EC Offroad CarPlay Solutions For 2016+ 200 Series LC

[greynolds]

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A NEW VERSION OF THIS MODULE WAS RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020. I HAVE STARTED A NEW THREAD FOR DISCUSSING THE NEW VERSION HERE.
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I have placed an order for the interface module unit that adds CarPlay to 2018-2020 LC's, but wanted to start a new thread as discussion of this product has started to leak into @Eric Sarjeant's CarPlay works in a 2020 Land Cruiser thread which is about the NaviPlus product.

Here's the main page for their 200 series LC products:

SAHARA 2016-2021

We have head units for every budget from 7inch screens to 16inch multimedia touch screen units all tried and tested here in Australia. Specialising in off road navigation and Hema maps.

www.ecvisionsound.com

They also have products for 2013-2015 200 series and "Tesla" style options, but I'd suggest starting separate threads for those if there's interest so we can keep this one focused on the 2016 and newer models.

The product I selected from EC Offroad provides a somewhat different solution to adding CarPlay when compared to the NaviPlus option, hopefully adding some useful functionality in the process. The Naviplus unit simply allows the user to switch between normal factory operation and CarPlay by holding the NAV button on the dashboard for a few seconds. The EC Offroad product uses the same solution to switch back and forth, but instead of only offering CarPlay, it switches back and forth between an Android device that has its own set of apps and factory operation. One of the apps provides CarPlay functionality.

Some feature / functionality highlights:

• The Android device supports running native Android apps without having to pair a smartphone to it, (other than to use the smartphone as a personal hotspot for Internet access). It can also get Internet access through a USB dongle or any sort of device that provides a WiFi Internet hotspot.
• The device runs Android 7 and is compatible with pretty much any app from the Google Play Store that will run on Android 7.
• Netflix is supported and can be routed to the rear screens, if your LC is so equipped (someone other than me will need to test this as the HE doesn't come with the rear screens).
• The product uses the factory microphone, so there's no need to install a separate microphone
• A GPS module is included so that Android apps that require GPS (such as Google Maps) will be able to function.
• There are 3 USB ports, one of which is used for CarPlay / Android Auto, that can be used to add storage to the unit. They can also be used to connect a USB keyboard or mouse.
• The device also has a MicroSD card slot that can be used to add storage. This will be behind the screen, so plan on installing what you need for a card during the initial install unless you want to take things apart multiple times.
• Despite what the website claims, the device does not support pairing Bluetooth devices, such as OBD2 readers (use readers that work via WiFi instead). There are no references to Bluetooth in the Android Settings app, so there's no way to pair devices. I have suggested that they remove the mention of Bluetooth from their product descriptions as it may be a deal breaker for some people and it's a lot better to know this before buying it and installing it.
• Despite what the website claims for some model years, wireless CarPlay is not supported on the hardware that is included with the device. The feedback from EC Offroad was that is wasn't reliable enough, so they no longer support it. However, several of us purchased the Carlinkit Wireless CarPlay dongle and have found it works reliably, providing a solution for wireless CarPlay. See post 117 for more details.

For CarPlay, the EC Offroad product uses a CarPlay app that shows up as another app on the Android device. In my limited testing so far, CarPlay works fine with my iPhone XS running the lastest iOS 13 release. I can't confirm this, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if the Naviplus unit uses pretty much the same solution, but has the CarPlay app setup to run in a more limited Android environment that doesn't allow the user to run any other apps. A few advantages of the Naviplus are that it's less expensive, more people have tried it, and (importantly) Eric Sarjeant has added it to his list of products he's reselling and installing for people. That last point is possibly important for people who are located near Eric and aren't comfortable installing it themselves as they wouldn't have to hunt for a local installer that can be trusted to do a good job.

Notes and links:

• Here's a really nice install thread by @DomSmith.
• Installation instructions posted by @DomSmith.
• There has been a lot of confusion over the V-IN RCA connector on the main harness. Using the supplied RCA to RCA cable, V-IN on the main harness should be connected to V-OUT on the DTV-V cable bundle. This is needed for Land Cruisers that have rear screens in order to display video from apps like Netflix on the rear screens. If your Land Cruiser doesn't have rear screens, this connection and the entire DTV-V cable bundle can be omitted unless other connections on the DTV-V cable bundle are needed for your install. Thanks to @DomSmith and @psnyman for figuring this out. Pictures showing the connections can be found here.
• This YouTube video (thanks @stolikat) has excellent instructions for taking the dashboard apart to remove the screen and head unit to get access to the connections that need to be made. The rest of the video is not relevant to the EC Offroad product, but I found this extremely useful to follow along with when I installed mine.
• Re-connection to an iPhone personal hotspot requires going into the iPhone > Settings > Personal Hotspot (or going to the Control Center and enabling discovery of the Personal Hotspot) each time you start the car. This appears to be an iOS quirk, not an issue with the EC Offroad unit as it auto connects to my house WiFi just fine when within range.
• When setting things up on the Android device, it's extremely helpful to have a USB mouse handy. When I tried to login to my Spotify and Waze accounts, the "I already have a login" controls were below the bottom of the screen (looks like they are setup for portrait screen orientation) and I was unable to scroll using the touchscreen. Once I hooked up a mouse, I was able to use the scroll wheel to get to those controls.
• Some of the factory buttons can be used to control the EC Offroad device:
  • Press and hold the steering wheel end-call button to switch between showing the factory infotainment and the video from the EC Offroad device. When switching in this manner, no app switches are made.
  • Press and hold HOME or NAV for a few seconds to switch between factory infotainment and the EC Offroad device. Note that when switching back to factory mode, this will select the HOME or NAV screen, depending on which button you used. When switching to EC Offroad mode, it will go to the Android Home screen or launch the configured navigation app.
  • When in the EC Offroad mode, press "INFO APPS" to initiate voice commands (also works in CarPlay)
  • When in the EC Offroad mode, press "HOME" to get to the App Launcher view
  • When in the EC Offroad mode, press "NAV" to go to your configured Android mode navigation app
  • When in the EC Offroad mode, press "SETUP" to launch the navigation app setup page
  • The steering wheel next/previous buttons work while in Android mode (presumably in CarPlay, but I haven't tested this yet)
  • Of course, the steering wheel volume up/down buttons work to adjust the volume
• To perform a hard reboot of the EC unit, hold the Next Track, Mode and Hang Up buttons for 6 seconds. Make sure you have the volume level low when doing this as there may be loud pops during the reboot process.
• If you're taking the car in for service and don't want the service techs to be confused by the Android functionality, switch back to the factory mode and select an audio source other than AUX before dropping the car off for service. This way when they start the car, it won't boot up into the EC Offroad Android interface.

Suggested Android Apps:

• For playing music from a USB storage device, the free version of MediaMonkey seems to be an excellent choice. The user interface is reasonably simple and uses mostly large buttons, making it usable in a car.
• The Torque Pro app combined with the Veepeak Mini WiFi OBD2 dongle can provide a display showing current speed, throttle position, and a bunch of other info as well as provide useful OBD2 diagnostic information. @DomSmith provided some additional info and sample photos here.
• You can install the native Android Auto app to run Android Auto in "standalone" mode. I navigated to APK Mirror in Chrome on the EC unit and installed Android Auto by downloading one of the links for a recent version of the Android Auto app.
  • This works fairly well, but standalone mode of Android Auto does have a few glitches, such as sometimes only displaying music or navigation apps when you're attempting to switch apps. This can make it difficult to switch from a music app to a navigation app or even between music or navigation apps. Other than that, it works well and gives you the Android Auto user interface for apps that are installed on the EC unit. This issue is not specific to the EC unit as the same thing happens on my Samsung Galaxy S8.
  • Also note that without providing the EC unit with an Internet connection through a personal hotspot on your smartphone or other device, such as a USB hotspot device, you won't be able to use apps that require a data connection such as Waze or Spotify.

CarPlay Tips:

• The suggested procedure for connecting to CarPlay is (if you're having trouble getting it to work by using a more random sequence, try this):
  1. Wait for factory system to completely boot
  2. Select the Android unit and make sure it has fully booted
  3. Select the CarPlay app
  4. Allow the CarPlay app to load
  5. Then plug in the phone

Known Issues:

• If you don't have music or other audio playing in the background while using navigation apps in CarPlay, the first second or so of instructions is not played through the speakers. If you have music playing, there is no issue and if you request directions be repeated within a few seconds of the last audio, they play properly.
  • The effect is that instead of hearing "turn left on main street", you'll hear "on main street".
  • This issue is confirmed on 2016 and 2020 USA spec Land Cruisers
  • As of 8/15/2020, I have been told that a fix for this issue is expected shortly.
  • I received a fix for this issue from @EC OFFROAD on 8/19/2020. Preliminary testing of the fix looks good on my 2020 Land Cruiser. If you need the fix for this, contact me through PM or contact EC Offroad for assistance. Since the password that’s used provides access to updates that could brick your unit, they asked me to not post the password on the open forum.
• There are a few HVAC control issues in USA spec Land Cruisers after the EC Offroad device is installed
  • When restarting the car after it has been off for a while (exact time TBD, but perhaps 30 minutes or more), the HVAC controls don't restore all of their previous settings when you next start the car. So if you had AUTO turned on, it will be off, temperature settings may be reset to defaults, vented seat settings are reset to off, etc.
  • When in Android / CarPlay mode, the Climate button doesn't work
  • When adjusting the temperature using the buttons on the dashboard, the display will show "LO" for the temperatures, no matter what the temperature is actually set to.
  • These issues are confirmed on 2016 and 2020 USA spec Land Cruisers
  • A fix for this may take some time as they suspect it's specific to USA spec Land Cruisers and they will need to get access to one. I've offered to help run tests and try updates if it will help expedite a fix.

 

[catastrofe]

I have the NaviPlus unit and I'm looking forward to input on this unit. The NP (Apple wireless version) has some quirks in my experience and it will be interesting to see if the EC unit has similar anomalies:

- If you launch CarPlay while still connected to your home network (still in your garage for example), you can't connect. The NP creates a wireless network to which your phone is required to be connected, and if you're already connected elsewhere, there's a conflict.
EDIT: not really an issue...works as one would expect, switching networks to CarPlay.

- In addition to the network connection, you're tethered to the NP via Bluetooth as well. You cannot be connected to the BT of the OEM system. This may not be a functional issue, but it's something that an owner needs to be aware of.

- I have my surround cameras set to display automatically when slowing to a stop. This is very helpful when pulling into a parking spot. With the NP, the display reverts to "factory" once you're at speed again. . .it does not switch back to the CarPlay display. I'm not sure if this behavior is the same in reverse (will update this post once I test).

 

[greynolds]

I have the NaviPlus unit and I'm looking forward to input on this unit. The NP (Apple wireless version) has some quirks in my experience and it will be interesting to see if the EC unit has similar anomalies:

- If you launch CarPlay while still connected to your home network (still in your garage for example), you can't connect. The NP creates a wireless network to which your phone is required to be connected, and if you're already connected elsewhere, there's a conflict.

- In addition to the network connection, you're tethered to the NP via Bluetooth as well. You cannot be connected to the BT of the OEM system. This may not be a functional issue, but it's something that an owner needs to be aware of.

If the built-in Android functionality is good enough, I may not bother to use the CarPlay functionality, which would effectively address these 2 issues.

- I have my surround cameras set to display automatically when slowing to a stop. This is very helpful when pulling into a parking spot. With the NP, the display reverts to "factory" once you're at speed again. . .it does not switch back to the CarPlay display. I'm not sure if this behavior is the same in reverse (will update this post once I test).

I have a hunch the EC Offroad product will share this quirk as the factory system doesn't know how to switch back to it. I should also look into turning this option on as I've often been pressing the view button when I pull into parking spaces and my garage; I think it would be nice for this to be automatic.

 

[dnh1]

I have the NaviPlus unit and I'm looking forward to input on this unit.

- In addition to the network connection, you're tethered to the NP via Bluetooth as well. You cannot be connected to the BT of the OEM system. This may not be a functional issue, but it's something that an owner needs to be aware of.

I can connect to bluetooth on factory and car play at the same time with my Naviplus unit. That is not correct. I can in fact chose a phone call to go through either of the units or switch mid call.

 

[greynolds]

I can connect to bluetooth on factory and car play at the same time with my Naviplus unit. That is not correct. I can in fact chose a phone call to go through either of the units or switch mid call.

I'd like to focus this thread on the EC Offroad products as much as possible, but do you have the wireless CarPlay option for your NaviPlus? If not, that may explain the discrepancy. @catastrofe - if this hasn't been addressed in Eric's thread yet, it might make sense to discuss it there; if there's a way around the issue you would probably like to know how.

 

[dnh1]

I'd like to focus this thread on the EC Offroad products as much as possible, but do you have the wireless CarPlay option for your NaviPlus? If not, that may explain the discrepancy. @catastrofe - if this hasn't been addressed in Eric's thread yet, it might make sense to discuss it there; if there's a way around the issue you would probably like to know how.

I understand. However you quoted his post before me. I have the wireless option. I can connect wirelessly and can toggle between the car Bluetooth and the Carplay Bluetooth any time.

 

[RobW0]

Will look forward to see how this unit works compared to the other.

 

[psnyman]

I ordered one yesterday as well and will contribute my findings here

 

[jefo13]

They have 2 units listed, the expensive one is the android one the less expensive says CarPlay only, wonder if the cheaper one is Naviplus

 

[RobRed]

I've been looking at the EC and contacted them regarding different spec etc - so far cust service seems good on the presale side.

Its appealing to not have to add an additional mic etc like on the np unit. Long press the NAV button to invoke the module seems pretty clean.

Re Apple Car Play wireless - I think you are better off using the wired connection, It will be much more stable connectivity wise. Even in super moden telematics ( my 2019 BMW M5 for example) there are times when the wireless carplay will refuse a connection and then its a battle to get it working. Doesn't happen often but it frustrating when it does.

 

[RobRed]

I forgot to include this above - excerpt from email with EC.

Our normal Spec unit has 3G and 32G storage with option for SD card and extra storage on USB with the 3 USB ports.

We are using Android 7.1 as we have found this to be the most stable for the devise and how it is used.

There is Android 9 now but look no different just quiet unstable and no carplay.

Carplay is wired, It can do wireless but is again quiet unstable so we don’t sell it with them anymore.

Android 7 was deprecated by google in early 2017. As apps update for android they may require later OS to work. GAIA GPS can run on Android 5 still but if you have other fav apps make sure Android 7 is compatible.

 

[mooneywa]

A dumb pair of questions here: 1-How does it work ordering from Australia with customs and duties or did a I miss a US retailer? 2-Would we generally be in agreement that Carplay, be it in EC or NP, works better wired?

...My 2020 GMC truck has wired CarPlay and while initially I thought it would be annoying, I have no issues plugging the phone in and getting a good charge as well. I just want to make sure that an upgrade such as this on my '17 maintains the function and reliability of the 200 and isn't glitchy or finicky. My wife took over my 200 and there'd be a world of hurt for me if I added something that caused issues.

 

[CharlieS]

From what I've read, and granted, no personal experience, you can almost assuredly expect quirky and glitchy.

 

[greynolds]

Android 7 was deprecated by google in early 2017. As apps update for android they may require later OS to work. GAIA GPS can run on Android 5 still but if you have other fav apps make sure Android 7 is compatible.

I don't see this as much of a problem. It will be awesome if the built-in Android functionality eliminates the need to use CarPlay or Android Auto at all, but at the same time as long as those work, most of us will get the functionality we're ultimately looking for. I suspect the Android version can be updated on these devices without a trip back to Australia if stability issues with the device get resolved, but we should pay attention to whether CarPlay functionality will continue to work before installing any update.

That said, I'm hoping to track down a compatible Android music player that works with SD / USB storage and also has a nice UI. This is one of the factory infotainment functions I'm looking to upgrade/replace with this product. Since I'm largely an iOS user, I'm not very up to speed on specialty Android apps - things like Google Maps, GAIA GPS, and so on are obvious apps to go with.

I'm still looking for an app to truly replace Navigon on iOS and/or Android - it was my go-to navigation app for years with all the map data (for all of the USA and Canada) stored on the device, so it worked fine without any Internet connection, but Garmin killed off Navigon a few years ago. I still have it installed on my iPhone and iPad, but the map data hasn't been updated for a while and becomes less accurate as time goes on. I know that GAIA can download maps, but I haven't spent much time to see if it's a true navigation replacement with POI data.

1-How does it work ordering from Australia with customs and duties or did a I miss a US retailer?

They're shipping via DHL and my prior recent experience with DHL shipments from China has been that no customs or other import fees have been charged. But my understanding is that largely depends on how the paperwork is filled out. My order is scheduled to arrive on Monday, so I should be able to provide a better answer then. I'm not aware of a US reseller at this time.

2-Would we generally be in agreement that Carplay, be it in EC or NP, works better wired?

That seems to be the overall consensus. Wireless CarPlay sounds attractive, but for anything other than short trips, you would want to connect the smartphone to a charger anyway, so I don't see the wired connection as a big negative. I think the key to this is getting the USB port installed somewhere convenient, which is something I haven't sorted out yet. I may just run the USB ports into the glove box for now. For me, a more ideal location might be inside the center console storage bins (under the center armrest) and put my phone in the upper storage bin in the console while on a longer trip. But before I drill holes and/or make wiring changes that can't be reversed, I want to put some thought into this. I know some of the NaviPlus installs have used the factory USB port on the front of the center console. Personally, I'm not thrilled with that USB port location as it puts the cable into a spot where it's somewhat in the way of other controls.

...My 2020 GMC truck has wired CarPlay and while initially I thought it would be annoying, I have no issues plugging the phone in and getting a good charge as well. I just want to make sure that an upgrade such as this on my '17 maintains the function and reliability of the 200 and isn't glitchy or finicky. My wife took over my 200 and there'd be a world of hurt for me if I added something that caused issues.

The really nice thing about this and the NaviPlus option is that the switch between factory functionality and the 3rd party functionality leaves the factory functionality completely functional. OTOH, the "Tesla" style options replace a number of the factory controls, including climate control, which I see as a much riskier option. I like having physical buttons for adjusting the temperature and the "Tesla" style options eliminate those, at least on the newer LC model years.

 

[greynolds]

From what I've read, and granted, no personal experience, you can almost assuredly expect quirky and glitchy.

Well, I certainly hope not. Where have you read this?

 

[greynolds]

My shipment arrived and there are quite a few cables in the package, but the instructions don't do a good job of explaining what they're all for. So I sent an email to the folks at EC Offroad to get some clarification before I begin the install. Here's what I sent:

I just received my order and would like to clarify a few items with the cabling before I take the dashboard apart and perform the install.

1. There's a black cable with red RCA plugs on both ends. I don't see any mention of it on the installation sheet. Is this optional and if so, what is it intended for?

2. Is the AV/CAM1.2 cable required or is it used for optional inputs such as extra cameras?

3. Is the DTV/V/OUT1.2 cable required or is it used for optional outputs?

4. What is the small speaker used for? Do I need to connect this?

5. Does the WiFi antenna need to be secured to something during the install?

6. Does the TF Card slot accept standard MicroSD cards? Is there any advantage/disadvantage to using this instead of one of the USB ports (other than not being accessible after the install)?

The LVDS cable appears to be obvious - this inserts the EC Offroad unit between the factory head unit and the factory display.

The thick "power" cable also appears to be obvious and inserts the EC Offroad unit into the factory harness and factory head unit.

The GPS cable is also obvious - it plugs into the EC Offroad unit and provides a GPS feed to Android apps.

If anyone knows the answers to the above questions, I'd appreciate responses. I'll post any info I receive back from EC Offroad. When I do the install somewhat depends on how soon I get answers to the above questions.

The AV and DTV cables (questions 2 and 3) each have a bunch of female RCA plugs and each have a cable labelled either "DTV-IR" or "DVD-IR", which I'm assuming are for handling remote controls.

Looking at the wiring diagram that's included, I think the following is what's needed:

LVDS Cable

• Plugs into EC Offroad unit
• Plugs into the factory screen
• Original connector that's plugged into screen plugs into this cable

"Power" Cable

• Plugs into EC Offroad unit
• One end of the wide plug goes to factory head unit and the other takes the original wide plug from the factory harness
• One end of the smaller plug goes to factory head unit and the other takes the original smaller plug from the factory harness

GPS Cable

• Plugs into EC Offroad unit
• Find a good place to stick the unit where it can receive a signal, but is out of the way

USB Cable

• Plugs into EC Offroad unit
• Find a good place to route it to, perhaps the glove box. Consider more permanent options later.

I'm guessing everything else is optional.

 

[greynolds]

That was quick... I just received the following reply from EC Offroad:

Single rca is from lower harness to top harness. V out to v in as per instructions

Extra camera inputs are only required if you want to plug in extra cameras.

Yes connect small speaker and stick to black plastic in the dash behind factory screen

Wifi antenna can also be stuck to the black plastic

No sd card is needed

All other plugs can only go one way and as per install guide

Let me know if you need anymore help

The sheet the comes in the box makes absolutely no mention of the RCA cable, but the install instructions they sent me through email include "plug the RCA cable in, yellow av out to the yellow AV in on the module unit". So I think it will become obvious where the RCA cable connects to the factory head unit when I take things apart.

I wish he had answered the "what is it for" part of the small speaker question. I also wish he had answered my question about the TF Card slot - not needed doesn't really answer the "what does it accept" question.

 

[psnyman]

My unit arrived today, less than a week from ordering. No customs issues and delivered by DHL to my door. Initial unboxing photos. Some surprises in there but will take time to swap notes in this thread and share final thoughts once operational.

 

[tabraha]

Can't wait to hear your verdict once you get some seat time with it.

FYI - TF Card is pretty well synonymous with MicroSD card. Probably will let you store media locally on it but it could also be the mechanism for updating the OS later if need be.

 

[greynolds]

I just finished the install - it took me about 3 hours total. The only casualty was one of the plastic push pin things on one of the side panels, so I didn't put the leather cover on the passenger side back on for now, figuring I might as well wait until I get a replacement pin.

The install wasn't too bad.

The hardest part was figuring out a good way to secure the EC Offroad unit so it won't rattle around. I ended up drilling a hole in the plastic panel behind the screen and under the center speaker, putting a zip tie through it that I wrapped around the opening above, then put a zip tie around the EC Offroad unit and then another zip tie connecting the 2 loops so the EC Offroad unit is being pulled snugly against the front most portion of the dashboard.

The instructions I had asked EC Offroad about for the RCA cable seemed to be completely wrong for my 2020 - there was nothing to plug it into on my factory radio, so I didn't end up using the DTV/V OUT and AV/CAM IN or that RCA cables at all. Otherwise, it was pretty straightfoward, but I ended up killing a chunk of time trying to figure out where the heck the RCA cable should plug in.

I routed the USB cables into the glovebox through the air vent as the EC Offroad instructions suggested. It's a tight fit getting the air vent cover back on, but it worked fine.

I gave things a quick test before I started to bolt everything back together. Everything seemed to work fine on the first try, so I put everything back together (except for the minor problem I mentioned above).

I connected a USB flash drive with music to one of the USB cables and that works. I connected WiFi to my iPhone hotspot and gave Google Maps a quick try - I haven't figured out how to zoom in and out yet, but otherwise it seems to work.

I have not tried CarPlay yet as we need to get going on supper.

The Android side of things appears to be a limited Android environment with a limited app store; more on that as I have time to play around with it more.

To get audio, you do have to manually switch to AUX on the factory system before switching over to the EC Offroad unit, just like the NaviPlus.

I'll spend more time playing around with things over the next week and let you all know how things are going with it.

So I haven't done exhaustive testing yet, but so far everything is working fine, including the factory surround / backup cameras and the factory SiriusXM audio.

I apologize, but I didn't take much for pictures other than the factory connections before disconnecting anything as I had a limited time window this afternoon and wanted to get the job done.