Gmt900 Navigation/rear Camera Installation

[403HP]

The one option I wanted that didn't come with my 08 Sierra Denali was the navigation system with DVD player. I figured I could purchase one later and install it myself to save some green vs getting one from the dealer. I found one on Ebay that came with a Gen 5 Lockpick from Coastal Electronic Technologies, a reverse camera from Rostra Precision Controls (250-8039), a GM navigation DVD, a GM GPS antenna and a GM VSS/voice harness.

 

If you own or are adding a GM navigation unit to your truck I highly recommend a Lockpick not only for its unlocking features, but its ability to easily add other electronics such as reverse cameras and Ipods. It made this installation much easier because there is only one wire you have to splice to the factory wiring (VSS - vehicle speed signal). The reverse camera gets it's fused power and ground from the Lockpick.

 

There are other navigation/camera installation posts on this site but I wanted to add links to helpful sites and provide some insight on what to do and not to do. Here are some links:

 

- http://www.coastaletech.com/gmlockpick1.htm

- http://www.rostra.com/RearSight-NavigationInterface.asp

- http://www.gm-trucks.com/forums/index.php?...icle&id=356

- http://reviews.ebay.com/GM-Truck-SUV-navig...000000004593584

- http://reviews.ebay.com/2008-SILVERADO-CRE...000000009073767

 

I used pieces of information from each source because all installation guidlines were different, including the installation instructions from GM, the Lockpick and the reverse camera in my Ebay purchase.

 

The video from Coastal is useful for for the trim and radio removal as well as Lockpick installation. Be careful when unsnapping the trim around the radio. You have to pull hard and it will make a loud pop! This is very nerve racking.

 

The 07 Tahoe in the video came with factory navigation and shows (4) factory harness connectors. My 08 SD came with the standard Bose radio with (2) harness connectors and the Lockpick gives and additional harness to plug in. This leaves (1) terminal on the back of the navigation unit that will not be used if the vehicle did not come with navigation. All harness connectors are groved on the bottom and can't be plugged in to the wrong terminal.

 

The Rostra reverse camera came with a navigation interface harness that I did not use because the Lockpick provided the video feed for the camera. This would be needed without the Lockpick.

 

Rostra Navigation Interface Harness

 

 

 

 

 

This is a photo of the VSS (left) and Voice harness (right). Use these instructions: VSS-Voice Harness

 

 

 

 

 

This is the Lockpick from Coastal Electronic Technologies

 

 

The GPS antenna is a breeze to install. More or less the GMT900 Navigation Radio and Lockpick is a straight forward installation.

 

Rear camera installation:

 

The Rostra 250-8039 kit came with the camera, camera housing, truck and tailgate extension harnesses, camera power harness and hardware package. This is a great kit but I wish Rostra would have put a 5/8" gromet on the camera assembly wire as well. I'll explain later.

 

Start by wiring the camera to the navigation unit. In this case I plugged the video cable in to the Lockpick harness and used the blue power wire and black ground wire on the Lockpick harness. The blue wire on the Lockpick harness is used to power aftermarket reverse cameras or to get full control of the factory reverse camera. I soldered the blue power wire to a supplied 5 amp fuse harness and then to the camera power wire. The camera ground was soldered to the provided ground wire on the Lockpick harness. Use heat shrink tubing on all connections.

 

The camera wire was routed underneath the driver's side carpet to the parking brake grommet. I cut part of the grommet off to make room for the video cable. Feed the cable through and use the supplied rubber/tar filler on both sides of the grommet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Run the video cable under the cab and zip tie it to the factory wiring harness (make sure the cable is not loose and watch for metal it may rub on as well as moving parts such as shocks and leaf springs). When you get to the fuel tank you will see the harness has a plastic cover on it. Go around this cover on the opposite side of the frame rail and continue along the wiring harness (I had to use a coat hanger to feed the cable past the plastic cover - its a tight fit). Stop once you get to the trailer wiring connector.

 

Now for the fun part. Drill baby, drill. I used a Unibit drill bit and went to the 5/8" size. A Dremel tool is also very helpful.

 

Remove the tailgate. Drill a 5/8" hole in the back lip of the bed just below the bed surface. The goal is to not have the video cable showing from the back of the truck.

 

 

 

 

 

Drill another 5/8" hole in the bottom of the tailgate, a couple of inches to either side of the hole in the bed lip. This will provide slack in the cable to prevent binding. If you have the tailgate assist do not drill the hole where I did. A metal rod runs through the enitre length of the gate and of course, I drilled right in to it. There was enough room for the video cable, but drill closer to the lip of the tailgate where the drain holes are to miss the rod. I used a dremel to to remove metal burrs and touch up paint and primer on the bare metal.

 

 

 

 

 

Remove the plastic trim from the tailgate handle. Like most trim you will have to pull extremely hard and you will think the plastic will snap. Be brave. Pull on the trim just above the handle until it pops off. Removal of the handle is not necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

Drill a hole on the plastic tailgate handle trim to mount the camera housing. The instructions call for a 1 1/16" hole. Have you ever heard of/seen a 1 1/16" bit? I drilled a 7/8" hole with a Unibit and used a Dremel tool with an auger bit for the rest. The camera housing is cylindrical but is inserted at a downwards angle, not sraight in. Use a Dremel to get the angle right. Use the alcohol wipe to prep the surface and remove the backing from the double sided tape on the housing.

 

 

 

 

 

Run the tailgate extension harness through the drilled holes in the bed and tailgate. This harness has two rubber grommets that fit in to the holes. This is great for keeping the holes sealed but it creates a problem if you want to remove the tailgate in the future. Rostra should have put a grommet on the long video cable that runs under the truck or on the cable that leads from the camera so a connection could be placed between the tailgate and the bed for tailgate removal.

 

 

 

 

 

Place a piece of supplied foam with adheasive backing around the connector that leads from the camera to prevent noise.

 

 

 

 

 

Clean the area to the left of the tailgate handle with alcohol to mount the PCB?

 

 

 

 

 

Install the camera into the housing and tighten the set screw with an allen wrench. Hint: line up the mark on the camera with the set screw to make sure its level and check camera operation before installing tailgate trim cover.

 

 

 

 

Reverse camera operation:

The camera will automatically come on when putting the truck in reverse. To view the camera while driving forward, press the window lockout button on the door four times in a row while in XM mode.

 

The GMT 900 navigation system completes my truck... for now . The surround sound while watching movies is amazing and the reversecamera is a nice edition. As I said earlier, the Lockpick is a must have for this install. The ability to use locked navigation features and XM commands while driving is great to have as well as the acessory power hookups. Viewing the reverse camera while dring forward to see your trailer and viewing the DVD player while driving are nice to have but I won't use them much. The DVD plyer will be nice for long trips with passengers. The navigation system works well so far but I'm still used to my Garmin.

 

I now have three tools to use when backing up... the sonar sensors in the rear bumper, the reverse camera and my own eyes. I think you will see this more common on vehicles.

[brims]

I'm curious about a few things, I've heard about this navigation DVD a few times, the DVD has to be in at all times while navigating or just the first time?

 

You hook into the VSS, so does the navigation have dead reckoning (knows where you are without satellites, like when going into a parking structure?

 

Lastly, the antenna is under the dash, sure the dash is plastic, but there's plenty of metal in there, it wouldn't get any better reception than my Garmin GPS that's stuck to my dash. My external antenna that sits on my roof would make that factory antenna look useless.

 

EDIT: Not knocking your writeup, looks like good information. Wouldn't mind making my GPS navigation look more OEM.

[403HP]

I'm curious about a few things, I've heard about this navigation DVD a few times, the DVD has to be in at all times while navigating or just the first time?

 

You hook into the VSS, so does the navigation have dead reckoning (knows where you are without satellites, like when going into a parking structure?

 

Lastly, the antenna is under the dash, sure the dash is plastic, but there's plenty of metal in there, it wouldn't get any better reception than my Garmin GPS that's stuck to my dash. My external antenna that sits on my roof would make that factory antenna look useless.

 

EDIT: Not knocking your writeup, looks like good information. Wouldn't mind making my GPS navigation look more OEM.

 

I'm not sure if the DVD must remain in the unit for the navigation unit to work but there is no need to take it out because it has its own disc drive - seperate from the CD/DVD drive located behind the screen. I would guess the navigation unit needs to access the DVD for information. There are different zones in north america you must manually switch to (I think 12 or 14). My nav unit was set for Washington DC when I installed it.

 

I'm not sure of the need for the VSS for the nav unit. It might be for the lockout feature when you start moving. It may dead rekon but what happens if you were to turn?

 

The GPS antenna sits in the front/center of the dash just below the removable cover by the winshield. It nice not having the bulk of a portable unit on the windshield, not to mention the lack of wires.

[brims]

I'm not sure of the need for the VSS for the nav unit. It might be for the lockout feature when you start moving. It may dead rekon but what happens if you were to turn?

 

The GPS antenna sits in the front/center of the dash just below the removable cover by the winshield. It nice not having the bulk of a portable unit on the windshield, not to mention the lack of wires.

 

Well I know my truck has a compass that works all the time, so that would take care of the turning. I knew a guy that owned a Titan for a while that had a factory nav system and did dead reckoning without seeing the satellites.

 

My external antenna is pretty well hidden. There's an inch or 2 you can see on the passenger side on the outside of the cab and then the 5-6 inches from the dash to my GPS. And you barely notice the antenna sitting on the roof.

[robot225]

Is the window lock trick to view the camera anytime a part of the lockpick?

[403HP]

Is the window lock trick to view the camera anytime a part of the lockpick?

 

Correct. You have to be in FM mode on the radio to do it.

[cagle520]

Awesome write up. I have been trying to gather info and parts to start doing this myself. This def helps my situation out. I might have some questions once I get started but I'll pm you if I do.

[sweetba1]

Real nice writeup. Where did you get the Rostra Precision Controls (250-8039) Camera from? I called Rostra and they sent me to some supplier that would not sell me one.

[Wires]

The VSS connection allows the NAV to continue when you lose satellites (ie tunnels).

 

Great writeup. I'm in the same boat as you, got a 08 SD, and has everything but Nav. Do you know the model number of the Nav unit? I'm confused on what to install. There is a different number for 09, which wasn't much help when I called the dealer looking for a P/N to cross reference to ebay....

[403HP]

The VSS connection allows the NAV to continue when you lose satellites (ie tunnels).

 

Great writeup. I'm in the same boat as you, got a 08 SD, and has everything but Nav. Do you know the model number of the Nav unit? I'm confused on what to install. There is a different number for 09, which wasn't much help when I called the dealer looking for a P/N to cross reference to ebay....

 

 

I purchased this...

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/07-08-GM-Ch...1QQcmdZViewItem

[Sir Dan]

Hey Chucky, did you have to take the truck in and have the reverse cam option enabled like the Rostra instructions say? If not was it just because you used the Lockpik device and bypassed that part? My GM nav unit has the option on there and if I turn it on, a black screen comes up when I back up, so would this mean the feature is ready to go just needing signal? Thanx for any info...

[gaidin43]

Is there a way to view the monitor on an OEM camera with the Rear View Mirror Monitor? Or do you need to have the nav system and lockpick to do it?

[Stevens03]

Great write up... Bookmarking this one for later use.

[jmac]

Just complete the installation of the Rostra Back-up camera kit 250-8039. The kit comes with everything you need except for drill bits to install. I paid $190 for the kit and $90 for the dealer to program my radio to enable the camera through the navigation system. This is a good kit, however Rostra needs to improve their directions and plug-n-play wiring harness. The camera mounts into your existing tailgate bezel and looks rather stock. The directions call for a 1 1/16” hole to mount the camera. The only place I could find a 1 1/16” bit was online for $35. I ended up using a 1” paddle bit and a razor knife to make a 1 1/16”hole to mount the camera. The hardest part of the install was gathering enough confidence to pry hard enough to remove the wood trim around the radio in order get access to the wires. The wood trim is rather thin and I felt like I was going to break it. I noticed right away that the Rostra wiring harness did not have enough wires coming out of it. The harness eliminates three existing wires which I later found out is the voice for the navigation and steering wheel control system. I ended up removing the pins from the Rostra harness and placing them inside the existing GM harness. I hooked everything up as directed in the instructions except for the harness and headed to the GM dealer to program the radio. After programming the radio all I would get is a black screen on the navigation screen. I assume I have a bad connection somewhere. After trouble shooting for hours with no help I decide to run power straight from the battery instead of the connection described in the instructions. As soon as I hooked up the battery power I got rear image on the display. The connection provided in the instructions gave me 11 volts, of which I thought would be plenty to power the camera. Wrong!!! I called Rostra technical support and I told them my problem and they said “Yea we see this on some trucks, and you will need to tie into the green wire heading to the rear of the truck.” Why not place this info in the installation directions in to first place. All in all I am rather satisfied with the installation. The camera looks good on the monitor and on the exterior of the truck. Like I said before, Rostra needs to improve their wiring harness and direction for installation.

[divrcddad2]

Hey there, first of all, great notes and pictures. Just installed mine today, and used your notes in addition to the instructions that came from the seller.

 

I have an 08 Silverado LT withOUT the BOSE system. No onstar, no BOSE, no XM receiver.

 

I installed the Nav, the Rostra rear view, and the Lockpick Gen 5.

 

I have sound problems (but I expected that, been told I need to install a 50 W amp), but I am more concerned that the Lockpick doesn't seem to be doing anything for me. I can't get the camera to come up in anything other than Reverse. I wired the camera power using the Common ground, and the BLUE Factory reverse camera wires coming from the Lockpick. Camera works fine in Reverse, automatically comes up and everything. But the window lock and mute buttons don't seem to bring the camera up on the screen in any other gear. I have the Video input plugged in to the GM cable interface, NOT the Video input on the Lockpick harness (going to try that tomorrow). The only wire I had to splice in was the VSS at the panel by the parking brake.

 

My Nav system doesn't seem to track correctly. It seems to be off by a short distance. It will lag as driving and then catch back up to where I am at. It has been sitting in a box for 6 months, but I can't imagine that will affect it that way. I am not sure if something needs to be reset or calibrated. That was all supposedly done before I received it.

 

So anyone with ideas about why the GPS tracking is a little off or why the Lockpick doesn't seem to be responding, please send me a note.

 

First time on here, first time posting.

 

Thanks