z120bt in 09 Tahoe LTZ

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ptwat

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I want to replace my OEM Nav unit with Z120BT or equivalent. Looked at the Rosen units but they seem expensive for what would be a slight upgrade. The Z120BT looks pretty good but I would like to preserve the Rear Seat Entertainment, Onstar, backup cam on the HU and BOSE Centerpoint. Wondering if anyone has done that setup on same system and how much of the OEM extras was preserved.
 
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ptwat

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From reading one of the other threads with a response from Modded it sounds like I need the Axxess ASWC for SW controls and the PAC OS-4 to interface everything else. Sound right?

Still questions in my mind are- does the OS-4 interface to the BOSE Centerpoint system (not the more common Bose without the center channel) and do all the functions of the RSE still work?
 

vietcu

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I just installed the same thing on my Yukon about 2 week ago, so might be able to help out as everything is still fresh in my memory somewhat :).

Pac OS-4, Axcess sw, GM-K317 was the kit that I used. If you are doing this by yourself, I recommend taking the stock unit early and get into the back to break out the plastic part. I cut the front piece and also the back black piece. I cut them on both side about 1" before the bend. Metal clippers work the best, unless you have a dremel to get back there. The only thing was I do not have back up cam on my head unit, had it on the rear view mirror instead. And also did not have rear seat entertainment, but if you already have this, the wiring for it should already be there to connect to the new unit. Might want to remove the stock unit to check the wiring.
 

DJVIM

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I have 10 tahoe non bose and was also looking to do the z120bt but it does not fit in a tahoe. It is too long (deep). I had to settle with the avhp4200 even that was a tight fit. With this model being shorter I still needed to cut pieces of plastic a metal at the very rear to make it fit. I stiil retained my onstar with the gmos lan 2 adapter but needed to buy a seperate center speaker for it to work since i am using an amp for my door speakers if you dont use an amp then the you use the door speakers for the onstar and door chime. I did add the back up camera and did not buy the steering wheel controls.
 
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ptwat

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vietcu, what year is your Yukon? I would think the Yukon would be the same as a Tahoe in depth. You said that you "cut the front piece"- the front of what? If what DJVIM is saying is true the z120bt will not fit anyway. I guess I had the impression that the cutting in the back was to make room for the cables to come out of the back of the unit not that things were cut for the unit to fit in depthwise.
Thanks for all the input guys!

Btw, I sent PAC a question about one of the adapters they supply with the OS-4 that has the backup cam and a "center and sub connection" on it. Just curious if that is also the center channel on the Bose Centerpoint system on some Tahoes.
 

vietcu

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Ptwat, in order to get the unit to sit flush with the radio bezel to make it look factory. You have to cut the plastic trimming in the back of the vehicle once you take out the factory radio. When you take out the factory radio, you will see that the plastic housing will go from side to side in the back as if it was a one piece of plastic molding. Then right behind that housing is another piece of plastic (black in my vehicle). I cut both piece off with a tin snip as I see that it wouldn't affect anything, doing that made it possible to slide the 120bt all the way back to make it flush with the front radio bezel. Do a search on this particular radio on this forum and you should see some pictures of different types of install. Hope that explains a little why you want to cut the back of the housing off, any other questions feel free to ask.

Sorry about not answering your question fully. I have a 2010 Yukon SLT. What I mean by "cut the front piece". Once you take the factory radio out, run your hand from both side to the back (or visualize with your eyes). About 1" before you get to the back part of the housing on both side, you cut right there, so that you are basically taking out a letter U. It sound hard but took me a little more than 10 minute to do once I figured that a tin snip was my best tool. Using a razor blade I score a line on both side, again 1" right before the bend. Once I scored a line, I cut with the snip and was able to snap it right off.
 
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ptwat

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Thanks vietcu. So if i understand you correctly, if you look at the HU cavity in the dash as a plastic square bowl, you cut the bottom of it out about one inch up from the bottom. Another question is- if you decide to put your OEM radio back in (maybe if you decide to see your Yukon) will cutting the bottom out preclude that? Sounds like a dremel tool with a cutoff disk might also work if their is nothing on the other side of the plastic to damage.

I got a message back from the PAC guys about the adaptor that comes with the OS4 about the BOSE Centerpoint channel. They said that the adaptor should handle any center channel a GM would have.
 

vietcu

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Cutting the piece out from the housing does not mess with re-installing the factory at all. The 4 bolts in the front of the unit will hold it in place just fine, I had to re-install my stock radio for 4 days after I cut the plastic out waiting for all the parts to come in to install the 120 anyways.
 

DJVIM

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Well now i am pissed about finding out that a z120 would fit in a tahoe. Stupid crutchfield guy told me it wouldn't. Oh well the avhp4200 is not a bad stereo. pretty much the same except with nothing built in but all can be added in later. **** crutchfield and their overpriced stereos. lol
 

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