Clarion NX-708 (Japan system) Install on P5

iPod Connectivity

OK so after repairing the microphone cable, routing it down the A pillar etc. and reconnecting everything (mind you this is a huge pain in the butt), testing voice command to make sure the repair was good, replacing the ECU panel to the way it was, finally I was able to get back to working on the install.

I have an old U2 Special Edition iPod and hooked it up as shown below here. It worked great. The Nav Unit immediately recognized the iPod and the iPod controls are enabled. Sorry I don't have pics of the screen but here's the iPod being tested.



In the picture above, the glove compartment was removed and I used zip ties to make sure the cables stay put and replaced the compartment. Both the iPod cable and USB cables are in the glove compartment.



OK almost done...

ETC Unit

Next up the ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) Unit. This is Japan's version of the E-Z Pass system common on the East Coast in the US (also i-Zoom in Indiana) but much more and needlessly complicated and difficult to install, but of course the entire nationwide system was a pork barrel project where many corrupt men can get their kickbacks and bribes and what not.

The reason I actually purchased this was because my Protege has the driver on the left side of the car, whereas the toll booth people are on the right side of the car.

ETC Unit includes the antenna for passing through the toll gate (this is installed in the same general area as the E-Z Pass), the ETC unit itself (where you insert an IC Card that has your account info) and the cabling to the Nav Unit.



First install the mounting plate - this is attached with 2-sided tape (included) and the mounting plate itself can be formed or bent to match the contour of the mounting location. Then mount the ETC unit and attach the cables. Note that I removed the panel next to the accelerator.





ETC install complete!



After the installation was done, I took the car to AutoBacs where they registered the ETC Unit with the Japan Highway Thievery Authority.

Finishing Touches..

At this point, finally, I am almost done. Here are some pics of the cleaned up interior:





After making sure everything works (aside from the ETC which I can only test by actually going through a toll gate), I screwed in the Nav Unit to the bracket. Pics of all 4 screws...









And trim piece....





Ahhhh....done!!!

Pics of Interior

So everything was done. A week later I actually needed to drive on the highway so I stuck in the ETC IC Card into the unit and went through a gate. Bingo! It worked!

Some pics of the interior:



You can see the radar detector in this photo. Detectors in Japan are real life savers - they have GPS locations for photo and other radar traps, common police patrol area warnings, police radio alerts, helicopter radio alerts, patrol car location warnings etc. Thanks to all the work I did here, I was able to cleanly integrate the wiring from the radar detector as well.



Interior with Nav Unit in split screen mode, map and DVD (that's Greg Schiano of Rutgers on the other half).

That's it!

Let me know if you want to see screenshots of the Clarion Navigation Unit screen - TV, iPod, DVD, etc. I'll post 'em.

All thanks for your patience!

u scratched the trims grrrr.,.,.,.,.,i hoped u had fun doing this lol.,,looking superb.,.,

R-X-R thanks for looking at this thread! Yeah, it was a learning experience. Had to plug and unplug several times and the unit itself isn't that lightweight - so I did scratch the trim. The car's pretty beat up on the outside anyway, and since it spent several winters in NJ there's also quite a bit of rust so I'm not that concerned about it. Next time I do something like this, I'll be taping over the edges of any head units and taping the trim.

Wowza!!!

DUDE!!!! I signed up to this forum specifically to comment on this thread......

Nice effin job!!! It looks awesome! I've got some miles on my '03 MP3 and even still I want to install a new head unit. I'm in my car at least an 2 hrs a day and need to upgrade the tunes. Lately I've been debating on whether or not to install a tablet. As part of my research, I came across this thread and was blown away. I found a bracket kit but it wasn't as complete as this Nitto NKK T43D.

Thank you very much for sharing. It's been about a year and a half since you posted this, how do you like it?

MP5_rookie,

Thanks for the comment! I'm surprised that this thread has a quite a number of hits so I hope it's been helpful to folks.

This navigation unit is awesome. Bluetooth connectivity and the microphone is nice. I don't use the voice command feature much though. With the cruise control and navigation and HDTV capability, this thing is great for long distance highway cruises.

The only negative is that the trim piece does rattle - esp. since I upgraded all my engine mounts and transmission mounts to the AWR set. However it rattles even on my wife's Familia (I have another Clarion installed in her car) with the stock engine mounts. Once I get the chance I'll find a way to suppress it.

In Japan, it's very rare (unheard of) for audio systems to be ripped out (stolen) from parked cars, so I didn't think 2x about what system I would put in. In the U.S., a removable or stowable system might be the wise choice.

Just beware though, for my Protege5 the speed sensor signal had to be taken from the CPU, the connection is not available in the audio coupler (unfortunately).

Wow mate nice work, loads of patience is required.. Is there by any chance a way/method how to change the language?
thanks in advance

Update: The touchscreen is not functioning near the top edge and the entire unit will need to be pulled out and sent to Clarion for repair. I don't think it's a software programming issue because after I pulled it out once and just let it lie facedown in my room for a week, the touch sensors worked briefly after I reinstalled the unit. Bummer. Wish this happened within the warranty period. Repair will probably cost about $200, but I paid about $1300 for the whole thing, so its worth the repair. The summers are very hot here and my poor MP5 is out there fully exposed to the elements (no cover, no shade, just heat heat heat) which may have contributed to the sensor malfunction. Will be getting some windshield shades to protect the interior.

@mattno720: If you are referring to the interface and map language, no, there is no selectable option for English interface. The software is factory-installed. Audio navigation directions (like "Turn left in 100 meters") can be selected between English and Japanese. Remember also that the map data itself is for Japan. There may be global models available with the local language and map data but I doubt you would be able to buy a Japanese market version and have Clarion install the English interface software and map data for you. Doesn't hurt to ask though.