I understand your concern. I tore apart my dash as part of diagnosing the problem but, thankfully, you seemed to have connected the dots without the need for such destruction.

All you've got to send to Alpine is the old-school DVD player-looking thing in the trunk. I fished around for pictures I took of my unit before I sent it in but -- since everything with the repair worked out -- it seems I deleted them. Basically, you pull the connectors that are between the seats and the unit (take care not to damage the locking mechanisms on the connectors) then remove four screws and pull the unit out. This unit was made for easy removal.

If you have any questions or concerns I'd highly suggest calling Alpine. They answer the phone promptly and the people you talk to are knowledgable. They seem more accustomed to dealing with shops than individuals but they'll certainly work with you to get you the information you need.

 

I unplugged the 4 different plugs and removed the GPS processor (picture attached) from the trunk.

Sent the unit to Alpine Electronics OEM service at 2012 Abalone Ave. Unit D
Torrance CA. Expect about 5-6 weeks turnaround time if you're shipping from Canada.

Paid $370US.

Got it back and re-installed it. Entered all the re-boot anti-theft codes.

It works.