Lex Talionis

FWIW... I live in SoCal and have no complaints.. but I do live on the coast I admit. That being said, part of the benefit of where I live is that you do not really need heat or AC year around.. BUT the times I have cranked the AC, set temp at 60 on Auto, I have not been able to report an issue.

can you expand on this a bit.. did you literally just start to pull the silver center dash piece out at the bottom - right above the cubby - and it popped free like a door panel? any issues with scaring the silver paint on that center console piece when using a flat head? did it pop fit right back in like a door panel?

I love mine.. but check the paint real well as the paint job is my biggest complaint as it is a bit on the low quality side (pits, debris, thin paint, primer with no paint, etc). Check the chrome wheels, assuming you are getting the chrome clads, and make sure they are in good shape and not peeling as others have noted. these are just 2 things I can think of you read about. also, might best read some of the threads about the "issues people have had" and take note and check those as well just to be safe. there are a low of great things about the Edge and I love mine, and a lot of cool things you can add/do to it you will see here, but in looking at buying, I think you have to seek out those negatives and see if they are acceptable and cool with you IF you find them on this used car.

but better looking than the Flex.. IMHO

not looking like that...

hmmm... that is great news.. after all I have read and seen, and what I understand from talking to those very guys in the past and people recently as today, a plug-and-play option is just not possible since Ford/Pioneer made a closed system versus other manufacturers with exposed wires. So, the reason you send in is because you must solder onto the motherboard as there are not wires to tap into. That has been the claim by all the shops I have called who do the mod. I doubt it is them just wanting to make extra money as they sell plenty of DIY kets for other head units, just Ford seems to be the one stick in the mud. So, this comes as kind of a surprise to read and I will wait and see if it is vaporware or the real deal as I am wondering how they finally found a way around an issue that 5 other places say require mother board solder.. it might still require that I suspect, they will just now say "we are not responsible for you frying your board", but we will see... as for the rear "logo" - errr "emblem" - from the Ford Flex with the built in camera, if I get a chance I plan to swing by with digital calipers and measure the emblem and see if the general size is a fit. if so, I will talk to my fleet manager about getting one if price is not crazy insane and assuming they are even available to get seeing as how the Flex just came out they may not have stand alone stock on that emblem/camera yet. either way.. IF AV.E comes through and makes a DIY kit/system you can truly attach a camera to our nav head units, there are PLENTY of camera options out there if the emblem camera is a no go. the harness they claim is the key to all of this, the camera options are plentiful. UPDATE: so, curiosity got the best of me and I called these cats up to find out what the story was. seems slac10 was correct and it is the real deal and they finally found a way to splice into the harness farther down the line rather than at the head unit with solder. very good timing on his part to bring it up and happen to call that place. I called 3 of the others in the last day to see if any news on a new method given that Flex emblem/camera I posted about elsewhere here got my juices flowing again, and they are all still doing the solder mod... so he timed that phone call to that shop perfect and scored the new info right from the source... very serendipitous. in talking to that Sam guy, it was the same guy I talked to like 5 months ago and I recall him and his voice so we chatted for a few minutes and he confirmed what slac10 said.

since you asked.. not really digging it.. seems really out of place.

tvandnav2go.com now lists a NEW option for 2007 Ford nav systems (so I would assume also 2008) to attach a camera and use the factory nav.. I have an email in to get more data - cost, difficulty of install and can it be self installed. will report back. but it essentially looks like they now have a system you can install to the nav motherboard versus sending to them to have installed?? hard to say just yet as the have some new photos not there before. not sure if they are implying, as they do not say, this is still only installed by them when you send in unit or you can do it yourself now as that "new" reference and the photos are newer. UPDATE: it appears they do have a newer system and it can be used in 2008 but it still requires them to do the install. UPDATE 2: watch this thread as a new option may be released next week that is truly plug-n-play from the guys mentioned in post #9

Yep.. Sony now.. they make it very clear to you when the nav starts up also, IIRC, there is not even that annoying disclaimer screen you must acknowledge about being an adult and making smart decisions while driving blah blah :rolleyes: before you can access the nav system so yeah, not sure if it is the same dimensions or harness change. I have made friends with the fleet guy at my dealer - both avid runners - and he is going to do a little research for me I will pass on.

to each his own.. but I really cannot fathom painting a dash board... I mean, pulling that sucker out and.... ugh... seems like a really potential PITA project with questionable results. BUT, I would love to see photos if you actually try and do this..

Just wanted to start a topic on that newer 2009 Sony factory nav system. I wonder if anyone will be swapping their current factory Pionner nav for that new 2009 Sony nav with Travel Link and backup camera? I played with it this weekend in one of those icky Flex's and it looked pretty nice. Clean interface is way more "modern" feeling - colors, buttons shapes and styles, flow of interface, etc. As well, it has that bitchen Travel Link and I was able to get some weather data and gas prices real time. very cool. plus, I did not know this until I saw it, it has an backup camera integrated with the nav screen as well - something we do not have on our factory navs (unless you want to send the nav unit out to get the motherboard altered). and of course, Sync integrated etc. So, it kind of begs the question if it will be possible to swap plug and play upgrade to this unit IF you wanted to spend the money. Several of these feature: keeps it Sync capable (without having to use modules/hacks), backup camera ability/intergration in the nav screen, Travel Link features, more modern interface. Heck, it 'might' even have a newer and better DVD map system (more/better streets and POIs) then the one we have now (Navteq 6p or 7p). Not sure about that yet and hoping this thread can evolve into more detail on 2009 Sony factory nav system. I would be curious about IF the size would fit where our screen is now, if it is even swappable, etc. I mentioned elsewhere that the actual camera unit is part of the rear emblem (it is embedded just under the emblem) so that could be a cool possible clean integration as well if it is the same size and form factor as ours. if anyone learns more about this part, post up. I will as well as it could be a way to get a more modern nav that is Sync friendly and backup camera possible and supported by Ford.

so while at the dealer this weekend, I took a look at the new Flex (icky) but what was more interesting was that awesome new nav system by Sony.. very cool interface, more modern, Travel Link, I liked it. This new system also has a backup camera and interesting enough, the camera is molded into and part of the rear Ford emblem. it is centered just below and is part of the emblem. I did not do measurements - yet - but I am wondering if that whole unit - camera/emblem - is same size as ours and if so, can we buy it after-market and modify to swap over. That would be a great start as it would be a very integrated camera that is pretty well hidden. that would solve a clean camera install issue and I plan to try to measure it and get details on that piece to see how it fits with ours.

this does not bode well for the grill then.. it's the same chromed 'plastic', no?

nice.. thanks for the photos. is it a little odd to have leather HR with fabric seats? BTW, how about part #s for the HR you have here as I do not see a +-$500 option under the Ford Edge vehicle finder. So, you used a more generic version, but which one? BTW, are the threads and stitching actually white as it is in an Edge with leather? in some photos it looks like it (#7), in others not so much (#1).

ebay ebay ebay ebay

guess it depends on when they took delivery of that Edge you want to buy. I bought a few months ago and 6P was still the newest and in my car.. if that Edge you buy is newer on the lot, there is a 'chance' it will have 7p, but I am a bit skeptical as 7p is a really recent release. BTW, if you must have 7p, as I have posted elsewhere, you can get it much mo cheaper off ebay than Navteq direct.

do you have kids? maybe an iSight camera that is on the dash (or headliner) that aims back so you can see what is happening in the back seat. or, aim it forward so people can watch where you drive if they log in to chat with you..

heck no.. all he needs to do now is hook up a few iSight cameras, one facing rear and one facing front, and viola... drive by computer all jokes aside.. you could actually hook up a camera now that I think about it as I see he has 1 FW port open.. that has interesting potential actually

what ever came of this?

no worries just teasing.. you might consider a smaller more flush mounted rocker switch versus that toggle. seems with the rocker, like one I used below for another application.. it would at least allow the use of that cubby hole still.. seems you kind of loose that due to the toggle switch sticking out into it.

pretty cool stuff there you can do... I like that type of ability and even more so that you did it with a Mac. it would be nice, say while traveling, to have web access. it is just the fact you did it that I like and made it work. but don't let Akriby found out you are doing any of this neat stuff while driving or he might have a conniption fit

consider yourself lucky on this point.. there are many people, some here and others on syncmyride.com, that report an issue I spoke about here in this thread and have myself where the Sync system forgets you were using USB (even after getting out just to simply get gas) and defaults back to Line In. the other thread will explain it, but to me, it is a pretty annoying bug in the Sync system I would love to have fix. but anyway.. your trick work around seems to have worked as I had it work 3-4 more times throughout the day as long as I just stayed in Play All. I have not seen what will happen yet if I go to play something specific (like Play Artist xxxx) and then come back later to Play All.. I suspect the issue will creep back up at that time.

okay.. I am a huge Mac fan, been using for +20 years.. so I am interested in exactly what you can do with that Mini hooked up? please expand on that mod a bit more would ya. no doubt you have some extreme mods there, pretty tricky and techie

nice.. but the hole for the USB cable looks pretty hacked in that first photo I would expect a cleaner, more round hole from a vet like you :P

well.. I must report.. it worked. I only tried it 1 time, but sure enough it did correctly continue to Play All and not get stuck on the last artist I was listening to before I shut the car off. interesting. I will test it more, as this system is so finicky who knows if it was a fluke or a true 'work around' hack. time will tell... now.. if I could just get the Sync to always recognize the USB device and stop defaulting back to Line In.. that would be a real score