Alphapidge.... Thank you so much for your posts. Based on your information, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the unit from Alibaba for my 2010 RX350. Alibaba shipped quickly, overall a very smooth transaction. The new unit really seems to be good quality. I didn't need to get a screen protector, it came with 2 on it -- a "normal" one and a thick, shipping plastic.

Contrary to your experience, my backup camera did not work. Probably because my RX is the low-end model with the really crappy center console that's black & white. The backup camera on my RX is integrated into the rear-view mirror (which is horrible -- who can see a 1.8" screen for backing up?). I definitely will need to add an after-market camera, which means pulling the new head unit again. ugh (more on that later).

Also, I my available USB port is in the center console storage area, along with the AUX jack. I could *not* figure out how to access those cables to integrate with the new unit. How did you access those? Short of taking the whole center console apart, I don't know what else to do.

Did you have any problems with the environment controls? Mine are not working at all. I'm going to have to disassemble again to check out what I missed. Darn!

The VERY WORST part of the installation was putting in the new screen and its bezel. The problem was the plastic bracket attached to the back of the unit. I could not get it to latch into the clips at the top of the hole and the angle was all wrong for the bezel. I ended up having to craft my own up support bracket using some metal 90-degree angle pieces and a block of wood. After doing that I was able to get it all to fit correctly, but I wasted close to 2 hours trying everything I could think of before just crafting my own support bracket. I'll take some pictures when I disassemble to figure out the environment controls issues.

I was able to get my phone to connect via bluetooth and it remember my phone after turning the vehicle off -- that was the #1 reason that I wanted to replace the stock infotainment. It was driving my nuts!!

Thanks again for all of the information you've provided!

 

so is this unit worth it? i have factory navi on mine but i want android auto and don't see it worth while to buy a adapter that cost 500. I have a andorid aftermarket radio for my other car and it sounds so much better with the factory sub so i wonder if it'll do the same for my rx since i have the factory sub as well. Only thing i noticed on my other car it doesn't get very loud as it did with the stock headunit, is that the case with this one for the rx?

 

Yes, I absolutely think that it was worth it. But I'm coming from a different place than you -- my RX had the lowest end system. So, no navi or color screen. Also, my bluetooth seemed to always forget my phone so I would have to repair it every time, which at first was only a hassle, but eventually became such a pain in the a$$ that it was a deal breaker. Overall, I was SUPER surprised at the quality of the navihua unit - hefty, well built, and just... solid.
But there are NO manuals or instructions. You honestly done need much -- there are youtube videos for console disassembly and installation is pretty straight-forward. The wiring-harnesses are idiot proof - each only plugs into one thing, so there's no getting it wrong. The wiring-harness for the new unit is pretty idiot proof too - you can tell which area the connectors are supposed to come out of based on length (android unit it at the top of the console, there's about 18" of wire and then several connectors that obviously have to be to the stock unit, then several feet of wiring with several more connectors that obviously have to come out in the cup holder/joystick area.
Volume level is unchanged. The android-based unit basically operates by hijacking some of the inputs to the stock radio and seems to interface through the stock unit via the AUX input. The volume control of the stock unit control the volume and loudness seems unchanged. The "source" buttons on the stock perform the source selection. When you hit the AM-FM button the android unit displays the expected radio GUI. When you hit AUX the sound is sourced from the android unit - which works well for me because the bluetooth connection is now done via the android unit and not the built-in stock radio. It's really well done and pretty seamless.
I haven't installed an aftermarket backup camera yet. The new android unit didn't seamless takeover the backup camera in my RX, but that's probably because I have the lowest end RX that has the camera integrated into the rearview mirror, rather than into the center display screen.

 

Meyst, we also have a basic 2010rx,no nav, backup camera on the rear view mirror. I'm unclear based on your statements, does your backup camera on the rear view mirror still work? Just not displaying on the new head unit? Also did you get your HVAC controls figured out?
Does your phone navigation now pop up on the screen on the new head unit?
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The backup camera on the rearview mirror still functions exactly as before, it just doesn't display on the new head unit. This looks like it can be easily solved by adding an aftermarket camera. From my experience on my 2007 Lexus ES350, I'm not going to try to patch it into the existing factory camera because the factory camera operates on a 6V system (?!?!) and requires splicing of wires. It's much easier just to install an aftermarket camera.
I haven't had a chance to re-attack the installation to figure out the HVAC control issues. I'm planning on doing that tomorrow or the next day.
I'll have to ask my daughter about the phone navigation -- she's the primary driver, but I don't think she uses navi much if at all around town.

 

Could anyone post actual pictures from their cars or a video? Thanks.

 

how does it sound? doesn't seem worth it to me to spend 600 on a module to get android auto and for a little bit more this screen seems to be a great option if there aren't any issues

 

Bump for pictures of an actual working unit. Thanks.

 

sound pretty cool. Thinking of getting mine done. Don't know any place that do it in the Toronto area. I have a rx350 2015 with no Nav.

 

I’m thinking of buying a 2010 RX with the OEM Nav and based on the YouTube videos that I’ve seen isn’t the actual brains of the radio in the center console all the way in the back by the ac vents? This is very tempting as I really like the overall car except that screen looked dated back in 2010. It’s great that this mod works for the non Navi models as well since the mouse is useless anyway. If they came with the hood lighting that’s what I’d be looking to purchase but idk why Lexus made hids optional on a luxury vehicle. My work van a 2019 Ford Transit came with the tiny backup monitor on the rear view mirror as well. I installed a aftermarket Kenwood radio and what I did was I spliced into the video wires behind the mirror. I ran a piece of shielded 22/2 wire to the radio and put a rca connector with screw terminals on the end which plugged into the radio. The pain in the *** part was I needed to run a wire from the reverse wire circuit to the radio for it to detect the auto on feature as the oem camera on the Ford is also 6V and not strong enough for the radio to detect. When I shift into reverse I get the image on the screen and in the radio as well. I could of disconnected it at the mirror if it bothered me as well. On the mirror I don’t have any guidelines but on the Kenwood I do which is cool but strange.

 

The unit I bought actually included a joystick controller that installs into the middle console, just like the swankier models. It actually works really good - it acts as a joystick and dial and push button. I'll upload some pictures in the next couple of days. It's a pretty slick installation process, but there are NO instructions at all, but it's pretty intuitive for the most part. The unit comes with a wiring harness and two of the existing connectors plug into the wiring harness. The one non-intuitive install step is that you have to leave the existing ugly display plugged into the 24-pin connector. I removed it from it's big plastic box and stuck it up under the dash in the hole left behind by the removal. There is plenty of room. However, the environmental controls do not display on the new head unit and the new head unit does not control any of the environmental controls. Pictures coming soon! By the way, without having the old display screen plugged in, none of the environmental controls work and the SRS light will stay on all the time.
As far as the camera goes.... I'm installing an aftermarket, regular 12V camera ($30-35 on Amazon) just like I did on my ES350 (2007), since my ES also had a stupid 6V camera. The new camera has a better quality display, too. I tried for a awhile to find a backup wire, but there isn't one in the dash area. You might be able to intercept the cable that runs to the mirror, but I gave up and just decided to run a wire from a backup light since I'll have to run the RCA cable from the new camera anyways. I haven't finished installing the camera yet, but it's exactly the same process as what I did in my ES350.

 

Ok, here are some installation pictures.

Looking at the pictures chronologically.... the first one shows the old information display box -- you can see how big it is! The next 5 photos show my process of sizing it down to be as small as possible. I disassembled the plastic box and cut off all the protruding pieces. I covered the screen with a piece of cardboard to protect it. No one is ever going to look at it again, so it doesn't matter. The next photo shows what it looks like shoved up into the hole that was left by removing it; you can see that it easily fits. The foam on top is the 4G antenna that comes with the new head unit. I wrapped it in foam to protect it and just shoved it back in the hole also.

The next 2 photos show the custom support piece that I crafted out of wood. It's ugly, but I was impatient and no one will ever see it anyways. This serves to brace the new head unit. I tried and tried to get the plastic bracket that was attached to the new unit to work, but it just didn't -- it was the wrong angle and didn't mount to anything. I ended up taking it off and crafting this piece instead. The last picture shows what it look like once it's installed. The new head unit mounts right in front of it and this brace piece holds the new unit solidly so that it doesn't move.

I'll add some more photos in the next few days, but the finished install looks just like pictures that have been posted previously.

 

I can’t access the pictures but sounds fun! I love car audio/electronics mods. On the RX it shouldn’t be bad to run the cables. On my 2019 Ford Transit T250 cargo van the reverse circuit isn’t fused, and you can’t tap into the reverse bulb itself because the small draw will make the system throw a bulb out message. I had to tap into the trailer harness and run the cables in a loom underneath all the way to the front. That was not a grand ole time.

 

Sorry about that. I had to update my Google drive settings. Hopefully, it should work now.

Yeah, that sounds exactly like what I did on my ES350 for the reverse camera. Not too hard. The hardest part will be trying to fish the wires through the wire bundle near the rear hatch hinge. Ugh! Sometimes, it's the little things that are the worst.

 

Thanks for the great info! Just two questions :
1) Are you still pleased with the unit 6 months on?
2) When you say I have to go back and tell it to route my call through the car, or it will go straight to my cellphone… are you doing this on your phone itself or are you switching the screen back to the original factory side ?
Again thanks to everyone for all the great information!