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Install Navigation System in '08 without Nav

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by dcwenger, Apr 29, 2024.

  1. dcwenger

    dcwenger Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2022
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    Location:
    Canyon Lake, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Hello,

    I got a deal ($1800) on an '08 prius yesterday that needed a hybrid battery and a catalytic converter. Since I have an '07 that I'm getting ready to part out that has an OEM cat and a newly rebuilt battery, this was a good deal for me. Already swapped outvyhe battery and it runs great. The issue is it doesn't have the Nav or Bluetooth. I've seen people say it's not worth installing it and/or it wouldn't work because a new wiring harness would be needed. Since my '07 has all that, would it be possible to do it or is it more if a PITA than it's worth? I don't need it, as I drive my '05 daily and occasionally my '13, but was thinking of giving it to my daughter. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
     
    #1 dcwenger, Apr 29, 2024
  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Probably the components from your '07 could be transplanted ok. You'd need to transplant the head unit and the nav unit and the GPS antenna and whatever wiring isn't present in the '08.
     
    #2 ChapmanF, Apr 29, 2024
  3. dcwenger

    dcwenger Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2022
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    Location:
    Canyon Lake, CA
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    Base
    Thank you. I thought that might be the case. Just not sure how difficult the job may be or if it's worth the time. Regardless, I plan on stripping the '07 down and storing all the parts in my garage before sending the shell to the wrecking yard. I plan to give the car to my daughter. Since she is not used to the Prius, she certainly won't be missing anything if I don't do the swap. Maybe it would be better to install a nice double-DIN aftermarket system. Also, since she lives in AZ, I won't need to swap the cats since AZ doesn't deal with the CARB regs.
     
    #3 dcwenger, Apr 30, 2024
  4. prius_chatter

    prius_chatter Junior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2020
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    Location:
    Montreal
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Adding the wiring for the nav unit is hard. None of the wires at connectors N3, N4, N8 will be present in your '08. Most of the wires run up to the MFD, with a few branching off to other places in the dash to pick up power and SPD and REV signals. When I did this I removed and unraveled the donor car's main wiring harness ("instrument panel wire" in the repair manual) to get at the individual wires I needed. But this requires removing the carpet and stripping out the _entire_ dashboard, all the way up to the firewall. Then dissecting the harness also took forever. You might be able to save some time by leaving the harness in the '07, just cutting the relevant connectors off and splicing them onto new wires in the '08. Some of the wiring is shielded twisted pair, I'm not sure how well splicing it would go...

    Also watch out for the M13 connector. There are (at least) two different possible terminal arrangements depending on the MFD model. If the '08 came with the low-res MFD and no backup camera, when you swap it for the high-res one you'll have to rearrange the terminals in the connector.
     
    #4 prius_chatter, May 31, 2024
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