[odawg32]

I fell in love with this vehicle when it first came out. Now after paying off my current car I am in the market for a Murano. I am a known audiophile and have a extensive collection of MP3s and WMA files that i play through my Panasonic HU. Searching through these forums I saw it mentioned that you can't remove/replace the HU that comes with the Murano ? Is this true ? Are there any other alternatives besides SAT/XM ?

 

[Eric L.]

I went the old fashioned way and use my Iriver ihp120 with a cassette adapter.

 

[jaak]

There's SAT/Sirius too...

If you get SAT you can use that open up the balanced inputs on the head unit. Phatnoise should also work with it, if you want to cough up the money for one. Otherwise, someone's going to build an emulator one day to get the audio inputs to open up. That was my intent, but between lack of time and enjoying the SAT, it's moving very very very slowly...

 

[turbodog]

I'm not sure anyone has answered your question directly yet. I believe the stereo HU and the climate controls share a common circuit board, so aftermarket replacement of the factory HU will be a complex exercise, if not impossible. No one has done it yet, to my knowledge. Some have installed aftermarket HUs without removing the factory unit. Most of the info posted is for the Bose system. I have the base stereo, and have not confirmed that it, too, is convoluted with the climate controls. I suspect it is.

jaak is referring to use of the SAT inputs to connect to a MP3 player. Unfortunately, the existing interface requires a digital 'handshake' with the SAT before the analog inputs are enabled. Check his web site for lots of pics of the hardware under discussion.

There is almost certainly a place somewhere in the factory HU where one could wire in a manual switch and switch in an external source. I have done this on several factory (GM mostly) units in the past. Since my wife is primary driver and is satisfied with burning CDs for playing in the MO, I have not been motivated to do this mod yet.

 

[jaak]

I'm not sure anyone has answered your question directly yet. I believe the stereo HU and the climate controls share a common circuit board,

Correct.

There is almost certainly a place somewhere in the factory HU where one could wire in a manual switch and switch in an external source. I have done this on several factory (GM mostly) units in the past.

This voids the warranty. If you modify and it breaks, you buy a new one.

You can tap into the SAT wiring harness with a unbalanced to balanced input converter and use this with the SAT selected, IF you have an OEM SAT receiver. This could also void your warranty if you do it wrong.

 

[jaak]

Here's what your controls look like from behind. You can see the CD slot and Cassette slot, to help orient you. Note that HVAC and Audio and NAV all share the same board.

Cut it and it won't work. The only potential way of even attempting a modification, would be to see if another Nissan/Infiiniti product has the assemblies in separate sections and is compatible.

More trouble than it's worth.

 

[Dookie]

I have an interface coming in that plugs in between the radio, and the OEM connector to the radio. This interface will connect to a 4-channel line-output convertor, that does a bunch of things, amongst a floating head unit ground isolator. When I get it, I will take a picture. Because of this, no wires will be cut, and a 4-channel RCA pre-amp out will be available to me, along with a remote turn on lead.

 

[mattsmurano]

Where did you get it? I want one!