GX470 with nav replacement (1 Viewer)

[rockyklg]

hey guys,
I recently replaced my factory nav with this: Lexus GX 470 2002 - 2009 10.4. just wanted to share my experience with you guys. I think its a pretty good upgrade and although not cheap i think it was woth it. Install is pretty straight forward but no written instructions. They are very responsive with help via email/text. so far been running it for about a week.

pros- the obvious is the thing is actually useful. bluetooth, waze/google maps/ weather or whatever other android app you want. maintains all previous functions except stock reverse cam (installed aftermarket) and i have not been able to get cd changer to work. can hook up dash cam, side cam, aux inputs, has video out for headrest screens,

cons- no manual or written install instructions... touch inputs can be a little laggy/ unresponsive at times. only connects to main fm antenna so reception on some stations is reduced although the fm radio is overall better than stock. install might be a little challenging for less experienced DIYers. Not the most polished software but a decent start and hopefully they will upgrade it over time.

anyway, jsut wanted to share. i have no affiliation with Rhino Radios but i was very happy to find this when i was looking at repalcing the tape deck with single din radio.
take it easy

 

[CharlieChops]

This looks pretty good. Do you have any pics of your install or the finished product?

 

[rockyklg]

This looks pretty good. Do you have any pics of your install or the finished product?

Here are some pics after the install. And I plan to install an aftermarket antenna so when I do I'll post some pics.
Install is basically remove 4 pieces of trim around the nav.
Remove ashtray/power plug
Remove 4 easy to access boots and unplug the old radio. Then plug new one in and reinstall.
I did modify original mounting brackets to work with new radio. I will post pics of that but it's basically 2-3 cuts on stamped steel.

Edit: i had warranty repair of my dash and just found out, while doing this job, that they broke and glued some of the trim attachment parts. thats why my trim is popped up at the top. they do send a decent set of trim removal tools so if yours arent already broken it should be no problem.
also as evident i havent determined final usb cable routing...

 

[rockyklg]

Here's a few
the first two are using the android auto adapter with my phone plugged in.

 

[rockyklg]

Some more

 

[rockyklg]

Backup camera replaces license plate light. Gps antenna

 

[rockyklg]

Whoops

 

[slowLC]

Looks so nice!

 

[runningdrew]

Looks nice.
I'd be worried that HVAC controls wouldnt work.
But that rear camera is very sharp, didn't know it came with new camera lens, did you have to run wires?

 

[viol8r44]

How did you get the gps antenna up through the dash? Does that speaker grill pop out? I'm having some issues with my gps I mounted it to the top of the radio behind the dash so it takes a while to find a signal. I think it would probably do better if I can get it up near the windshield?

 

[Webguy]

Any idea how long the GPS antenna wire is? I would love to put it somewhere in the rear of the vehicle or in the roof?

 

[Webguy]

Whoops

View attachment 1860457

Whoops- as, in it died?!?

 

[Tak555]

yah... any clarity on the "whoops"?

overall, the unit looks nice... but i'd be worried about long-term durability

Whoops- as, in it died?!?

 

[rockyklg]

Sorry for the delayed response. The whoops was just cause I deleted the picture and then reposted it. So far it's holding up well. A/c controls work well. Biggest complaint now is screen brightness is a little low and in certain light conditions it's hard or impossible to see the screen. Gps antenna works good there. The speaker cover just pops out and easily accommodates the wire. I think the GPS cable is long enough to reach the roof in the front. Just a standard gps antenna so you could find one with a longer ccable.i did have to run camera wire. Pretty easy though.

 

[z00t3ch]

GPS antenna works good there. The speaker cover just pops out and easily accommodates the wire. I think the GPS cable is long enough to reach the roof in the front. Just a standard gps antenna so you could find one with a longer cable.

Your antenna will be fine there, despite popular belief GPS is 100% ground based using cell towers, you don't need a view of the sky.

 

[Tak555]

you know whats funny about this unit? it's only $700... i would gladly pay $500 MORE to get a higher quality screen. not saying the screen is bad, just for $700, how good could it be? and OP, this is no knock on your radio, i may go the same route myself! i just would happily pay a $1K+ to get a little more

 

[Racerman27410]

personally i think the screen is just fine... the issue is the angle it which it sits and how the sunlight can shine directly onto it...you could put a thousand dollar display there and it would still be hard to see during certain times of the day.... i partially remedied it by installing an anti glare screen protector that was made for a tablet... it works a lot better in direct sunlight... However with the integration of google maps and the voice prompts which automagically mutes the music for turn by turn directions i really have no need to look at the screen while driving.

 

[rockyklg]

Your antenna will be fine there, despite popular belief GPS is 100% ground based using cell towers, you don't need a view of the sky.

yeah, mine works fine there, but i was responding to @Webguy . any sauces on your cell tower claim? it would be a waste to launch a bunch of gps satellites and not use them.

you know whats funny about this unit? it's only $700... i would gladly pay $500 MORE to get a higher quality screen. not saying the screen is bad, just for $700, how good could it be? and OP, this is no knock on your radio, i may go the same route myself! i just would happily pay a $1K+ to get a little more

yeah i agree but i think @Racerman27410 is right, its actually the angle.

@Racerman27410 mine had protective plastic and it seems like it has another screen protector on it. did you remove that? any link to the anti glare screen protector you used?

 

[z00t3ch]

yeah, mine works fine there, but i was responding to @Webguy . any sauces on your cell tower claim? it would be a waste to launch a bunch of gps satellites and not use them.

Probably a discussion better suited to a different forum entirely, but for example LORAN was being used before Arthur C. Clark, the science-fiction author, ever conjured up the idea of man-made satellites. Secondly, most people have ditched their Garmins in favor of their cell phone GPS, and no cell phone company that I am aware of claims their phones are satellite receivers. Driving down any freeway here in Ohio one can see at times up to a half dozen of the 3-sector triangulation towers all around them, and that's all that is and ever has been necessary to locate a person or vehicle within a plane.

 

[rockyklg]

Probably a discussion better suited to a different forum entirely

agreed