Please keep us updated on this.
Grom VLine (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter 40Man
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Quick update... Long story short, my backup cameras still don't work, but I think I have the problem narrowed down to the VLine harness.
I disconnected the VLine from the VLine harnesses per Groms instruction to see if the cameras started to work and that didn't help.
I then took my dash apart to check the wiring behind the unit. With the unit out and all the harness plugs confirmed to be tight, I tried the cameras again and still nothing.
I then disconnected the blue video plug on the Vline harness from the headunit. I plugged the blue video plug on the factory harness straight into the headunit instead of running through the VLine harness. My cameras started WORKING.
I then ran it through the VLine harness again and the cameras stopped working. I think I have the problem narrowed down to the harness. I am pretty sure they sent the wrong one, but they haven't sent me a new one despite multiple requests.
I disconnected the VLine from the VLine harnesses per Groms instruction to see if the cameras started to work and that didn't help.
I then took my dash apart to check the wiring behind the unit. With the unit out and all the harness plugs confirmed to be tight, I tried the cameras again and still nothing.
I then disconnected the blue video plug on the Vline harness from the headunit. I plugged the blue video plug on the factory harness straight into the headunit instead of running through the VLine harness. My cameras started WORKING.
I then ran it through the VLine harness again and the cameras stopped working. I think I have the problem narrowed down to the harness. I am pretty sure they sent the wrong one, but they haven't sent me a new one despite multiple requests.
I'm going at this again with Grom. I returned the LEX7 model because of incompatibility on 2016+ Land Cruiser. They are shipping the LEX8 model this week and assure that its compatible with 2016+. Will advise the group as soon as I can.
Still waiting for shipment from Grom
[EDIT] Just received email that it will ship tomorrow.
[EDIT] Just received email that it will ship tomorrow.
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I sure hope it works this time
The issue with any of these (Grom, EC Offroad, NaviPlus) is they are made in China with respect to the vehicles they have to test. Once in the field its the telephone game of customer to seller to manufacturer to report issues and get any fixes. Grom is located about 90 minutes from me so I figured I cant get too hurt. If this works correctly its 50% the cost of the comparable EC offroad unit and thats worth it to give another go.
DomSmith
SILVER Star
I appreciate that people are willing to put these all through their paces. There are definitely issues with each it seems if you’re looking for perfection. But I will say I’ve seen a few quirks in the Toyota factory CarPlay as well.
Hoping the GROM works out for you! Following this closely.
Hoping the GROM works out for you! Following this closely.
PO had the GROM installed in my 200 and it's really quirky. Sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes the screen goes black, sometimes the the front camera comes on, and sometimes streaming music will skip or stop.
Any suggestions on where to start on troubleshooting this? Where do they usually put the hardware? Behind the head unit?
Thanks!
Any suggestions on where to start on troubleshooting this? Where do they usually put the hardware? Behind the head unit?
Thanks!
A likely candidate for trouble shooting would be the wire harness that came with the GROM. The Chinese are pretty good at getting circuit boards to work but Ive had my fair share wire harness' have issues. It certainly could be any component but I would start there.
This does mean taking the dash apart and wiggling every connector and wire associated.
Also make sure you have the latest firmware installed in the unit.
This does mean taking the dash apart and wiggling every connector and wire associated.
Also make sure you have the latest firmware installed in the unit.
Ive had the same issue. It wasnt an issue until about a month ago (had it since about Feb). I went back and forth with the terrible customer service for a few weeks and ended up with no fix. They said they're going to address it with the developers... I'm not optimistic. On top of that, the issue of the volume being too low on carplay has mysteriously come back. I like my music loud so this is a pretty serious issue for me. I was pleased with the system for awhile but the quirks and issues just keep on coming.
For those interested, there is a new group buy going on here:
forum.ih8mud.com
COMPLETE: Grom VLine VL2 Group Buy Round 4
Update 26 October 2020: This group buy has concluded. Thanks to everyone that participated! Update 25 October 2020: Remember to place your order by 11:59pm CDT TODAY if you'd like to be included in this group order. Update 20 October 2020: I was able to find a group buy that has already...
forum.ih8mud.com
After some shipping delays Grom got the unit to me today. I will install tomorrow and report my findings in this thread. Hopefully they have solved the black screen issue.
I believe behind the head unit or in the glove box.
Installed and functioning. Need to give it a drive test but ran through paces. Apple Car Play (wired and wireless) working as expected. Audio quality on par with factory systems. Operationally the unit is quick as it needs to be. Factory resistive screen is the limiter.
Issues:
- Bezel for monitor out was screwed on upside down blocking the video port... flipped it to correct orientation.
- Main interface cable from factory head unit has issue - if wiggled the screen will go black. unit stays on and where it was but screen goes black. Confirmed cable causing issue. Will reach out to Grom for replacement.
More to Come.
Issues:
- Bezel for monitor out was screwed on upside down blocking the video port... flipped it to correct orientation.
- Main interface cable from factory head unit has issue - if wiggled the screen will go black. unit stays on and where it was but screen goes black. Confirmed cable causing issue. Will reach out to Grom for replacement.
More to Come.
FINALLY. After about a month of back and forth, my back up camera now works again with an update that they sent me. It’s now in its most bug free state that I’ve experienced (had it installed since February). Sound quality is great, wireless CarPlay is working flawlessly and the backup camera is working well.
Glad to hear your problem was resolved. I was just about to reply to your post because I've been dealing with something similar. A couple of weeks ago, I did an software and firmware update. Immediately following the update, I checked back up camera function and only got a black screen. The other factory modes like AM/FM or DVD weren't affected, only when in the AUX/GROM display. I suspected this was a result of the update, but I checked all the connections and I then started working with GROM customer service to fix the problem. They sent me the newest firmware update (#20), but that didn't help. Then I asked them if we could try the previous firmware when it last was working. A couple of days ago, they sent me a couple of older firmware updates (#18 and 19) to try. Number 19 didn't help, but firmware #18 fixed the camera video problem! They said that they "will back track the regression and will update the firmware to rectify the issue" for future firmware updates. My question is, do you know which firmware version they sent you?
I believe it’s 16! I tried probably 3 others.
GROM said that future firmware updates will incorporate the fix and should be out in a couple of days, but I may wait a while before doing that update since everything is working perfectly again!
By the way, as far as the GROM customer service is concerned, it's been mentioned here before that it was "terrible," but in my opinion, they've been responsive and helpful...it just take a while to get there since all communication is done by email or Whatsapp. Nice thing with my latest experience is that I dealt with the same person during the entire process, which is better than some others I've dealt with.
i agree with that... they are persistent. It can just be frustrating since there is no direct phone line. I was pleasantly surprised when he said that he would send my issue to the developers and then got me a solution within a week or two. I thought for sure that would be the last I heard from Dmitry
