730N/RHR Radio Install
Now, as promised, a write-up on the installation of the 730N/RHR In-Dash Navigation Radio!
The installation overall, since it is an OEM part, was pretty straight forward with no surprises! I also apologize as I don't really have any picture of the process of disassembling the dash, but there are plently of videos and forum post with pictures and video if you are more of a visual learner! I am one of those visual learners, so here is the video that I used which was a big help for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDDAIWfeXgU&index=1&list=PLc92kHHlACzy2DuMGMsLGEo9TxHJnITZa
1. Pull the panel below the steering column down starting at the top, just below the steering wheel. Start pulling at the top and pull carefully as it is held on just by clips that snap in and out.
2. Once that panel is removed, there are two bolts located at the top right and top left areas, to the right and left of the steering column which the panel had covered up, which need to be removed.
3. Lift out the tray insert in the tray on top of the dash in the middle. Underneath that, there is one bolt that needs to be removed.
4. If you have power windows, this next step is a bit more tricky, and for me, it was a PITA! Remove the power window switch (Or without the power convenience package just remove the cup where those switches whould be) by grabbing the middle of the switch and pulling, and using something flat to slid in to pop the plastic off doesn't hurt either. Once the switch is loose, you will not have mouch play in the connector to that, but release the connector and remove the switch if you can do this as this gives you much more room to work with.
5. Once you have access to the power window switch location, the last bolt needed to remove in located just below where that switch was. If you look in at a downward angle, you will see the bolt, remove that,
and make sure that all your hardware is in a good secured location so that you do not lose any them! I had one fall down under the carpet under the drivers seat, luckily, I had a long magnetized screw driver that I was able to find it and get it out after 20 minutes wasted cuz I wasn't paying attention.
6. The rest of the dash is not just held on by the same type of clips that were holding that lower panel on, just just give some good, strong, but careful pulls and the dash panel should release! The dash panel in the 2011+ goes all the way over to the driver side door and encompasses the instrument cluster as well as the center of the dash!
7. Now that the dash panel is removed and no longer interfering, you have access to remove your radio. There are 4 bolts (1 at each corner) holding the radio in place. Remove these 4 bolts and once again, put them in a safe place!
8. Pull the radio straight out towards the rear of the vehicle until you have access to the plugs in the back of the radio.
9. Disconnect all connections to the radio, and note the locations of which plugs go where, as this makes the install of the new radio much easier!
***As a side note, make sure that all CDs are ejected from the old radio before plugging in and installing the new radio as it is nearly impossible to get it back out unless plugged in to a factory harness!***
10. With the old radio removed and set aside, take this time to clean out inside the dash panel any dust and dirt yo may have in there! I know it is a Jeep and all, but it's good to clean up where all that electrical is running as well as the vents since they do get used sometimes, ya know, on rainy days when you have to have the top up! Just a suggestion from me!
11. With the dash empty and cleaned out, take the time and space to run the UConnect microphone and connector if you purchased one to activate the UConnect features on the radio! I routed mine right to the middle of the dashboard where the Sun Light sensor would be if I had automatic headlights! So it is in between the defrost vents directly below the review mirror!
***I tested a few locations, but for mounting convenience, this was the best location, and the sound quality for those on the other end is absolutely awesome! Even with the top off and windows down! And the UConnect works perfect!***
12. Once you have the mic installed in it's location and the wire run and tied up nicely where you would like it, time to get the new radio in the dash! Get the radio close to the dashboard, as you don't want to stretch the wire harness too much and cause an issue somewhere else, and plug the appropriate connectors into their locations, with the new mic plug going into the smaller location next to the harness that is running in to the CAN-BUS system.
13. Once all connections are made, line the radio up and slide it back into the dash location making sure no wire get pinched! It is a tight fit, so a little bit of force may be needed to get it all the way in.
14. Before anything is secured back down, take a moment to start the vehicle and allow the radio to turn on and "learn" your vehicle and make sure that all is functioning properly, as you would hate to discover this once everything is buttoned back up!
***My radio turned on instantly when powered on and came up with the RAM splash screen (As this radio was last in a 2011 Ram 3500) which showed for 3 second, and then the radio automatically switched over to show the Jeep splash screen as it "learn" what it was connected to. If you have a radio that needs a security code, this is around the time that the new security code would need to be entered to allow the radio to function in it's new vehicle. The radio then came up to the black screen which displayed the clock. I then pressed the volume knob to turn the radio on and the radio turned on with 100% function. I then checked the navigation and it searched for signal and my current location for less than 1 minute and then displayed my location. and function was 100%! Last to check was the UConnect mic, so I pressed the UConnect button and UConnect activated and gave me possible prompts and it tookthe voice commands and executed properly. I also checked and the radio had synced in it's information to show my vehicles VIN number as to what vehicle it belonged to.***
***Extra side note, if you have a Sirius subscription, you will have to call SiriusXM and switch your subscription to your new radio, as the radios have different SiriusIDs. It is not linked to your Jeep, but the radio itself.***
15. Once all is checked and you are satisfied that the radio is functioning properly, go head and reinstall the bolts to fasten the radio back to the dash.
16. Grab the dash panel to reinstall. Line up all of the clips and snap them back into place.
17. Reinstall the bolt that is through the power window switch hole.
18. plug the power window switch back in.
19. Once again, test to make sure that the power windows are functioning properly before going beyond this step.
20. Snap the power window switch back into place in the dash by pushing it back in from the front.
21. Reinstall the bolt in the upper dash panel tray. Careful not to over tighten as you could crack the plastic in the tray.
22. Reinstall the bolts on either side of the steering column.
23. Snap the panel below the steering column back in place starting with lining the bottom up and work your way to the top.
And there you have it! A brand new 730N/RHR Navigation radio to play around with! This for was 100% a plug and play modification, but depending on the features in your jeep, you may need an extra couple of parts. The radio the I took out was a 130S/RES which is one step about the base as it has satellite radio and is UConnect ready if you had the module. Therefore I already had a Satellite antenna which in 2011+ is also a GPS antenna, so I had no need to run any additional wires. If you do not have satellite radio already, or have a pre 2011 Jeep, then you will need to get additional antennas and run extra wires.
Here are a few pictures of the final product all installed and functioning:
Please reply or message with any questions as I have an answer for most stuff dealing with these radio installs. I spent hours doing my research and know almost all there is to know about it! Also, let me know if you have any questions on compatibility as I can help, and you can read my previous post that goes in depth on this matter!