copajoe

Hello, I am a new owner of an old '04 Lexus GX470. Car looks and drives great! Very surprised as it is very high mileage. I needed a car to carry myself, my dog and my daughter when she comes to visit. I found this one and got it for a song! lol.

anyway, I joined the board several days ago, have read a LOT, but still cannot find the answers I am looking for, so I am hoping a few people would be willing to help me out.

The car has the touch screen Nav, Backup Cam, a Mark Levinson Sound system but no rear dvd player.

The thing is the Nav screen is terrible. Obviously, its 15 years old so it was probably high end back in the day but now, nasty! lol

The research I have done is what I can do to upgrade it. I have found the GROM VLine VL2 as probably the best option but, if you go this route, are you are still stuck with the **** nav touch screen?
Is there any way to upgrade this? IE - put the GROM in AND install a better, cleaner, higher graphic touch screen?

I have also seen Tesla style screens but I am getting mixed info on this. Some local Audio shops are telling me you loose climate control if you go this route because you are disconnecting the factory system and just "overlaying" the new Tesla style system. Is this true?

Basically, I want to upgrade the quality of the screen, add Bluetooth / Handfree for my phone, Video and Music capabilities via a USB dongle (mp3 and mp4), internet via hotspotting via my cell phone, as well as keep all of the current functions of the car going, ie - a/c, the back up cam and nav. If the nav is now via Google, no problem, which I am almost definitely sure is better anyway.

Final thoughts, I prefer not going the "tesla" style" route. I would actually prefer to put in a screen similar to the existing one BUT slightly larger and not recessed like the current one is.
Here is a shot of my dash, I was thinking, above that row of buttons on the bottom? I boxed it in with white lines.

is this at all out there in the market and feasible? anyone????

thanks in advance.

copajoe

Here are a few shots of the GX, the more I read the more impressed I am.

MrJason

There are “Tesla style” replacements for the Mark Levinson. The guys who told you they don’t work are just referring to any old aftermarket stereo.
These have the HVAC controls on the screen and work the climate control by using the touch screen. There’s some threads about this. I’ll even post a pic I stole.
These systems are $700-$1000 bucks. Not too bad.


You could put put a new screen in with better resolution... but it would require the ability to make a harness that fits... lots of work and fabrication required. Then you’d also most likely have to calibrate the touch screen... I’m not sure how Lexus calibrates their replacement units.. or if they come calibrated. By calibration, I’m referring to where you touch is where the system accepts that pressure on the screen. If you where to get a screen that wasn’t calibrated to the system... you could touch the center and the module accepts as you pushing the left upper corner.
So this route would require patients and a lot of “know how”... you wouldn’t get much “trial and error” because of the ability to damage a module. So it could get costly as well as time consuming. The screen upgrade would only be as good as the output also... not sure how that works on the GROM system.

There could be be other options.. I work on Audi’s... and I know for a fact that I can unplug an newer screen and plug it directly into an older car.. and it works, doesn’t really fit.. but works. Although you’d still be in the output resolution scenario.

MrJason

This a member here who has the Tesla style screen.....

Here’s a price....

And my subwoofer I had to my GX470 with nav and ML... just for fun. Lol

MrJason

If you notice.. that members dash now looks like a 2015 or newer design.
And it is badass..

the cost isn’t too bad... but I’ve read of few issues with installs that required extra work. And I have no idea about the longevity of the systems.

Lextazy

Copajoe, congrats on your purchase! I wish I could help.

MrJason

I do like the color of that GX.... I bought mine for “little to nothing also”... it’s the gold/sand color... I’m not a fan of gold at all, but Lexus/Toyota has the best gold color in the industry. Lol

mine is an 05 fully loaded GX in showroom condition w/ 143k at the time of purchase and a flawless service history with the local Lexus dealership... the new/used car sales manager at my Audi/Porsche dealership traded for it... and he didn’t look it over very well because of the condition and new tires and brakes.
Well... 3 days before the owner(he bought it new) traded it on a new Audi... Lexus gave him a $9,000 quote for the 145k, TPMS sensors, E-brake handle, SAIS system replacement, and 2 new front drive shafts!!
so I paid $7k after TT&L which sucked for the dealer since they gave $10,500 trade in.

The drive shafts weren’t needed(I think Lexus was trying to trade them up)... I eliminated the SAIS and fixed everything else myself(I’m a life long tech and “master guild” in Audi/Porsche/VW). It cost $200 and 1 weekend. Lol

now ive got all LED lighting, Bluetooth media(instead of a disc changer), better Bluetooth for phone calls too since voice are amplified through the stereo, and a few other modifications(like the subwoofer and amp).. the vehicle now has 200k miles.. so I just changed all the fluids and do a T-Belt job. I’ve spent a total of $700 now after the purchase and the vehicle drives like a new one. I’m hoping to get 1 million out of this vehicle.

I got 460,000 out of a Chevy Colorado before someone smashed into me and I got 320,000 out of a 2006 charger RT before someone smashed that one. Needless to say I drive a lot!!! But I hope this vehicle is big enough for people to see. lol.

BHbass59

MrJason, do you mind sharing which system you used to make your system bluetooth-compatible?

IanB2

I've also got an '04, and I agree that the factory nav screen in the early trucks is so bad, that it makes the Grom VLine2 not an option. You could update to a '07- '09 (I think that's the switchover year) newest gen nav headunit for who knows how much, plus the Grom VL2, and get what you're looking for (better resolution touchscreen), but it's an expensive way to go about things, and at that point you may as well look at your other options as well.

The "Tesla style" dash replacement stereo's have integrated HVAC controls (some physical buttons, some touch screen only), but the problem is they seem to be tricky to get set up, and buggy to use. I don't think they've got plug and play quite figured out yet, although I haven't been paying as much attention recently, so if that's wrong let me know. If they work, these are just about the ultimate upgrade IMO.

Another option I've recently learned about is the Beatsonix kit, which allows you to replace the factory tape deck with an aftermarket single DIN unit, which opens up the world of flip up screens, and fixed external touchscreen head units like the Alpine Halo9, etc. This requires you have your factory CD changer in place, I threw mine away years ago. I think this will be the way I'll go.

http://www.beatsonicusa.com/stereo/s...70/mva-81.html

Anyone have a CD changer they want to get rid of?

MrJason

Here you go.... you don’t need the “y-adapter” with the ML system. You lose the cd changer if you don’t buy the “switch” that goes between this and the changer... I don’t use cd’s, so no biggie for me. I had the little box in the glove box, but I don’t need the aux input or the usb input... so I put it behind the wood panel on the right side. I also ran the Bluetooth mic up the a-pillar, across the head liner and put the mic in the sunglass holder with the nav/factory BT mic.... this sounds better on calls because the voice is amplified through all the speakers.. unlike how the factory BT uses non-amplified sound to the lower speaker in the left door.

Its plug and play...

Yatour Bluetooth Car Adapter Music CD Changer 6+6PIN CDC Connector for Toyota/Lexus

You can get the one without the mic and aux cable for $5 less.

MrJason

Just unplug the cd changer from the back of the tape deck and plug this in. It’s that simple. The sound quality is actually as good as the cd’s... pandora and podcasts are super clear. Audiobooks type apps(audible) work well too.

Disc 1... is Bluetooth media
Disc 2... is aux input
didc 3... is usb

its cool/ although it doesn’t show the song title on all apps.. pandora just shows “pandora” with the time left on the song.