Thanks to the lack of support from infiniti (useless as usual). And after chasing Apple's tail for months, and getting nowhere with the incessant bluetooth issues. I've decided to do my best to take matters in my own hands and try to find a fix for the constant bluetooth issues the Nissan/Infiniti infotainment systems have. There is very limited information on there and I'm starting this thread as a highly technical place for like minded individuals to meet and reverse engineer/understand how this infotainment system works.

I've taken the nav unit apart in my 2010 EX35 and found a bunch of information through research not only at looking at the chips on the unit but also hex editing the update files on the nav update DVDs to glean more info. I'm not a hardware hacker but I try to be technical. My hopes is to have others join in and help that know more about real time OS's and hardware so we can get to the bottom of this.

Here's what I know so far:

https://fccid.io/ANATEL/01148-14-047...CA47462651/PDF

The units are designed by XANAVI which is a subsidiary of Clarion. Seems that these units were designed around the 2008-2009 timeframe based on FCC filings.
They have a R7770 CPU made by Renesas. Runs around 400mhz and has a GPU. Looks like it uses an instruction set compatible with Hitcachi SH-4

Link to Renesas for CPU Info:
https://www.renesas.com/us/en/soluti...oc/sh7770.html

From what I can tell there is 1GB of DDR ram on the main board.

They run VxWorks as their real time OS.

The bluetooth units are made by ALPS electronics and they use a specific module that's designed by clarion only for this unit. Part number is UGZZ5-611B or C

The XANAVI part number on this unit is HGZ0024 (bluetooth 1.2) and HGZ0025 (Bluetooth 2.0), both are pin compatible.
HGZ0024 manual from clarion

https://fccid.io/SJ2HGZ0024/Users-Manual/manual-1071901

HGZ0025 Manual from Clarion:


More to come as I keep digging. If anyone cares to jump in and help, lets talk!

 

Been doing a bunch of research, and looks like there is a newer bluetooth module used on these units that supports bluetooth 2.0.

My 2010 EX has the HGZ0024 bluetooth unit which seems to be bluetooth 1.2. The found that there is a HGZ0025 module that clarion's documentation says is bluetooth 2.0. My guess is that the later nav units (2013+) use this module and that's why we dont hear of people with later infinitis having the same problems. Going to do some more digging. I'd like to get my hands one one of these modules but in order to do so I'd have to find a newer unit in the junkyard or such. Sadly my local boneyard had a 2013 and a 2015 infiniti in it but at the time I didnt think to rip out the head unit. Which was literally just sitting there.

This is all just a guess at this point My thought is if we can just transplant the bluetooth module to our car, there shouldn't be a need for any programming or coding, since nothing in the head unit changes except for the bluetooth module. Just a theory for now. More as I discover more.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find any newer bluetooth firmware past e0450 for our units. So maybe trying to score a newer module might be the way to go.

 

scored another nav unit from a 2012 g37 at the junk yard. Took it apart. Looks like it has the same BT module mine does. Going to see if i can use this as my test platform, vs messing up the unit in my ex35

I also did some research and I noticed that later model G37 owners dont seem to have the same issues as we do. Turns out their units have an updated blueototh module that supports bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

Here is that part. It looks like it is interchangeable with the ones in our unit. The next step is to try to get my hands on one.


https://fccid.io/SJ20608137/Users-Manual/manual-1632017

 

Interesting. Would love to hear about pre-2010 units too especially if the Bluetooth module can be swapped to enable audio streaming instead of just Handsfree.

 

After more research, the bluetooth module might not be interchangeable with our units. It looks like the pinout is similar but the way audio is output to the unit is different. The old one uses a SIO bus (never heard of it) but the newer modules output PCM. Maybe it's just a matter of symantics in the documentation. Not sure at this point.

Can anyone with a 2013+ G37 that has nav help me by getting the firmware version listed? That should be an easy way to tell. I can give you instructions on how to check.

 

Is this the info you need?
2014 Q60 NAV

 

yes that is exactly it!

looks like it is totally different. Could you also send the unit firmware version? Looks like you are not from the US?

 

I am in the US. JDM switch assembly. This?

 

thats it! Thanks. Looks like it might be a completely different setup between the two units. I wonder what the hardware changes are.... hmm...

the firmware version on mine is x1ucblahblah..

 

probably not likely as in addition to the hardware, you'd need to have many software changes to support streaming. Would be really cool if possible though.

 

Everything is going to be in the software which is locked down tighter than Fort Knox. Many have tried to unlock that hard drive and figure out how to make modifications- mainly access the R35/GT-R theme. I wanted the advanced TPMS. Last I checked those projects died.

 

from what i understand the HD has been unlocked. I just want to fix the damn bluetooth.

Anythign is possible with enough time, money and persistence. I'm not saying I'm the one to do it but if you get enough resources to do it, it is possible.

I've had pretty good success contributing to a project reverse engineering Chrysler stuff that no one said is possible, so I dont think this is any different.

 

Lots of luck getting your BT issue resolved. I don't use it so I can not help there. Please keep us updated, though.

 

As in, use the GT-R theme on the display in other vehicles? That's interesting, but I'm having a hard time finding anything about that in a quick Google search.

Good luck in your project, sev. Subscribing to this since it's an interesting subject. I hope you can figure something out since the older Bluetooth really sucks.