EC Offroad CarPlay Solutions For 2016+ 200 Series LC (3 Viewers)

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A few notes:
  • The ends on my RCA cable where a different color :cool:.
  • The TF Card slot will accept a MicroSD card to use for storing music, maps, etc. The downside to using this is it's a PITA to swap cards should the need arise. So using USB storage is probably a lot more convenient.
  • From my back and forth with Cale and Michael, the RCA cable is only needed if you have the rear screen option.
  • In my 2020 HE, I don't have the rear screen, so I ended up leaving the RCA cable, DTV/V cable, and AC/CAM cable in the box as I had nothing to connect any of them to.
  • Be SUPER careful with the screen when working with it. It's a ~$3000 part.
 
I posted a reasonably detailed installation thread here:

forum.ih8mud.com

EC Off Road CarPlay/Android DIY Install for 2016 Land Cruiser

EC Off Road CarPlay/Android DIY Install for 2016 Land Cruiser (Updated with correct rear screen video connections). *****Perform at your own risk! I am not liable for trying to help you out and you **** something up. But it’s pretty straightforward… There is a thread on this CarPlay/Android...
forum.ih8mud.com forum.ih8mud.com

Once I have more hands on time I will post some comments on pros and cons of the system.
 
Thanks Greynolds for your research and sharing what you found, and Dom to your detailed install. I've been looking for something like this for a while now. Although, I just pulled my lower dash apart putting in a few radios just 2 months ago so... not looking forward to doing that again :D
 
Does this bypass the lockouts on the screen (nav input while driving, other menus that are greyed out while driving, etc.)?
 
brasskey said:
Does this bypass the lockouts on the screen (nav input while driving, other menus that are greyed out while driving, etc.)?
Click to expand...
I don't think it does. On the EC website they sell a bypass switch and I believe show it in one of the videos on the product page.
 
brasskey said:
Does this bypass the lockouts on the screen (nav input while driving, other menus that are greyed out while driving, etc.)?
Click to expand...
It does not make any modifications to the factory functionality (so it doesn't bypass lockouts), but once you switch over to Android mode, there don't appear to be any restrictions while driving, but PLEASE use common sense :). As @RobW0 wrote, they do sell a bypass switch, but I doubt most people would need to bother with it once installing one of these units as the Android and CarPlay functionality is FAR superior to the factory infotainment options.
 
I've updated the first post to turn it more into an index of information along with some tips, suggested Android apps, etc. I'll try to keep it updated as we find out more things.

@DomSmith and I have encountered a few issues so far:

One is that the HVAC controls have some odd behavior after installing the EC Offroad unit, such as resetting the HVAC to Off after the car has been off for a while, even if you had left it in Auto mode. There are a few other related issues with it. I have been in contact with EC Offroad about this and they are looking into it. The initial thought is that it's something different about USA spec Land Cruisers as they haven't encountered this on Australia. So it may take some time to resolve, but I'm encouraged by their responsiveness on the issue.

The other that we've both experienced is CarPlay audio instructions from navigation apps losing the first second or 2 of audio instructions. So instead of "Turn left in half a mile", you might hear "in half a mile". This one may be a startup sequence issue with how we're starting the CarPlay app and connecting our iPhones, so further investigation is in order on our side.

EC Offroad requested a video demonstrating the issues around 5PM my local time last night and responded early this morning (my local time) indicating the hardware vendor will be looking into it, noting that it may take some time as they will most likely need to get access to a USA spec Land Cruiser to resolve the issue. Given that they're on the other side of the world and on the other side of the equator, that seems like a pretty good response time. They have also been pretty responsive to other questions we have had.

So I'm hopeful that the HVAC controls issue can be resolved, but until it is, I can't recommend this product for USA spec Land Cruisers.
 
greynolds said:
I've updated the first post to turn it more into an index of information along with some tips, suggested Android apps, etc. I'll try to keep it updated as we find out more things.

@DomSmith and I have encountered a few issues so far:

One is that the HVAC controls have some odd behavior after installing the EC Offroad unit, such as resetting the HVAC to Off after the car has been off for a while, even if you had left it in Auto mode. There are a few other related issues with it. I have been in contact with EC Offroad about this and they are looking into it. The initial thought is that it's something different about USA spec Land Cruisers as they haven't encountered this on Australia. So it may take some time to resolve, but I'm encouraged by their responsiveness on the issue.

The other that we've both experienced is CarPlay audio instructions from navigation apps losing the first second or 2 of audio instructions. So instead of "Turn left in half a mile", you might hear "in half a mile". This one may be a startup sequence issue with how we're starting the CarPlay app and connecting our iPhones, so further investigation is in order on our side.

EC Offroad requested a video demonstrating the issues around 5PM my local time last night and responded early this morning (my local time) indicating the hardware vendor will be looking into it, noting that it may take some time as they will most likely need to get access to a USA spec Land Cruiser to resolve the issue. Given that they're on the other side of the world and on the other side of the equator, that seems like a pretty good response time. They have also been pretty responsive to other questions we have had.

So I'm hopeful that the HVAC controls issue can be resolved, but until it is, I can't recommend this product for USA spec Land Cruisers.
Click to expand...

I would note that I have not experienced the AC issue you stated with the Naviplus unit. It stays where you left it. You do, of course, have to hit the NAV button to get to the AC controls, and then hit it again to get back, so its kind of a pain. I wish our cruisers just had the friggin physical AC controls like some do.

I will look into the audio instructions issue as I have not used that yet. I do not have any issues when Siri reads texts back to me.
 
dnh1 said:
I would note that I have not experienced the AC issue you stated with the Naviplus unit. It stays where you left it. You do, of course, have to hit the NAV button to get to the AC controls, and then hit it again to get back, so its kind of a pain. I wish our cruisers just had the friggin physical AC controls like some do.
Click to expand...
I agree that I'd prefer to have physical buttons for all the HVAC controls.

There are a few other HVAC quirks as well:
  • The Climate button is not functional at all when the Android unit has control
  • The on-screen temperature display always shows "LO" for the driver and passenger temperature
I have a hunch these issues can be resolved with firmware / software updates to the Android unit. But IMHO, these are showstopper issues. They told me they have not run into these issues with Australian LC's, so if we're the first few from the USA to purchase this product, it's perfectly understandable that there may be some issues to work through. I've offered to run other tests for them and to test firmware / software updates if needed.

dnh1 said:
I will look into the audio instructions issue as I have not used that yet. I do not have any issues when Siri reads texts back to me.
Click to expand...
I did some more testing on the audio issue this morning. If I play music through any music app, the navigation instructions work perfectly. But if there's a period of no audio, the first 1-2 seconds of any instructions are lost. It looks like a few seconds of silence is fine (if I ask for the instructions to be repeated right away, there's no lost audio), but approximately 5 seconds or more of silences results in the first few seconds being lost. This could be an issue with the Android device (or the CarPlay app) muting the audio output and being slow to unmute when there's more audio or it could be the factory infotainment unit muting the AUX audio input if there's nothing for a period and then being slow to unmute when audio returns. I'm not sure how to test if the factory infotainment is the culprit, but my gut feeling is that it's an issue in the Android device (or the CarPlay app). There are also some settings in the CarPlay app that I haven't taken a close look at. I have shared these findings with the folks at EC Offroad.
 
Thank you for the updates. I really wanted to get the EC unit. Since there are still big quirks with it, and still apparently some quirkiness with the NaviPlus unit too, I guess I will wait to purchase until some progress has been made.

I would be happy to help test the EC unit if they want more vehicles to test on. I've designed and debugged complex circuit boards, written device drivers, software development, etc at various points in my career, and have no problem getting down and dirty with this sort of thing.
 
I installed my new EC Offroad unit into my 2016 LC where I have the 2nd row rear entertainment screens and so far Netflix is not playing on them, only on the front screen. For me this is a showstopper item as having kids options was the main driver for this unit over other options. I've sent an email to Michael and Cole with a screenshot and will keep this thread updated.

I will be playing around more over the weekend with other functions, I'm curious if the Gaia support on Car Play is better than the native Android app - given the fact that I have to supply wifi from by using my phone as a hotspot, a pure Car Play option only might be feasible.
 
psnyman said:
I installed my new EC Offroad unit into my 2016 LC where I have the 2nd row rear entertainment screens and so far Netflix is not playing on them, only on the front screen. For me this is a showstopper item as having kids options was the main driver for this unit over other options. I've sent an email to Michael and Cole with a screenshot and will keep this thread updated.

I will be playing around more over the weekend with other functions, I'm curious if the Gaia support on Car Play is better than the native Android app - given the fact that I have to supply wifi from by using my phone as a hotspot, a pure Car Play option only might be feasible.
Click to expand...
I know that @DomSmith was able to get Netflix to display on his rear screens at one point, so we do know that it's possible...

I have Gaia GPS installed on the Android system and on my iPhone, but I honestly haven't used Gaia enough to be able to give a useful opinion on which option is better. With CarPlay, you're going to be forced into the simpler CarPlay version of the app - I'm not sure exactly what sort of loss of functionality that may entail. For use while driving, the CarPlay option probably offers a superior user interface from a safety standpoint.

But you're definitely correct about the trade off related to using the Personal Hotspot on the Android device versus "native" Internet access on the iPhone. Do you need to go into Settings > Personal Hotspot on your iPhone to get the EC Offroad to connect each time you start the car? After doing some searching, I believe this is an iPhone limitation, not an issue with the EC Offroad device.
 
I did get Netflix to display on the rear screens when I first installed the unit but checked it off my list and moved on to other things. After poking around in the system I found a place to update apps in Android and updated all that were listed. In hind sight I probably should’ve just stayed away until I knew that it was the right thing to do. All apps listed updated and installed except Netflix. I kept getting an error saying some type of exception on installation. I checked and Netflix is still installed and runs up front.

When I went back to the rear screens to run Netflix a couple days ago I get audio but only the AUX source screen displayed for video. I don’t know that it has anything to do with the update which didn’t take anyway. What I can say is it’s possibly user error. When I first got this truck I was getting my ass kicked trying to figure out the rear screens and how they interact with the main unit. Eventually I got to the point where DVD’s can be used in the back separate from what’s going on up front. And recently sorted out my daughters iPad through the HDMI plug. That’s enough for me, but if it’s supposed to work I do want it to work.

I’d be interested to see what you hear back.
 
Also as a side note:

I tried using the VeePeak OBD2 Bluetooth dongle I had with Torque Pro and couldn’t figure out a way to connect. EC replied that it needs to be a WiFi dongle. The site says it has BT to connect to OBD2’s etc so not sure what that’s all about. I’m speculating but maybe there’s an issue with the BT and that’s why it needs to connect via WiFi and may explain the issues with wireless CarPlay?

So I bought the WiFi version on amazon and it connected easily. I have zero experience with Torque Pro but thought it might be fun to try.

Setup was fast and easy. It connected to the dongle again today after launching Torque Pro. I have not messed with it yet but connectivity via The OBD2 WiFi seems to work. I also did not drive around yet with it hooked up. I will continue to tinker with this as time permits. If anyone has specific things they’d like me to test on Torque or the OBD2 I’m happy to.

95B4D7B8-E6C3-4875-8707-41DBD1539941.jpeg




BE977C2D-23EB-49D5-9A3C-DA61112C1D81.jpeg
 
RobRed said:
This is the source Device for EC:

Android interface for TOYOTA 2016-2021 with landcruiser 8" touch display (717) | Lsailt

Special Function MCU and APP Update: Connect WIFI Using Internet Cold start Time: 40 seconds Hot Start: 6 seconds Sleep: Yes(Loop 5 times) Sleep memory Remember Last APP in parking Installation Method Plug and Play Switching Method Switch Mode: Use the steering wheel ok button to Choose...
www.lsailt.com www.lsailt.com
Click to expand...
Interesting, that site says it does support BT (Bluetooth) in the specs
 
Yeah, it’s not exactly clear what’s going on with Bluetooth. There are a couple of apps preinstalled that sound like they use Bluetooth based on their names, but there’s nothing in the settings app that allows you to pair Bluetooth devices.
 
I received an update from EC Offroad last evening that they expect to have a fix for the cut-off audio issue in CarPlay fairly soon.
 
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