GadgetmanN

I did not mean the wiring. I mean how you mounted it on the back. Did you attach it to a lisence plate lense or did you drill holes to mount it next to one?

Carver

It was drilled. They do have cams that attach to the license plate.

GadgetmanN

Thanks for the info and great contributions to the forum.

JonathanAl

Hey Guys, this is an awesome forum post! It has given me quite a bit of information...

Here is my question and I hope someone with more knowledge than I can answer this

I have a 2006 RX400h (Same setup as RX330) with Nav, no ML. Has anyone used the following configuration? Full product details for the three below items are found here: http://www.thewireszone.com/p-4639-m...ouble-din.aspx

• METRA 99-8159S LEXUS RX300 RX330 RX350 RX400H 1999-09 STEREO DASH KIT DIN/DOUBLE DIN
• AXXESS ASWC OEM UNIVERSAL STEERING WHEEL CONTROL INTERFACE ADAPTER
• METRA AXXESS TYTO-01 TOYOTA/LEXUS 1999-2012 AMP INTERFACE HARNESS

In discussions with Beatsonic regarding the RX82, it appears that:
1. They are on a 4 week backorder for the faceplate
2. I will not gain all stereo controls like I will with Axxess adapter. They could not provide many details on adding the Axxess adapter with Beatsonic to ensure all steering wheel function remains.
3. Solution provided above, is less than 1/2 the cost of the Beatsonic.

With either solution, I will be using a Pioneer AVH-X3500BHS with Parking Break bypass and Sirius addition.

At this time I am not planning to change the backup camera, or Nav since my phone has Navigation and requires no updates I chose to spend less on the Stereo and keep the Nav portion on my phone.

Any thoughts? Sam at Beatsonic has been helpful, but I just don't want to wait 4 weeks.

GadgetmanN

I got my Metra faceplate/harness for $85 from spiralinstallations.com. If you just need the faceplate, the Metra faceplate is on ebay for $25 with free shipping. If you look at this thread (
2006 RX330 aftermarket stereo question ) you can see my pics and setup.

mrjustinx

how much did it cost for the kenwood

GadgetmanN

I ended up getting the license plate cam. It was $16 from buy.com. I ended up not drilling to run the wire, just took out one of the license plate lights, cut a channel in the plastic and ran a bead of silicone sealer around the light housing before re-installing. I don't like the look of the wire hanging down to the cam, but it all works great and I can get a more OEM look camera sometime later on and drill a hole in the plastic panel above the license plate and mount it. But for now it is all set. The photos show how it was done (I had to wash it before the second picture, it was down right nasty!)

1koolfella

iTrader: (1)

My opinion is that if you don't feel like waiting the four weeks, you can go with the solution GadgetmanN went with. He used the Metra faceplate, harness and steering wheel control.

I don't have the hybrid but I do have the navigation like your model. Its my belief that the Navigation connects to the speakers separately from the radio. I thought everything ran through the radio then out to the speakers so that's one reason why I went with the beatsonic kit, but to me it seems that the sound from the navigation connects directly to the front speakers. Reason why I believe this is the case is that when the navigation speak, it doesn't lower the music, it talks right over the music. The navigation sound is independent of the music. I have the AVH-P8400 by Pioneer (the 2012 model of the one you plan to purchase).

I used a mix of Metra for the steering wheel, and the beat sonic for the audio. I have most of my functions for the steering wheel. The beat sonic kit has an option for the steering wheel but I don't use it, I just have it taped up, while I use the METRA 70-8114 TOYOTA ADD STEERING WHEEL CONTRL HARNESS connect that to the Axxess ASWC box and then connect that to the radio.

It's not difficult to do. It just takes time, research and patience. Good luck. Let us know how you make out and most of all POST PICTURES as you progress.

GadgetmanN

Same thinking I went with. My phone always has up-to-date nav info, so I liked that this Sony uses the NAV from my phone and puts it on the big screen. But the downfall on the iPhone with Telnav is, you have to launch Telnav on the phone and then on the stereo. Funny they did not make it so Telnav on the phone launches when you launch it on the headunit. Kinda dumb. But it is OK. I just can't wait till my phone gets the update that will enable Mirrorlink, becasue I like the NAV on Android much better.

JonathanAl

Thanks guys! It appears from an email from BeatSonic that since I have navigation I may lose climate control by going with the metra setup. I guess the nav and non nav climate controlls are different since with nav its party managed on screen. Still doing some research. I would love for the Metra to work since its about 375 cheaper!

1koolfella

iTrader: (1)

I think you'll only lose it if you have the ML setup. You can check with some of the post in here to confirm. You can also contact Metra to see what they have to say. I've had no problems reaching Metra via phone or email.

ac921ol

iTrader: (1)

Does anyone have a custom start-up logo for the DNX???
Just wondering if maybe carver you use one..I want my Nav to look more stock when I start it up.

1koolfella

iTrader: (1)

I borrowed an idea from Gadgetman and decided to use the PAC USBCBL 6' FEET FOOT UNIVERSAL USB CABLE EXTENSION and put it in the center console, so I don't have any wires on the side. Passengers kept knocking the usb drive out the slot.

1koolfella

iTrader: (1)

This is what I got from eBay. A little under $14.

1koolfella

iTrader: (1)

I decided to use some old package label to do the outline. I figure since I can write on one side and the other side is adhesive it would be a good thing to use.

The mounting bracket as you can see has two holes, one bigger than the other. The smaller one was nicely flushed with the usb cable when mounted, so that's the reason why I traced that. I had a drill bit laying around the house that I used for something else and it was perfect for this project.