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

[greynolds]

Makes sense. It’s a new 13 pro. It has the latest update too. Thanks for the help. Makes me feel better that it is a phone issue.

Most of these sorts of issues pretty much have to be phone issues. I'm obviously oversimplifying things, but CarPlay is essentially mirroring your iPhone's display on your cars screen and passing audio through to your car's audio system. Obviously there's some 2 way traffic involved - the GPS signal from the "car" (the EC unit in our case), steering wheel button presses, night/day sensor feedback, and a few other pieces of info get sent to the phone. But ultimately, an app not playing audio, especially if some other app does, comes down to an issue with the phone's software.

That said, it's REALLY frustrating when you run into these issues without a convenient option to pull over so you can safely restart an app or reboot the phone.

 

[hayden2203]

Most of these sorts of issues pretty much have to be phone issues. I'm obviously oversimplifying things, but CarPlay is essentially mirroring your iPhone's display on your cars screen and passing audio through to your car's audio system. Obviously there's some 2 way traffic involved - the GPS signal from the "car" (the EC unit in our case), steering wheel button presses, night/day sensor feedback, and a few other pieces of info get sent to the phone. But ultimately, an app not playing audio, especially if some other app does, comes down to an issue with the phone's software.

That said, it's REALLY frustrating when you run into these issues without a convenient option to pull over so you can safely restart an app or reboot the phone.

I have car play interface purchase from EC OFF ROAD. How can I reset or reboot the box?

 

[greynolds]

I have car play interface purchase from EC OFF ROAD. How can I reset or reboot the box?

Not really related to the post you responded to, but the only way I know to reboot this version of the EC box is to shut the car off and wait until the unit fully powers down (which seems to be about 15 minutes). The box fully boots at that point. If you shut the car off and turn it right back on, the unit seems to be only partially shut down as it comes up faster.

The older EC units that several of us started with could be rebooted by pressing several buttons at the same time and holding them for a few seconds. I don't believe anyone has figured out a comparable way to reboot this newer unit.

 

[Cincodemustache]

My 5 month old EC unit on my 2021 will now randomly not even boot, which provides me a black, unusable screen while I drive. Not happy.

It’s definitely the EC unit as i can usually hear it when it boots and runs on acc in my garage. No noise now, black screen.

Not ideal, but I will probably need to carve some time to break down the dash and ensure all connectors are fine.

 

[kcjaz]

My 5 month old EC unit on my 2021 will now randomly not even boot, which provides me a black, unusable screen while I drive. Not happy.

It’s definitely the EC unit as i can usually hear it when it boots and runs on acc in my garage. No noise now, black screen.

Not ideal, but I will probably need to carve some time to break down the dash and ensure all connectors are fine.

I'm researching these units now and have almost decided to go with the EC Offroad 16" for my 2013. What you describe above is one of my main fears. So with a dead head unit, I assume the HVAC is not functioning? Or maybe it is just set at what ever it was before? Is there anything thing else that doesn't work that makes driving with the dead unit a problem. None functioning HVAC could be bad depending on time of year.

 

[Cincodemustache]

I'm researching these units now and have almost decided to go with the EC Offroad 16" for my 2013. What you describe above is one of my main fears. So with a dead head unit, I assume the HVAC is not functioning? Or maybe it is just set at what ever it was before? Is there anything thing else that doesn't work that makes driving with the dead unit a problem. None functioning HVAC could be bad depending on time of year.

The benefits still outweigh any issues in my mind. Pull the trigger and I'm sure you will be happy. After doing the install myself I'm not too bothered by pulling some dash trim and checking the screen connections. After all, every modification we do to our vehicles carries some risk in tightening, maintaining, checking etc. I'm only at defcon 5 anger if I have a bricked unit and can't get any help from EC.

 

[greynolds]

I'm researching these units now and have almost decided to go with the EC Offroad 16" for my 2013. What you describe above is one of my main fears. So with a dead head unit, I assume the HVAC is not functioning? Or maybe it is just set at what ever it was before? Is there anything thing else that doesn't work that makes driving with the dead unit a problem. None functioning HVAC could be bad depending on time of year.

I'm not sure that the HVAC controls would be completely non-functioning. It's possible the hard button HVAC controls that don't rely on access to the screen will remain functional if the EC unit doesn't boot up, which would at least allow for temperature adjustment and engaging auto mode, etc. Perhaps @Cincodemustache will respond with some more detail. When comparing options, this same issue would probably be pretty much the same with Grom or any of the other options that are similar to this EC Offroad unit.

With the "Tesla style" units, you would definitely be completely dead in the water if the unit doesn't boot with absolutely no ability to control the HVAC.

 

[ZRTactical]

One more thing to chime in… with my Spotify/audible issues, EC off-road told me they recommend not using wireless CarPlay. I did think it was my phone but I’ve not had any wireless CarPlay issues in my 2021 Cayenne. Works flawless

 

[greynolds]

One more thing to chime in… with my Spotify/audible issues, EC off-road told me they recommend not using wireless CarPlay. I did think it was my phone but I’ve not had any wireless CarPlay issues in my 2021 Cayenne. Works flawless

I suspect they don't recommend wireless for the same reason that wired network connections are always preferred when possible. I haven't had any issues that I can attribute to using wireless.

 

[sadovnik]

My 5 month old EC unit on my 2021 will now randomly not even boot, which provides me a black, unusable screen while I drive. Not happy.

It’s definitely the EC unit as i can usually hear it when it boots and runs on acc in my garage. No noise now, black screen.

Not ideal, but I will probably need to carve some time to break down the dash and ensure all connectors are fine.

The fact that you could hear the unit makes me think there was something wrong with it from the start. I am fairly certain these are fan-less units so there's really no reason for them to be making any noise at all. @greynolds can you hear your unit when the engine is off?

 

[greynolds]

The fact that you could hear the unit makes me think there was something wrong with it from the start. I am fairly certain these are fan-less units so there's really no reason for them to be making any noise at all. @greynolds can you hear your unit when the engine is off?

I was wondering about that as well. I don't recall being able to hear mine either and I'm also pretty sure that these are fanless.

 

[Cincodemustache]

I was wondering about that as well. I don't recall being able to hear mine either and I'm also pretty sure that these are fanless.

Right, it's not a fan noise...almost a faint electronic noise that I attributed to the EC unit. I will be starting with the optical cable to make sure it isn't kinked.

 

[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.

 

[kcjaz]

I general, for those having issues with their EC Offroad HU, how has ES Offroad been to deal with? I ask because I ordered on for my 2013 that is severely backordered (8 to 12 weeks) and when I started asking questions regarding the actual differences between their HU and Phoenix Automotive, they are super vague. The can't really explain, in any detailed way, why their HUs cost over 2x Phoenix. EC Offroad claims they "make our own units in our own factory" but then can't tell me what they do different other than manage quality to there specifications. That could certainly all be true but there are other sources that say all of these units come from the same place in China.

I made the decision to go with EC Offroad because I perceived them to have better quality and customer service. At least they are relatively well know in Australia and do install locally there on Landcruiser's. I'm now getting a bad vib as they have my $2K and won't ship a unit 2 to 3 months and are cryptic in answering my questions.

 

[greynolds]

I general, for those having issues with their EC Offroad HU, how has ES Offroad been to deal with? I ask because I ordered on for my 2013 that is severely backordered (8 to 12 weeks) and when I started asking questions regarding the actual differences between their HU and Phoenix Automotive, they are super vague. The can't really explain, in any detailed way, why their HUs cost over 2x Phoenix. EC Offroad claims they "make our own units in our own factory" but then can't tell me what they do different other than manage quality to there specifications. That could certainly all be true but there are other sources that say all of these units come from the same place in China.

I made the decision to go with EC Offroad because I perceived them to have better quality and customer service. At least they are relatively well know in Australia and do install locally there on Landcruiser's. I'm now getting a bad vib as they have my $2K and won't ship a unit 2 to 3 months and are cryptic in answering my questions.

I'm pretty much 100% certain that most/all of the similar solutions that install inline with the factory display are based on only a few different hardware platforms coming out of 1 or 2 factories in China (or where ever each one is produced). Some of them come from a pretty much unmodified base firmware while others, such as EC Offroad have custom firmware that (at least hopefully) improves on the base functionality (things like automatically switching the screen over and automatically starting CarPlay at boot up). EC Offroad MIGHT have custom changes in their version of the hardware as well, but that's more difficult to determine. EC Offroad offers support in English, while some of the other options will be nearly impossible to communicate with if English is your only language. When something goes wrong, EC Offroad is pretty good about shipping replacement parts (see a few posts up) or even swapping out the entire unit for a newer version for the price difference (they did that for several of us who started with the prior hardware version and ran into several issues).

They probably feel like they're in a tight spot if they admit that the base hardware is identical as it does make the price difference difficult to justify. But IMO, there's enough value that, at least at the time I purchased mine, I felt like I was getting good value in the end. At the time, Grom was around but seemed to be struggling to deliver a product that actually worked and IIRC they didn't have a version available for 2019+ which meant they weren't an option for me. They seem to have gotten their act together, so it might not be crazy to get a refund and give Grom a try as recent feedback seems to be pretty positive and they are quite a bit less expensive.

 

[kcjaz]

I'm pretty much 100% certain that most/all of the similar solutions that install inline with the factory display are based on only a few different hardware platforms coming out of 1 or 2 factories in China (or where ever each one is produced). Some of them come from a pretty much unmodified base firmware while others, such as EC Offroad have custom firmware that (at least hopefully) improves on the base functionality (things like automatically switching the screen over and automatically starting CarPlay at boot up). EC Offroad MIGHT have custom changes in their version of the hardware as well, but that's more difficult to determine. EC Offroad offers support in English, while some of the other options will be nearly impossible to communicate with if English is your only language. When something goes wrong, EC Offroad is pretty good about shipping replacement parts (see a few posts up) or even swapping out the entire unit for a newer version for the price difference (they did that for several of us who started with the prior hardware version and ran into several issues).

They probably feel like they're in a tight spot if they admit that the base hardware is identical as it does make the price difference difficult to justify. But IMO, there's enough value that, at least at the time I purchased mine, I felt like I was getting good value in the end. At the time, Grom was around but seemed to be struggling to deliver a product that actually worked and IIRC they didn't have a version available for 2019+ which meant they weren't an option for me. They seem to have gotten their act together, so it might not be crazy to get a refund and give Grom a try as recent feedback seems to be pretty positive and they are quite a bit less expensive.

Thanks. I'll gladly pay more for fewer issues and better customer service. I am an engineer (mechanical) and in my day job we spec and buy stuff from China all the time. You can get high quality things manufactured in China as well as garbage. Same everywhere really. Quality costs. But higher cost doesn't mean quality. That's the conundrum here for me. They did tell me they have their own firmware/software which does make me feel better. There seems to be multiply sources of firmware on the net. They said if you load any other firmware it voids the warranty. EC Offroad is a private company so you can't really get public info on them to understand how big they are. Is it possible they "have their own" factory making these units? Could be but its more likely they have contracted with a factory in China to make "their" units. Are there physical differences other than EC Offroad branding? No real way to know unless they share and they don't seem inclined to do so. For 2 or 3 hundred, I wouldn't really even worry about it. I knew going in there was a $1000+ difference but generally felt better knowing that a company involved in the the Landcruiser off-road market in Australia probably couldn't supply junk with lots of problems. Its really just the long lead time that has made me second guess.

 

[greynolds]

Thanks. I'll gladly pay more for fewer issues and better customer service. I am an engineer (mechanical) and in my day job we spec and buy stuff from China all the time. You can get high quality things manufactured in China as well as garbage. Same everywhere really. Quality costs. But higher cost doesn't mean quality. That's the conundrum here for me. They did tell me they have their own firmware/software which does make me feel better. There seems to be multiply sources of firmware on the net. They said if you load any other firmware it voids the warranty. EC Offroad is a private company so you can't really get public info on them to understand how big they are. Is it possible they "have their own" factory making these units? Could be but its more likely they have contracted with a factory in China to make "their" units. Are there physical differences other than EC Offroad branding? No real way to know unless they share and they don't seem inclined to do so. For 2 or 3 hundred, I wouldn't really even worry about it. I knew going in there was a $1000+ difference but generally felt better knowing that a company involved in the the Landcruiser off-road market in Australia probably couldn't supply junk with lots of problems. Its really just the long lead time that has made me second guess.

There's no way they are large enough to have their own factory building a completely customized product. Just look at photos of the boxes the various companies sell - they are way too similar to not be coming from the same source. It's also very unlikely they're selling enough of these to justify the cost of a completely custom hardware run. Custom firmware is certain. Custom hardware specs (amount of RAM level of CPU, etc.) are a big maybe. Better support than the Etsy type options is probable (I haven't tried contacting any of the other companies). And yes, you can get products that run the entire quality spectrum from China, just as you can from many other countries these days.

 

[sadovnik]

Thanks. I'll gladly pay more for fewer issues and better customer service. I am an engineer (mechanical) and in my day job we spec and buy stuff from China all the time. You can get high quality things manufactured in China as well as garbage. Same everywhere really. Quality costs. But higher cost doesn't mean quality. That's the conundrum here for me. They did tell me they have their own firmware/software which does make me feel better. There seems to be multiply sources of firmware on the net. They said if you load any other firmware it voids the warranty. EC Offroad is a private company so you can't really get public info on them to understand how big they are. Is it possible they "have their own" factory making these units? Could be but its more likely they have contracted with a factory in China to make "their" units. Are there physical differences other than EC Offroad branding? No real way to know unless they share and they don't seem inclined to do so. For 2 or 3 hundred, I wouldn't really even worry about it. I knew going in there was a $1000+ difference but generally felt better knowing that a company involved in the the Landcruiser off-road market in Australia probably couldn't supply junk with lots of problems. Its really just the long lead time that has made me second guess.

You may want to check out Custom Car Stereo Systems (Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series - https://customcarstereosystems.com.au/online-store/ols/categories/toyota-landcruiser-200-series) as they sell the same exact unit as EC OR, at least that is the case for the 2018+ unit that I have. I have also seen various positive posts on FB about their customer service. And I think they only sell electronics, so you may get better answers from them.

 

[kcjaz]

You may want to check out Custom Car Stereo Systems (Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series - https://customcarstereosystems.com.au/online-store/ols/categories/toyota-landcruiser-200-series) as they sell the same exact unit as EC OR, at least that is the case for the 2018+ unit that I have. I have also seen various positive posts on FB about their customer service. And I think they only sell electronics, so you may get better answers from them.

Very interesting. At least these guys have lots of details aimed at answering "why buy from us". Its a drop down on the website header! Prices are similar (but less) than EC Offroad. Thanks.

 

[DMOZ]

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