Removing inner floor trim

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Lothsahn

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 5, 2018
Messages
702
I am trying to upgrade my leaf to add a backup camera. I've wired the back hatch harness and the harness that goes through the hatch door, but no dice. I now want to take off the trim along the floor so I can inspect the m21 plug, as it appears my Leaf doesn't have a camera compatible harness.

However, I've never worked on cars before and I'm having a helluva time with all the trim. In particular, the driver side inner floor trim must be taken out from front to back or it may be damaged. I can't get it to release and don't want to force it.

I'm going to the store to get some trim removal tools. I had previously been using a plastic spudger tool (used for phone screen repair). I suspect not having the right tool was the main problem.

Anyone else have any advice?
 
Bit late now... Just swapped half the harnesses between the cars. I've used the all around camera systems and really I just need the backup camera. I'm quite bad at backing up.
 
Lothsahn said:
Bit late now... Just swapped half the harnesses between the cars. I've used the all around camera systems and really I just need the backup camera. I'm quite bad at backing up.

In that case I suggest running a compatible cable along whichever side of the car is closer to the dash connections. Removing and replacing OEM trim and flooring is no picnic.
 
It really isn't. It's insane... To remove the rear pillar trim they want you to remove the rear seat.

All they had to do is not make the trim interfere with the seat, but it's like one complex Lego puzzle where everything interconnects so you have to pull it all out.

Dumb.
 
I suggest you purchase the service manual from the Nissan publications web site (subscribe for access and then download the PDFs). You may be able to purchase the CD now (it was listed, but not available for my 2015 the last time I checked). The trim is actually easy to remove with the right plastic trim removal tools and the detailed instructions in the manual. The schematics/wiring diagrams in the manual will also be handy if you plan to splice into the factory wiring harnesses.
 
GerryAZ said:
I suggest you purchase the service manual from the Nissan publications web site (subscribe for access and then download the PDFs). You may be able to purchase the CD now (it was listed, but not available for my 2015 the last time I checked). The trim is actually easy to remove with the right plastic trim removal tools and the detailed instructions in the manual. The schematics/wiring diagrams in the manual will also be handy if you plan to splice into the factory wiring harnesses.

I actually did that, but I didn't realize that "removal tool" meant a specific one. I'll go buy the tools now. :)
 
My friend,
I think you have been thinking too big for a small project....

You don't go low, you go high.... I have powered my rear camera from the cigarette lighter, under the glove box, pushed the wire into the trim edge of the front right pillar, along the trim all the way back, and under the roof liner near the back.... I bought a 15 foot USB to mini Samsung connector on ebay, and works much better than any factory wiring...

You don't mount the camera on the rear moving hatch. There is a small hole that is covered by a plug in the roof liner. Pull the power wires out from there, and then mount the camera there in the center.... Done! Total time - about 45 minutes, including thinking and planning time....
 
Just posting to vent frustration...

The inner kick trim won't come out. The clips actually let go of the metal of the car before they release the kick trim. Can't for the life of me figure out how to get them to release even with the proper tool.

It's a metal u clip and it's holding on to the plastic trim very well. :-(
 
LeftieBiker said:
I tend to get that kind of result as well. Some people are good at fussy jobs, and the rest of us aren't. ;)

Well, the bad news is I never got the thing out. The worse news is neither my front to back harness (M21) nor my dash harness (B3) have the wires for the backup camera. So I have to wire all the way to the AV device. Ugh.

I don't have the skills for that, unfortunately. All this work for naught. Frustration abounds.
 
So looking for advice.

I have the oem backup camera wired all the way to the rear pillar. The camera wires are missing in the body harness from M21 to the rear pillar AND in the dash at B3.

I need to run 4 wires to the AV unit so that it will communicate with the backup camera.

What pins do I buy to wire into the wiring harness? Do I solder the wires to the pins, then just stick them in the harness?
Do I just buy plain wire? What gauge?
How should I route to the AV unit? Just along the floor? Through the dash?

Is there anywhere I could take the car to do this? I'm starting to feel over my head.
 
So I've got the wires pulled to the center dash, but the service manual says that there is a 2x20 pin M84 plug that the camera connects to. Can someone confirm this is the 40 pin plug in the back of the silver box with the screen in the center console?

There's an identical 2x20 pin plug that goes into the AC/heater controls. This is NOT where the camera hooks up, correct?

I DO NOT want to fry something hooking it up wrong.
 
The camera connects to the back of the navigation/audio/display unit that has the touch screen on the front. Do not connect it to the heater/air conditioner control unit (smaller unit mounted below the navigation system). Be very careful determining the pins of the connector for the camera.
 
GerryAZ said:
The camera connects to the back of the navigation/audio/display unit that has the touch screen on the front. Do not connect it to the heater/air conditioner control unit (smaller unit mounted below the navigation system). Be very careful determining the pins of the connector for the camera.

Thank you Gerry!
 
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