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Successful navigation swap into a non Nav CTS

192K views 444 replies 72 participants last post by  Lancer1965 
#1 ·
Can we add OEM Nav system to 2010 CTS?

I have a 2010 CTS Sport Wagon and sorry I didn't get the nav system. Is it possible to have one installed so it looks factory installed? If so, where can I purchase one? Can the dealer do it?
 
#4 ·
Re: Can we add OEM Nav system to 2010 CTS?

I have a 2010 CTS Sport Wagon and sorry I didn't get the nav system. Is it possible to have one installed so it looks factory installed? If so, where can I purchase one? Can the dealer do it?
I purposely bought one "without" the Nav System. It''s "Cheaper" to buy a Garmin / TomTom, etc. with life-time map updates. Now you can use it anywhere. Built-in units are expensive to update.
 
#5 ·
Re: Can we add OEM Nav system to 2010 CTS?

A couple of guys have researched it and indicated it was cost prohibitive. One guy was able to accomplish the swap with used parts, but his wife later totaled the car. We were never able to find out if it worked after he got the HU reflashed and mated to the new VIN.
 
#9 ·
Re: Can we add OEM Nav system to 2010 CTS?

I have spend lot of time researching about the nav retrofit , checking parts diagram.. and I don´t see the point why it can´t be done.

If you get navigation radio , pop up display , control panel , gps antenna ,and the oem maps disc it should be done... the installlations seems to be pretty straightforward.

The only 2 issues I think you can find : wiring harness and Vin setup

Right now you can find on ebay a pack of nav radio, display and control panel for 895 bucks , I have contacted the seller but he does not ship to europe and the color of the control panel is cashmere.( mine is light titanium)
 
#15 ·
Re: Can we add OEM Nav system to 2010 CTS?

As an added bonus, the wiring harness is probably different, requiring a lot of clipping and soldering. It may be possible but I bet it would be tough. It always seems that there is some small part not listed that is the key to making everything work and without it the job fails. You also have to consider down time tearing everything apart and then back together again.
 
#16 ·
Re: Can we add OEM Nav system to 2010 CTS?

Actually, the wiring would probably be the easy part. I don't know about the 2nd gen, but on the first gen CTS, all three different radios use the same wiring harness. Car manufacturers tend to use the same wiring harness for every trim level of a given car. It's cheaper than making different ones. That's why base cars tend to have empty plugs hanging in various places around the car.

It's all the missing solenoids, relays, and different components installed that would drive you crazy trying to sort them all out. Methinks.
 
#19 ·
After searching for months for information on swapping an oe navigation system into my '09 with no luck, I decided to take it on myself. Everything seems to be working. The navigation, radio, cd all seem to function, but I'm not getting any sound. Anybody have any ideas on hooking up the speakers? The premium units had a four connector amp. The base models only had three.
 
#23 ·
First thing to do is to get yourself a gm service manual. I highly recommend it. Next, try to get the most complete system you can get with wire harness pigtails or complete harness. I bought a complete unit (receiver, gps antenna, display panel, center dash panel, pigtails) out of a 2008 cts. I bought mine on eBay, or you can try a junkyard. These units are locked once they are removed from the donor car, so youll have to get it unlocked. Again, eBay was my friend. The next step is to take apart the center dash panel. The procedure is in the service repair manual. Then remove the receiver. On mine, there was three connections on the back. There was a big black 44 pin connector, an antenna and a satellite antenna connection. All three plug directly into your new receiver. Now comes the fun part. You'll have to supply grounds, a vss signal, and ign power. I found one power source in the 44pin receiver connector. The other power source I found by prying of the left dashboard access cover by the drivers door. For the vss signal, I tapped into a wire (green and yellow I think) on the driver side valve cover in the engine compartment. The gps antenna is located under the riverside defrost vent. The parts that I needed were wire taps, shrink wrap, solider, wire, trim push clips, and some trim screws. The display panel bolts right up. You will need to get some clips and screws to secure it. The new receiver bolts right in. Put in your new dash panel and if you did everything right, you should have factory navigation. I haven't figured out the sound part yet. I think I'm gonna get a premium amp with the pigtails and make a new harness to add that fourth connection to the amp.
 
#24 ·
I thought I would update my progress. I bought an amp that came out of a cts-v that had the extra plug. I went to my local dealer and got the extra connector I needed. I compared the connector pin-outs between the base and the premium systems. Turns out that almost all the wires going to the amp had to be re-pinned. On top of that, quite a few circuits had to be added. After a days work, I completed the install. I now have working navigation and sound in a base cts. Total cost was a little over $600.
 
#50 ·
Great work - I have been trying to get GM to replace my Bose radio with the NAV radio - I suspect this wont get too far and I have been working with Customer Care on it. I guess one of the main reasons its such a big deal is that there is no formal procedural docs for the mechanics to follow to make all the connections for power and to interface with the various computer modules that tell the car it has a NAV. I thought my upgrade would be a little easier with me having the upgraded Bose radio already and just replacing the head unit. I have a 12 Performance Coupe and I decided against getting the NAV and got all the Lux options instead. As you know you cant get both with the Performance model. I had the NAV with my prior 08 CTS.
 
#30 ·
I didn't take any pics when I did the swap. I'll gladly help you with the swap. Send me an email liftedfx4@yahoo.com

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Did you have any isses with GM programming the unit?
I actually sent the silver box to a company on eBay that specialized in unlocking gm radios. If they couldnt do it, I probably would have sold everything and buy a Tom Tom.

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Did you have any isses with GM programming the unit?
The cadillac dealer I went to was a joke. They claimed you couldn't reprogram the unit. With no one else successfully doing the swap, I was ready to give up on it
 
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