Advice on the connecting phone navigation app to Camry display

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lloydchristmas

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#319034 15-Mar-2025 20:55

Hi all, I have a 2019 Japanese import Toyota Camry. I'd really like to be able to view navigation on the display screen, rather than having two look at Google Maps on my little phone screen.

Android auto doesn't seem to be compatible with my car. Anyone got any ideas?

Senecio

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#3354372 16-Mar-2025 11:19

You'll need to replace your stereo/screen with one that is compatible with Android Auto. No other way to do it.

lloydchristmas

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#3354415 16-Mar-2025 16:55

😭. Actually not completely surprised.

Would getting one from a Toyota breaker out of an NZ new Camry be an option, or too risky?

tanivula

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#3354438 16-Mar-2025 19:22

Not quite true. I've got a 2017 RAV that I added a 'box of tricks' which adds Wireless AA / CP using the Aux input. it's pretty simple plug and play, but you need to take the headunit out to do this. The resolution isn't the best and the touch screen is frustrating to use (that is due to the p!ss poor touch interface on the RAV) but it worked great for the 'stock look'. I have since added a dedicated Wireless AA/CP screen (something similar to this, but with more mounting options) and removed the box of tricks. Happy to offload the box of tricks your way if you're interested.

lloydchristmas

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#3354457 16-Mar-2025 21:50

Wow, I had no idea about those units. That's very kind of you to offer me your old box of tricks, however if it's the same as the one in your link, it looks like it won't work in my car as apparently that only works for Camrys up to 2017.

I do like what the box of tricks can do, so will investigate further & see what is available for my car.

BlakJak

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#3358817 30-Mar-2025 22:03

I picked up a 2015 Prius Alpha nearly 2 years ago, after having had a 2002 Gaia for about 13 years before that. The Gaia, I kept the OEM Jap Stereo because I figured out the functions I needed and didn't want to spend a lot of money on a replacement head unit.

The Prius had a pretty decent head unit - but again all in Japanese - and though I could've figured it all out, I felt I deserved an english-language head unit. So I picked one up.
The head unit has its own nav system built in (not a great one, but it's functional in a pinch) and also supports Android Auto. This should be doable for a total spend of only several hundred dollars including installation if you're paying someone. Even though the stereo I got wasn't particularly good, it's still nice to have a fully featured Android-under-the-hood device that's in English.

Prius is apparently a slightly unusual size because I had fairly limited choices in the replacement head unit market. A couple of places I visited were going to propose 8" units with a wide bezel, for my 9" requirement.

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lloydchristmas

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#3360000 3-Apr-2025 09:11

Thanks BlakJak. Can I ask where you bought your head unit from?

I was quoted about $1,200 for a new one fitted from a local car audio specialist.

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BlakJak

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#3360098 3-Apr-2025 11:21

I'm in Wellington. I bought the head unit for about $400? from a Trademe seller (based in Auckland) and then paid another $260-odd for a professional installation in Wellington. They had to modify the fit (multi-tool 4lyfe) very slightly due to what I assume are subtle variations between models but it is 'good enough'.

Basically it was more-or-less this stereo with this fit-kit.

$1200 for a decent stereo and a warrantied installation is probably fair price - to be honest the stereo I have is pretty damn average, audio quality not the best (but bearable), clearly an application of the Philips brand under license rather than being one of their actual higher-quality devices of yore, and the engrish bears this out. Had a few niggles to solve and one overbearing issue is the fact that volume level 1 is relatively loud... the leap from 0 (muted) to 1 is fairly high on radio, and when i'm using Bluetooth I have to crank it for the same effective audio volume. And the handsfree mic is really poor (people i'm talking to report i'm unreadable) so I end up using a sunvisor clip-on bluetooth module when driving, most of the time.

So I don't recommend the stereo, but the approach in principle might work? Again I think my options were fairly constrained around budget (I didn't want to spend more than about $700), had I had another $500 to throw at it i'd have used a better stereo - assuming I could find a 9" unit. Local professional vendors with brand-name gear, seemed to be mostly 8".

No signature to see here, move along...