[Pot Hole]

Just picked me up a nice Kenwood DD stereo to replace the now antique radio that my '04 came with. One of it's options is hands-free calling and I have a mic that needs to be positioned somewhere near the drivers side for option functionality. I noticed that some have run their mics up the side door A-pillar and had the mic located at the top of the pillar. That seems like an acceptable location, but my question is, did you remove the dash to get the wire over there to the pillar or can you fish tape the wire over there by just removing the A-pillar's plastic cover and fishing the wire through the wiring behind the steering wheel? I would like to minimize how much dash cover I need to take off, and if I can fish the wire over there without removing the plastic dash behind the steering wheel, that would be my preference.

Also, I need to run a rear view backup camera wire to this unit. What is the best way to get that wire to the back of the truck?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[reeakes]

For the mike: From the HU run the wire (with mike) under the dash on the driver's side and route to the rubber seal at the door. Using a couple of popcicle sticks (or similiar) push the wire under the seal until you get to the top of the plastic trim on the A pillar. You can leave the mike there or you can continue by routing the wire under the headliner and position the mike on top of the rearview mirror.

On my Titan (now Frontier) I cut some foam to surround the mike (mike imbeded in a block of foam packing) and use double sided sticky tape to affix to the top of the mirror.

For the actual install, I started with the mike at the mirror and worked downward leaving the 'extra' mike wire behind the kickpanel on the driver's side.

For the camera wiring: Grab a flashlight, crawl under the truck where cab meets bed and see if you can locate a black grommet extending from the cab. On some models there is one or more grommet filled holes in the cab under the seat area. If there is none there then you will need to drill a hole in the rear of the cab 'to get outside'. Be sure to put a rubber grommet in the hole to run your wires through if you do have to drill.

 

[Pot Hole]

Thanks a bunch for the comments. My mic has a plug on one end and the (non-removable) mic on the other, so I will have to get creative way to get my mic wire up through the A pillar. I have some small fish tape wire and I should be able to make that work.

As for the back-up camera wire, I'll have to check and see if I have any grommets underneath my cab. I've crawled under there before and I don't remember seeing any, but I wasn't particularly looking for them either.

 

[reeakes]

To remove the trim on the A pillar first remove the hand grip which is attached with two screws under the caps at each end of the grip. Then the trim piece can be removed and you will have access to the wire channel and to the underside of the dash. The wire channel has several wires and is a cramped space - you will not be able to fish to pull the mike through - must remove the trim. It's a lot easier to just tuck the wire beneath the rubber molding ( I have done it both ways).

 

[Pot Hole]

Well, got the mic wired up and it was not as bad as I thought, but I also bought one of the ASWC-1 Steering Wheel Control modules and I'm having a helluva time getting to program up with my truck. It goes through the programming sequence fine and appears to lock onto my trucks electronics, but it won't stay programmed and bounces me out. Very frustrating!

 

[reeakes]

If it won't retain programing then it is likely defective - contact customer service at AXXESS.

 

[Pot Hole]

If it won't retain programing then it is likely defective - contact customer service at AXXESS.

I did, both by phone and email.

Spent hours trying everything possible to get it to work. I finally gave in and took it to a local car stereo shop where they agreed my wiring was fine, but they could only get it to program one function (volume UP). My truck spent two days at their shop where their techs went back and forth with AXXESS tech support. Finally they decided the resistance in the connection with my steering wheel controls to the module was such that the control module just couldn't read it and program itself. After two days of trial and error, they tried a different module (PAC I think) and surprisingly it worked.

Why something that should have been so easy turned out to be so difficult.