Hmm, I've never worked with a Sony indash before, so I'm not sure what the bypass will entail. It could be as easy as ground the parking brake wire, ore it could be more elaborate. It used to be that only Pioneer did these complicated bypasses, but now Alpine, Panasonic and a few others are doing it as well. The only brand I know that you can just ground it on all models are Kenwoods. I'm sure there should be info online somewhere on what kind of bypass you have to do for that model.

For your sub RCAs and remote wire, I'd definitely run those right now. Just plug them in, drop them down on the passenger side and tuck them under the carpet in the passenger footwell. That way when you're ready, all you have to do is pull them out and run them down to where your amp is. Just make sure to put a crimp cap on your remote wire, as it will be live when the car is on!

 

Hey man no worries I really didn't buy it to watch movies on while driving anyway. The sound this thing produces through the stock speakers is truly amazing (although I'm beginning to see the limitations of the stockers already LOL I have become hopelessly addicted to having my music on a thumb drive, for less than twenty bucks I don't have to clutter up my interior with discs or juggle in traffic to change my music and I <3 it!

 

The 3100 is pretty bone dry on the animations. I really can't think of any off the top of my head. Since pumpkin has one, he may know of some that I don't. And as far as I know, the only thing you can't do at all while driving is watch any form of video, whether from DVD or your iPod/USB device.

 

Everything functions 100% while driving with the exception of video. There are no animations to speak of with the 3100, which is just as well I wouldn't care for the distractions. I finally figured out how to un-dim the screen when the headlights are on, thereby curing the only beef I did have with it (could NOT see the display during daylight rain storms while running the headlights) I may look around for a by-pass kit as offensive as the idea is to my DIY soul. Well I did look around and found one that replicates what I have read on Avic411 about a relay that fools the brain of the HU for 14 bucks! So I ordered one, and we'll see if I get to be the windshield or the bug LOL

 

Hey guys... I'm installing one of those Pioneer AVIC-U310BT's in an '07 sport model tomorrow. Got the HU, the wiring harnes is soldered and heatshrinked perfectly, the antenna adapter works, even bypassed the parking brake thing just waiting on the Scosche dash kit which is arriving by UPS tomorrow. But there are 2 wiring harnesses running to the stock HU. All the wiring kits I've seen only have the longer gray one handled. Do I just leave the smaller white one dangling back there? I tend to believe it is important since its there and can't seem to find any info on what to do with it.

I know everything works because I plugged it all up and drove around holding the new HU... except for that white wiring harness. Its driving me CRAZY that I don't know what its for or where it should go. Please help.

 

It's been awhile since I put in my F90BT, but the white one may be the powered antenna plug, or may be the USB feed from the glovebox. You need an additional adapter to wire the antenna feed into a conventional banana-plug socket.

Ninja-edit: Here is a link to labeled pictures of the connectors on the stock HU.

 

In the GD3s, that second harness isn't needed in aftermarkets. It's for the stock only, and really only contains wires for VSS and illumination. VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) takes care of the volume control that the car can do when you speed up and slow down. Illumination is used when you turn your headlights on.

The VSS can be used if your aftermarket Nav unit needs VSS. It's nice having it there rather than having to go into the fuse box or under the hood. But the 310BT does not need VSS. Illumination is usually never a good idea to use in an aftermarket. Most vehicles have different methods of telling the HU about illumination. As a result, hooking aftermarket HUs up to factory illumination usually ends up with bad results.

In short, just let it hang.

 

Thanks guys! I can relax now that I know its just for VSS and illumination. Its def not a USB deal and I already have the antenna thing working. This install should go a lot more smoothly then. My 310BT HU has a wire for illumination on its harness... from what you said it is bad to have that hooked to the scosche harnesses illumination?

 

Well, it just tends to cause problems. The illumination wire works differently in most cars. Some send a varying voltage, so between 1 and 12 volts, some between 5 and 12 volts, some in millivolts. Some use varying resistance. Some use data, some use an off/on type deal. So not all headunits know how to deal with these different things. Most of the time is causes fuses to pop, or stops the dash lights from working. So it's just better to not hook it up, in my opinion. Most of the time, though, nothing even happens!

And the 310BT has a brightness feature in the menu, so you can turn down the brightness manually if needed. You can also turn off the screen altogether. Did you buy the expanded POI SD card from Pioneer's website? You're really going to need that. The unit doesn't even have any restaurants or hotels built into it out of the box. You go from 125,000 points of interest to 12.5 million!

 

No I didn't get the extra POI thing. I have... other ways... of getting it than spending $100 :P Plus I have a Garmin navi I'm tired of dealing with the wires for and I don't think I ever use the POI anyway, I generally know the address of where I'm going. Thanks for the heads up on the Ill wire, I'll desolder that before I cram everything back into the dash and I'll be sure to tape off the exposed ends separately. lol

I'll post how the install goes later tonight. My Scoshe kit should be here shortly and I'm praying I don't get one of the older retarded ones with the mounting pegs that are too long. I don't really feel like measuring and grinding today.

 

Thanks for the help. The new unit is in and working wonderfully. Everything even fits well including the infamous upper right corner of the scoshe kit. My temp control knobs don't go in the whole way for some reason but they're VERY close like half a mm off. You can't even tell unless you know its there.

It took a few minutes to figure out why my sub wasn't hitting but I got the setting dialed in now and its real nice. The phone thing is sweet but I wish it would alert me that a txt message came in. It doesn't have to display the actual message because that would be dangerous but it would be nice if it could ding or something since I don't always notice important txts while driving. My alpine speakers sound 200% better now!

 

Well I got to be the windshield for about ten minutes, and then I was the bug again! The E-bay bypass worked perfectly right after I installed it, but the next morning, nothing! And now the HU won't play video period (because the parking brake wire isn't connected to the parking brake now) I officially give up, I'm gonna take it to a shop I trust that has always done good work for me and have them trouble shoot it for me.

 

Any luck on this yet?

I'm really tempted to get a 3100 b/c i would LOVE to just have a thumb drive for all my muzak.

My car is mostly stock as it is and I could do stuff on the down low that is hidden but the more i see these units plugged and in place, the more the "GET IT YOU FOOL" message starts playing in my head....

Besides the obvious work around issue, how have you liked the new HU so far?

 

I adore this head unit! It sounds fantastic, even with the OE speakers, looks great in the dash, and didn't cost an arm and a leg. I will get the video working at some point, it isn't working right now. I am planning on taking it to a shop and having them figure it out as I have used up all my DIY talent already. I didn't actually buy the thing solely for the video, so that isn't that big a deal to me. The improvement over stock in sound quality and the use of a thumb drive to hold all my music has made this one of my favorite mods to the car. As Ferris Bueller said "If you have the means I highly recommend picking one up" LOL

 

For me there was no workaround issue. Just soldered the parking brake wire from the harness to the ground from the harness and it works just fine.

I'm really liking the new HU. It took some playing to get the EQ right so that it didn't sound awful but I got it figured out and it sounds great now. The iPod connect is perfect. I thought I would have to install some software on my ipod to make it work but it just plugs right in and works fine.

I agree with Ferris Bueller, pick one up.

 

I personally haven't figured out why Pioneer put the green ebrake wire on the 310BT. It doesn't do anything, regardless of how it is hooked up. I would stop connecting it properly if I weren't afraid of there being something that I don't know. You can still input information into the nav while driving at any speed, so it's kind of strange.

The 4100/3100 are much different from the 310BT as they actually do play video.Now that I understand having the ebrake wire for, it is technically illegal in most states to be able to watch video and drive.

grtpumpkin: sorry to hear about the bypass mod not working. Thanks blows! I'm sure if you take it by a shop, they'll be able to figure it out for you. There is a chance you may have gotten a bad unit. Unfortunately, I don't think you can call Pioneer and ask them why you can't bypass their lock!

 

For those who are using a bypass switch, where are some good places to put it?

Pic plz if possible

 

Yeah thats what I have thought too. Call Pioneer and be like "Why the hell can't i bypass your stooopid video safety!" LOL Psmo, I put my switch inside the upper storage compartment in my Zeta non-folding armrest, it was the easiest way to hide the switch and not screw around with lots of extra wire. However, I have heard it suggested that you put it next to the mirror controls on the dash (by your left knee) there is a blank switch panel there that would be perfect.

 

pfft i am so glad that all i had to do was ground that wire in my car... what a pain in the..

 

LMAO at myself ^^^ Couldn't have put it better! Thanks, i needed that.