Weathertop

After a Lexus dealer install of the Qi charger accessory in my 2017 LX, I began looking for a solution to bring Pandora functionality back to my LX. Several of us on this board noticed that Lexus pushed a November, 2018 software "update" that removed the Pandora application from our headunits.

...yes, I know that you can still play Pandora via bluetooth streaming but I was looking for more functionality and with the hope that I do more with my headunit without replacing it.

I then stumbled across the Grom VLine2. This android-based unit uses your existing headunit and controls to provide all the features that you would find on an Android tablet. There are lots of discussions in other forums about the Vline along with some mixed experiences. But, I wasn't able to find anyone who had installed it into the LX570.

So, I took the plunge. And, I'm thrilled with the results.

I still have all of my Lexus-provided controls through my headunit. But, by pressing the MEDIA button on the console, I can go into an Android experience and run Pandora, Waze, and any Android application. This isn't Android Auto - this is far more than the dumbed down experience that you get with AA. You have a special Grom launcher that allows you to install and run any Android application without tethering to a phone. And, every app looks grand on that 12 inch Lexus screen (see my pictures below).

I have to say that this add-in completes the LX for me. The headunit and functions were already pretty dated when I purchased my vehicle new. My wife's 2016 BMW has a headunit experience that runs circles around the Lexus Enform system. With the Grom unit, I feel as though I've given my LX an IQ improvement of about 500 points and it is now a keeper for the very long term. The Grom unit even uses your factory provided microphone so you can share voice commands with it and without running anything visible like an extra microphone. It really is sweet. Also, if you are looking for digital clock on your headunit and don't want to buy a brand new LX to get it, the Grom unit will provide this as well.

A couple of recommendations follow if you also are interested in taking the plunge with your LX:

1. Find a Grom authorized installer. Don't try to do this yourself. All the bad experiences that I've seen with this unit are due to individuals trying to do the installation on their own. After spending almost $100 K on my LX, I wanted the install done right. If you are in the NJ/NY area, I highly recommend Sound Waves in Parsippany, NJ. Ask to have Chad do the installation and you'll be golden.
2. The LX install requires a couple of special details from Grom. There's a single wire in the Grom wiring harness that needs to be removed/cut. If this isn't done, you'll get a check engine light and an error in the center cluster for a "smart access malfunction." Grom has details on this special step that is required but the details aren't in the box.
3. The Grom unit requires data service to give you all its special goodness. While you can configure your phone to act as an internet hotspot for it, I found this type of solution clumsy - it also will run your phone battery down requiring you to plug it in. Instead, configure your installation by also having an internet hotspot installed in an accessible but hidden place in your vehicle. I had mine installed in the hatch in the rear of the vehicle that holds the jack. The hotspot receives power via a hidden run that tracks the Lexus wiring along the door footplates along the floor and behind the dash to my fuse box (so my hotspot on gets power when the ignition is on). Don't have the hotspot installed next to the Grom unit, that is typically installed in your glove box. If you do, you'll get video stuttering when running the Lexus UI on your headunit. Moving the hotspot away from the Grom unit fixes this problem.

Pictures follow and please try not to be jealous.

(f)-LEX-ible

UZ214

sweet this looks very good!!

Weathertop

Feedback on the Qi charger:
I really like the Qi charger. The unit goes into the hatch of your console that is right behind your front console cupholders and behind the door that conceals the USB ports. It has a single button to turn it on and off as well as a charging light. While your phone is charging, this light indicates the state by burning a solid orange. When your phone is charged (or if there is no device on the charger), the light will instead be solid green. If the charger detects a phone but can't charge it (due to the thickness of the phone case, etc.) the light will flash orange.

If you spend time in your vehicle in a long commute (like I do) or on a long trip, you'll love the Qi charger. It charges a little slowly but it works well and I like it over having a USB charging cable running around the front cabin of the vehicle. It keeps things much neater.

A couple of notes:

• Because your phone needs to live behind the door of your console and within your console to charge, it won't be able to get a GPS signal. So, driving applications that send instructions over bluetooth streaming (Waze, etc) can't be used while you are charging your phone.
• I have an iPhone 8 and it lays flat and charges well. But, larger phones (8 Plus, Xs Max, etc.) won't fit. So, before you spring for the install, see if your existing phone can lay flat in the space behind the door that covers your USB port in your front console. If it will fit, then you can make use of the charger.

Installation cost:
Depending on whether you are able to negotiate with the dealer to price-match the online price of the part and their cost for labor, you can expect to pay about $600 - $800 to have the part installed. If my memory is correct, I believe that the cost to have the option installed on your LX as part of a special order was something like $150...but then you would have to wait months for your vehicle to arrive. So, I saw the install cost as a premium to allow me to drive my vehicle now and without waiting for a special order.

How to convince your dealer to install the part and to give you the best price for it:
Take a look at my post here: Post #6. In it, I detail how to negotiate with your dealer to get the job done.

(f)-LEX-ible

slim26

Do you have rear entertainment system in your LX570? Is it still operational after installing Grom unit?

Thanks

Weathertop

I do and the rear entertainment system works fine with the Grom unit.

So does the USB port under the head unit.

Weathertop

Since my post almost a year ago, I thought that I would share a follow-up on the Grom Vline2 unit in my 2017 Lexus LX. I'm hoping that my feedback will help those who are considering this solution vs. Beatsonic that now offers a Carplay solution for the LX (Grom also does that too, BTW). For those that aren't sure of the difference, I'll share that the VLine2 isn't dependent on your phone. It is a fully contained Android tablet-like experience running through your Lexus display.

While I remain thrilled with my Grom unit and use it everyday, there are some caveats that you should know about if you are considering a purchase. This is a very long post but I'm hoping it helps others.

The abstract to my follow-up is thus: I would highly recommend going forward with the Grom VLine2 installation provided that:

• You listen to internet radio AND
• Your daily commute would benefit from Waze, Google Maps, etc. AND
• You use a professional installer who a Grom dealer. Grom's website lists authorized installers AND
• You recognize and can deal with some limitations of an aftermarket device

If you only listen to internet radio and won't see the need to use Waze or other internet connect applications made for the car, I'll suggest that you simply stay with bluetooth streaming on the LX. As you'll see below, the journey that I've taken has involved some details that I didn't otherwise know when I had the Grom installed in November, 2018. I love it and I use it everyday - But I've also learned about the caveats of aftermarket solutions.

Installation:
As you'll see in my earlier posts, I had the unit professionally installed in my glove box and this paid back dividends later on. I also had an internet hotspot installed and mounted under the right-rear cover next to the vehicle jack (immediately to the right when you open the rear hatch). My installers ran a power line from the vehicle fusebox under the interior footplates of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle. So, I have no hanging wires or anything that would look unsightly. My installation ran about $1200 with the Grom unit included. I felt that this was peanuts compared with the potential to mess up the interior of a $100 K vehicle. The installers that I used were friendly but had never installed a Grom before. But they were willing to experiment with me to do the installation - You might need to be prepared for similar reaction. This install and the unit are somewhat exotic, it seems, even for Grom authorized installers.

A side point: Grom advertises that their unit will support both Android Auto and Apple Carplay, too. I've never tried this functionality as you need to connect your phone directly to the Grom unit. Plus, Android Auto/Carplay are dumbed-down UIs that really run off of your phone (Update: See my post down below - I have now tried this functionality and it works flawlessly). As shared earlier, Grom and Beatsonic both sell cheaper solutions if this is what you are looking for - For me, though, I didn't want to be dependent on my phone to run the unit. This is another reason why I had a hotspot installed with my vehicle.

What I like about the Grom unit:

• It works as advertised. I can control the unit through my vehicle controls and I have the best of both worlds - Lexus infotainment and with the press of the button - the functionality of an Android tablet as I roll down the road. Anything that you can do with an Android tablet can be done with the Grom, limited only to the controls of the Lexus to manipulate the apps on the screen.

• The Grom uses the vehicle microphone for voice commands. So, there is no need to run another microphone from the unit to a (likely) visible place to manage the unit.

• My installers shared with me that all of the Grom components (wires, jacks, etc.) are heavy-duty and automotive grade. This is important to me as I'm hoping that the until lasts a long time.

• I seem to have retained all other functionality on my vehicle. My installer warned me that the USB port under the Lexus console would be inoperable after the install. It isn't and wasn't - I can still use a USB key drive with the Lexus headunit and charge my phone through this port. I also confirmed that the rear entertainment system works too - one note: We don't use this system as we don't have passengers who watch DVDs (we have no kids) so I can't vouch for a deep assessment of this functionality after the Grom install.

Caveats to consider:

• Grom doesn't offer telephone-based support. All support is provided through email or through your installer/dealer. This is why you need a dealer - Grom does provide telephone support to dealer/installers. I get the sense that the company probably has less than 20 employees and they simply don't have the manpower to provide active help to end users.

• The Grom interface isn't 100% seamless with the Lexus interface. If this is important to you, then you may be dissatisfied. For instance, when you put the vehicle in reverse, the rear camera will fill most of the image on the headunit. Many times, when you put the vehicle back into drive, the screen won't refresh to the prior Grom interface. This can be easily rectified by switching back to the Lexus UI and then back to the Grom (or, in a pinch, simply pressing and holding in the power button on the Lexus headunit to reboot it). There are a couple of other minor issues like this that are common in day-to-day use. Another example: Phone calls come through my Lexus infotainment and the unit will switch to the Lexus UI when you are on calls and then change back to the Grom side when you are done. Most of the time. Sometimes, the unit won't switch back to the Grom UI and you'll have to move the infotainment mouse tracker to trigger the Grom interface to reappear. 95% of the time, you won't encounter these rough patches. If you need a 100% fit-and-finish UI experience, you should pass on the Grom.

• Grom issues regular OTA patches for its Android skin (called Dashlinq) and firmware for the unit. You'll find these updates in the System settings and you'll be tempted to upgrade. The Dashlinq updates are fine to apply - I have applied several and never had a problem and have been gaining additional features with each update - But you should never apply a firmware update to the unit. Why? Because unless Grom tells you to install the firmware upgrade, the firmware updates will likely brick your unit. How do I know? I bricked my unit with a firmware upgrade in April. I had to go back to the installer, have the unit removed and sent back to Grom. When I followed up with Grom via email about how the latest OTA firmware update bricked my unit, their response was, "yeah, that build wasn't very stable." They unbricked it at no cost but I was without the unit for about 3 weeks. This was a total hassle but I had a forgiving installer who also didn't charge me for the removal and reinstall. I guess everyone involved was interested in pleasing me, given that Grom installs are still so very rare.

See my update below in this thread and why I struck-through many of the comments that follow.

• The largest issue that I had, though, is an apparent issue with the Lexus factory headunit that the Grom unit seems to exacerbate a bit. With the Grom unit installed, I experience the regular appearance of what I call the "pink screen of death." About once every 4 months, I'll start up my vehicle and the headunit will display the following:

As the headunit runs the heads up display and display between the speedometer and tachometer, these displays won't work when the pink screen is visible. When this pink screen appears, it won't go away unless you know a simple fix (more below).

My Lexus dealer tells me that the Lexus headunit has a known firmware issue that gives other customers pink screens from time-to-time across their product range and they hope to have a fix in the next year. My speculation is that the Lexus headunit provides the display and other components with MAC addresses and the Grom unit might interfere with the internal network of the vehicle 2-3 times a year. That is, the pink screen means that the display isn't receiving a video signal or if one is coming through, it isn't reconciled to the MAC address of the display.

I can't say if the other Grom unit or the Beatsonic units are better or worse than the Vline2. But, as it is apparent, Lexus is really behind other automakers with providing a modern infotainment solution. As a result, I'm glad that there are solutions around for us to use so we don't have to settle for a lesser vehicle.

For me and even with the caveats that I've shared, the Grom completes the LX for me and I plan to drive it for as long as possible.

gromaudio

Weathertop, thank you for your thorough review!

Per the problem with pink screen and getting back to VLine, please contact our tech support at https://gromaudio.com/support.html They will send you the firmware up date that you can perform via USB.

Weathertop

I opened a ticket and referenced this thread. If my pink screen problems are resolved, I'll share the outcomes here.

gromaudio

That sounds good, thank you!

Weathertop

So, Grom emailed me an updated version of the Vline2 firmware with instructions on installing via a USB drive. I've installed this firmware on my Grom. This time around, the firmware update didn't brick my unit.

As I have been getting the pink screen of death only about 3-4 times a year, I'll update this post in the New Year with a report on whether I am pink screen free.

Paul B

It surprises me that the 2018 LX doesn't come standard with the Qi charger. I have a 2018 Land Cruiser and it is a standard offering.

Weathertop

It also surprises me that the LX has a manual release for the fuel door, when everything else is automatic or is built with convenience in mind.

You have to wonder why these choices were made on a $100 K vehicle.

Weathertop

Just an update - Since I tried an update offered by Grom in October, I haven't experienced the "pink screen of death." So, I updated my post above with strikethroughs. History is there, though, if you are having any problems with the unit.

Since the latest firmware update, I've been loving my experience with the Grom VLine 2 and can now recommend it without reservations.

Also, it has the most recent version of Carplay and Android Auto onboard, if you don't want to use your own wifi hotspot to offer it internet service. Here's a tip to enable Carplay that isn't documented and comes straight from Grom Support (activating Android Auto isn't necessary) - you'll need to connect your phone using the USB1 port on the unit and then follow the steps below:

To activate CarPlay on VLine do the following:
1. Click on greyed CarPlay icon
2. Click 10+ times on menu item where it says: Disabled