[philipat]

After driving my truck for a year or so and moving to a new town, I decided that I liked having GPS assistance and my satellite radio. I also liked the HDD storage for MP3s and Bluetooth hands-free calling that in my wife’s van. So, I wanted to know if I could get that in my Dakota. All of that, with an auto-dimming mirror, had been an option on the prior year models. But, it was even offered on the 2011. To further complicate things, FCA updated their navigation radio and transitioned the 730N to the RHR variant.

My aftermarket options were slim. No aftermarket head unit that I could find had Bluetooth, SiriusXM, HDD storage, and GPS navigation all built into a single unit. To find all three, I would need at least two parts. Even the Mopar options could include two parts if I wanted to step down to the 430N for navigation, HDD storage and satellite radio. To go with Mopar’s 430N option would require getting the Bluetooth module and a trip to the dealership to get the sales codes updated.

So, to get what I wanted, I would need to go either aftermarket with multiple pieces or get the 730N with auto-dimming mirror combination. (Mirror comes with built-in microphones for the hands-free calling and voice control.) Unfortunately, no one could confirm that this would work because it seemed that no one had done it yet.

It does work, quite well actually. So, here's my how-to. I'll post it in a series of entries.

 

[philipat]

First step in all of this was to determine the parts needed. If I had been smarter about it, I would have following some of the installation steps before buying parts. That way, I would know exactly what parts to buy and which not to buy. I didn’t and as a result have an extra wire harness that I’ll need to sell on eBay.

Parts needed:
Auto-dimming mirror w/ dual microphone (55157457AD)
Mirror harness (82211666)
MyGIG Navigation Radio 730N RHR (Low Speed CANBUS)
GPS antenna w/ combining antenna
Poss Alt: Mopar Combined GPS/SiriusXM antenna (05064908AA, 05064910AA)

The mistake I made was not looking for pre-existing wiring or confirming the antenna’s part number. So, you should check under the headliner to see if the cable for the mirror already exists and check the antenna part number. Mine is an older antenna (05064724AA) that only works for SiriusXM. It doesn’t do both GPS and satellite radio. And, my truck already had the wiring for the mirror.

(Note: research references available upon request.)

 

[philipat]

I installed the mirror per the instructions. You can find plenty of used mirrors on eBay. I got mine from the nationwide OEM recycler, LKQ, for about $35.

If all you want is the mirror, just lower the headliner enough to find the cable. Plug it into the mirror and install the mirror. It’s a direct replacement for the standard day-night flip mirror that came stock with the truck.

Nice thing about the OEM mirror is that it must be controlled by the BUS because whenever the truck is put into reverse, the dimming is turned off. This is good for backing into or out of a spot or the driveway.

 

[philipat]

Next, I installed the mirror-to-radio harness (82211666). It’s essentially a jumper that runs the microphone input across the front of the headliner, down the driver’s A-piller, under the front dash below the steering column, and into the back of the radio.

If you don’t have the harness for the mirror already in the headliner, you’ll need a different that will draw power from the cigarette lighter. That part number is 82211868. Incidentally, if someone needs it, I have one. PM me.

 

[philipat]

Next, just install the radio. Remove the trim around the existing radio and then pull the radio. Reattach all of the cables while also adding the microphone cable.

The video and installation guide at Infotainment.com will show you how to install the radio and remove the trim. (https://www.infotainment.com/products/rhr-730n-mygig-navigation-can-b-low-speed)

Make sure to get the radio with the faceplate that has the mounting screws on the sides and not the top and bottom.

I got my radio from a seller on eBay. But, I think that he’s a reseller for Infotainment.com because there were tags and other references in the box to that company. I did pay a little extra to get it “unlocked” so that my passenger can work with the navigation while I’m driving.

Note: if you want the older 730N that came with the 2008-2010 models, you’re looking for the RER. They’re on eBay and at Infotainment.com (https://www.infotainment.com/collections/dodge-navigation/products/2008-2010-dodge-dakota-gps-navigation-rer-730n-radio).

 

[philipat]

At this point, I discovered that my satellite antenna was only for receiving the SiriusXM signal. My satellite radio worked great on the 730N, but the navigation wouldn’t work at all. Turns out I needed a GPS antenna and a combining cable. (There’s only one input on the back of the RHR for satellite feeds. Both the GPS and XM radio come through the same cable.) Fortunately, my eBay vendor had both available. So, I got the GPS antenna with a magnetic base and the combining antenna. I installed the GPS antenna about 6-9" from the factory antenna. Except that my new antenna is on the inside of the roof stuck to the roof between it and the headliner. The combining cable takes the input from both antennas and feeds them into the existing harness that runs from the back of the headliner down to the radio. The factory antenna has a 6-12" pigtail; so, the harness runs all the way to the antennas.

I’ve been running the truck for at least 2 months now with no hiccups in the GPS or XM radio.

 

[philipat]

Last step in all of this was to find a good screen protector since the radio is a touchscreen. After several internet searches, I settled on a screen protector from photodon.com. The nice thing about them is that they have several different types of protectors and sell a sample pack that lets you test five at a time. In the end, I went with their MXA protector. It was custom-cut to 142 x 77-mm (exact with rounded corners). I liked this one because it actually enhanced the clarity of the screen while I was wearing my sunglasses. I wear polarized glasses and they tend to darken or black-out LCD screens. This protector seemed to prevent that and still look invisible at night or when I wasn’t wearing sunglasses. It’s not good with fingerprints, though. So, cleanings will have to happen every couple of weeks.

If interested, here are my thoughts on the other protectors I tested:

MXH: screen darkens when wearing polarized sunglasses, unnoticeable without glasses or at night. No visible fingerprints.
MXT: screen darkens when wearing polarized sunglasses, gives it a blue-grey tint without glasses and at night. No visible fingerprints.
MXO: screen darkens (less than MXH or MXT) when wearing polarized sunglasses, slight darkening without glasses. Hides fingerprints best.
6HS: screen darkens (less than MXT or MXH) when wearing polarized sunglasses, slight darkening without glasses, good night visibility. Doesn’t hid e fingerprints.
MXA: screen brightens with good color when wearing polarized sunglasses, same as not having the protector when not wearing glasses, good night visibility. Fingerprints most noticeable.

 

[philipat]

If you get an RHR from an eBay seller and want the “nav-in-motion” unlocked, you can send it to infotainment.com’s partner business, navrepair.com. They can also update the firmware and Gracenotes database, if desired. They typically have eBay listings for the unlocking service.

You can download the firmware and Gracenotes from either navrepair.com or mygig-disk.com. Both can also offer back-up or replacement HDDs in the event one fails.

And another great thing about this upgrade? No trips to the stealership! Everything was plug-n-play.