Get the grom vline 2.

 

It looks good, but $680?! Try £200 / $250 max... That's a chinese made box, someone's making a huge markup on that

Btw, I appreciate your recommendation Just was hoping there would be quality options much cheaper

 

I got this:

https://fr.aliexpress.com/item/4000662768606.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.10.47f05e5bRwULf5&gatewayAdapt=glo2fra

And no probs

 

Going to order that in December I think. Asked a few questions on AliExpress about preserving steering control... knob control... reverse camera etc - though their Chinglish might mean it takes a while to get a clear answer. Any chance you have a copy of the fitting instructions? Or is it just a ... remove what you have an connect what fits job?

Any issues with space inside the dashboard with that little box?

 

Works fine, no probs with steering control, reverse camera etc...
(My YT vidéo below )

To disassemble the central console just follow the tuto on YT, easy to connect it's plug&play (Manual is supplied)
Picture from 2 years ago and no problem since installation.

 

That's awesome! I'm planning to buy it next month (as well as doing a heated seat install). Popped apart the dash today to check for a wire... came apart, and went back together very easily. Looks like CarPlay should be easy enough.

AliExpress showed it the other day for £153... asked if they would do £110. They gave me 10% off in a voucher... but I checked today and it's at £193... no way. Will be waiting for the price to drop at least back to £153 and will 100% be installing this.

I think this should be the definitive thread for folks with CT200h asking about CarPlay as there's a lot of companies charging £700+ for 'their parts and installation', which I strongly suspect is this AliExpress part with relatively simple DIY install.

I got the AliExpress instructions which explain about the switches being up or down based on the car's control input (knob / mouse pad / joystick) - seems that this is the only fiddly bit that one needs to understand or do with a bit of trial and error during the install, but nothing too insane.

Looking forward to CarPlay, haven't had it in a few years

Is it easy enough to control as this will be my first non touch screen experience of it?

 

Today I ordered this one (alternative listing, but appears to be the same little box) as it was £130 to buy, 9 day shipping and has the same confirmation of working with my 2017 CT

along with the heated seats , can’t wait to get these upgrades fitted in time for when winter gets really cold and brutal

https://a.aliexpress.com/_EzkLRlB

 

Dont worry, Let us know!

 

17th October it arrives! I can't wait! Looks like it runs very smoothly on your video.

I can't believe there are UK And USA based companies charging £800+ for this job using the same parts!

 

Yes all runs fine
And yes companies try to get your money, some are unscrupulous

 

The RoadTop unit looks most attractive due to the ability to navigate around each icon on the display as opposed to the BeatSonic one (for example) where you must move a small mouse cursor and select something. This RoadTop option seems much easier to work with. I think I will be ordering one of these for my CT.

 

navigate around each icon on the display as opposed to the BeatSonic one (for example) where you must move a small mouse cursor and select something.

Aren't they the same? With one as you describe, being in a Lexus with the joystick control unit from factory (giving the cursor), and then the other example with the selection being cars with the rotary dial? (like mine)

 

Been counting down the days until this arrived, AliExpress said today... Looks like at best, it'll be tomorrow. Tracking hasn't updated since the 10th... no 'out for delivery' emails from Royal Mail. And the customer agents can't seem to tell me when it'll come or why it has been sitting for so long in one area of our very small island nation.... So sad times, but at least I have my heated seats fitted from my other thread.

 

I love English people for legendary optimism!💪

 

So... the original order HAS NOT MOVED SINCE THE 11th OCTOBER! The seller can't seem to give me any explanation other than, "item is in the UK for customs"...... they are liars. More like, it is on a ship from China and will take 20+ days for an update.............................. Liars. I requested a refund. But of course, their dispute time makes me wait until the 11th November... funny how that'll give it enough time to come by ship. What do they give in compensation? An insulting 1 USD voucher... I will be doing a chargeback from my bank. So much for 9 day shipping. Liars.

However.. I did order the identical unit, £40 more, shipping from the UK. 3 day shipping promise. It arrived TODAY!

I went to the garage.... stripped apart the beautiful Lexus dash, removed ALL the connectors. Just as I started connecting things, the little blue .. LDAV cable or something, DOES NOT FIT. Wrong cable. About half of the videos online and forums say they also received the wrong cables.

So my dash is rebuilt... No CarPlay.

I asked the seller to please send the cable - but I suspect that will come from China and take weeks... though they do follow through just fine (when time isn't an issue).

As for the original order, if it ever comes, will be rejected at the door and sent back... shame on them for lying about the time.

 

 

I’m thinking I might need to just return this unit. The Chinese sellers are incredibly poor at comprehension and have no concept of time for resolutions. Perhaps chargeback from my bank

 

Does anybody know the name of the blue connector in my picture? It seems the one on the harness is too large and possibly from before Lexus made a change to the unit. It's a Fujitsu-Ten marked unit. I can't find anything anywhere, except for one AliExpress listing for a single cable which extends (or replaces) the original in the car itself - not the one which splits three ways like the incorrect one from the CarPlay kit.

The kit states this is an 'LDAV' cable - something to do with interference but not overly familiar with that myself?

It goes from the cars factory connection, to the radio (as the original does) but the third split off wire goes into the new CarPlay box with a round connector. Seems a custom made cable for this application.

My idea was to find the correct cable but it does not exist elsewhere, nor does buying this connector separately (let alone with the CORRECT blue connector for my car)
Second idea, buy the connector plugs and cut / join them on to the supplied cable but for the life of me, even using Google reverse image search, I cannot find the name or spec of this connector.

The CT200h workshop manual leaked on this site is too old to understand my 2017 head unit sadly, but I've searched this and the old head units do not use this connection.

It looks like I might need to give up if I can't find a resolution.

 

Sorry for late answer,
It's the video cable for phase2 unit (2014-2017) with 7" screen and i think you have the big screen 10".
Ask to dealer send the good cable... my friend had the same problem, he received the cable a few days later.

 

I appreciate your replies! Please keep replying if you are able to.

I have the 7", that is my issue :-( I have been looking at the head unit online, all of the head units I see have the connection.

How long did you wait for your initial order? Was it an EU warehouse or China?

I have the original order coming (allegedly) perhaps this will have the correct cable?

 

Héhé! good to heard that
my friend waited 5 days, the units and cables from germany warehouse.
Yes exactly, you need to take off the screen to connect bridge cable between OEM unit(screen too) and Carplay unit.
No rattles/noises from extra stuff inside my dashboard, I put the carplay unit on the radio(OEM unit like my pic first page of this thread) and cables management behind .

 

i am very proud to say that the job is a success. 2 hours of work. The toggle switch was all ‘up’. Wiring is ‘stuffed’ in there. Surprisingly no rattles.. maybe it will be fine. I left the USB port in the centre console as I plan to use wireless CarPlay and my fast 12v dual 60W cable charger!

ive had to mess around with the audio. I got Siri and mic working - but not consistently. Sometimes Siri talks back but I can’t hear it.

@JackyBrakmar , do you have your phone connected by Bluetooth (via the car factory Bluetooth connection) As well as CarPlay? Or just CarPlay. When I do just CarPlay, the audio is missing. Is this normal? Please let me know if there is a better configuration

I am hoping to add a custom boot logo and a Lexus logo to the CarPlay screen too

 

Nice job, you can to be proud!
My phone is connecterd in BT on LEXUS (set "ON": Use car's BT Channel and Fix Previous/Next keys) and Wifi on Carplay83xxxx
Some time Siri works fine some time not... i dont knwo why, but i think it's just a good configuration issue.
What do you mean: "The toggle switch was all ‘up’. Wiring is ‘stuffed’ in there" ?
oK, same for me The toggle switch was all ‘up’ too

 

Iphone 13 iOS18.1

 

Thanks! It’s been great so far. The original order did arrive yesterday. I’m selling it on ebay, anybody else from the UK interested in safe fast delivery from a fellow member, here’s the link Pardon our interruption...

 

Does anyone have the issue of the joystick not working in CarPlay mode? I’m having that at the moment

 

You ordered the good one, for joystick and not for knob?

 

Yea, I ordered the blue box decoder for joystick, it didn’t work with the joystick at first but I messaged the company on WhatsApp and they told me to swap the green and blue can cables and make them connected to the opposite colour.

This was me messaging the bloke on AliExpress.
They finally helped me but now my screen resolution is wrong and I don’t know how to fix it.

 

Hééé!
You need to set pins correctly
Let us know