Toyota RAV4 2019 - Navigation system Update

Forums › Transport (cars, bikes and boats) › Toyota RAV4 2019 - Navigation system Update - MAPS

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#3099703 4-Jul-2023 15:27

IIRC the upgrade for the RAV4 for Carplay/Android Auto, they put a different microphone in the system. Just to be clear the upgrade will give you BOTH Android Auto and Apple Carplay. If you unplug the phone you'll have the standard built in system you have now.

The software is proprietary, so if it's on the internet at all it's not going to be easy to find and legally speaking you probably don't have rights to use it without paying for it.

mudguard

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#3099748 4-Jul-2023 16:42

lxsw20:

IIRC the upgrade for the RAV4 for Carplay/Android Auto, they put a different microphone in the system. Just to be clear the upgrade will give you BOTH Android Auto and Apple Carplay. If you unplug the phone you'll have the standard built in system you have now.

Ah I wonder if it was the same for my Corolla? I just assumed the Android Auto voice recognition was much better, the standard Toyota version (from the steering wheel button) was basically useless for me, never understood.

samgdan

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#3099758 4-Jul-2023 17:22

lxsw20:

IIRC the upgrade for the RAV4 for Carplay/Android Auto, they put a different microphone in the system. Just to be clear the upgrade will give you BOTH Android Auto and Apple Carplay. If you unplug the phone you'll have the standard built in system you have now.

The software is proprietary, so if it's on the internet at all it's not going to be easy to find and legally speaking you probably don't have rights to use it without paying for it.

from that line i assuming that an additional part is needed to get the AA working properly. are you able to confirm that?

thank you

Technofreak

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#3099760 4-Jul-2023 17:32

There are pros and cons of using AA/Car Play.

My car has an inbuilt nav system and in built AA/Car Play. I can use either. Both display on the centre screen.

The in built nav system is superior with the way it integrates with the HUD and the voice recognition commands, steering wheel controls etc. The areas where it lacks is the live traffic which was not enabled in New Zealand and the lack of readily available map updates.

One big draw back with AA is it will not let you enter a destination while the vehicle is moving, whereas the in built system will. I don't know if Car Play has this restriction.

For those AA installations where the only option is a wired connection there are wireless dongles that convert it to wireless operation. This makes the connection seemless each time you get into the car. As far as I know there are similar dongles for Car Play.

It's a matter of deciding what functions/features are important for you.

While I tend to prefer the in built system due to better integration I think if you can get an upgrade to AA/Car Play for $300 I'd say it's a very worthwhile option. You're not going to find someone who will be able or willing to share for free or cheap.

Right at the moment I'm investigating getting an after market AA option for another vehicle and that's a AUD$700 exercise for an upgrade that uses the OEM screen/hardware and as far as I know is basically a software upgrade.

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shk292

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#3099762 4-Jul-2023 17:34

I used to have a 2015 Passat which VW NZ wouldn't upgrade to AA/AC even though it was feasible with the installed hardware, I ended up getting it done by a 3rd party which cost $515 in 2020. I'd definitely be telling Toyota to take my money for this upgrade at $299. It sounds like navigation is still available if you're not using AA/AC, but if it's like most other car systems I would consider it "emergency use only", Google maps with live traffic being so much better. I currently have a Kia which has AA/AC as well as OEM navigation, and I think I've used the latter about twice in 2 years just to see what it's like.

Although wireless AA/AC seems to be the current development, I prefer wired because it means that when you get to your destination you have a charged phone. I use my phone every day for navigation, spotify etc in the car and it doesn't seem to make much of a dent in my Spark $19 prepay data allowance

Funnily enough I'm considering a RAV4 as my next car and the one thing that has been putting me off is the lack of AA/AC for pre-2023 models, so it has been great to see this is now available as an upgrade. Presumably this is for all pre-2023 models with the older screen, not just 2019 ones?

shk292

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#3099764 4-Jul-2023 17:39

Technofreak:

One big draw back with AA is it will not let you enter a destination while the vehicle is moving, whereas the in built system will. I don't know if Car Play has this restriction..

My experience differs from this. Eg this afternoon I left work and as I drove away, selected "Home" from the destinations suggested by AA. A few minutes later, I realised that I needed to stop at a shop on the way so pressed the steering wheel button and said "add a stop at [shop name] Wairau park". AA responded by saying "adding [shop name] Wairau valley road to your route". I find this much easier to use than the hierarchical menu system found in most car nav systems

Even if the particular installation won't respond to the steering wheel "speak" button, it's just a matter of pressing the mic button in the destination field on the screen and then saying the destination

mattwnz

20155 posts

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#3099766 4-Jul-2023 17:41

I have that same issue with a mazda navigation system which was too early to have AC or AA. I don't know how much they charge to update it, as they normally did it when it was serviced during the free servicing period. But my local garage now services it. But $300 woudl be ridiculous, espcailly after last time they did an update, thsome of the speed limit updates on roads were wrong. You can buy a whole new GPS unit for less than $300. They shoudl have OTA updates IMO over the wifi connection.

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alasta

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#3099771 4-Jul-2023 18:00

mattwnz:

I have that same issue with a mazda navigation system which was too early to have AC or AA. I don't know how much they charge to update it, as they normally did it when it was serviced during the free servicing period. But my local garage now services it. But $300 woudl be ridiculous, espcailly after last time they did an update, thsome of the speed limit updates on roads were wrong. You can buy a whole new GPS unit for less than $300. They shoudl have OTA updates IMO over the wifi connection.

If you look in the storage bin between the front seats then you will find an SD card slot containing a card with all the maps data. You should be able to remove the SD card and insert it into your computer to update the maps.

mattwnz

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#3099777 4-Jul-2023 18:16

Thanks, it still works out at over $200 to do a single maps update. The road haven't changed enough to warrant that and we will be selling the car in the not to distant future. I wish Mazda service hadn't updated it last time due to the maps errors that occurred. IMO manufacturers should build 10 years of free map updates into the car price, otherwise people will just use AC or AA anyway. I have found Mazdas built in navigation circa 2017s infotainment system is also pretty poor compared to othere systems I have used, so often I just use my phones GPS with google maps anyway.

lxsw20

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#3099882 4-Jul-2023 18:47

mattwnz:
I have that same issue with a mazda navigation system which was too early to have AC or AA. I don't know how much they charge to update it, as they normally did it when it was serviced during the free servicing period. But my local garage now services it. But $300 woudl be ridiculous, espcailly after last time they did an update, thsome of the speed limit updates on roads were wrong. You can buy a whole new GPS unit for less than $300. They shoudl have OTA updates IMO over the wifi connection.

If it’s 2015 or later then it can have CarPlay fitted for about $150 DIY or I think Mazda charge $500

mattwnz

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#3099884 4-Jul-2023 18:53

That is definately an option although I understand it a hardwired connection to the phone and not wireless. Didn't realise there was a DIY option.

lxsw20

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#3099888 4-Jul-2023 19:15

I brought the uprated USB ports from Aliexpress and managed to find the software on various Mazda forums for my CX5.

You can buy a dongle to have it wireless, but yes wired is the default.

Eitsop

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#3099981 4-Jul-2023 21:48

its frustrating that toyota NZ doesn't provide firmware updates for their radios for free like USA.. and able to purchase map updates and self install..

mattwnz

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#3100027 5-Jul-2023 01:49

Eitsop:

its frustrating that toyota NZ doesn't provide firmware updates for their radios for free like USA.. and able to purchase map updates and self install..

How do Tesla do it? It seems a very outdated thing for these older generation car manufacturers to charge for this sort of thing. But Subscriptions are becoming more and more common. I recall some now charge for things such as remote starting and preheating the car. Then some manufactures charge for activating heated car seats, which are often already built into the seating, just not activated by default unless you pay a fee.

alasta

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#3100051 5-Jul-2023 08:31

Apparently General Motors are ditching Carplay support, presumably so that they can use their own proprietary entertainment system platform as a cash cow.

It will be interesting to see how that plays out as a commercial strategy, but personally I don't think consumers will accept it.

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