2008 Ford Escape

[GEMOTO]

Has anyone had any experience with the Havis Sheilds OEM console replacement?

[GEMOTO]

Forgot to add the link:

http://www.havis.com/data/Cons/C-VS/C-V ... _12-07.pdf

[videonerd]

Bump for anyone with experience with the Havis console and can tell me how they like/not like it?

FWIW, here's the link to the current product for the 2008 and 2009 Ford Escape.
http://www.havis.com/products/CON_VS_18 ... 8-793.html

I have a 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid coming my way... eventually.

[GlennD]

The City has been buying Escape Hybrids. We have one for our on call vehicle with the console. It has two spectras, the cup holder. storage bin, and armrest. It made a very neat install.

[mmckenna]

Not really a reply to the above, but I just did an install on a 2009 Ford Escape, and I couldn't find much info, so I thought I'd put a few notes here for the next sucker who has to do one of these:

Antenna installation: I did an NMO on the roof. Since this is my wifes, it had the sun roof. The sun roof slides back into the roof, so I had to put the antenna back about even with the "c" pillar. Actually, 26 inches forward of the rear roof edge If you go any more forward, there is a cross beam, and then you get into sun roof territory. I pulled most of the rear trim out and took out the upper LATCH hooks as well as the rear coat hook. There are also 5 of those push in plastic buttons that have to be pulled. I was able to drop the head liner enough that I could get to the underside of the antenna from through the rear hatch. I routed the antenna away from the rear curtain air bag module, and down the "c" pillar to the floor. I did put a very slight crease in the head liner, but it doesn't really show, and I'm not going to point it out to her.

Antenna cable routing: Down the "c" pillar to the floor, then along the floor under the kick plate. There is a bit of a trough here, so I wasn't concerned about cable damage. There is already some other wiring harnesses in here.
Once even with the drivers seat, I was able to run the antenna cable to a hole in the carpet under the driver seat. From there I left it exposed and ran it under the inboard seat rail, and under the center console.

Power feed: I pulled power directly off the battery and ran it back to the firewall. Behind the under hood fuse box (at least on the hybrid) there is a unused grommet that I looks like it would be for the clutch linkage. I was able to run the wire through there and into the cabin. Under the dash and down into the center console with it, and to the radio guts mounted inside the center console.

Center console trim removal:
There is a good primer here on center console trim removal:
http://www.escape-city.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=484
Pull the transmission shifter trim ring straight up. It makes a helluva noise, but it come out. Once that is out, pull the lower part of the center dash board trim straight back. See: http://www.escape-city.com/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=1120 for a good primer on how to pull that part out. It's the trim piece with the accessory plug in it (also, 1/8 inch input jack, usb jack, traction control button, reverse sensing.) Once that is out of the way, the center console trim can be pulled straight up and then back.

Radio install:
I drilled a couple of 1/2 inch holes in the front of the center console "junk bucket". I routed the antenna, power, speaker and control cables in through there. I screwed the bracket down to the floor of the "bucket". I ran the control cable all the way forward. There are a number of places to secure wiring under there, so I did to prevent rattles. I replaced all the trim and routed the control cable out under the front of the console and mounted the radio control head under the center stack on the center console.

I ran 50 watts VHF, and no issues with the truck running. The FM radio sounds like it's getting some front end overload, but it's not bad. The AM/FM radio antenna is on the front right fender, so there is pretty good seperation.

Total time was about 6 hours. One cut knuckle, one abraded thumb.
There are probably much easier ways to do this now that I have one under my belt, but it' turned out well, and nothing visible that I didn't want visible.

[videonerd]

Thank you! That is awesome info. I'll be getting the 2009 Escape Hybrid in a month or so. I'm going to be using the Havis-Shields custom console, so it will be a bit easier in terms of radio mounting, but your info on running things through the firewall and headliner and especially the web forum link is of great help.

[mmckenna]

Glad I could help.

When we decided to get this vehicle, I started searching for information from others who have installed radios in them. I couldn't find anything. I found a few pictures, but nothing good enough to do any good. The web site I posted has some good info, including some from people that had installed upgraded stereo systems. I was able to use some of that to help find the best place to route the power through the firewall. The hammy sites were pretty much useless, too many mag mounts or rear gate bracket installs. Hopefully the above info can save someone some time, pain and suffering.

It's stopped raining here, so today or tomorrow I'm going to get some pictures of the installed equipment and antenna. I wish I'd taken some during the install, though.

[mmckenna]

Submitted for your viewing pleasure:

Here is a shot of the antenna install on the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid with sun roof. The tape measure is hooked over the rear most point on the roof, just where it meets the rear hatch. Antenna is centered in the left/right plane. In the shot, the front of the vehicle is to the left, the rear is to the right, and I was standing on the drivers side of the vehicle. At about 28 or 30 inches from the rear most point of the roof is a center cross member. Anywhere forward of that is getting in close to sun roof territory. There is one wiring harness for the rear dome light, but it is way back near the rear hatch opening. Unless you are going right near the rear edge of the roof there isn't anything to hit, at least not on this one. Antenna is a 2 meter/70cm dual band shorty "cellular look-alike"




Here is the radio head install. I know, not a Motorola, but this is all I really need, since it is the wifeys vehicle, I'm limited in what I can get away with.. Control wire for the head runs forward and then back under the center console. The bracket holding the control head was fabricated out of a piece of aluminum and bent in a vise until the angle was what I needed. It is attached under the center stack, not to the center console. The major pain here is that there is a 110vac outlet just behind the shifter and taking up some of the space right in front of the radio. A pain to work around, but it'll work for what I need. Good luck installing anything much bigger than this in that space. As for visibility, I'm 6'4" and I can see the display while driving or from the passenger seat. Other than that, it's pretty well hidden, unless someone is really looking.



Boy, I sure hate those cheapy feeling Yaesu microphones... I wish they'd sell a radio with a decent mic.

I wish I'd take a few more pictures during the install, but at least this gives you a few ideas. Good luck with your own installs.

[Lowband Guy]

Nice pictures, what would be the chance of you posting a side profile of the Escape showing the antenna? I am taking delivery in a couple weeks of a 2009 Escape XLT, but I am in the same situation as you the vehicle is for my partner. I am lucky she tolerates my radio hobby and will let me install a radio in the new vehicle. I already have the Larsen NMO 2/70 SH antenna like yours. I am not sure of manning up and drilling a hole in the roof and had been thinking of a L bracket on the front fender. For radios in company trucks I have no problem drilling holes in the roof, but for this one I am still thinking it over.

Thanks!

[mmckenna]

Sure, I'll take one tonight, but I doubt it'll show up. It's a black antenna on a white vehicle.

I know on the hybrid Ford specifically states in the manual to not install antennas on the front right fender due to brake and other controllers in that area. May be different for the non hybrid models.

As for drilling the hole, I think it is a much lower profile install to do that on the roof with a small antenna than to mount off the fender, but that's just my personal opinion and worth precisely diddly squat to anyone else but me.

[mmckenna]

Well, I tried, but it just doesn't show up in the picture.

[Lowband Guy]

Ok, thanks for the effort! I was wanting to see how it looked from a distance, I will just have to wait and place the antenna on the Escape before drilling a hole. For me it just has to look a certain way. I think it is called OCB. lol

[mmckenna]

Thought I'd update this.

I pulled that stupid Yaesu out of there and replaced it with a VHF CDM-1550. Much easier for the wife to use, and I can load some of the work stuff in to it.



Other than the new radio, the rest of it is the same. The 1/4 wave VHF mounted in the center of the roof has worked very well. The CDM stock speaker is more than loud enough for this vehicle.