Makinen Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 (edited) Hi fellow Z enthusiasts and happy new year! Hope your year started better than mine... Long story short, my phone (Google pixel 7 pro) got an update that messed the Bluetooth connection with my 2013 Z GT. The problem was I had also just installed the latest Nissan maps with the 5 DVDs so I immediately thought it was related to that and started trying to factory reset the audio unit. One Google search led to another and I found myself in the hidden menu that I wish a never had. After going through what I thought would clean the memory from existing settings to make sure it would start fresh, I went into the dreaded "accessory number initialisation" option which completely wiped out any sort of information related to the car the unit is installed in. So now the menus have a blue theme instead of the normal orange one, and there is no sound whatsoever coming from the unit. The satnav still works, but the Nissan logo is jumping around a bit when it first starts, just like this video here: I went through the workshop manual and it seems like the procedure for manually configuring a new audio unit would also work in my case. So, if you were kind enough to read up until this point, I am looking for someone that knows their way around Consult 3 (and also obviously own a Consult 3 device). I have spoken to at least 4 main dealers and I heard everything from "I have never seen this before, you need to bring it in to diagnose" to "we will just send the unit off to Clarion, we have no idea what to do with it". It is really a 4 option configuration according to the workshop manual: left or right hand drive, audio system type (Bose or Base), directional microphone and rear camera. It really seems very simple if I can get to the manual configuration for the audio module with someone that has the consult diagnostic. Is there someone here that can help ? I am willing to pay / buy lunch whatever. I am in Brighton so ideally someone located in the south east, but at this point I am willing to travel for a whole day if that is my only choice of getting it fixed 😔 Edited January 8, 2023 by Makinen added relevant pages from workshop manual Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pintopete58 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 I'm really pleased I'm that thick I still use phone boxes. All the best with this one 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makinen Posted January 9, 2023 Author Share Posted January 9, 2023 (edited) Hi everyone, I see 70+ views but no ideas or recommendations from anyone... This is very frustrating because I know it is 3 clicks on the Consult interface but every main dealer I've spoken to do not even want to take a look, they send me away to car audio shops. Which would be fine if the issue was with the actual audio hardware but it is with the Nissan configuration and I need to talk to the vehicle using a Nissan diagnostic interface. Can anyone recommend even a dealer or specialist that has Consult 3 and the open mind to try it? I even have the workshop pages ready for them to try. Edited January 9, 2023 by Makinen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted January 9, 2023 Share Posted January 9, 2023 I have access to Consult 3, however I am 600 miles away in Highland Scotland. There are a few Nissan Indys down South with Consult, however I doubt if any of them would thank me for sending you there way. Garages are turning you away for a very good reason as they are in this business to make money and they tend to shy away from the potential time consuming "complex" stuff I am afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makinen Posted January 9, 2023 Author Share Posted January 9, 2023 I am not desperate enough to drive from Brighton to the Highlands for this (not yet anyway, give me another month of looking and you might see me knocking on your door ). Fair enough for the time consuming stuff, but am I not charged labour by the hour anyway? If it took them 2 hours for example would I not be charged 2 hours of labour? It's not like i am asking to get it done for free, I am willing to pay someone to fix my mistake, but no one seems to even be willing to try Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makinen Posted January 9, 2023 Author Share Posted January 9, 2023 As I am getting desperate, I started looking for Nissan Consult 3 alternatives (as the original is in the thousands & needs a subscription with Nissan). I found this one among a sea of chinese clones that at least according to the description should be able to do exactly what I need: https://www.obdexpress.co.uk/wholesale/svci-ing-professional-diagnostic-tool.html Has anyone had any experience with something similar? Any Nissan ECU programmers you recommend apart from the original Consult? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvansJD2112 Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Hi @Makinen I see you have more pressing challenges to fix but I hit your thread when I googled "370z" "Pixel 7" Recently changed from a Xiaomi phone (which worked fine with my 2018 GT 370z) to the Pixel 7 Pro. I see the same Bluetooth connect/disconnect issues. Did you find any links on the issue? Hope you get your config sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Umster Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 Android 13 has known Bluetooth issues - anyone who's updated to Android 13 has the known issue. Google have released a hot fix for the Pixel devices. You can also try changing the AVRCP version as the Nissan protocol is pretty old and would work better with an older one. Back go the thread at hand, I don't have Consult and don't know anyone who does. Have you tried any local audio specialists? It's a unique problem but I'm sure an indie will be able to help instead of being bound by stupid rules (Main Stealers I'm looking at you) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reece9426 Posted January 13, 2023 Share Posted January 13, 2023 1 hour ago, EvansJD2112 said: Hi @Makinen I see you have more pressing challenges to fix but I hit your thread when I googled "370z" "Pixel 7" Recently changed from a Xiaomi phone (which worked fine with my 2018 GT 370z) to the Pixel 7 Pro. I see the same Bluetooth connect/disconnect issues. Did you find any links on the issue? Hope you get your config sorted Got the pixel 7 pro at the start of December replacing my pixel 5 and having non stop issues with getting the 7 to connect did just about everything to get them to work yesterday just put the radio on and left it. Not an issue with the pixel 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makinen Posted January 13, 2023 Author Share Posted January 13, 2023 2 hours ago, EvansJD2112 said: Hi @Makinen I see you have more pressing challenges to fix but I hit your thread when I googled "370z" "Pixel 7" Recently changed from a Xiaomi phone (which worked fine with my 2018 GT 370z) to the Pixel 7 Pro. I see the same Bluetooth connect/disconnect issues. Did you find any links on the issue? Hope you get your config sorted Hi everyone, Well, I wish I had spoken to you people sooner. I still wouldn't have a working Bluetooth but at least I'd have a working radio (and rear camera)... I spoke to Google support and they insisted it is not a widespread issue 🤣🤣 and that it was my device that is at fault. Apparently from Reddit as well as Android forums it is very widespread and does not just impact the Z radios but a lot more from around the same era. I am wondering if they broke the support for older Bluetooth protocols on purpose because the phone is working absolutely fine with the pixel watch for example. I now have an appointment for the end of the month at a main dealer in Tunbridge Wells, hopefully they will be able to configure it and I will not touch the hidden menu ever again. As for the phone, Google insisted it was my device and sent me a replacement. Which then downloaded the latest update when I set it up and had the exact same issue 🤣🤣 It seems like we have to wait for the next update hoping this will be fixed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvansJD2112 Posted January 21, 2023 Share Posted January 21, 2023 Such a PITA! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makinen Posted January 30, 2023 Author Share Posted January 30, 2023 (edited) Update on the wiped radio saga: I visited Marshall Nissan at Tunbridge Wells today, hoping a major dealership and "Nismo Centre" would be able to at least have a look. I made a booking almost month ago as I said in my previous post. Long story short, I took a day off work and drove 60 miles to them from Brighton hoping they would at least offer alternatives. They did not even want to take a look. I felt I was being fobbed off instantly and they kept saying that if I have wiped the unit they cannot re-program it, and that the way they would do a radio replacement is only by saving the existing config in advance and copying it back to the new unit. As I have shown in my original post above, there is a page in the workshop manual describing a manual process where you can put the spec of the car back in and this brings it back to life (as per comments on US forums from owners with the same problem). They flat out declined to even try, saying the US workshop manual is different to the UK one and that in the UK Nissan does not allow them to write any configuration even if they have full Consult access. Can someone that owns a Consult unit confirm that is true or where they just trying to kick me out? How is it possible that Nissan have put the diagnostic menu in the unit but no way of programming that unit afterwards? And is it true that the UK manuals are different to the US ones on that specific system? In any case, I am now officially desperate as there seems that the dealers offer no solution apart from changing the whole unit, which I imagine costs many thousands ££££... Does anyone have a Consult 3 system for sale or rental for me to try and write the config myself? Any other ideas for an aftermarket unit at least? Edited January 30, 2023 by Makinen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pintopete58 Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Can you buy a second hand unit from a right off seems to be a few zeds breaking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Umster Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 Is it worth buying an Android unit to fit in behind the stock unit? It usually runs in parallel to the OEM unit on the OEM display and I'd guess give you access to SatNav, MMI etc. I appreciate this won't solve your issue but I wouldn't let stress fog your thoughts here. Why pay a small fortune to fix the system? With enough time, someone will appear who can help sort it out. I mean does anyone even use the stock system? Does it offer any value? (doesn't store service logs etc) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makinen Posted January 30, 2023 Author Share Posted January 30, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, pintopete58 said: Can you buy a second hand unit from a right off seems to be a few zeds breaking Well that is precisely the problem, the second hand unit will also need the exact same process as mine, so I would still need to take it to someone with Consult 3 to pair with the car. Practically what I have done is unpair it with my car and it needs the same config a replacement one would... Edited January 30, 2023 by Makinen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makinen Posted January 30, 2023 Author Share Posted January 30, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Umster said: Is it worth buying an Android unit to fit in behind the stock unit? It usually runs in parallel to the OEM unit on the OEM display and I'd guess give you access to SatNav, MMI etc. I appreciate this won't solve your issue but I wouldn't let stress fog your thoughts here. Why pay a small fortune to fix the system? With enough time, someone will appear who can help sort it out. I mean does anyone even use the stock system? Does it offer any value? (doesn't store service logs etc) I would happily look into doing that but unfortunately all android units use the stock audio system. Which is precisely what is not working in mine. The Satnav etc is working fine, but there is no sound or sound options anywhere, they are all greyed out. If anyone knows of an aftermarket solution that completely replaces the stock unit I am definitely interested. At least I would get something better and upgraded out of this whole story... The cleanest one that retains steering wheel controls etc is the Nifty City one and that definitely piggybacks the stock audio unit, so it would still not make any sound on mine as it connects to the AUX port of the stock audio. Edited January 30, 2023 by Makinen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Umster Posted January 30, 2023 Share Posted January 30, 2023 What about those Braniac tablet installs? They do something for the base 370z which doesn't come with the multimedia unit. I assume that would be one avenue to follow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Makinen Posted February 12, 2023 Author Share Posted February 12, 2023 (edited) Hi everyone, I am coming back to this topic with closure and good news (finally) and a bit of name-and-shame for a specific main dealer. I hope this is something that comes up in future searches for anyone that does the same stupid mistake as I did and selects the dreaded option in the hidden menu. Huge thanks to Cartronics in Surrey (https://www.cartronics.co.uk/) who were the only ones that understood instantly what I had done and reprogrammed the radio unit back to exactly what it was from the factory. I have full audio, hands-free and rear camera functionality once again (and ironically, in the meantime, Google released an update that fixed the bluetooth connection as well so now everything works). These guys can do a lot more than just reprogram radios that dealers steer well clear from and I did get a (admittedly expensive) quote for seamless android auto upgrade in the future. For the time being though, I am not touching it again, and I have the latest maps I installed with the offiical Nissan DVDs just before I ruined it with the reset. Having said that, there is a roundabout outside my workplace that was built almost 6 years ago, and the new maps still don't show it... Anyway, I hope this topic helps someone else in the future to avoid the hassle and as I suspected there is an "easy" solution, as long as you have access to the right tools. Now for the name and shame: before I found Cartronics while googling for audio specialist shops, I called at least 10 main Nissan dealers in the South East, and when I described what I wanted them to do on the vehicle, at worst they would instantly refuse and provide no alternative, and at best they would warn me they would just rip the dashboard out, take the unit out and send it off to Clarion for... repairs and diagnosis at the minimum cost of 1000 GBP... When the actual unit coming back from Clarion with no fault found, would still require them to code on the vehicle... Anyway, no matter how I tried to explain, I was met with refusal and/or bemusement. Until I called Marshall Nissan in Tunbridge Wells. A supposedly "Nismo Centre", a huge dealership that accepted my booking although I warned them about everyone else turning me away. They quoted 144 GBP for "diagnosis" and they would take it from there. I accepted of course and took a day off work as it had to be a weekday morning, and drove over an hour from Brighton to be there for my 8 am appointment. After checking in and being offered some welcome tea, they came back and asked what exactly was wrong with the radio. I described the issue to a service representative that would spend the next 10 minutes going back and forth to the technicians only to absolutely refuse to even look at the car or attempt to program the radio. Bear in mind they did book me in, I took a day off work, and drove an hour in the morning to be there so they would send me away without even looking at the car. Absolutely shameful behaviour, fobbing me off as quickly as they could, and just telling me it would be a waste of my money and that they could do nothing if the radio did not already have a config in it (because I had wiped it). Again, this is a main dealer, a "Nismo Centre" with all the latest and greatest diagnostics just refusing to do even the minimal effort and for a paying customer. As a final resort I showed them the page from the workshop manual I have in the first post of this topic, only to be told this is different in the UK ( 😅 🤣😂) and that the same service procedure does not apply to UK cars... At that point it was obvious nothing was going to happen so I got up and left empty handed and extremely angry. So thank you once again to Cartronics for doing within a few minutes what all the main Nissan dealers refused to even attempt. Lesson learnt from my side, but also my suspicion that the dealers are absolutely useless when it comes to cars like the 370 was confirmed in the most spectacular way possible. Thank god for places like Abbey Motorsport for the mechanical side of things, and Cartronics for all the infotainment needs 👍 Have a good week everyone and thank you all for your input. Edited February 12, 2023 by Makinen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZMANALEX Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Glad to hear that you have eventually got this issue sorted. As you are fairly new on this forum you can be excused from not knowing that the golden rule is to avoid Nissan main dealerships. Granted they are not all useless and unhelpful, however, unfortunately most are I am afraid. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pintopete58 Posted February 12, 2023 Share Posted February 12, 2023 Nice enjoy the zed all over again. When I went to nissan in Leicester enquiring about new bungee straps for my 370z convertable they didn't have a clue. they came from America 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willsy1980 Posted May 5, 2023 Share Posted May 5, 2023 Another with a main stealer woe story here. Car was still under warrenty when I got it, so naturally, serviced at Nissan to keep it all perfect history wise... Second service, they never stamped the damn book so it looks like I have missed an annual service 😡 If they forget to stamp a book, be glad they didn't start faffing with your system 🙃 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly350z Posted May 6, 2023 Share Posted May 6, 2023 19 hours ago, Willsy1980 said: Another with a main stealer woe story here. Car was still under warrenty when I got it, so naturally, serviced at Nissan to keep it all perfect history wise... Second service, they never stamped the damn book so it looks like I have missed an annual service 😡 If they forget to stamp a book, be glad they didn't start faffing with your system 🙃 Not really a woe story is it though, like come on 😂 what's stopping you from popping in, getting them to check records and then just getting it stamped there and then? More over if Nissan UK wanted to check the validity of your warranty they'd only have to call the Dealership I think you guys forget that service centres probably service 20 plus cars a day, with multiple other works carried out on those cars to an extremely high standard. Try being on the other side of that desk dealing with the numpties who come in. Trust me, I have stories for days. (Customer) My indicators won't stop flashing! (Me) pushes hazard button (Customer) when was that fitted that wasn't there when I bought it! (Me) 😮💨 🔫 Course it wasn't Or, last month young lad with a Type R. Has a prepaid service plan that meant servicing was free, didn't choose to use it because it meant driving 45 minutes to us. Then extremely surprised when it's gone bang, and Honda won't pay for it under warranty as he hasn't followed the schedule. But that's our fault, not his. Not that he's lazy. Or his mot had expired Another spent a solid half an hour arguing with us that we had fitted a third seat belt in the back of his car without his knowledge. Yes, of course we supplied a complete seat belt, wiring, surround and cut his roof lining all without his knowledge. Yes, of course! But then when I show him it's in every vehicle on the forecourt the same as his, not so much as an apology. Most of my customers, great. Some of them need to give their head a wobble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.