Success: 2015 RCF Apple CarPlay Retrofit £220

[BillNick]

Hi all,

I successfully retrofitted apple CarPlay to my RC-F and as the unit I bought fits all RC's thought I should share a link to my post here as well as the F forum:

Happy to answer any of your burning questions on install and setup etc.

Enjoy

Bill

[BillNick]

After a few weeks of use I thought I would provide an update on the user experience of this retrofit.

I have found the wireless to be somewhat unreliable. It is very responsive on initial startup, takes a few seconds then cuts into CarPlay from OEM screen - which at first I thought was great, but it soon started to annoy me if I didn't want CarPlay.

Also, the signal would drop out, then come back (disconnect then reconnect) which is VERY annoying if you are following directions at the time lol.

Third but final, the response to the touch pad is rubbish and jumpy/clunky....

So I decided to try out the good old fashioned hard connection via the USB.

WOW, what a difference a cable makes 🙂

Having turned off Bluetooth/WIFI the car will only go over to CarPlay IF the phone gets connected to the USB - which is great coz it will stay in OEM until then.

NO signal drop out whatsoever, and things like Google Maps are far smoother, responsive and reliable. Things like directional changes took time to catch up in Wifi mode. Its not spot on.

As is the touchpad. Via USB, the touchpad works just as well as it does in OEM!

Oh yes and the music output is much much better via USB. Back up to the excellent standards of the OEM ML system.

So I will be looking to remove the centre consol again and route the USB port permanently somewhere - hopefully close to the OEM USBs.

Advice for buyers, don't worry if the one you go for doesn't give wireless, USB is much much better anyway.

[Las Palmas]

1 hour ago, BillNick said:

Oh yes and the music output is much much better via USB. Back up to the excellent standards of the OEM ML system.

If anybody ever thought that Bluetooth transmission of today is as good as a cable they have been missing something. Some think that 128bit MP3 sounds good and some thinks something else.

My ears are no longer good enough to hear difference between 16 and 24 bit lossless, but still good enough to hear the difference between lossless audio transmitted by Bluetooth and wire.

[BillNick]

Oh yeh of course, though my post might seem otherwise, I am not surprised.

I guess using CarPlay via Wifi for so long, I 'forgot' how good the ML is........

[Las Palmas]

What kit did you install Billy?

If Google maps could be used instead of the Lexus navigation it could be saving money as updating through Lexus is stupidly expensive and the navigation is so far below the Google (and Garmin and most other systems) that it would be paid in a couple of years.

[BillNick]

I installed this kit from China: Apple CarPlay RCxx

I think they do it for most Lexus models.

You are correct, I had CarPlay running Google Maps and/or Waze in both my last Lexus IS250 and also my wife's Mercedes.

Yet to come across an OEM Nav which is up to their standards.....

[Las Palmas]

3 hours ago, BillNick said:

Yet to come across an OEM Nav which is up to their standards.....

In 1995 had a Becker tuner with navigation and though it was no better than the Lexus is today for entering destination it could find the smallest of streets in Madrid and Paris. Wonder when they stopped making navigation systems.

[BillNick]

Hi all.

Im considering the Lexion 10.25 Android screen. It’s quite pricey but ticking all the boxes. What would also help me to commit to the upgrade would be if I knew I could get a bit of cash back for my current car play solution as seen in this thread above.

If anyone would be interested please send me a message or reply here.

Cheers

[Jgtcracer]

On 2/14/2023 at 9:07 PM, BillNick said:

 

Hi all.

Im considering the Lexion 10.25 Android screen. It’s quite pricey but ticking all the boxes. What would also help me to commit to the upgrade would be if I knew I could get a bit of cash back for my current car play solution as seen in this thread above.

If anyone would be interested please send me a message or reply here.

Cheers

If you don’t mind me asking, why move away from the system you have?  Doesn’t your unit support all the connectivity you will ever need?

[BillNick]

Basically I want the bigger screen to lift the car closer towards the later models and upon doing some research I thought I might aswell introduce capability to install other apps, not just apple CarPlay.

[Jgtcracer]

3 hours ago, BillNick said:

Basically I want the bigger screen to lift the car closer towards the later models and upon doing some research I thought I might aswell introduce capability to install other apps, not just Apple CarPlay.

Ah, I thought I would have scaled to larger resolution size.  Totally understand now

Thanks