Upgrade 2013 Leaf S to support CarWings using salvaged parts

I just bought my first electric car, a used 2013 Nissan Leaf model S. I love it but I have CarWings envy as the model S doesn't support CarWings and I would really like the ability use my phone to remotely turn on my heater and/or AC before I get in the car.

I am pretty handy and electrically inclined and I am hoping to find a way to do this. I was thinking that I could buy a used telematics module (and antenna), radio w/ navigation (and antenna), radio/temperature dash trim plates and the related wiring to do this myself. Any gotchas or caveats you can think of before I start this endeavor?

I suspect that the telematics module will have to be reprogrammed by the dealer with the correct VIN in order for the CarWings to work. True? If so, can they program the module while installed or do they program it before installation?

What I would really like to do is to buy a nice aftermarket head unit (something supporting Apple CarPlay) and get the CarWings telematics function by only installing the telematics module but I suspect the telematics module is useless unless connected to a genuine factory head unit. True?

Any guidance on approach would be hugely appreciated!

Perhaps the biggest "gotcha" is the fact that unless Nissan has made an announcement about switching carriers or making a hardware upgrade an possibility, all Leafs in the US will lose their CarWings capability at the end of 2016. The reason is CarWings uses AT&T 2G service and AT&T will be shutting that off at that time.

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=17099&hilit=CarWings+At%26amp%3BT

http://www.cnet.com/news/at-t-to-kill-off-2g-network-in-2017/

I'd already discovered that Nissan used a couple different parts (from the SL/SV "norm") in the 2013 S, which I also have... in trying to add cruise control to the LEAF S via the same system used by the upper models, I found that the module must be programmed differently from the start.

Do you have the 2013 service manuals? There's a lot of information in there that's led me to doing the cruise control hack as well as hacking the VSP noise-maker box (spoiler: you can switch pin 5 to ground to get the "VSP Off" button back!). They can be found through Google if you know what to look for -- it's a big group of individual PDF files, starting with "FWD.PDF" as the index.

I have a 2013 S and I'm wondering if there's any progress, particularly hackable details revealed during everyone else's transition from Carwings (ATT 2G) to Nissan Connect?

Arlington said:

I have a 2013 S and I'm wondering if there's any progress, particularly hackable details revealed during everyone else's transition from Carwings (ATT 2G) to Nissan Connect?

Click to expand...

Not sure what you are expecting here, but the "transition" only involved a different access site and backend server on Nissan's end and did not change the ATT2G access method nor would it change the fact that that your VIN number is not one that Nissan has in its database of known Carwings vehicles. Given that, you're never going to be able to use their servers to control a vehicle with a different VIN. For them to let that happen would open them up to enormous liabilities.

The real purpose behind Carwings was to allow Nissan to get real time in-the-field battery data from owners. The user climate control feature was just a way to encourage customers to click the "I agree" button. As Att2G goes out, Nissan has no incentive to keep the older cars active, so I can't imagine they will ever offer an upgrade path to pre 2016 owners.