Installing Factory Navigation

[jlanef]

I am going to install a factory Navigation unit in my 2006 DTS LIII, does anyone know how to get the wood trim around the radio and climate control units off? Where do I start and how is it attached underneath.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,

Jeff

[yourgmsolutions]

Originally Posted by jlanef

I am going to install a factory Navigation unit in my 2006 DTS LIII, does anyone know how to get the wood trim around the radio and climate control units off? Where do I start and how is it attached underneath.

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,

Jeff

I tell You this, have somebody else take that trim out.
I did one. I was half way through and gave up. Paid cadillac tech $25 to do it for me. Dammest design I ever seen.
it's not just trim around the radio, it's more then that. You also need to remove trim on the passenger side, in order to get to the other one. It's a disaster
If You still desided to do it your self, let me know, and I give You some instructions manual

[Roburt]

Before you install a factory nav unit have you checked out how it works. I have one with my 2007 DTS ll and the Nav works only when the radio is also on. Also the screen cannot be turned off ( distracting at night) without the radio on. The dealer tells me they all work this way. You may be better off with a free standing Nav unit. I E-mailed the manufacturer in Japan and they said that they could not help me. Wish you luck.

[mack1a]

I have GM nav on my 2006 DTS PL. My wife wanted one on her 2006 CTS Sports package.

We were both surprised at how much it would be. While I was pondering the best way to go about it she rode in a friends car that was TomTom equipped.

She came to me and said why pay thousands for a GM Nav when the Tom Tom is so much better. Now first of all, I hate the name TomTom. So against my better judgement I took a look at one.

My wife now has a $324 TomTom in her car. I was able to hide the power cord and it is stuck to the ash tray door.

For $324 she gets much more usability and feature content than the GM Nav. Examples are:

Free unlimited downloadable software
a choice of voices (gender and language)
definable distance units (goes to yards when close to the turn for example)
it only costs $324
selectable display colors
better verbal directions
great graphics (yes the screen is smaller but she seldom has to look at it)
it only costs $324
A single North American (incl HI) data base) no region changing
many optional on line features and functions
It has a clock
it only costs $324
It is portable (going to Hawaii Tuesday, will take it with us)
It can be used as a personal hand held GPS
it only costs $324
itinery planning with way points
Customer support
and more

Yep, I still hate the name TomTom, but I do like their product. And this is the cheapest of the line...Imagine if I had spent say $500. For all I know, the higher priced lines are even better. The point is that the only advantage of the Cadillac unit is screen size. Funny thing. I live near a gated community (you know, one of those places where the inmates actually pay to maintain their own streets). Any time I go in that direction my Nav tries to route me through that subdivision. There is no way to tell it that the street has'nt been a public street in 10 years.

[sts96]

The factory nav system system rated poorly with owners I chose a nuvi 350 and am happy with it.
sts96

[07 DTS]

The factory nav is ok, but I'll go with my Garmin StreetPilot 2820. It has EVERYTHING, from Nav, to XM traffic radio, to Bluetooth for your cellphone, and/or other devices. It is not cheap, but a fraction of the price of factory, and does a WHOLE lot more.

07 DTS

[yourgmsolutions]

just curious
how many of You actually read navigation manual book ?
I'm not trying to be a smart a$$, but after reading all this, I could not believe that GM would put such a crappy Nav Radio into such as nice car.
So, while I was at the dealership, I asked for a book and seat down in 06/07 DTS and played for like an hour with the nav Radio.
I tell You this. most friendly user Nav radio i've seen. all your hand held nav devices don't even do 1/4 of that DTS nav does

[Roburt]

To GM GEEK: I read the nav book at least 5 times and either my system is not working correctly ( the dealer says that's the way they work) or the nav/radio is a piece of junk. Why do you think that GM gave the NAV system free with a new 2007 car in a promotion? Also how do you think GM can lay off so many workers and not have it effect their product? You should not buy a car from a manufacturer who is just hanging on, this is the end of the old US manufacturers. From now on I will only buy from a company that knows how to succeed.

[yourgmsolutions]

Originally Posted by Roburt

To GM GEEK: I read the nav book at least 5 times and either my system is not working correctly ( the dealer says that's the way they work) or the nav/radio is a piece of junk. Why do you think that GM gave the NAV system free with a new 2007 car in a promotion? Also how do you think GM can lay off so many workers and not have it effect their product? You should not buy a car from a manufacturer who is just hanging on, this is the end of the old US manufacturers. From now on I will only buy from a company that knows how to succeed.

1. name one company who's not straggling or not doing recalls on their vehicles, or not lay off their workers
2. Nav Radio on DTS is identical as 2007 SRX/Chevys/GMC SUV's (just a different shape.
3. when You get a chance, go to Chevy/GMC forum and find any threads people having issues as you guys described
4. lot's of dealers a-holes, when don't want to deal with customers, simply they blame everything on manufacturer

also, if you guys want to. name a list of problems/issues, and may be sometimes next week I can try to video tape how to work those functions, and post them on line. may be that will help

[Roburt]

GM Geek: If the people at GM cared as much as you I would not be this annoyed. My second car has been Audi's. I am on my 5th Cadillac and my 3rd Audi. My last Audi had 7 recalls in the first year and have had problems that took 2 years to find and fix. But they never told me that this is the way the car works nor gave up trying to fix the problem. On all the cads I have had there may have had only 3 problems on the last two (traded 03 CTS for the DTS) yet every one has been trauma with GM and their dealers. Can you tell me is it normal that when I push the NAV button the radio also comes on with the NAV? Also when I try to turn off the lit screen with the "display" controls the radio comes on and if I push the power knob to turn off the radio the screen lights up again? If that is normal as the dealer says then the NAV/radio is junk. I appreciate your interest and thanks for your concern.

[yourgmsolutions]

Originally Posted by Roburt

GM Geek: when I try to turn off the lit screen with the "display" controls the radio comes on and if I push the power knob to turn off the radio the screen lights up again? If that is normal as the dealer says then the NAV/radio is junk.

from my understanding , You want screen off, no music and just hear voice guidance on your Nav radio or You don't want nothing, then this is what You can do:

1.You can go to display menu and turn screen off and screen on Your Nav Radio will be blacked out, then You can lower sound volume all the way down, so basicaly all you will hear is voice promt for turns/exits/etc.
2. or if You just want simply turn screen off and listen radio, again, you can turn display off and you can even use your steering wheel controls.
3. or if you don't want to see/hear anything, just turn display off

[mack1a]

Originally Posted by gm_geek

just curious
how many of You actually read navigation manual book ?
I'm not trying to be a smart a$$, but after reading all this, I could not believe that GM would put such a crappy Nav Radio into such as nice car.
So, while I was at the dealership, I asked for a book and seat down in 06/07 DTS and played for like an hour with the nav Radio.
I tell You this. most friendly user Nav radio i've seen. all your hand held nav devices don't even do 1/4 of that DTS nav does

I don't know much about "handhelds". If you are referring to automotive aftermarket units as handhelds when you state that "handhelds" don't have 1/4 of the functionality of the GM unit I'll tell you that you have absolutely no idea of what you are talking about.

I am currently in Maui, we brought my wife's unit here and it performs as well as it did back home. And in addition to doing the few tasks that my DTS nav unit does it displays the time in 3 different modes (and of course it autocorrected for time zone), we changed the voice just for the heck of it. It still counts down the distance to a turn in yards if I want it to. I works extraordinarily well with no external antenna. We changed the display color scheme just because we could. It is ready for use in about 5 seconds after power up (remember, the GM unit starts waking up as soon as the door is poped open). I can enter a destination while we are under way, I don't have to put up with the politically correct CS mommie scold every time it is turned on, I updated the database just for the hell of it in my hotel room last night and it still only cost me $324.

I'll bet if I dig deep enough I will probably find vacuum tubes and cam shafts in the GM unit.

[yourgmsolutions]

Mack, as long as you happy with your $324 navigation, that's all it matter. I'm not here to start war or anything like that.everyone is just saying their opinion.

[mack1a]

You just don't get it do you. I started down the path to install a low tech GM unit in our CTS. At the time, I, like you, didn't understand what was available and didn't understand that the GM unit is a very basic entry level unit. My wife came home and said why not just buy an aftermarket unit after she saw one in action. After investigating I realized that the cheapest aftermarket unit available would be a major technical upgrade over the best GM has to offer.

I am decidedly unhappy that the $324 after market NAV unit I bought for my wife is far superior functionally than the Caddy NAV unit in my DTS. Believe me, I wish it wasn't so.

I am decidedly unhappy that Cadillac chooses to foist technilogical pond scum on its' buyers at leading edge prices.

I am pissed because the best Cadillac can do is install such an overpriced low function high cost piece of garbage in a $50,000 plus car.

Oh, did I mention that the $324 unit has a bluetooth interface? Did I mention that they have a traffic advisory service available? Did I mention the screen can be oriented for a right or left hand user? Did I mention that what is displayed can be inverted (Guess that is to support mounting upside down or use in Australia...Ha Ha)

If someone could integrate the TomTom or better yet Garmin or other higher end unit chip set with the large built in Caddy screen, GM would take their unit off the market in embarrasment. I am disappointed that this low function unit is the very best GM can offer.

Let me know when you are prepared to defend your statement that Caddy has 4X the function of my wife's $324 unit and what you might want to risk on the outcome. By the way, I still wish it wasn't so.