For my 13 Z71 I ordered the simplesoft E8059CHEVY OEM replacement in dash DVD nav for only $599 delivered. Anyone else have one or get one that low? It has good reviews online. I'm good with hooking electronics but worried about breaking the trim around the radio. Do I need a special tool or can I use a putty knife or something to pry the trim? I'm also wondering what to do with the gps antennae it comes with or if factory wiring has one even though it didn;t come with nav. I think the thing on the roof is only for XM? I might bring to store for hookup but it seems easy enough.
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Aftermarket nav
- Thread starter JBro
- Start date
I was looking at the same system. Let us know how you make out.
HawaiianBrian
Full Member
taking off the bezel is not hard, just tape off the edges so you don''t sratch it. Insert a pry tool and slowly yank hard, there are lot's of clips holding it on. Once you get one off, the rest will easily follow. As far as the GPS antenna, it's a fairly simple install. It will mount under the top of the dash closest to the windshield. While you have the HU out, pry off the skinny long piece panel on the top of the dash, there's a little compartment that the antenna will snap into, snake the antenna up thrue the compartment to your hu, plug it in and your done.
Search for a thread on here from memeber LORDVADOR, he has a greeat write up with pics that is easy peasy to follow.
Search for a thread on here from memeber LORDVADOR, he has a greeat write up with pics that is easy peasy to follow.
Speedfreak95
Full Member
I was looking at the same set up as I want a backup camera bad. It should be a direct plug and play correct? I want to do a kenwood ddx 419 but after 2 different wiring harnesses and crap its close to 8-900 
Well all 2013s have camera in the mirror so if it doesn't duplicate/plug n play on the 7" screen I won't mind. According to a reviewer on amazon he had to connect rear view mirror connector Pins 6-white and 7-Blue to the units rca camera input so the camera may not be plug n play on this. I'll let you know when I get it installed. I also bought this one as it didn't require a couple hundred dollars worth of adapters.
Speedfreak95
Full Member
Okay that would be awesome. I know on amazon you can get a backup camera for like 18$. Think they plug right into the RCA adapter. I'm just wondering if its something I can put in myself. Don't forget a write up
Dash trim was really tight, I paid geek squad to install it for $125. installer put gps antennae on top dash but under my dash mat so can't really see it, would have preferred the in dash install but he said there was no room. Need to bring it back as he couldn't get my add on kicker hideaway to work before they closed. After quick check- This unit has a bit more bass than the base lvl factory unit once adjusted from the inital settings. Now I have ipod/phone connection cable in glovebox and the usb still works in console. I like how I can change the display color from orange or blue. The xm still works I assume on my free 3 month trial so I guess it ties to the vehicle/antennae. Dvd works good.Touchscreen works good. steering wheel controls work good although differnce is that XM changes 1 channel at a time vs the favorites by defualt. gps maps much more modern than my factory 07 unit and has a 3d angle view. Once it even told me the speed limit maybe I was going too fast. Some negatives I also saw from other reviewers - clock time only shows on main screen and directional signals are a bit louder than before through the speakers, there may be an adjustment somewhere though. Also comes set for kms switch to miles in menu.
Thanks for the update. So far it sounds like a good investment for the cost. I've been going back and firth between the Simplesoft, the OGM1 and a stock unit. Obviously, the Simplesoft is the value in the group. Keep us updated.
They got my kicker hideaway to work by running a turn on wire from the headunit. It really adds some nice bass to the whole system and fits easily under the small rear seat. Cost about 400 installed. Some more observations on simplesoft unit - the manual is bad and seems for most part to be for another model. Best to just go through all the settings/menus yourself. I turned off the gps voice or it will tell you everytime you are on a major road and going 2 or so mph above the speed limit. The xm only has 12 presets, which i wanted a few more. I also miss how the steering controls went through presets on factory but simplesoft changes 1 channel. No usb adapter was needed if you plug into the connection underneath the center console/drink holder area. The console usb port plays mp3s on any usb drive. You can even display the file names and pick them on screen. You need to go into dvd and slect usb vs selcting mp3 from main menu for some reason. My dvd playing got a bit choppy at times although my discs were a little scratched I suppose. I removed and reset and it played good again. The on screen touch menu is kinda hard to work for dvd and there is no remote. Although the steering control advance jumps through the dvd like selecting scenes with a remote nicely. Would I buy it again, most likely. As you use it you get used to operating it and its quirks. Would I be happier with an alpine or kenwood etc, yes but I'd be in it for 4-500 more and would not be able to play dvds for passengers while moving. also would not have the stock look.
also forgot to mention the rear view camera does not auto work on the display if you have the base radio unit, with rear view mirror camera option per other reviews you need to splice into the blue and white wires running up the driver side to the rear view mirror and connect to the units camera rca. Otherwsie you could run another camera to the back.
How's that head unit working out? I'm ready to purchase the OGM1 but would love to save $400.00.
I'm happy with it. For 600+ install I went from having a 1 disk cd/XM player to factory look nav/dvd/XM etc without paying 2200+ from the factory. The sound is really good and I paired it with a kicker hideaway under the back seat. Whole system cost about 1150 and I didn't have to touch anything.
Jester4 said:
The OGM1 is true plug and play. You don't have to add anything else for it to work. It does not work with the factory bluetooth but does have its own bluetooth which works fit. They give you a small mic which works fine. I may get a second oem mic and mount it where the factory mic mounts in the overhead console to hide it. I tucked the one it came with next to where the rear view mirror came down and no one notices it honestly. Other than that everything works.
The steering wheel controls work although seek/scan through the channels isn't quite as good as factory. You can only advanced forwards through presets rather than go back. By that i mean you can only advance to the next preset forward, you can't go back. You also cannot seek. You can only move through presets in the radio. If your a seek/search type person on the radio it may be a problem.
If you have the backup camera in the mirror you have to top into the blue and white wires in the overhead console comping from the rear view mirror.
I'd like one for my '12 which lacks a NAV. Does it have a DVD A/V output for the rear entertainment center and a remote to control the Head unit from the rear?
Also does it have a tap for input from the Avy's electric steering and backup sensors?........the '13 Navs project an 25 foot long overlay skeleton in 5 foot increments onto the Nav screen that shows the path the vehicle will travel when in reverse, works in conjunction with the camera, steering wheel and warning sensors, as the front wheels are turned ,the projected path changes to show exactly where the rear wheels will travel.....fantastic for backing into a parking space or parallel parking alongside a curb....makes it breeze to safely back up looking only at the screen......didn't even know it had it until I turned on the feature in the menu.
Also does it have a tap for input from the Avy's electric steering and backup sensors?........the '13 Navs project an 25 foot long overlay skeleton in 5 foot increments onto the Nav screen that shows the path the vehicle will travel when in reverse, works in conjunction with the camera, steering wheel and warning sensors, as the front wheels are turned ,the projected path changes to show exactly where the rear wheels will travel.....fantastic for backing into a parking space or parallel parking alongside a curb....makes it breeze to safely back up looking only at the screen......didn't even know it had it until I turned on the feature in the menu.
Thomcat said:
I'm not 100% sure on your questions. I know it does have Av jacks to tie into rear entertainment. It does not come with any remotes out of the box so you have to do some research on that. Do the remote actually control the Nav unit though or does it actually control the entertainment center in the back of the console?
As for the backup stuff. The backup sensors maintain functionality but the projected path I'm not sure. I think the projected path might be part of the camera and not necessarily the Nav it self. From what i see it's just using the nav as a display. The reason I say that is because when i was looking at trucks some had nav units and some did not. I had already researched the OGM1 and decided that's what i was going to run if the truck i bought did not have nav. When i was looking at the cameras i could choose if i wanted the projected path tracks when buying the camera, not the nav.
See here:
http://www.camera-source.com/products/gm-oe-fit/chevy-avalanche-cadillac-ext-backup-camera-2002-2013
The truck i ended up buying did not have nav but it did end up having the factory backup camera and rear view mirror display so i never ended up getting the camera listed above. I just tapped in using the factory one but that one I linked to above can be drilled and put right underneath the latch where a factory one would go.
The IR remote control is for the DVD functions in the rear entertainment system and for rear seaters to change the volume/rradio/video sources output for the rear seat headphone jacks and the A/V inputs (for external game consoles etc.) in the rear console.....the pickup for the remote is in the standard AM/FM/XM/Aux radio and in the standard NAV radio.
It is not a static overlay projected by the camera to show distance it somehow has to get its input from the steering system......with the vehicle standing still the overlay changes from a rectangle to an arc shaped overlaying the picture, the further you turn the wheel the tighter the curve of the arc to show the projected path of the vehicle as the steering wheel is turned, turn the steering wheel the other way and the arc will piviot in the other direction to show the projected path........appears is a function of the NAV unit and not the camera because it was not in my '07 NAV unit and is not in the backup display shown in the '12 mirror which does not have a NAV.
It is not a static overlay projected by the camera to show distance it somehow has to get its input from the steering system......with the vehicle standing still the overlay changes from a rectangle to an arc shaped overlaying the picture, the further you turn the wheel the tighter the curve of the arc to show the projected path of the vehicle as the steering wheel is turned, turn the steering wheel the other way and the arc will piviot in the other direction to show the projected path........appears is a function of the NAV unit and not the camera because it was not in my '07 NAV unit and is not in the backup display shown in the '12 mirror which does not have a NAV.
dscconway
Full Member
the simplesoftusa web site is gone and the price at amazon jumped to $1999. Is there another aftermarket nav system that is plug and play that someone has tried. I have a 2013 avalanche ls that I would like to upgrade.
Thanks
Thanks