comotiger

Thanks, CRowe. I am done with all the mods on this car, except for getting chrome PVD wheels when I get new tires in about a year. And maybe painting my brake pads black with a white Lexus logo...

CRowe14

Well, ive never seen black "pads" with the Lexus logo on them..where do you order those from?? Lexus makes brake pads?
Completely joking, as I know you meant calipers...
Are you going for a larger diameter when you upgrade?
Your LS (I keep saying it) is pretty sweet! Something about the black, Shimamoku and brushed accents through out the interior just looks really sporty, but classy.

comotiger

Yeah, I couldn't think of the word. Yes, painted calipers I am OK with cosmetic mods, so I will keep the same sized rotors etc. Will go with Centric rotors and pads when the time comes.

Thanks for the kind words. My wife was keen on the black/black combo. I wasn't so sure, but am happy it has worked out. The chrome accents definitely help a lot!

CRowe14

Im sorry buddy, I should have been more clear with what I was asking...
I was referring to your comment about you wanting to do a wheel upgrade. I was wondering if you were going to stay with your current size or increase the diameter an inch or two...
And you wife has great taste!

GHARP57

I hate to ask a dumb question, will the beatsonic harness work with android phones as well? I'm getting my LS in a few days now and I am familiar with the nav system but being able to do the screen mirroring is a nice thought.

comotiger

Yes, definitely. You just need a different connector from the phone to the DA converter. I have copied the following from the Beatsonic web page for IF-04EP kit (http://www.beatsonicusa.com/if04ep.html).

Additional components required to mirror your smartphone to another screen but sold separately.
Android (Wireless)
(Android device with MHL output require the following parts sold separately to complete the installation)
-

Wireless Display HDMI adapter with Miracast (NETGEAR Push2TV / PTV3000)

Wireless Display HDMI adapter with Miracast (NETGEAR Push2TV / PTV3000)

If you have more questions, please contact Eric and Sam at Beatsonic. They are very helpful. Good luck!

GHARP57

Thank you Como! You guys are really awesome I am glad to be on this forum now as well!

Edit**

Well damn I have an 07 LS coming in, it looks like this wont work for my older model. Oh well! Thank you for the info anyway Como

comotiger

Ah, I see. I am very keen to switch to the 5 split-spoke 18 inch wheels because there will be 1/2 inch more sidewall on the tires to contribute to ride comfort, plus those wheels look very nice. But it's going to cost me about $1500 to get those because I cannot do wheel exchange with my 19 inch turbines for the chrome PVD process. I can recoup the cost by selling my 19s, but this is a bit more hassle than I want. So as it stands, I will probably just have chrome turbines when the time comes.

comotiger

Sorry, I should have clarified that. These kits only work for 2013+ LS

GROM VLine should be compatible with all model years because it is essentially a computer that is utilizing the Nav screen as a display and as an input device. It is an Android system with its own dedicated LTE plan. Doesn't use your smartphone at all.

satiger

iTrader: (1)

Great post and great setup!. Wondering the purpose of front camera?. Any practical use?.

CRowe14

Hmm..bit of a bummer situation there...
I do understand the desire for new wheels, as I have been wanting some every since I've had mine (the wheels on mine came with it and the previous owner didn't include the OEM's), but im just not sure what route to take and its really a daunting process (not to mention a healthy purchase).
Perhaps its just me, but I think your LS looks stellar as it stands, but one can never argue with the owner as well all have our own idea as to what we want our cars to look like!

comotiger

Having the front camera view is the closest I can come to a surround view on this car. It should help me navigate tight parking spots in unfamiliar lots, especially if I want to hug one line. I realize we are all experienced enough to do this without the visual aid. This will remind us of the discussions about any kind of driver aids like parking assist, backup camera, BSM etc. Sure, we managed just fine without them, so what's the big deal?

Having said that, I will concede that after the initial novelty has worn off, my front camera is a little bit of a gimmick. I can manage fine without it 95% of the time. It probably cost me $300 more to have the feature. Maybe as I get older, this feature will pay off. After all, I plan to hold on to this car for another 10 years!!

Gbp

WARNING: The below isn't a recommendation. I have no first-hand knowledge of the products.

You can look at Vaistech. They have a model that mirrors an iPhone, but I believe you don't have touch screen capability (on the LS460), just the phone. There's a variation for Android, but if you want a wired connection instead of trying to use Miracast, your phone needs an HTML output capability, typically from an MHL port on the phone. It seems newer Android phones no longer have MHL ports, preferring wireless casting. Our member, Roadfrog, I think has tried Miracast.

iVIC-5DR - LS460 2007-2009 - Android
http://www.vaistech.com/product/ivic-5dr/

iVIC-6DR - LS460 2010-2012 - Android
http://www.vaistech.com/product/ivic-6dr/

List of smart phones compatible with MHL (check with Vaistech to see if a phone has been tested with their product(s):

http://www.gfiglobal.com/MHL-compati...s#.WLXTxpA76rU

iVIC-5i - LS460 2007-2009 - Apple
http://www.vaistech.com/product/ivic-5i/

iVIC-6i - LS460 2010-2012 - Apple
http://www.vaistech.com/product/ivic-6i/

comotiger

I copied the following question from Natelw to answer on this thread.

Nate, you raise good points. As noted in my write up, the iPhone can be controlled only thru the phone, not the Nav screen. I thought this would be hard, but with the phone mounted stably next to the mouse controller, I have gotten very good at it without having to take eyes off the road more than a second or two. Many people have also rigged up a BT mouse that makes a cursor appear on the iPhone, and therefore on the Nav screen. With this jailbreak, you can use a BT mouse to watch the cursor on the Nav screen and navigate through Apps, as if you were using the Nav screen's mouse. If I upgrade to an iPhone 6+ or higher (I have a 6S now), the home screen will autorotate, making it easier still to navigate the iPhone by watching the Nav screen.

Benefits of the mirroring kit for me:
1) Remember that the IF-04EP mirroring kit ($359 list) includes the Nav Bypass controller ($239). As described in my requirements, I wanted to have Nav bypass installed anyways to watch DVDs in the moving car. The mirroring kit enables Google Maps use, which to me is easily worth another $120.

2) I have discovered that I can more easily listen to podcasts in TuneIn Radio (and presumably other similar apps) using the AV channel (the mirroring kit) rather than BT audio. Remember that you have to set up the podcast on the iPhone first to be able to listen using BT, and the whole process works smoothly by navigating using the mirrored screen. Besides, I have learned that the audio quality of most podcasts is comparable or better with AV (analog audio) rather than BT. Of course, with BT, one can control with steering wheel inputs that is lost with mirroring, but that's not a big deal for me, unless you have a "yuuuge" song library that you want to navigate with the steering wheel buttons.

3) I cringe to admit this, but the mirroring kit works extremely well for viewing incoming messages and for sending short messages at stop lights. The phone is securely mounted in the Proclip holder, so I am not talking about two-fisted full blown texting that drives us all nuts, but acknowledging messages as needed with icons or 1-2 words. With an autorotating iPhone, the messages will be even easier to read (and respond to). And if you are handy with Siri, I presume you can dictate outgoing text. I am still a Luddite when it comes to Siri. I need to get better acquainted with her .

So, whether you mirror using the Beatsonic kit or use GROM VLine for a more streamlined experience, you are getting some features and abilities you already have with the iPhone but are cumbersome to use. If your spouse or someone else can do the work of the kits, then you don't need the kit! However, without the kit, you cannot display Google maps on the Nav screen, which is really awesome, similar to having a Garmin or Tom Tom mounted on the dash.

zebrass

what a amazing phone holder ,please can you tell me where did you buy it. Thanks a million.