Modifying the Rossion Pioneer AVIC F900

[Randy Chase]

This head unit has an annoying feature designed by corporate lawyers.

When the car is not parked with the hand brake up, it will not allow you to input addresses, perform searches, or anything that requires text entry. Which of course assumes that the driver is the only person capable of doing any text input, as compared to a passenger.

So my take is you should exercise extreme caution when operating ANY equipment at speed. Phones. GPS. Radios. Etc. Some things are just stupid to do. But, let me decide. SO what follows is what I have determined so far on this unit in the Rossion. After 4600 miles of not being able to search for starbucks or input an address unless I parked... I fixed it.

Most of the information was taken from AVIC411.com • View forum - Hacks/Mods: F-Series
But there is a lot of stuff there, and some of it is misleading or does not apply to our cars.

Pioneer USA - Car Navigation

[Randy Chase]

Two parts to this, a hardware mod and a software mod.

HARDWARE MOD:

1. Remove fascia plate by unscrewing four flathead cap screws.
2. Pull plate away from dash. Easier if shift knob is further away from dash..
3. Rotate plate and harnesses carefully to the side.
4. Grasp sides of AVIC and pull out. It will slide out.
5. Find wiring harness coming from back of unit. Unplug harness by depressing small tab on connector.
6. Located light green wire coming from unit. Cut the wire about 1/2" from where it connects to another wire. This is the wire going to the handbrake switch.
7. Remove 1/4" of insulation from the end of the now cut light green wire (the wire from the AVIC connector).
8. Remove 1/4" of insulation from the black ground wire in approx the same location as the end of the light green wire.
9. Twist wires together so that light green wire is now grounded.
10. Either wrap in electrical tape, or better yet, solder and heatshrink around the joint.
11. Replug connector. Before installing AVIC, test your work.
12. Test work by powering up car. Release the handbrake (not on a slope of course).
13. See if you have access to address and search in the AVIC with the handbrake down. If so, this was a success.
14. Install unit and then faceplate. Careful to not damage wiring harnesses when pushing the stuff back in.

At this point, the unit will allow access to the interface with the handbrake released. But once the unit senses you going over 10mph, it will give you an error message since it thinks the hand brake is on. This warning message will go away once the software mod is performed.

[Randy Chase]

SOFTWARE MOD
1. Get a 1gig or larger SD card. Get an SD card reader if you do not have one.
2. Download the Testmode.zip file folder from: (see link)
3. Use Winrar (do not use WINZIP! If you do not have WINRAR, download the free version) and open up Testmode.zip.
4. Extract BOTH Testmode and MiTACAP files to your desktop by highlighting the folders and clicking the "Extract To" tab on Winrar and selecting "Desktop". This will extract the entire folder for TESTMODE and the entire folder for MiTACAP. DO not further extract or modify these folders/files. Copy the folders into the root of your SD card. The SD card should now show folders for TESTMODE and MiTACAP.

5. Get a hold of the data.zip file, you will need to edit it THROUGH Winrar. If you upgrade to the 2.0 Avic Firmware you can find the data.zip file in the firmware folder you download. You can download the firmware off pioneerelectronics.com. Once you have the firmware downloaded open it up with Winrar. Click on F-Series Firmware Update -> LPUE080 -> APL2 -> iGo -> RIGHT CLICK data.zip and select "View File" -> Click project_config -> Click pioneer.ini (opens up in notepad)

Next, scroll down till you see:
[pioneer]
parking_break_speed=16.0
hide_logos=1


Change the "16.0" -> 256.0 , then click "file" "save". You will be prompted File "pioneer.ini" was modified click YES. Also click YES to "data.zip" being modified. Now extract "data.zip" in Winrar to your Desktop by highlighting the folder and clicking the "Extract To" tab on Winrar and selecting "Desktop". You should find it inside the "F-Series Firmware Update" folder by clicking through it.
6. Copy and paste the data.zip file to the root directory of the SD Card. These files/folders (Testmode/MiTACAP/data.zip) should now be on your SD card.
7. Prior to inserting the SD Card into the AVIC, turn the car's key on so that the AVIC boots up. Go into SETTINGS and then SYSTEM SETTINGS and the SCREEN CALIBRATION. You should be using the cursor stylus that was supplied with your AVIC unit (look in the stuff from the dealer if you don't know where it is). Or use any small blunt plastic stylus.
8. Calibrate the screen by following the instructions. Note this is probably a good idea anyway as the screens can require it from the factory.
9. Turn the car off.
10.. Insert the SD card into your unit with your vehicle powered off.
11. Turn your key to the vehicle ACC on position and your Avic should boot up in WinCE mode. It will say COPYING FILE and let it. This will only happen for 20 seconds or so.
12. X out of whatever screen pops up till you get to the desktop. Use the stylus to press the WINDOWS X icon.
13 Triple click to get into "My Device" is what i believe its called the first icon at the top of the desktop on the screen..
14. Go into your SD card, highlight the "data.zip" file, click "edit" "copy".
15. Click back, now go into the main Avic drive in "My Device", i think its called FLASH MEMORY...i'm not sure the exact name but you can't miss it.
16. Similar to how you navigated through the firmware to find "data.zip" to change it, click to get to it, LPUE080 -> APL2 -> iGo
17. You should find the original "data.zip" that's on your Avic right now in there.
18. Now click "edit" "paste" and click "Yes to all" to replace the original data.zip with the one that you put on your SD card.
19. Reboot your Avic and you should be good to go.

At this point you should have full functionality of the AVIC at any speed. Note that one needs to use common sense. Let a passenger type in the addresses. Do not watch DVDs while driving.

[Randy Chase]

There is also an easier hardware mod to fix the speed issue.

This mod replaces the above software mod and is easier if you are already doing the hand brake wire mod. I did not do this, because I did not have the mating connector.


Simply take the white signal connector in the back of the unit. Move the existing yellow MUTE wire from pin 1 to a new location on the same connector, the unused pin 4. Pic to follow.

The mute wire is just simply a convenience, in that it is a wire you are not using. Pin 4 is a factory pin that is not documented, but when grounded, disables the speed check.

So ground the mute wire.

[Randy Chase]

If you did the above, you should now have full access to the features of the unit at any speed. This also includes being able to view video cameras or even DVDs. Which I do not recommend. Just saying.

There are also mods that one should consider.

Adding speed cameras to the GPS.

Making the main knob bigger. The knob on the unit is very shallow so your fingers will tend to brush the touch screen, causing the unit to talk to you or do strange things. I bought the aftermarket knob and it was inexpensive, looks perfect, and took seconds to install.
AVIC411.com • View topic - BLACK KNOBS ARE IN with PICS!!!!

[RoadDad]

Ha, ha. Couldn't you have just PM'ed this to Ronnie, since you all are "the owners" .

[Randy Chase]

Then PM also to Jeff who just bought one. And then....

OR.. type it once.

[RoadDad]

Sorry, Randy. I was just kidding.

[Randy Chase]

The three of us will band together and take over this forum.

[apk919]

Originally Posted by Randy Chase

The three of us will band together and take over this forum.

When do we get to see the Rossion on a Sunday drive?

[Randy Chase]

Saturday is Cars and Coffee and SoCal Euro at Qualcomm. We driving on Sunday?

[apk919]

Originally Posted by Randy Chase

Saturday is Cars and Coffee and SoCal Euro at Qualcomm.

Hmm... tempting!

Originally Posted by Randy Chase

We driving on Sunday?

[slaughtr]

Hey Randy, have you thought about a subwoofer yet. I sure have. Needs some bass bad.

[Bgwilly31]

Originally Posted by slaughtr

Hey Randy, have you thought about a subwoofer yet. I sure have. Needs some bass bad.

Any worse than the Exige>?

Originally Posted by RoadDad

Ha, ha. Couldn't you have just PM'ed this to Ronnie, since you all are "the owners" .

More owners to come


BTW just ordered a knob from that guy, thanks randy.

[slaughtr]

Originally Posted by Bgwilly31

Any worse than the Exige>?

No. Definitely not. But, Randy and I were talking about the stereo and the need for a bit more low end. It's much better than an Elises/Exiges, but I think it could use a rear channel. It's not like it doesn't produce enough power to haul around the weight of a couple more speakers.

[Bgwilly31]

Well if its better than the exige than i would consider that an upgrade.

[Randy Chase]

I did play with the settings in the unit and now think it is fine the way it is. For me. It is much better than the stock Elise/Exige system, but still not designed to drive a really loud bass beat. There is a sub output on the AVIC.