Kenwood Double Din Nav

Register to hide this ad
I have always wanted to do this. But the thought of having to fiddle around the trim pieces to get the GPS antenna working had me scared.

Can any of you post pics of how you mounted the GPS antenna in your 4runner?
 
I just got the DNX 9960 and it is AWESOME. Garmin GPS, 2 USBs (one will read a USB hard drive), front & rear camera, customizable startup screen and background image, color-match button illumination, voice control, bluetooth, 5v preouts, etc... After several months of research, I believe Kenwood is the best nav on the market. I've always been an Alpine man but they can't compete with the garmin gps.

The only thing I don't like is the slow startup, ~20 seconds from turning the key to hearing music, & slow iPod navigation (which I use most often), but the other features make it worth it.
 
Last edited:
Unfortunately I did not put this unit in myself (Car Toys did, and they did a great job). I did have to remove all of the dash components to move a USB port to the glove box after the fact and I have to say pulling the dash trim pieces apart in a 4th gen T4R is easy. My antenna is actually mounted on the roof (magnet) next to the Sirius XM antenna just above the rear hatch behind the high center brake light. I did install the GPS unit in my previous car and I mounted it on a frame pieces inside the dash behind the head unit and never had any problems. I'm sure you could do the same before trying to fish the wiring around the headliner.
 
I agree with gaterose, startup is slow which is why I didn't get the backup camera. By the time the unit powers on I am normally already moving forward. iPod nav is a little slow of which there are known issues with older iPods with my Kenwood. I typically leave my old iPod in the glovebox connected to the unit there, but have been using my iPhone more recently and have had less issues. I check Kenwood's website for firmware updates regularly also. Link to my startup screen pic on my DNX6960 : http://www.toyota-4runner.org/audio-electronics/73856-kenwood-dnx6160.html
 
I forgot about this but I do have an issue with iPhone playback worth mentioning for anyone reading this with an iPhone. When I plug the phone in, the music cuts out once bluetooth connects. I have to either: unplug & replug the phone, switch to bluetooth input, wait until bt connects before plugging in the first time, or open ipod and change output back to dock connector.

This is my startup screen:


Also I have my GPS antenna in the spot where the center speaker would normally be (right above the HU).
 
ryanbt said:
Unfortunately I did not put this unit in myself (Car Toys did, and they did a great job). I did have to remove all of the dash components to move a USB port to the glove box after the fact and I have to say pulling the dash trim pieces apart in a 4th gen T4R is easy. My antenna is actually mounted on the roof (magnet) next to the Sirius XM antenna just above the rear hatch behind the high center brake light. I did install the GPS unit in my previous car and I mounted it on a frame pieces inside the dash behind the head unit and never had any problems. I'm sure you could do the same before trying to fish the wiring around the headliner.
Click to expand...

How does the wire from the roof get inside the vehicle?
 
ryanbt said:
.. which is why I didn't get the backup camera. By the time the unit powers on I am normally already moving forward.
Click to expand...

I have the backup camera, and the camera comes on in around 10 seconds, much quicker than playback. It is definitely fast enough for me to use it, it comes on in less than half the of the iPod. I think the software (or firmware?) may boot the backup camera before the other AV stuff.
 
krravi said:
How does the wire from the roof get inside the vehicle?
Click to expand...

The antennas are at the very back of the truck in the center. The wires are tucked into the gap between the hatch and the truck itself. (maybe an inch of wire total of which you don't see) and then it goes into the truck by the weather molding. It's the same setup the dealer or port uses when they install the XM module for the Urban Runner's Tom Tom (at least in my case anyway).
 
alaskaman, though the responses so far seem to be in favor of Kenwood, do your research first! Go to KenwoodForums.com • Index page and read up on both the DNX7160 and DNX9960 and the known problems they have. The processor is really slow, iPod interfacing has issues especially with the 160gb iPod classic. And NAV has problems as well. I has a 6 month old DNX7160 the had a known self reset issue and then for no reason, it locked and erased ALL the NAV maps! Kenwoods response? Oh it will have to be sent to a service repair center. Fortunately I got out of it and just installed a Sony XNV-770Bt that i really like. i had two Kenwood units with issues from day one in my 4R and will never own the garbage they sell as a product again.
 
ryanbt said:
The antennas are at the very back of the truck in the center. The wires are tucked into the gap between the hatch and the truck itself. (maybe an inch of wire total of which you don't see) and then it goes into the truck by the weather molding. It's the same setup the dealer or port uses when they install the XM module for the Urban Runner's Tom Tom (at least in my case anyway).
Click to expand...

I just put mine in the dash as outlined in my post and it is the factory location. No need to run wire to the back. I've never had an issue with GPS signals.

Sirius seems to have some issues. Haven't narrowed it down but think it might be due to the defroster heating up either the antenna or the receiving unit. I moved the receiving unit which basically fixed it the issue but every once in a while (inconsistently) it cuts out if it gets a lot of interference from overhead lines. I never notice a problem until winter.
 
kenwood nav

I have a Kenwood DNX5120 which I've had for just about exactly 2 years now.

I store my tunes on a USB thumb drive but I have read the ipod support is not great on these units. Fine with me I'm not an IPod guy anyway. With album art its a little sluggish navigating through folders but I removed the album art and it works fine for me.

Super easy install, the GPS antenna is sitting inside my dash ontop of the deck, I never have any issue getting a signal. Nice and clean install.

A few weeks ago however the NAV portion stopped working. The deck still works fine, plays DVDs and music but when I press NAV it just goes to the blue garmin loading screen but never loads. A quick google search turned up others with this issue and I'm about a year out of warranty...

So.... I will be selling my current deck and buying a DNX6960 soon to replace it as the NAV is something we use often.

I have looked a offerings from Sony, Pioneer, and others and while many are really great head units, none can touch the Garmin Nav that Kenwood uses.
 
Update

well to my surprise just as I was about to pull the trigger on the Kenwood I saw the new Garmin Nuvi 2360 LMT.

It had all the features that I wanted (except of course cd playback). Navigates entirely by voice command, life time maps free real time traffic without subscription. The features are numerous but the one I like the most is the voice and traffic. from on to destination I don't have to touch the unit goes all by voice command. real time traffic sees ahead and gives alternatives to traffic jams without being prompted to. $249 at Crutchfeild with 24/7 free support. could not pass it up. Will next focus on a unit for playback which is superior now that the GPS is done.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 344 (members: 1, guests: 343)

Forum statistics

Threads
278,310
Messages
3,554,080
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Share this page

Trending content

Back
Top