot screen then?
Sorry forgot to mention. It's a Q40. 2015. Yes the sdcard.org program was used and the exstension is perfect. Will try adding a line of text. Might be the reason why it isn't working. Also I left the car off overnight and the nav system went back to normal the next day. User error on my end most likely. Appreciate your help and this DIY!
Would this mean a navigation unit from any of those models would work? The USB connection on the back of mine is having problems and I'd like to replace it. So if I could get a unit from a Murano or Altima for less than a 370 then reprogram it for the G37 that would be nice. I know part numbers between the Z and G were the same besides the last digit so I assume it's just a parts catalogue differentiator for how they are programmed.
Can a Murano / Altima Nav unit be re-configured to work in a G37? Absolutely!
When I first started reverse engineering the navigation unit, I purchased 3 units for disassembly and testing.
Two were from a Murano (2011 & 2013) , and one was from a G37 (2013).
From what I have seen, the Murano nav units are the cheapest on ebay. I picked up one unit for $20!! BUT with currency exchange, shipping and duty it ended up being $70... which in my eyes, is still a good price.
Using the same method to turn on the tire pressure menu (USB console access), you can reconfigure the nav unit to set the vehicle type AND change the boot screen to Nissan, Infiniti or GTR.
That's exactly what I did with the Murano navigation units that I tested in my G37... and they worked without any problems. Actually, at first I installed them as is to see if a Nissan unit would work in an Infiniti... it did.
It was weird seeing the Nissan logo when it booted up and the orange coloured menus.
The nav unit part numbers don't seem to mean anything with respect to vehicle compatibility, so don't worry about that. All of the navigation units I have purchased were not a compatible part number according to parts.infiniti.com, but they all worked as they were, and after I reconfigured them.
When buying a used nav unit, just make sure the back looks like the ones below:
I will be putting together an episode that shows how to do this and hope to have it out in a few weeks.
spent several hours this weekend and never got it to work.
multiple memory sticks, formatted with SD Formatter, file name is correct. My windows 10 laptop never saw a USB device when plugging in after the memory stick.
questions:
1. what should the screen show when inserting the usb drive? “Reading USB memory”, right?
2. How long do you wait before plugging in the computer?
3. What does the screen show when you pull the USB stick and then plug in the computer?
4. I thought about trying to do a connection to console mode the other way but had a little trouble following that other thread. I guess the connection is made to the connector on the back of the unit? It seemed like a lot of trouble with dual arduinos, etc. Is this a CAN connection, or RS-232, or RS-485? I can’t believe it’s not a standard protocol. If I were to get console access that way, could I use the same write command to turn on the tire pressure screen?
I’m attaching a video of what I see when I plug in the memory stick with the UsbDebugStart.ivanaX file on it.
Twice a year I swap wheels & tires because of winter, which means that for 4 months out of the year I have a TPMS light on my dash. Anyway, I just put my summer wheels back on, the light went off after a short drive, and this NAV hack is working again, telling me what my real-time tire pressure is on all four corners.
Twice a year I swap wheels & tires because of winter, which means that for 4 months out of the year I have a TPMS light on my dash. Anyway, I just put my summer wheels back on, the light went off after a short drive, and this NAV hack is working again, telling me what my real-time tire pressure is on all four corners.
Love this little mod. Thanks again, Frank.
Glad to hear that! It is a bit of an ugly layout, but it is better than nothing!
spent several hours this weekend and never got it to work.
multiple memory sticks, formatted with SD Formatter, file name is correct. My windows 10 laptop never saw a USB device when plugging in after the memory stick.
questions:
1. what should the screen show when inserting the usb drive? “Reading USB memory”, right?
2. How long do you wait before plugging in the computer?
3. What does the screen show when you pull the USB stick and then plug in the computer?
4. I thought about trying to do a connection to console mode the other way but had a little trouble following that other thread. I guess the connection is made to the connector on the back of the unit? It seemed like a lot of trouble with dual arduinos, etc. Is this a CAN connection, or RS-232, or RS-485? I can’t believe it’s not a standard protocol. If I were to get console access that way, could I use the same write command to turn on the tire pressure screen?
I’m attaching a video of what I see when I plug in the memory stick with the UsbDebugStart.ivanaX file on it.
I've watched the video and here are my thoughts:
(1) Yes, it should say "Reading USB memory" BUT it should stop there and not display anything else. This suggests that the NAV unit doesn't like the USB memory stick, the file name or the formatting.
(2) Typically, once the screen shows "Reading USB memory", you unplug the memory stick and plug in the USB cable.
(3) The screen doesn't change once in USB debug mode. It still shows the screen in point (1)
(4) Getting console access at the back of the nav unit is a little involved. It uses a UART connection, running at 9600 baud.
BUT the "PC-IT" connection is inverted, and switches between 0 and 12v. (that's the purpose of the 2N7000 Mosfet)
The "IT-PC" connection switches between 0 and 3.3v and requires a 10K pull up resistor.
I would try a different USB memory stick, ideally between 2GB to 16GB (smaller the better).
Then use the SDcard.org SD card formatter and format it in FAT32. (any other filesystem won't work)
If using windows make sure to turn on "show filename extensions"
Create a new text document and save it as "UsbDebugStart.ivanaX"
You can also add "UsbDebugStart.ivanaX" as text inside the "UsbDebugStart.ivanaX" file.
(in one case, that got it to work!)
Then plug it in and see what happens.
**IF** you have done these exact steps and it didn't work, then I don't know what else to try.
Question for you:
What is your NAV version?
Information > Other > Navigation Version, then tell me what is under "Program Version"
I figured out why I couldn't get it to work. I have the GROM VLINE2 on my G37. As part of the VLINE install, the USB port in the car is disconnected from the AV Control Unit, and a cable is installed between the AV Control Unit and the VLINE. I thought I could just unplug from the VLINE and use that USB cable which goes to the AV Control Unit. For whatever reason, it didn't work with the VLINE connected.
Today, I pulled the dash apart and temporarily unplugged the VLINE system and put everything back to stock.
The USB stick trick worked perfectly!! After I got the TPMS screen turned on, I reinstalled the VLINE, and I'm back in business, with a tire pressure screen.
I figured out why I couldn't get it to work. I have the GROM VLINE2 on my G37. As part of the VLINE install, the USB port in the car is disconnected from the AV Control Unit, and a cable is installed between the AV Control Unit and the VLINE. I thought I could just unplug from the VLINE and use that USB cable which goes to the AV Control Unit. For whatever reason, it didn't work with the VLINE connected.
Today, I pulled the dash apart and temporarily unplugged the VLINE system and put everything back to stock.
The USB stick trick worked perfectly!! After I got the TPMS screen turned on, I reinstalled the VLINE, and I'm back in business, with a tire pressure screen.
I'm glad you got it figured out and posted it here for others to find.
Because I have a vert. The verts are much heavier. The recommended pressure is 39 psi all around. I'm not sure how accurate the TPMS sensors are, or my analog gauge for that matter, but +/- 1 psi is good enough for me. (I might need to double-check the right front...)
I figured out why I couldn't get it to work. I have the GROM VLINE2 on my G37. As part of the VLINE install, the USB port in the car is disconnected from the AV Control Unit, and a cable is installed between the AV Control Unit and the VLINE. I thought I could just unplug from the VLINE and use that USB cable which goes to the AV Control Unit. For whatever reason, it didn't work with the VLINE connected.
Today, I pulled the dash apart and temporarily unplugged the VLINE system and put everything back to stock.
The USB stick trick worked perfectly!! After I got the TPMS screen turned on, I reinstalled the VLINE, and I'm back in business, with a tire pressure screen.
I knew I was going to have to do this with mine. For some reason it didn't take the first time after I put it all back together of course. Took it apart a second time and got it working but got some sludge on my screen behind the dash bezel. Putting it back together the third time was the charm at least (:
11-22-2023, 05:10 PM
