Installing and testing the Grom Vline2 Android Infotainment System to get Apple CarPlay (Updating) (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter TheGrrrrr
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if you leave the 16 pin harness unplugged i think you lose the aux input on center console (for rear passengers) and video on the rear screen entertainment. Weird thing is, you can play a dvd up front and audio comes through but no video on the rear screen - not a big deal for most, and certainly outweighs having audio interference but it has been annoying me... I recently contacted GROM to ask how i can get the video back for rear entertainment and not run into audio issues - the proposed solution was plugging in the 16 pin but cutting the 3 blue wires... i have yet to try this.
I had the vl2 installed today by a professional. I personally know a shop owner and they are hurting for business. I told them about the potential interference of the 16 pin plug previously mentioned, but mine isn’t having that issue at the moment with the harness plugged in. In fact, it sounds really good.
Besides some functionality surprises, I am having one technical issue. The cameras are no longer working. I only see lines when in reverse or I hit the camera button. This has to be figured out or I am sending it back.
The functionality surprise is that you lose all factory functionality when you switch to the vline. I must of misunderstood when they said you lose no functionality. For those that don’t know, you can’t use the vline and continue to listen to satellite radio or listen to whatever movie is playing in the backseat. This was a letdown for me since we like to listen to satellite deep in the forest when we lose all other reception. I think I can personally adapt by predownloading for offline listening through one of the music apps. For the rear seat entertainment, the headphone jacks still work when I’m in vline mode, so that is good at least. Though it is a lot easier when I can just play a movie over the speakers with 3 kids in the car, which I can still do, just not in vline mode.
So long story short, if you want to listen to a movie or satellite radio, you won’t be able to if you want to use Google maps or Gaia at the same time.
I will try to post a few pictures tomorrow. This website keeps trying to rotate the pics the wrong way from my iPad.
Besides some functionality surprises, I am having one technical issue. The cameras are no longer working. I only see lines when in reverse or I hit the camera button. This has to be figured out or I am sending it back.
The functionality surprise is that you lose all factory functionality when you switch to the vline. I must of misunderstood when they said you lose no functionality. For those that don’t know, you can’t use the vline and continue to listen to satellite radio or listen to whatever movie is playing in the backseat. This was a letdown for me since we like to listen to satellite deep in the forest when we lose all other reception. I think I can personally adapt by predownloading for offline listening through one of the music apps. For the rear seat entertainment, the headphone jacks still work when I’m in vline mode, so that is good at least. Though it is a lot easier when I can just play a movie over the speakers with 3 kids in the car, which I can still do, just not in vline mode.
So long story short, if you want to listen to a movie or satellite radio, you won’t be able to if you want to use Google maps or Gaia at the same time.
I will try to post a few pictures tomorrow. This website keeps trying to rotate the pics the wrong way from my iPad.
UPDATE:
In attempt to re-enable the rear screen functionality for the DVD playback on rear screen entertainment AND not have audio issues while using the GROM VL2, I decided to take apart the dash and execute instructions per my conversation with GROM support. To be honest, I felt a bit uneasy cutting these factory wires but since they were previously left unplugged I figured i would just give it a shot... End result - this fix works. While i have not verified, i'm guessing the only trade-off is you lose the abilty to utlize the Video/Audio RCA inputs for rear passengers on the center console.
See attached picture for instruction. I've identified the wires that need to be cut (or disconnected) - I cut a few inches down from the connector with plenty of room to strip if i ever needed to reconnect.
For a recap, GROM provides a female 16pin connector as part of their main harness - the factory 16pin is supposed to plug into this, but as others have found out and mentioned on this post (and perhaps others), doing this creates significant audio interference. I've been running my GROM with this unplugged for the past 3 months and the only thing i discovered to not work correctly was the rear screen for DVD playback. I actually still find this convenient for my kids, so getting this screen to work ahead of some future road trips has been on my mind. The fix is quite easy and only involes cutting 3 wires from the factory 16pin bundle, then plugging it into the 16pin female end of the GROM harness. PM me if you have any questions - happy to help.
I don't like the idea of cutting factory cables. Anyone know what tool could be used to properly extract those from the harness? Or could they be cut on the Grom unit side of the connector?
I'm curious because I should be receiving my Grom unit soon. Seems like a great upgrade.
I'm curious because I should be receiving my Grom unit soon. Seems like a great upgrade.
@tincan45, i thought for sure someone would reply here but looks like this went unanswered - the tool you're looking for is called a terminal key removal tool or de-pinning tool. you can get these from Amazon. i cut the wires because i did not have the tool on hand and i knew the wires only impacted the AUX input for the rear passengers. GROM advised you can cut on the GROM side of the connector, which i did mention in an earlier post as the "blue wires", but i became wary since that is a "Y" harness.... they're probably right, but i know my solution worked for me and in my head, reattaching a cut simple wire where i know the source made more sense to me vs troubleshooting a Y harness where i do not know all the downstream impacts.
molanginaeda
SILVER Star
My GROM unit shipped. Can't wait to test it out.
Hey Alfred - Mine shipped too....finally. Looking forward this install.
Thanks I'll poke around for the tool.
Anyone with GROM VLine experience on a 2013 Land Cruiser have any ideas for my issue? - Everything works well for me except for when I am in CarPlay and shift into reverse the screen just goes black. It doesn't show a reverse camera. But it does return to CarPlay when I shift back into Drive.
And ideas? Obviously I have put in a question to GROM, but they only use a web form and take days to reply. Thanks
And ideas? Obviously I have put in a question to GROM, but they only use a web form and take days to reply. Thanks
Unit works great on my 08 except when I go into reverse, I get the backup camera but when I go back into drive it defaults to factory Nav or a black screen if I have the head unit screen off. To return to CarPlay, I simply have to hit the audio button. So not a deal breaker but a little aggravating. I’m going to reach out to GROM next week.
I'm curious where everyone mounted their units. I've got a 2009 LX and installed the wiring last night. I ran the wires toward the passenger side with the intention of mounting the unit in the glove compartment. However, I found that it doesn't fit in the glove compartment with the wiring connected. Is the room anywhere under the glove compartment to mount it?
Isn’t that the definition of “doesn’t work”?
That sucks. I purchased one on the group buy a while back and it still sitting in the box. Tempted to just eBay it.
Try chat, but yeah, they suck.
I’ve had mine for 18 months. Every once in a while it will not work after turning the car off/on for gas or groceries. When that happens I unplug the harness from the vline and let it power off reset. I’ve had to do that about 3 times total. So far I am very happy with it and can’t imagine not having it. I have OnXoffroad app and it sucks with landscape view so it’s useless with vline however OnXoffroad is working on that, they have great offline features. Gaia works well so does okmap. In my 08’ LX I did not cut any factory wires and the rear entertainment works just as before. I do check for firmware/software updates every once and a while and that seems to have made freezing go away...
