What have you done to your Tacoma today? 1st Gen Edition

I’m assuming you’re referring to the IPT mod? Considering how easy this was I can’t get over their price tag of doing essentially the same exact thing. Especially since the user is doing all of the dirty work. It’s more or less highway robbery . I called them once and explained that I had a TRD S/C and the A340E and was told I had less than 6 months for trans failure if I didn’t do it.

EDIT: also, this isn’t s race car with tons of power added. It like 70hp more...

 

use what the pros use...vasoline.

 

If you guys aren't running an inline filter, do yourself a favor and get one. Wix makes a good one (pn 58964, among other sizes)

 

I thought about it before. Guess I’ll visit NAPA and get them to put on in order for me. Thanks.

 

To answer both of you (and others that care): CarPlay has been out since 2014. Overall it sucks. I upgraded my shit OEM speakers about a year and a half ago hoping that I could listen to podcasts (voice) on road trips and actually have some more clarity and hear what people were saying. It helped some but not a lot. I didn't bother upgrading the head unit because I hate all the flashing, RGB LED bullshit seizure party ones. I was visiting a friend a few weeks ago and he kept giving me shit for not buying a new head unit when they are so cheap these days so I spent some time researching CarPlay units since I have been thinking of spending way too much time/money putting an iPad mini in or next to the dash for mapping while on road trips.

The head unit itself with 20W RMS output is a HUGE improvement over the stock stereo. I am 100% happy with the audio improvement. The physical volume knob is WORTH THE SMALLER SCREEN.

CarPlay itself: I have an iPhone 6 PLUS that has been crashing due to non-Apple battery and almost full storage. This head unit launches quickly after turning on as well as from unplugging/replugging the phone to the USB cable, so points for that.
Spotify is missing critical features that I think are no-brainers like SEARCHING for content through the head unit. No. You can only view playlists and content you have saved (artists/albums/songs). When you are playing a playlist, you can not view the track list. There are ambiguous icons on the head unit that don't give feedback when you click on them, so I'm not sure what they did.

It seems like Apple has excessively enforced the thought that you should interact as LITTLE AS POSSIBLE with CarPlay and get off your phone, so it feels like the interface and features are stuck about 8+ years behind what is possible for a good experience.

Google Maps during daylight (no headlights/parking lights - aka dimmer input) has such low contrast that you can't see roads with the angle of how the unit mounts in the 1st gen trucks.
Waze is a little better, but I think Waze sucks in general.
Apple Maps - same issue as Google Maps.

Messages - you can ONLY interact with Siri. The unit does not display text messages - it only displays the list of people you have messages with. So, for me, since I'm in/out of cell service a lot, Siri is COMPLETELY USELESS.


So, for the price I paid for a "Scratch and Dent" which only had the plastic bag on the user manual opened up - $260 shipped with Metra Toyota harness, was cheap enough that I'm not going to bother returning it.

For the rest of y'all... There were almost a DOZEN new CarPlay aftermarket head units announced at CES last month with WIRELESS CarPlay integration. I'd wait until summertime when these hit the market and this unit and others drop in price.

 

Well that sucks. That's my main reason to stick to droid based head units. Mines been flawless for podcast and phone. Didn't go double din, no point cant see the screen.

 

I rented a 2019 ram 1500 with the CarPlay. I loved it. It was all right there, phone calls and maps. I don’t need to see texts, at least I don’t think I do. The only other thing I want is to able to display an OBD2 app on screen.

The location does suck, but one dude did replace the climate control to the bottom to have the screen in the middle. That would be better. It would be ideal for it to be up top with the vents to the side.

The one thing I liked about that song is that it has a knob. Any unit that does not have this is garbage by default. No way am I going to try and control volume with a touch screen or little buttons off to the side.

But I’ll wait and see, it’ll be a while before I can get one anyway. Thanks!

 

When I hook up the rear cam, it will be helpful when my parents visit and I give them the truck. Otherwise, it's only ok. I may still pursue writing my own navigation app to run on the head unit that compensates for the lack of contrast as well as providing way better content like USFS MVUM, BLM maps and such. Do you think anyone would pay for that app?

 

I could make both of these happen... I have access to a full machine/manufacturing/3D printing shop and have thought of moving it up myself. There is a lot of empty space behind our dash that would allow for this to happen and the 2001-2004 models have fully electronic climate control units with enough slack in the wiring to allow for moving it down. It would require a whole new black trim piece as the climate control area is wider than the stereo spot. Doing some sort of vacuum mold would allow re-routing the air ducting to wider or lower spots for those center vents and get the head unit up high and at a good angle that points towards the driver for best viewing angle and contrast... It'd be a pretty large project though with all the measuring, prototyping and such. That guy that eventually sold his custom iPad insert was listing it for over $300 and I assume it was just a piece of custom fiberglass that probably didn't even have clips to hold it to the dash properly and would fall off the first trip I made to Death Valley and hit the washboards...

 

Now I’d pay good money for that! An apple car play OBD2 app would be nice too since you can make shit happen.

 

If you price it right, you'll make some money. I wouldn't pay big money outright. Maybe stagger levels. You know the basic, then the premier. Get'em both ways..lol

 

Yeah, the problem is that I have too many other things going on and this isn't a priority. It's "good enough" in my truck right now, so I care more about changing the oil, installing the AAL, selling the bedliner/installing the BedRug first. It would be a fun project though to use the waterjet to make new brackets, 3d printer to make some test pieces and then some molds ...

 

If I could get CarPlay up top and have the PLX DM-6 screens (without the stupid LED sweep thing) in a slim mount right in front of the cluster I’d be in business. That’s something I might try myself with zero knowledge of electronics. Just need to blow the $80 on a DM-6 gauge knowing full well I could ruin it. I saw a guy somewhere else that mounted justvtgevDM-6 screen in his rear view. Pretty cool.

 

Always do maintenance first. Then you can play. But waterjet is kickass..as is 3d printing. Lucky guy to have access to that..

 

If the bed rug goes up the sides id be interested. Most I’ve seen just lay in the bottom. They used to make one that takes up the whole bed but not the rails.

 

Yep, this is the real deal. Full BedRug liner and not just the mat. I have been looking since I bought my truck almost 5 years ago and finally picked up on a few months ago. It needs some stitching fixed and all new velcro/adhesive to stick to the bed. Want my OEM plastic bed liner?

 

If anyone has any electronics experience I’d be grateful if you could offer some advice.

I have the PLX DM-6 with boost and AFR modules.

1. The screen is hit or miss on turning on. Half the time only the sweeping LEDs and not the screen. Then I have to unplug and reinsert a few times so the screen will work too. Seems to work better when it’s warm outside.

2. If I’m displaying boost it’s always flashing 13.6Psi no matter where I am I. Boost or vacuum. It’s weird. No vacuum leaks, it’s an electrical issue. Probably because it’s all plugged in via add-a-circuit.

 

I misread. I thought you were selling it. Lucky you found it. And yes I’d take the plastic over the bullshit that was sprayed in my bed. But I need local since it’s loo large and pricey to ship. Thanks though.

 

OEM is pretty affordable. I think I paid $20 each side. I used to have 3rd Party Dorman straps, but they never fit right.

 

That truck looks awesome!