Installing Ipod/usb Adapter On B9017 Sat/nav/hdd Head Unit

[Hoovie]

Difficulty - Medium

Time - About an hour

Tools - ideally a trim tool (but I actually used a modified bracket from a Billy Bookcase with tape to protect the car trim!),

10mm socket and suitable driver,

Introduction

This procedure will first cover the Physical Installation of the Product; and the second part will cover its use.

Physical Installation

This part will follow the fitting of the genuine Toyota interface, P/N PZ473-00267, which was purchased from Lindop Bros Toyota for use with a 2011 RAV4 SR fitted with the B9017 Sat-Nav/CD/HDD Head Unit

Different Head Units may need different adapters, and may have differing installation routines, so check with your supplier before purchase.

The Head Unit removal is the same on the latest RAV4.3.5 as in the first RAV4.3 so this post can also be referred to.

This is the method I used to remove the side trims ....

The 'trim tool' was put between the credit cards to protect the car plastics.

The kit comes with a cable from Head Unit to Controller; The Controller; Cable from Controller to USB/Aux Socket; and USB Socket. Other parts include some Ty-wraps and double-sided sticky pads.

The kit comes with a separate socket that incorporates both a USB Socket and an AUX (3.5mm) headphone type socket.

It maybe assumed that you would take out the existing AUX socket from the centre console and drop this one in its place. However, I did not do this for 2 reasons:

1) I prefer to have the iPod and its cable out the way, so intended to keep it in the Storage Compartment under the centre armrest

2) Even though the USB Socket has a AUX socket, the flying lead from it does not actually connect to anything I could find (the cable that goes into the existing AUX is not the same connection, and no compatible cable was supplied with the kit), so I thought it wiser to keep the existing AUX socket in place in case I wanted to use it

Very handily, there is already a place in the Storage Compartment for the USB Socket. This has a standard blanking plug that just needs pushing out and the socket put in its place.

Simply liftout the piece of 'cloth' and you will see the slight indentation which allows you to grip the mounting plate and pull out. It is quite a firm fit, but comes out quite easily. You will probably want to pull off the 12V Aux Power lead into the socket to make it easier to work.

The 2nd picture above on the right shows the blanking plate removed ready to accept the USB socket.

The 1st picture shows a iPod socket already in place (actually a different socket from a different kit that I had tried to fit a few days earlier!)

It is fairly obvious how it looks, but here is a clearer picture of the socket fitted from front and from the rear.....

Once in place, the iPod or the USB just connects like on a PC of course

For the iPod, I use one of the retractable leads that has a minimal USB plug to avoid gettng knocked, and for the USB, the very dinky little USB Memory Sticks are perfect for this kind of installation (the one you can just see plugged in is a 16GB stick)

The length of the leads in the kit means that if you fit the USB socket in the Storage Compartment, the Controller will need to be somewhere along the centre console area. I don't have any pictures, but I fitted mine behind the removable front piece of trim on the passenger side. With that trim back in place, the controller unit is very secure and protected against knocks.

To get the lead from the Head Unit to the controller, it is simply a matter of dropping the lead on the left side and allowing it to feed its way down. In a similar way the cable from the USB Socket to the Controller I just tucked behind the trim (I guess you could remove the trim and ty-wrap along the way, but I don't see the need myself).

The cable to the head unit plugs into the CD Changer socket (ringed below)

Once the connections have been tested, then the Head Unit can be bolted back in place and the side trims refitted but just pushing back in place.

The next post will cover how the kit actually works with the Toyota B9017 Head Unit

[Hoovie]

Using the iPod & USB on the B9017 Unit

iPod

I tried a Generation 5 (Apple Video iPod 30GB) and a Generation 6 (iPod Classic 80GB) on the Interface. Both Devices acted in the same way, so there seems to be no difference in that respect

The iPod connected without issues on every attempt. As is normal with this type of connection, the display reverts to a message like "connected" and the iPod controls themselves are disabled, so there is no value in having the iPod visible. I have not tried an iPhone on the unit yet, but will do so with a iPhone 3GS this evening.

The sound quality was good.

And this is where the positives tend to end now :o

As with previous generations of add-on iPod interfaces, the only selection of music is first by Playlist - From the Head Display, you can select only the first six, from the Steering Wheel control you can cycle up past 6. It seems once the playlists are exhausted by using the "UP" on the steering wheel , it goes into Album name and you then cycle up those in alphabetical order - Not that great if you fancy a bit of "ZZ Tops Greatest Hits"

Once in a Playlist or Album, you can do a direct Track Selection same as on the CD or HDD, which is good.

In the screen shot above the "Disc" is actually a Playlist Name

I tried for comparison playing an MP3 encoded CD and that worked great! You can select any folder in the CD by direct selection and any track in that folder by direct selection. Why the iPod interface - which appears as CDs in a changer effectively - cannot have the same level of control as is provided for an MP3 CD I do not understand and to be honest I see as an indication of laziness and lack of effort by the developers of this product, especially considering that out there in the marketplace are both aftermarket Head Units (I had a Kenwood as an example) and OEM Head Units (I had the Nissan Connect as an example) that had full iPod and USB Memory Stick Control when it came to audio track control and at a far lower price then the Toyota Solution.

The only reason I can see to have this iPod Adapter unit installed is if you want to play something that cannot be supported directly on the Head Unit as it stands - and the only example I can think of (and actually the reason why I looked at fitting this initially) - are Spoken Books in AAC format, which I have from Audible. Having said that, you could, if you have an iPhone or iPod touch connect via bluetooth, or connect via the headphone jack anyway; Also, I think the Audible books can be downloaded in MP3 format anyway (been a while since I was an Audible member) so the reasons for having the adapter diminishes further.

Conclusion:

Ease of Installation of Kit - 8/10 (not easy finding the good place for the controller box due to the limited length of supplied cables)

Quality of Implementation and Integration - 2/10 (not sure if I am being a little generous!)

Would I buy again? Not a chance.

[jedi134]

Nice write up , Seems to function exactly like this one http://www.xcarlink.co.uk/product.php?productid=29&cat=11&page=1

;)

Have to give toyotą credit for the usb/aux sockets though. But I'm sure I could source one similar from maplins for around 50p.

How much was that kit again?

Manufacturers in car sat navs are a rip off. You can buy an iPad to replace the lot and have everything you ever wanted and so much more.

Be nice to see a 7" tablet pc sat in its place.

[Hoovie]

Nice write up , Seems to function exactly like this one http://www.xcarlink....9&cat=11&page=1

;-)

Have to give toyotą credit for the usb/aux sockets though. But I'm sure I could source one similar from maplins for around 50p.

How much was that kit again?

Manufacturers in car sat navs are a rip off. You can buy an iPad to replace the lot and have everything you ever wanted and so much more.

Be nice to see a 7" tablet pc sat in its place.

Chances are it would indeed function the same (and the one you linked to is not as described either as that one does not offer "Full Control" either clearly) but I think the toyota one *may* do a better job of displaying the track names looking at the way the xcarlink is described.

Given the free choice, an aftermarket unit is very often a much better option both in functionality and price. I am not sure I would like to see a tablet in the place of the unit I have though - not if it were the Samsung Galaxy Tab anyway - that would have crashed 3 times before I left the driveway :censor:

[jedi134]

I could put up with a few system errors every now and then (not that I have experienced many) in exchange for some state of the art functionality. And hell of a lot cheaper too. (Unless someone put a Toyota sticker on the side of it of course ;) )

How much does it cost to update the HDD sat nav units to later maps? I belive this is now dealership only $$$$$$$$$$$$

My point being is you can for a £400 Ipad type device have soooooo much better technology and functionality than what seems in comparison an Old Manufacturers Branded Gramaphone device

[Hoovie]

My point being is you can for a £400 Ipad type device have soooooo much better technology and functionality than what seems in comparison an Old Manufacturers Branded Gramaphone device

If you want a good device, look no futher then the Kenwood - SAT/NAV(with free updates), FULL iPod Connectivity (including Video), FM/AM/LW, DVD/VideoCD, Rear Camera, bluetooth - £700

[jedi134]

Why are car manufacturers soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo behind the times with this type of kit

Never again will I buy a vehicle with Manufacturer inbuilt Sat Nav..........

Cheap state of the art Chinese Kack for me........

[rambler]

Don't even know what an ipod thingy is or what it does guess i'm just a bit old fashioned.

[jedi134]

It's a posh walkman ..... :D

[shcm]

Sorted the part number in the end then! ;)

So how does it handle stuff on the USB memory stick? Does it behave in exactly the same way as the ipod? Does it still use CD changer emulation for that as well?

What audio formats will it play off the stick (Does it play off the stick? or have I got the wrong end of the stick :D)?

Have you tried plugging in a hard disk caddy. i.e. is there enough supply current from the usb connector to drive it?

[Hoovie]

Sorted the part number in the end then! ;)

So how does it handle stuff on the USB memory stick? Does it behave in exactly the same way as the ipod? Does it still use CD changer emulation for that as well?

What audio formats will it play off the stick (Does it play off the stick? or have I got the wrong end of the stick :D)?

Have you tried plugging in a hard disk caddy. i.e. is there enough supply current from the usb connector to drive it?

USB Usage is similar to iPod in control, and access (as a CDCH Emulation) No playlists of course, but it treats each folder the same as a Playlist (and I will use the term 'Playlist' from now on) so in Folder A, the songs in that folder (and not in any Sub-folders) are in Playlist 1, Folder Z, which maybe a subfolder under Folder A could be Playlist 2, and so on.

Now the logic of which Folder is which Playlist is logical, but daft at the same time IMO .....

The first Playlist will be the Folder with the oldest creation date on the stick, the 2nd Playlist will be the 2nd oldest Folder, etc, upto 6 folders.

Given the limitation of the navigation, I have not, and do not intend to bother trying a HD Caddy as the higher the capacity, the more painful it would be and probably the more pointless :!Removed!:

I only have .MP3 files on my memory stick I think. I will probably try some other formats out of interest but still musing on the best way to manage my iPod and 16GB USB Stick within the limitations of the unit.

Not tempted by one are you

[jedi134]

Not tempted by one are you

Return it to the supplier with one of these enclosed ;)

With the Xcarlink one and this is only the sdcard/usbstick version, you can add up to 15 folders CD1,CD2,CD3........CD14,CD15 and within each folder you can store 99 seperate MP3 files, as long as your memory card/USB stick is big enough. so that 99 x 15 = 1485 seperate MP3 files.

The sat nav unit shows only CD`s 1-6, but using the up/down on the steering wheel I can cycle through all 15 cd`s

Only thing I dont like is there is no MP3 text support, on the mem card/USB version, but on the Ipod ver it does state Text support supported?

I also thought that the Toyota one would come with a proper Ipod docking cradle

Just my 5 shillings worth :D

[shcm]

Thanks Hoovie

Not tempted by one are you

No, I was just curious. I've seen VAIS system from the US, interfacing to units with a similar human interface, which shows a USB tab. See page 10 here:

http://www.multimedialinq.com/manuals/Manual_VML_v2010.pdf

Whether the thing is compatible with EU units though, I don't know. I just wondered whether Toyota one knew the difference, or whether it all looked like a CD-Changer. Now I know.

I've played with/hacked the control interface anyway and I think have enough data to probably build something similar (or better :)):

The number of playlists limited to 6 is, I expect, related to the number of disks in a real CD changer. I suppose they are trying to make the unit compatible with as many headunits as possible, but I'm fairly certain both this and the previous unit (B9004), can accept a changer with up to 12 disks. Well, I've certainly managed to convince both B9017 and B9004 units that a 12 disc changer is attached:

I could probably built something (I have most of the parts ready, just need to design PCB and software), but these days after doing similar things at work all day, I lose enthusiasm. Besides, I'm frutty as a newt cake already, it would probably tip me over the edge :D. I need about 2 weeks away, then the enthusiasm comes back, but usually by that time it's going back to work time :D. Maybe I'll get around to it one day :). Maybe not :).

[Hoovie]

Not tempted by one are you

Return it to the supplier with one of these enclosed ;)

With the Xcarlink one and this is only the sdcard/usbstick version, you can add up to 15 folders CD1,CD2,CD3........CD14,CD15 and within each folder you can store 99 seperate MP3 files, as long as your memory card/USB stick is big enough. so that 99 x 15 = 1485 seperate MP3 files.

The sat nav unit shows only CD`s 1-6, but using the up/down on the steering wheel I can cycle through all 15 cd`s

Only thing I dont like is there is no MP3 text support, on the mem card/USB version, but on the Ipod ver it does state Text support supported?

I also thought that the Toyota one would come with a proper Ipod docking cradle

Just my 5 shillings worth :D

no track names is pants and to much of a pain to be worth it - why have 1,485 tracks on a stick if you don't know the track name? pointless really.

Same for an iPod Docking cradle - the iPod becomes a disk store where the display and controls are no longer accessible, so no point in having a cradle - if there WERE a cradle, I would have not used it. I did have a iPod Cradle on another iPod interface jobby onmy RAV 4.2 with the stock head unit - it was an extra £35 or so and TBH it was pretty pointless as described above.

As far as 15 folders and 99 tracks per folder, actually the Toyota one exceeds that - unlimited folders and unlimited tracks, just you get direct access to the first 6 folders and the first 99 tracks, then it is a matter of cycling up to the rest.

So In essence, in fact, both are pretty poor implementations compared to what is out there and possible,

Anyway, had enough discussing which is worse - time to move on.

[jedi134]

Yep!! they are both kack.... when a cheap Chinese aftermarket unit will do all and so much more. :D

[anchorman]

That little Kia I had came with one of the best Ipod interfaces I've ever seen with all the track, artist, location number on the screen at the same time. I think some of the newer Toyota models are moving over so I guess the RAVs will get them soon.

[jedi134]

Courtsy of Mr BMW ;-)

[Paulscarbs]

On 07/01/2012 at 10:04 PM, shcm said:

Thanks Hoovie

No, I was just curious. I've seen VAIS system from the US, interfacing to units with a similar human interface, which shows a USB tab. See page 10 here:

http://www.multimedialinq.com/manuals/Manual_VML_v2010.pdf

Whether the thing is compatible with EU units though, I don't know. I just wondered whether Toyota one knew the difference, or whether it all looked like a CD-Changer. Now I know.

I've played with/hacked the control interface anyway and I think have enough data to probably build something similar (or better :)):

The number of playlists limited to 6 is, I expect, related to the number of disks in a real CD changer. I suppose they are trying to make the unit compatible with as many headunits as possible, but I'm fairly certain both this and the previous unit (B9004), can accept a changer with up to 12 disks. Well, I've certainly managed to convince both B9017 and B9004 units that a 12 disc changer is attached:

I could probably built something (I have most of the parts ready, just need to design PCB and software), but these days after doing similar things at work all day, I lose enthusiasm. Besides, I'm frutty as a newt cake already, it would probably tip me over the edge :D. I need about 2 weeks away, then the enthusiasm comes back, but usually by that time it's going back to work time :D. Maybe I'll get around to it one day :). Maybe not :).

I accept this is an old post.

have you sorted / created a unit for iPhone / iPod configuration yet? I'd be very interested in buying a suitable unit.