EC Offroad CarPlay Solutions For 2016+ 200 Series LC (NEW SEPT 2020 MODEL)

[greynolds]

Great thread and very helpful.

I’m in the middle of installing the EC CarPlay unit this weekend and, upon first test, everything seems to be working but the touch screen. I see all the apps but touch not working. Can someone please confirm the placement of the DIP switches. This is the most recent version of the unit as it was purchased in March so there are 8 DIP switches. Thank you

Unfortunately, I would need to rip my dash open to check the DIP switch settings on mine. However, your issue sounds like you have the version of the product for an older LC with the resistive touch screen (2019+ have capacitive touch screens). Double and triple check that all of the cables are properly seated. If that's not it, I would suggest contacting the EC Offroad guys. Hopefully it's just a DIP switch setting, but I'm pretty sure a hardware swap is required if they sent you the wrong version, unfortunately.

 

[FerrisBueller]

My initial guess is that a connector is not seated properly.

Here's my dip switches from when I installed.

 

[DMOZ]

Unfortunately, I would need to rip my dash open to check the DIP switch settings on mine. However, your issue sounds like you have the version of the product for an older LC with the resistive touch screen (2019+ have capacitive touch screens). Double and triple check that all of the cables are properly seated. If that's not it, I would suggest contacting the EC Offroad guys. Hopefully it's just a DIP switch setting, but I'm pretty sure a hardware swap is required if they sent you the wrong version, unfortunately.

Oh boy, I really hope that I don’t have to swap hardware. I emailed Michael and received a quick response that I’ll hear back from him on Tuesday. In the meantime, I’ll check DIP switches and connections and hope for the best. Thanks for quick response!

 

[DMOZ]

My initial guess is that a connector is not seated properly.

Here's my dip switches from when I installed.

View attachment 2983270

This is super helpful. Thanks for sending. Matches the DIP switches on mine so that leave either bad connection or wrong hardware. Fingers crossed it’s the former!

 

[Cincodemustache]

Update to the no-boot and screen issue. EC is going to send me a new LVD cable for free as they think this will solve my issue.

Issue solved with a new LVD cable. Here was the issue…just a pinch point was all it took.

EC’s customer support was great here.

 

[greynolds]

Issue solved with a new LVD cable. Here was the issue…just a pinch point was all it took.

EC’s customer support was great here.

Glad to hear you got it resolved. Those cables are fairly delicate, unfortunately, so it doesn't take much to cause trouble.

 

[Cincodemustache]

Glad to hear you got it resolved. Those cables are fairly delicate, unfortunately, so it doesn't take much to cause trouble.

Well, not resolved. My screen is still flickering and will go dark. Music still plays. Annoying.

 

[FerrisBueller]

Well, not resolved. My screen is still flickering and will go dark. Music still plays. Annoying.

I think that means EC Offroad probably needs to send you a new unit under warranty. Maybe there's just some bad solder joints on the circuit board, but you can't check that without voiding the warranty.

 

[Cincodemustache]

I think that means EC Offroad probably needs to send you a new unit under warranty. Maybe there's just some bad solder joints on the circuit board, but you can't check that without voiding the warranty.

I just pulled the dash to inspect the new cord. No pinch or kink noted. This is all I had time for.

This weekend, somehow, in between sports for three little kids I’m going to pull everything, inspect and take photos of all pins and connectors.

In my mind right now I’m ripping the EC setup out and going back to stock for a bit. It’s absolutely infuriating to have a blank, unusable screen right now with no rhyme or reason when it will go dark. And since it’s an interfaceI can’t even use the OEM infotainment when it goes dark.

I’m done with the EC unit. I think I got the bad one out of the lot here on Mud.

 

[Artie]

I just pulled the dash to inspect the new cord. No pinch or kink noted. This is all I had time for.

This weekend, somehow, in between sports for three little kids I’m going to pull everything, inspect and take photos of all pins and connectors.

In my mind right now I’m ripping the EC setup out and going back to stock for a bit. It’s absolutely infuriating to have a blank, unusable screen right now with no rhyme or reason when it will go dark. And since it’s an interfaceI can’t even use the OEM infotainment when it goes dark.

I’m done with the EC unit. I think I got the bad one out of the lot here on Mud.

So where are you at with your blank screen issues? All of a sudden I’ve had a similar issue where it will either be blank when I start the vehicle or just now it went blank while driving. Rear view camera still works. I connect wirelessly so I’m switching up to wired right now and will see if it acts up. I’m literally posting this while my youngest is peeing in the bushes on the side of the road while we are on the way to our camping spot.

 

[Cincodemustache]

So where are you at with your blank screen issues? All of a sudden I’ve had a similar issue where it will either be blank when I start the vehicle or just now it went blank while driving. Rear view camera still works. I connect wirelessly so I’m switching up to wired right now and will see if it acts up. I’m literally posting this while my youngest is peeing in the bushes on the side of the road while we are on the way to our camping spot.

EC asked me to go in again and re-check the new cord they sent me. I’m trying to do this today or tomorrow pending 900 other things going on. My wife keeps asking why I have to tear the car apart every weekend.

It’s the video cord with blue connectors. If the cord isn’t kinked or damaged, which I was super careful to avoid when I put it in last week, they said I need to ship the cpu back to them for testing.

 

[Artie]

EC asked me to go in again and re-check the new cord they sent me. I’m trying to do this today or tomorrow pending 900 other things going on. My wife keeps asking why I have to tear the car apart every weekend.

It’s the video cord with blue connectors. If the cord isn’t kinked or damaged, which I was super careful to avoid when I put it in last week, they said I need to ship the cpu back to them for testing.

That sucks so much and I completely understand the frustration, especially seeing as how I may be tearing into this thing sometime in the near future.

I haven’t tested mine with the phone wired yet, we are camping and I only have usb c cables.

I’ll add that my reverse camera still functions fine while everything on the display does not.

I need to go back and read through your posts to see exactly what you experienced to better compare our situations.

Thanks for the response and keep us updated.

 

[Cincodemustache]

That sucks so much and I completely understand the frustration, especially seeing as how I may be tearing into this thing sometime in the near future.

I haven’t tested mine with the phone wired yet, we are camping and I only have usb c cables.

I’ll add that my reverse camera still functions fine while everything on the display does not.

I need to go back and read through your posts to see exactly what you experienced to better compare our situations.

Thanks for the response and keep us updated.

Your symptoms are the same as mine. Reverse camera will still come on but screen is black otherwise.

 

[Artie]

Your symptoms are the same as mine. Reverse camera will still come on but screen is black otherwise.

Dang… I’ll email their support and see where it goes. It’s unfortunate that it’s been absolutely flawless until all of a sudden but I guess that’s how electrical stuff fails…. It waited until I fully fell in love then stabbed me in the back.

 

[Artie]

Emailed ec off-road and heard back rather quickly. lvd cable suspected, arranging replacement. Sounds all too familiar to @Cincodemustache… hopefully this will resolve the issue and I can move on.

I’m curious if having my Bluetooth earbuds paired with my phone upon vehicle startup and ec off-road pairing could cause any of this. I will ask them on my next email exchange.

 

[Cincodemustache]

Emailed ec off-road and heard back rather quickly. lvd cable suspected, arranging replacement. Sounds all too familiar to @Cincodemustache… hopefully this will resolve the issue and I can move on.

I’m curious if having my Bluetooth earbuds paired with my phone upon vehicle startup and ec off-road pairing could cause any of this. I will ask them on my next email exchange.

Good luck! I didn’t get a chance to dig in the dash this weekend but just found a new quirk. If the ec screen starts to flicker and is on its way out to go blank, I can quickly hold home and get back to the native Toyota OS which is rock steady. No flashing. I’d think if there was a cable issue this wouldn’t happen.

 

[Artie]

Good luck! I didn’t get a chance to dig in the dash this weekend but just found a new quirk. If the ec screen starts to flicker and is on its way out to go blank, I can quickly hold home and get back to the native Toyota OS which is rock steady. No flashing. I’d think if there was a cable issue this wouldn’t happen.

That’s good to know, I’ll be on the lookout for the flashing and address it as you described.

How bad is getting into the dash abs replacing that wire?

 

[Cincodemustache]

That’s good to know, I’ll be on the lookout for the flashing and address it as you described.

How bad is getting into the dash abs replacing that wire?

For me after 4 times going in it only takes about 8 minutes to pull apart.

 

[FerrisBueller]

Good luck! I didn’t get a chance to dig in the dash this weekend but just found a new quirk. If the ec screen starts to flicker and is on its way out to go blank, I can quickly hold home and get back to the native Toyota OS which is rock steady. No flashing. I’d think if there was a cable issue this wouldn’t happen.

And if you wait too long and the screen goes blank, then the Home button no longer lets you switch back to OEM?

Yes, your observation is a huge clue. That narrows down the problematic area quite a bit. The EC unit consists of a video and control switching circuit board, with a smaller attached Android box with the rest of the brains. Your observation tells me that the larger switcher board has no problem per se, and that the problem is either with that smaller Android box (pictured on the right) or the physical connection between the two (e.g. bad solder joints).

 

[Cincodemustache]

And if you wait too long and the screen goes blank, then the Home button no longer lets you switch back to OEM?

Yes, your observation is a huge clue. That narrows down the problematic area quite a bit. The EC unit consists of a video and control switching circuit board, with a smaller attached Android box with the rest of the brains. Your observation tells me that the larger switcher board has no problem per se, and that the problem is either with that smaller Android box (pictured on the right) or the physical connection between the two (e.g. bad solder joints).

View attachment 3005874

Great call. You are correct, if I wait too long to switch back to OEM I will have lost my chance and everything goes dark.