Tesla Style Stereo Research - Landcruiser 2008-15

[40Man]

I think the deicer is CANBUS-controlled, even though it triggers a timed relay.

I'm interested to see if the Rhino supports rear DVD. I'm fine with the Toyota remote, and I don't even need (or care) to watch DVDs on the front screen, but I hate to end up with an inoperable rear entertainment system since my kids use it. Bonus points if you can just insert a USB stick full of movies instead of using spinning DVDs or if it supports Plex. Optical media is for suckers

Seems like I need the remote to get the rear screen to turn on, even if down anyway.

I'm sure the rear dvd will work, but not out of the box. The Rhino guy told me the rear dvd will still be functional, it will just require additional steps/harness/splicing/etc. (which they don't provide) to get the video out to work with the rear screen. I'm sure it can be done if someone has the time to look at the wiring diagrams or see if an aftermarket support harness exists from another Toyota vehicle with rear DVD.

I'd like the car functions (rear dvd, deicer, hard buttons) to work before I upgrade. That said, if my oem stereo broke, I may be easier convinced to give up a feature like the deicer (and there are aftermarket DVD units). Spending $9k on a replacement nav which already sucks is not in the cards for me.

 

[40Man]

So the folks at Rhino confirmed that there is no deicer button with the Rhino radio. It may be possible to get a physical deicer button (like what comes in the 4Runner) and hard wire it. Seems like a good concept but I don't want to lose factory functions.

 

[ProLandcruiser]

hello friend TLC,

How are you, please i need your help, I live in Venezuela, I do not know English, I use a translator, I apologize if you do not understand; buy a krando 16 "system to install in a Land Cruiser 200 year 2009, same as yours, North America version, I was all day trying and I could not know where each cable goes, krando I do not send me a specific installation manual, just a pdf file with photographs, I've been searching all the time for more information on YouTube and the internet and I found your forum, I apologize for daring to write to you, and then I contacted you through this means.

you could please, guide me in the installation of this system, in the photos of the forum, it is not detailed where each connector goes, I do not know if I should use all the cables that the equipment brings, there are connectors that can be connected in other ports same

after not being able to do the installation I decided to leave the original vehicle again, now. or the player works and neither does the air conditioning

I do not know what to do .. the seller of krando does not answer me, and does not give me adequate assistance

please TLC, help me identify where each wire connector goes, how can I make the audio work for me, the roof screen, the hazard light, the air conditioning.

I only managed to make the android turn on but nothing works, I need your help please

note: one must disassemble the components of the original equipment and the air conditioning to use them with the android?

If someone has the detailed installation manual, and you can help me please, I will be grateful
Jorgedayoub@gmail.com

Jorge Dayoub
+58 412 9911433

 

[mreedbmwm3]

Bump

 

[Desert Yeti]

I put one in 2 weeks ago from Phoenix. They have been somewhat helpful in sorting out the issues. The blue tooth mic still doesn't work, but I've been to busy to work through it with them.

Overall everything else works. There are a couple quirks. They have an Apple Carplay adaptor now, but I've found that everything sounds better if I just play it through bluetooth. The Carplay is the best way I've found to use navigation. If I tether my phone that google maps is not very stable. I have found that the Waze app works well though.

 

[nwcoast]

That sounds pretty nice. Was install easy? Do you like the Phoenix way more than the stock unit?

 

[Desert Yeti]

The install was relatively straightforward. I had an airbag light on for a week that I couldn't figure out and they sent me images of where to plug in the harness I hadn't plugged in. The Harness had a sticker on it that said 09-16 airbag extension. If you are hesitant, you need to have someone else install it. The harnesses mostly all make sense.

However some things like the antennae harness didn't work and I just plugged my antenna straight into the unit. Its' definitely not stock and has some quirks and shortcomings.

If you push one of the truck temp buttons under the vents to change the temp, the A/C comes off auto. If you adjust it all on screen it works fine.

There's some trial and error to figure out some of the setting and set the temp to Fahrenheit and get the correct time zone. If you are familiar with an Android tablet it will help a lot.

I think it was a good decision, The Toyota head unit is so behind everything else in the market. Especially my 08.

 

[BajaCruiser94]

Its been a couple of months since I installed mine on my '08, purchased directly from aliexpress.com - 16" screen.

Good:
- Very good fit
- Works with steering controls
- Lower vents and rear AC controls keep working
- Installed 360 camera with reverse camera; works great even with turn signals
- While in reverse rear radar shows up in screen with proximity color range.
- Installed a AppKit for CarPlay, works good for streaming music; not good for calls or Siri
- Install was pretty straightforward.

The not so good:
- Still getting used to the 30 sec boot up.
- No album art for bluetooth streaming
- GPS takes a long time to lock up position if it ever does.
- Cant run two apps side by side in the screen (at least I havent figured out how)
- Airbag light was on, had to connect OEM clock and airbag lights behind the unit to have them turn off.
- Cant get themes installed, stuck with the original one.

Pending:
- Still need to connect the aux ports
- Need to purchase de TV tuner adapter
- Connect a DVR or splice the camera on the 360 system
- Need to test the rear screen, I dont use it currently.

Overall I like the unit, specially over the stock one, by far; need to get a screen protector soon!

-Emerson

 

[schiller2300]

I am glad to see that someone has put a unit in an 08 as I plan originally planned on when starting this thread. I ran across this video that is 30 min long and was done in May 2019 which is the most recent information on video I have found. This video that I have linked to is on a GX model and not an LX but the information the functionality of the unit is invaluable. Be sure the read the information for the video where the guy makes recommendations on accessories.

 

[linuxgod]

So the folks at Rhino confirmed that there is no deicer button with the Rhino radio. It may be possible to get a physical deicer button (like what comes in the 4Runner) and hard wire it. Seems like a good concept but I don't want to lose factory functions.

I'm 99% sure the Deicer button sends some sort of toyota-specific CAN-like code. So... possible, but not trivial

 

[Tngo23]

Its been a couple of months since I installed mine on my '08, purchased directly from aliexpress.com - 16" screen.

Good:
- Very good fit
- Works with steering controls
- Lower vents and rear AC controls keep working
- Installed 360 camera with reverse camera; works great even with turn signals
- While in reverse rear radar shows up in screen with proximity color range.
- Installed a AppKit for CarPlay, works good for streaming music; not good for calls or Siri
- Install was pretty straightforward.

The not so good:
- Still getting used to the 30 sec boot up.
- No album art for bluetooth streaming
- GPS takes a long time to lock up position if it ever does.
- Cant run two apps side by side in the screen (at least I havent figured out how)
- Airbag light was on, had to connect OEM clock and airbag lights behind the unit to have them turn off.
- Cant get themes installed, stuck with the original one.

Pending:
- Still need to connect the aux ports
- Need to purchase de TV tuner adapter
- Connect a DVR or splice the camera on the 360 system
- Need to test the rear screen, I dont use it currently.

Overall I like the unit, specially over the stock one, by far; need to get a screen protector soon!

-Emerson

Thanks for the detail feedback
Has anyone heard of a Company call Phoenix? I think they are a reseller of these Android 16” tesla style radios

i will add a link once I find it again. I also have an 08 with the stock rear screen

thx

 

[Tngo23]

[ PX6 six-core ] 16" Vertical Screen Android 9 Fast boot Navi Radio for Toyota Land Cruiser 2008 - 2015

This radio can be installed in any 2008-2015 Toyota Land Cruiser. Stunning, feature-rich. Plug and Play. Retain most OEM features. WiFi, Bluetooth, MirrorLink.

www.phoenixautomotiveinc.com

 

[Romer]

lots of discussion in this thread on that

17" VERTICAL SCREEN ANDROID 9.0 FAST BOOT NAVI RADIO FOR TOYOTA LAND CRUISER LC200 2008 - 2015

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[schiller2300]

I started this thread a little over a year ago and it is finally time to update the thread with the install journey. Since I last posted my procrastination on purchasing a unit paid off. In late 2019 a fast boot version of the Tesla style radio sprung up for the 2008-2015 Land Cruiser. I was so excited to see that an updated unit had come out because I had long speculated that because the 200 series had not gone through a makeover in over a decade there were to many vehicles out there for the makers of these radios not to capitalize on such an iconic brand. I was also excited to see that Phoenix Radio's was offering the stereo because they have gained the reputation as providing the best customer service - in which I mean that customer service actually exits at Phoenix. By most reports other websites that offer the same products are a gamble as to whether you will receive a unit at all much less help if you order the incorrect one. Case in point the above post by "ProLandCruiser" who ordered from Aliexpress. Now as quickly as this updated unit appeared it again disappeared from their website leaving me to believe that I had imagined viewing the unit on there website after anticipation for so long. I contacted Phoenix and low and behold about a week later I got a response with a link to the new updated unit and sure enough they had updated the Toyota section of there website with several other radios. I was all in at this point and ordered the stereo. Her is a the exact unit that I ordered on the Phonenix website.

PHOENIX 16" ANDROID 9.0 FAST BOOT STEREO

I really want to caution everyone because there are 3 other versions of this stereo that are being offered on the Phoenix Website so you need to pay attention to what you are ordering. Now Phoenix requires you to send them a picture of your dash to verify you are getting the correct unit which no other site does to my knowledge. Here are the other units that are sold on there website for the 2008-2015 Land Cruiser.

This unit is for Land Cruisers which do not have Navigation. Now keep in mind that the fact that the particular Land Cruiser that this is for having Navigation is actually not the important thing. What is important is that these Land Cruisers had separate climate controls from the infotainment and climate control was NOT integrated into the system. This unit has the most OEM look but WILL NOT work correctly in the majority of US Land Cruisers because from what I have researched the majority have Navigation in this country and thus have integrated climate controls in the infotainment. This is the unit for the majority of us to stay away from especially if you are ordering from a site that is just going to send you what is in your cart. Upon inserting the link in this thread I noticed that this unit has been upgraded to Android 7.1 from its original offering of Android 4.4. You can see from the image the stereo has recessed information like time and temp on the top of the unit just like the stock infotainment. This unit is noticeably less expensive having a smaller screen at 12.1".


PHOENIX 12.1" ANDROID 7.1 VERTICAL SCREEN STEREO

As of the time of writing this thread I was struck by another stereo that I had not noticed for the 200 series. I new that the update to there site created a third page of units for Toyota vehicles but missed this one for the Land Cruiser. It appears that the unit meant for Cruisers with separate climate controls that I just went over has had an upgrade of itself adding to the confusion. The unit now is offered in a fast boot version running Android 9.0 and sporting the upgraded PX6 SIX CORE processor. At $70 more if you needed this unit I don't know why you wouldn't spend the extra dough. Here is the link and image from Phoenix website.

PHOENIX {PX6} 12.1 ANDROID 9.0 VERTICAL SCREEN FAST BOOT STEREO

Now the next unit that they offer is an option and was the most recent version up until late last year as I discussed in the opening. This unit has been updated to Android 7.1 as had the older unit but sports half the RAM of the current model at 2G. If you need to save some money this would be the way to go because you will be paying a "C" note less. (Some will have to refresh my memory as to why a $100 is called a C note?) Here is a link to the Stereo along with a screen shot from their website.

PHOENIX 16" VERTICAL SCREEN ANDROID STEREO

So you can see now why customer service is so important when you are purchasing these units. We are up to a total of 4 different units that are available from various websites and most are far far worse than ordering from Phoenix. Another quick note is avoid listings on there site that are for the Land Cruiser Prado - the listings for these units look almost exactly like those for the plain Land Cruiser. At one point I was considering ordering from Rhino Radio's out of Germany but thought better of it and have been rewarded for my patience.

You are all up to date with where I am at with this project and I will now spend a moment explaining how I am going to proceed. I have decided to make some videos for upload to YouTube - thats right folks - Video. I have never put together a video in my life and while I work in communication I am not a fan of how my voice sounds when recorded but non-the-less I am going to step outside my comfort zone. I watch a lot of YouTube videos for instruction on how to do things and often felt I needed to give back. So I plan on using this project to learn how to do them - they will be crude, please forgive me. Although I do have a nice Sony A7iii to record the video's on. My first video will be an unboxing video - they seem to be all the rage and a perfect short video to cut my teeth on and get over the embarrassment of just "Being out there in the Social Media Universe". When I do the unboxing I will include the prep videos that I am currently studying to remove the parts of the dash that need to be opened up for the install. I would like to avoid braking as many clips as possible and have some idea of where to start poking and prodding on the dash. I like voice over videos the best which will give me time to think and not stumble around while filming so after the initial unboxing video I will start with voice over videos that will most likely be broken up into several videos during the install followed by a final impressions.

I am looking forward to this project - it is a spill over of my current obsession with all things home automation of late. See you for the unboxing in a couple of weeks.

 

[Desert Yeti]

Great info!

I've had my unit for almost a year now. I'm pretty happy. I had to return my initial unit because there was a loose wire and the blue tooth mic and hazard button wouldn't work. Phoenix got a new one to me and it has worked well. I do have to re-boot the system about once a month by turning the truck off and then back on. This is always upon the initial start up and hasn't really been an issue.

 

[Tngo23]

Great info!

I've had my unit for almost a year now. I'm pretty happy. I had to return my initial unit because there was a loose wire and the blue tooth mic and hazard button wouldn't work. Phoenix got a new one to me and it has worked well. I do have to re-boot the system about once a month by turning the truck off and then back on. This is always upon the initial start up and hasn't really been an issue.

I have an 08 as well.

What do you lose from the stock set up?......I have the stock DVD/Monitor in rear seats....I know I would that and also dual climate control....

 

[Desert Yeti]

I have an 08 as well.

What do you lose from the stock set up?......I have the stock DVD/Monitor in rear seats....I know I would that and also dual climate control....

The dual climate control still functions perfectly as well as the rear controls. My DVD in the roof is aftermarket so it wasn't affected.

It does screw up the AC if you use the manual controls (up/down) under the front vents instead of the touchscreen. It will take it off of Auto

 

[SSG]

I had installed one in my GX460 which I recently sold for a LC 200. It was a mission to get that thing installed, air bag light issue was a headache as well as I had to wire up my own chip to get it off.

It was a huge PITA because I bought it from Rhino Radios, NON-EXISTENT customer service. Phoenix actually helped me with my install questions. If you buy one of these tablet style radios, I HIGHLY reccommend you buy it from Phoenix because of their customer service that actually responds and answers the phone.

I will be installing one in my 2016 LC sometime soon.

 

[Tngo23]

The dual climate control still functions perfectly as well as the rear controls. My DVD in the roof is aftermarket so it wasn't affected.

It does screw up the AC if you use the manual controls (up/down) under the front vents instead of the touchscreen. It will take it off of Auto

I had installed one in my GX460 which I recently sold for a LC 200. It was a mission to get that thing installed, air bag light issue was a headache as well as I had to wire up my own chip to get it off.

It was a huge PITA because I bought it from Rhino Radios, NON-EXISTENT customer service. Phoenix actually helped me with my install questions. If you buy one of these tablet style radios, I HIGHLY reccommend you buy it from Phoenix because of their customer service that actually responds and answers the phone.

I will be installing one in my 2016 LC sometime soon.

Good feedback.....I have an 08 LC200 so was asking Yeti about his experiences
Look forward to your install and write up.....

THX

 

[mtnracer]

I put one in 2 weeks ago from Phoenix. They have been somewhat helpful in sorting out the issues. The blue tooth mic still doesn't work, but I've been to busy to work through it with them.

Overall everything else works. There are a couple quirks. They have an Apple Carplay adaptor now, but I've found that everything sounds better if I just play it through bluetooth. The Carplay is the best way I've found to use navigation. If I tether my phone that google maps is not very stable. I have found that the Waze app works well though.

I am debating picking up the Phoenix with Android 9 Fastboot for our 2010 LX570. Their website states that the "Factory Backup Cam is not retained". Not sure if the LC unit has the same issue. Did you replace the backup cam? How about the front camera? Does that work? Does it support wireless carplay or does it require USB?