CeladonCityNPC
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2022
- Messages
- 68
Preface
Got a 2018 Nissan Leaf? Bored of the low resolution 7" display your current headunit has? Perhaps you're struggling with constant USB disconnections?
Or is your old 7" headunit broken and a replacement at the dealer would cost thousands of $/€/£?
Worry not, your headunit can be upgraded to the newest revision from 2019+ cars! At home with basic tools no less. After months of research in this thread, we've found that it is indeed possible.
People whose 2019+ Leaf headunit is broken may also find some help in this thread, as we cover replacement at home with used parts (and no coding by the dealer required.)
The new headunit is a GREAT upgrade on this car. The display resolution, brightness and clarity are on a totally different level. In addition, Android Auto (especially wireless via a wireless dongle such as AAWireless or Motorola MA1) works so much better now without constant disconnections.
Leave a message in this post if you upgraded yours as well, what model year is your Leaf and with which part revision did you replace it with
Connectors
While the physical connectors between the old and new headunits are the same, the two larger connectors (20-pin and 40-pin) have vastly different pinouts with the exception of power inputs and speaker outputs. Therefore, it is necessary to either completely modify your existing harness connector or craft an adapter to go in-between the harness on the car and the new headunit. Obviously, if your current headunit is working, it is advisable to create an adapter instead of modifying the existing harness in case you ever need to go back to the original one.
If you decide to just re-pin the original harness and not create an adapter cable, a "pin extractor kit" will definitely come in handy to remove all the cables from the connector.
VIN Coding
In addition to the cables, out of the box the new headunit will refuse to work on your car and display a SECURE message because it has not been paired to your car's VIN. While it may be possible to get a Nissan dealer to pair it your car with their proprietary diagnostics tools (for $$$), there is also a company called Zelemar manufacturing an aftermarket solution called "Nissan CAN filter" (google it) to get it working. If going with the Zelemar option, creating an adapter is advisable as well since it allows you to solder the Zelemar PCB right into the cabling - again, no need to splice into the original harness.
Headunit part revisions
One thing to note when purchasing the new headunit is the part number (revision). There are a few different revisions available of the 8-inch one, with two of them confirmed working so far. One may be incompatible as far as the 360 cameras go, but that is not fully confirmed. Based on one case so far, it seems the "older" headunit from 2019/early2020 may be a little bit more compatible than the late2020/2021/2022 revision (energy consumption menu not working on the latter). Problems with the newer ones may be caused by some kind of incompatibility with other control units that Nissan may have updated between model years.
Compass on the IC display is also spotty for some unknown reason on all headunit revisions; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. The compass also affects the stock navigation; whenever compass is missing from the IC display, navigation instructions won't display on the IC display either. Possibly caused by the Zelemar unit(?)
Revisions:
25915-5SN0C (259155SN0C, 259155SNOC) (manufacturing date approx. 05/2019-01/2020)
- Source menu not working on IC display
- Compass info intermittently missing from IC display, affects also the navigation on IC display
- iOS/Android app will stop working next time you have to log in again (My Leaf app works at least for AC control, but not for battery%. This requires that you have created and paired your account with the old headunit.)
25915-5SR0B (259155SR0B, 259155SROB) (manufacturing date approx. 01/2020 - 02/2021)
- Source menu not working on IC display
- Compass info intermittently missing from IC display, affects also the navigation on IC display
- Energy consumption menu not working
- iOS/Android app will stop working next time you have to log in again (My Leaf may work?)
25915-5SR0C (259155SR0C, 259155SROC) (manufacturing date approx. 02/2021 onwards)
- Source menu not working on IC display
- Compass info intermittently missing from IC display, affects also the navigation on IC display
- Energy consumption menu not working
- iOS/Android app will stop working next time you have to log in again (My Leaf may work?)
- AVM (360) cameras not working on Tekna spec, but could have been a wiring issue too
The headunits can be purchased online for reasonably cheap at many scrapyards. Ebay is a good bet but usually more expensive. Prices start at around 200 EUR/USD, but even 300 EUR/USD is a good price especially if you can be sure the trim level is correct out of the box. A good idea to find a headunit is to google the above part numbers a few different ways, with the dash (-) or without it, with the letter O replacing the number zero etc.
Here is one listing online right now (12/2022):
From Poland for 1400 PLN + shipping (they ship inside Europe) https://www.otomoto.pl/oferta/radio-nissan-connect-leaf-ii-nawigacja-259155sr0b-ID6EMoUk.html
Trim Level
Another thing to consider when purchasing the new headunit from a scrapyard is to try to find out what trim level of the Leaf it comes from. All of them can be flashed to the correct trim, but it requires a trip to the dealer. If you can get the headunit from the correct trim right away, it saves some headache. You will know if the trim level was wrong if your volume level is way off with the new one (if you have a Tekna, your parking sensors will try to destroy your hearing with their beeping. I suppose if you have a Visia/Acenta/N-Connecta, the sound will be really quiet.) If the trim is wrong - visit your dealer. Might have to pay for 30-60 mins of labor for the re-configuration though.
Adapter
If you are going with the adapter option (as you should!) you're going to need both male and female ends of the 20-pin and 40-pin connectors. So far I haven't found the 40-pin male&female connectors on AliExpress, so I have the next best thing below. If you are successful in finding just the connectors, let me know :lol:
20-pin male: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000004813730.html
20-pin female: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32854885590.html
40-pin male-female cable for splicing, confirmed working. Just discard the RCA connector: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004610438468.html (this cheaper one may be OK too, just cut it into two halves in the middle and reconnect all the cables: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000449592349.html)
There may also be a need to modify the antenna connector a bit, it may not be directly compatible with the new headunit. This is however easy to perform using a sharp knife and some careful shaving on all sides. It does work perfectly once you've cut it to fit.
IMPORTANT NOTE: ALWAYS DISCONNECT YOUR BATTERY AND WAIT 10 MINUTES BEFORE WORKING ON ELECTRONICS INSIDE THE CAR. YOU DON'T WANT TO TRIP AN AIRBAG ROLLOVER SENSOR FOR EXAMPLE.
User Danep82 shared the pinout diagrams in his post, backup link here: https://i.imgur.com/Z7tY8jU.jpg
I hope this covers everything. Any questions, please feel free to post in this thread. And do post if you've successfully upgraded!
Quick video of the dash disassembly (5 min job) and run-through of the new headunit after successful install. Cable connections are self-explanatory, thus skipped in the video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYpVn_QqiGg
Photos
(Successful retrofit, photo courtesy of user Danep82)
(Adapter cable, photo courtesy of user Danep82)
Got a 2018 Nissan Leaf? Bored of the low resolution 7" display your current headunit has? Perhaps you're struggling with constant USB disconnections?
Or is your old 7" headunit broken and a replacement at the dealer would cost thousands of $/€/£?
Worry not, your headunit can be upgraded to the newest revision from 2019+ cars! At home with basic tools no less. After months of research in this thread, we've found that it is indeed possible.
People whose 2019+ Leaf headunit is broken may also find some help in this thread, as we cover replacement at home with used parts (and no coding by the dealer required.)
The new headunit is a GREAT upgrade on this car. The display resolution, brightness and clarity are on a totally different level. In addition, Android Auto (especially wireless via a wireless dongle such as AAWireless or Motorola MA1) works so much better now without constant disconnections.
Leave a message in this post if you upgraded yours as well, what model year is your Leaf and with which part revision did you replace it with
Connectors
While the physical connectors between the old and new headunits are the same, the two larger connectors (20-pin and 40-pin) have vastly different pinouts with the exception of power inputs and speaker outputs. Therefore, it is necessary to either completely modify your existing harness connector or craft an adapter to go in-between the harness on the car and the new headunit. Obviously, if your current headunit is working, it is advisable to create an adapter instead of modifying the existing harness in case you ever need to go back to the original one.
If you decide to just re-pin the original harness and not create an adapter cable, a "pin extractor kit" will definitely come in handy to remove all the cables from the connector.
VIN Coding
In addition to the cables, out of the box the new headunit will refuse to work on your car and display a SECURE message because it has not been paired to your car's VIN. While it may be possible to get a Nissan dealer to pair it your car with their proprietary diagnostics tools (for $$$), there is also a company called Zelemar manufacturing an aftermarket solution called "Nissan CAN filter" (google it) to get it working. If going with the Zelemar option, creating an adapter is advisable as well since it allows you to solder the Zelemar PCB right into the cabling - again, no need to splice into the original harness.
Headunit part revisions
One thing to note when purchasing the new headunit is the part number (revision). There are a few different revisions available of the 8-inch one, with two of them confirmed working so far. One may be incompatible as far as the 360 cameras go, but that is not fully confirmed. Based on one case so far, it seems the "older" headunit from 2019/early2020 may be a little bit more compatible than the late2020/2021/2022 revision (energy consumption menu not working on the latter). Problems with the newer ones may be caused by some kind of incompatibility with other control units that Nissan may have updated between model years.
Compass on the IC display is also spotty for some unknown reason on all headunit revisions; sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. The compass also affects the stock navigation; whenever compass is missing from the IC display, navigation instructions won't display on the IC display either. Possibly caused by the Zelemar unit(?)
Revisions:
25915-5SN0C (259155SN0C, 259155SNOC) (manufacturing date approx. 05/2019-01/2020)
- Source menu not working on IC display
- Compass info intermittently missing from IC display, affects also the navigation on IC display
- iOS/Android app will stop working next time you have to log in again (My Leaf app works at least for AC control, but not for battery%. This requires that you have created and paired your account with the old headunit.)
25915-5SR0B (259155SR0B, 259155SROB) (manufacturing date approx. 01/2020 - 02/2021)
- Source menu not working on IC display
- Compass info intermittently missing from IC display, affects also the navigation on IC display
- Energy consumption menu not working
- iOS/Android app will stop working next time you have to log in again (My Leaf may work?)
25915-5SR0C (259155SR0C, 259155SROC) (manufacturing date approx. 02/2021 onwards)
- Source menu not working on IC display
- Compass info intermittently missing from IC display, affects also the navigation on IC display
- Energy consumption menu not working
- iOS/Android app will stop working next time you have to log in again (My Leaf may work?)
- AVM (360) cameras not working on Tekna spec, but could have been a wiring issue too
The headunits can be purchased online for reasonably cheap at many scrapyards. Ebay is a good bet but usually more expensive. Prices start at around 200 EUR/USD, but even 300 EUR/USD is a good price especially if you can be sure the trim level is correct out of the box. A good idea to find a headunit is to google the above part numbers a few different ways, with the dash (-) or without it, with the letter O replacing the number zero etc.
Here is one listing online right now (12/2022):
From Poland for 1400 PLN + shipping (they ship inside Europe) https://www.otomoto.pl/oferta/radio-nissan-connect-leaf-ii-nawigacja-259155sr0b-ID6EMoUk.html
Trim Level
Another thing to consider when purchasing the new headunit from a scrapyard is to try to find out what trim level of the Leaf it comes from. All of them can be flashed to the correct trim, but it requires a trip to the dealer. If you can get the headunit from the correct trim right away, it saves some headache. You will know if the trim level was wrong if your volume level is way off with the new one (if you have a Tekna, your parking sensors will try to destroy your hearing with their beeping. I suppose if you have a Visia/Acenta/N-Connecta, the sound will be really quiet.) If the trim is wrong - visit your dealer. Might have to pay for 30-60 mins of labor for the re-configuration though.
Adapter
If you are going with the adapter option (as you should!) you're going to need both male and female ends of the 20-pin and 40-pin connectors. So far I haven't found the 40-pin male&female connectors on AliExpress, so I have the next best thing below. If you are successful in finding just the connectors, let me know :lol:
20-pin male: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000004813730.html
20-pin female: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32854885590.html
40-pin male-female cable for splicing, confirmed working. Just discard the RCA connector: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005004610438468.html (this cheaper one may be OK too, just cut it into two halves in the middle and reconnect all the cables: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000449592349.html)
There may also be a need to modify the antenna connector a bit, it may not be directly compatible with the new headunit. This is however easy to perform using a sharp knife and some careful shaving on all sides. It does work perfectly once you've cut it to fit.
IMPORTANT NOTE: ALWAYS DISCONNECT YOUR BATTERY AND WAIT 10 MINUTES BEFORE WORKING ON ELECTRONICS INSIDE THE CAR. YOU DON'T WANT TO TRIP AN AIRBAG ROLLOVER SENSOR FOR EXAMPLE.
User Danep82 shared the pinout diagrams in his post, backup link here: https://i.imgur.com/Z7tY8jU.jpg
I hope this covers everything. Any questions, please feel free to post in this thread. And do post if you've successfully upgraded!
Quick video of the dash disassembly (5 min job) and run-through of the new headunit after successful install. Cable connections are self-explanatory, thus skipped in the video :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYpVn_QqiGg
Photos
(Successful retrofit, photo courtesy of user Danep82)
(Adapter cable, photo courtesy of user Danep82)