Review of the AVIC-N2

[JK II]

Well I got the new Pioneer screen in and I must say I like it a lot. Although I'm a little disappointed in the thats its only a 6.5 inch screen but the quality of the video and screen is amazing. My friend was able to bypass the the video thing so I can watch while driving but the downside is that I cannot use the Nav with it. The Nav will shut off if the destination is not within 10 miles of inserting the DVD. I asked him what he did but only told me it was his little secret.. The touchscreen is great. Its a little confusing at first but easy to use after a while.. Overall I'd give this headunit a 4 out 5.

 

[Wayne Foy]

What did you do with the old one?

 

[Frank Marano]

his little secret is grounding it to the parking brake......

 

[Tig OBit]

No, I don't think that is the secret for this new unit. I'm not sure what the secret is, but I would be alittle concerned because it wipes out your use of the nav system.

 

[Sed Thompson]

How did you get the double din size screen to fit? Did you have to trim the edges of the console?

 

[mookie]

My friend was able to bypass the the video thing so I can watch while driving....

Doesn't watching TV interfere with your talking on the cell phone and eating?





Seriously, keep your eyes on the road. It just takes a moment of inattention to collide with a car or run over a child!

 

[JK II]

Wayne I sold it to a buddy in my club. Oh I need to talk to you when I get back from Orlando this weekend about our car show.



Fmarano I dont think thats it cause I'm sure someone has tried it? If not could be.



Tig-o-bit, It only wipes out the use of the Nav if I want to watch a DVD other than the Nav is sweet.



Big$ed32, its only a single din headunit.

Seriously, keep your eyes on the road. It just takes a moment of inattention to collide with a car or run over a child!

I know Mookie. Its more for my passanger to watch than me.

 

[Travis Munday]

Yeah, manufatuers got smart with these units and a simple grounded parking brake interface wire isn't enough anymore. I've got a whole procedure I need to go through on my Alpine. Not just to use the DVD player, but to even do something as simple as set the clock. It's a little annoying, but eh, whattaugonnado? Since I've had my unit, since March, I've only watched one movie while driving, and that was a cartoon one for my nephew in the passenger seat, lol.

 

[Jacob Economou]

grounding the parking brake used to be the trick, just like they said previously.. now, the manufacturers are using speed sense wires to control the tv... if you know your electronics you can do it, but kinda pointless if you ask me.

 

[scott r]

I have heard that they use a gyroscope. I believe this to be true because if I depress the parking brake just enough to get my AVIC to show all the options, then I drive over a couple of miles per hour, the options go dim again.

His way of bypassing the unit MAY have been to use the video out, and then re-plugging it into itself so it looks to the unit like the signal is going to a rear monitor. Which would also explain your being unable to use the nav unit.

Don't quote me on this, because I don't know for sure, but this seems pretty logical to me. My logic is often skewed though. haha

 

[Jason Wilson]

To get the avicn2 to play dvd's while driving you peel this protective cover off ot the circuit board and solder (sp) two circuits or something together and it will let you play dvd's. The avicn1 used the parking brake methond and was easy to bypass. As far as the avicn2 it is pretty tricky. I wouldn't suggest it. Where I work we have done a few with this mod. One of them the solder got on the wrong circuit and now it doesn't work at all.



From what I understand on the nav part of it, is if you input your destination the avicn2 will store the info and you can remove the disc and put in a dvd or what ever you want. If you don' input your destination and just getting directions you have to have the mapping software running all the time.



The avidn1 is the double din navigation from pioneer. It is nav with a cd player. No dvd on this one. But it has two disc slots so you can listen to your music and still have nav running.