Anybody using a recent Grom Vline 2?

Herbie · October 19, 2021

I spent a couple of hundred quid on a Carlinkit Decoder unit to get Android Auto functionality in my 2018 RX450h and I'm about ready to admit defeat with it, so I was wondering if the Grom Vline 2 actually works as it should and if it's worth the more than £500 price tag.

My Carlinkit unit is basically an interface that allows you to (almost) mirror your phone screen on the car's big main screen. The apps (such as Google Maps or Waze, amazon Music and suchlike) run on the phone but are displayed on the car screen and are controlled by using the car switches/controls.

If I'm reading it correctly, the Grom unit is a self-contained device that again integrates with the car screen and controls, but doesn't actually need a phone because it runs its own Android operating system. Apps are downloaded from the Google Play Store directly into the Vline 2 and run from there. Is that correct?

It seems that even the current units in stock now are only running Android 8 (Oreo) whereas my phone is running the latest OS, Android 11. Does this infer that Grom aren't very good about aftersales support or about upgrading?

I know that's a silly question but I'm just bothered that I'll be throwing good money after bad. If the Vline 2 works - and works well - then I'll spend the money, but I really do not want to buy another lemon!

ic2alpha · November 3, 2021

On 10/20/2021 at 12:30 AM, Herbie said:

I spent a couple of hundred quid on a Carlinkit Decoder unit to get Android Auto functionality in my 2018 RX450h and I'm about ready to admit defeat with it, so I was wondering if the Grom Vline 2 actually works as it should and if it's worth the more than £500 price tag.

My Carlinkit unit is basically an interface that allows you to (almost) mirror your phone screen on the car's big main screen. The apps (such as Google Maps or Waze, Amazon Music and suchlike) run on the phone but are displayed on the car screen and are controlled by using the car switches/controls.

If I'm reading it correctly, the Grom unit is a self-contained device that again integrates with the car screen and controls, but doesn't actually need a phone because it runs its own Android operating system. Apps are downloaded from the Google Play Store directly into the Vline 2 and run from there. Is that correct?

It seems that even the current units in stock now are only running Android 8 (Oreo) whereas my phone is running the latest OS, Android 11. Does this infer that Grom aren't very good about aftersales support or about upgrading?

I know that's a silly question but I'm just bothered that I'll be throwing good money after bad. If the Vline 2 works - and works well - then I'll spend the money, but I really do not want to buy another lemon!

Hi Herbie,

I had Vline 2 installed about 2 months ago for about 2 weeks on my RX 450h 2018.

The reason why I ended up removing was an issue with the mouse/trackpad not being available on first start ( most start ups) until you switched screens via the Menu button and back again.
As far as I know, they were working on solution for it but I couldn’t wait until that became available and having to put up with the intermittent nature of will the trackpad work or not and especially if you already started driving and having to chase for the Menu button to do the switching.
The other reasons why I didn’t want to wait for the fixes was the way that the trackpad worked within the interface. In the Lexus ui, the trackpad can jump to the nearest button, making selections while driving easy. In the Vline ui, the trackpad is a mouse and as such, it’s not easy to control the UI while driving. Imagine having to use the keyboard on maps with a mouse while driving…

The positive of Vline is that they have a good customer service and I would give it a go again if those two issues are resolved.

hope this helps.
Alban

Andy B · November 4, 2021

On 10/20/2021 at 12:30 AM, Herbie said:

It seems that even the current units in stock now are only running Android 8 (Oreo) whereas my phone is running the latest OS, Android 11. Does this infer that Grom aren't very good about aftersales support or about upgrading?

Hi @Herbie

I can't offer any specific advice about the Grom device itself. What I would say though is that Android 8 is quite an old OS (as you know Android 11 is the current one but Android 12 is just round the corner for the most recent phones\devices) so you may find that the providers of the apps you would like to run on the device (e.g. Google Maps; Waze; etc.) may withdraw support for their apps on such a relatively old OS (if they haven't already). My advice would be to check that your desired apps can run on Android 8 first before considering buying the Grom.

Hope this helps.

Herbie · November 4, 2021

Alban and Andy, thanks very much for your replies chaps, much appreciated.

Because I didn't get any replies within a couple of days I decided to pull the trigger and I ordered one. I have to say that it's not working properly yet but even so, I've had ten times more success with this Vline than I had with the Carlinkit unit I bought earlier this year.

My main problem seems to be that it sort of works too well - once it has control it won't relinquish it back to Lexus! I just cannot get back into any Lexus system screen at all and that includes the reversing camera too.

When I start the car I get the Lexus splash screen and then a sort of white screen (almost like 'snow' on an analogue TV) that would stay up forever unless I press the MEDIA button twice, at which point I'm into the VLine screens. From there the VLine works fine; Waze, Sygic, What 3 Words and Google Maps are all perfect, as are amazon Music, YouTube and other apps.

However, when I put the car in reverse the camera doesn't show onscreen; clicking the 'Factory UI' button does not take me back to the factory UI; nor do any other buttons at all. I can get nothing 'Lexus-wise' on the car screen at all and the only thing that does happen is that the display locks up.

Support over in the USA at Grom HQ have been brilliant and after lots of tests and email tennis, they reckon it could be a faulty display cable so they're going to send me a new one, hopefully from the UK distributor and not have me waiting for delivery from the States.

22 hours ago, ic2alpha said:

The other reasons why I didn’t want to wait for the fixes was the way that the trackpad worked within the interface. In the Lexus ui, the trackpad can jump to the nearest button, making selections while driving easy. In the Vline ui, the trackpad is a mouse and as such, it’s not easy to control the UI while driving.

That has now been sorted and the cursor can be set to 'snap to' buttons.

7 hours ago, Andy B said:

What I would say though is that Android 8 is quite an old OS (as you know Android 11 is the current one but Android 12 is just round the corner for the most recent phones\devices)

I believe that Grom are in the final stages of testing for an Android upgrade but I don't know how recent they'll go. Up to now everything I need works with the unit on Android 8 and will hopefully continue to work when the upgrade comes.

ic2alpha · November 6, 2021

@Herbie

Can you upload a video of the "snap on" movements in apple Car play please?

I might pull the trigger and buy this again if they have resolved the issue with the controls not being available in the Lexus UI at start up and if the snap on feature is now available.

Out of curiosity, where did you locate the unit itself?

When I installed mine I had it on the drivers side footwell.

Herbie · November 6, 2021

2 minutes ago, ic2alpha said:

Can you upload a video of the "snap on" movements in Apple Car play please?

I should be able to do a video to demonstrate the 'snap to' effect but I don't have apple CarPlay or Android Auto running at all. I'm using the Vline's own Android operating system, so I'm not sure if it'll be what you want, but I'll happily do a video tomorrow.

7 minutes ago, ic2alpha said:

Out of curiosity, where did you locate the unit itself?

For the moment it's in the glove compartment but that's only temporary.

Ideally I'd like to get it in the 'secret' bottom space of the centre console but I just could not fathom how to get the side trim off (marked by yellow line below) to run the cables into there:

One thing to bear in mind if you're going to mount it in a difficult to reach location is that it's an Android computer and, like all computers, it will at some time need to be reset by pulling the power plug. To avoid a lot of hassle disassembling/reassembling, it's a good idea to cut into the power wire of the harness and install a switch inline, as done by someone in the VLine 2 group on Facebook:

ic2alpha · November 6, 2021

50 minutes ago, Herbie said:

Ideally I'd like to get it in the 'secret' bottom space of the centre console but I just could not fathom how to get the side trim off (marked by yellow line below) to run the cables into there:

@Herbie

Yeah, I tried to do the same with mine and I couldn't get the side off either.I believe that in order to remove the side panels you need to completely remove the top section.

I gave up when I tried it as I thought the cables were not long enough to reach at there. Have you tried to test fit them there first?

I did however run two USB cables as an extension to the rear of that console using cable pull rods. You can find these at screwfix and you can try to pull them one by one using that method.

Oh, and regarding the switch for the power, I didn't want to damage the kit just in case I had to call on the warranty or in case I ran into any issues ;-). In the driver footwell I was able to get to it without too much problem, I just had to use some hand gymnasitcs :-D.