Carplay? 2019 TRD

Hey all, I have a 2019 TRD off road. It came with all the upgrades shit like jbl speakers and leather seats but it doesn’t have car play and I know I’ve seen it in other 2019’s. Is there some sort of upgrade I can do or would I have to install new parts etc.?

Hope to sort it out without too much trouble. Thanks!

 

There is, but it costs $600-800. There is a module you'll need to plug in to the back of the head unit.

 

Is it something I can buy cheaper and install myself? Also, this is the only way?

 

There's no carplay on the radios before 2020, you'd have to go aftermarket head unit, or some sketchy Chinese dongle that's the price of a new radio

 

What I did but it's way more

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/pioneer-dmh-wc6600nex-information-thread.672425/#post-23620029

 

I haven't found anything cheaper than $600, and yes, you can do it yourself. It's very easy to do.

 

What’d that run you in all?

@OMGitsme

 

My understanding is that the vehicles which came with JBL are the harder ones to upgrade because of the built in amplifier. It requires different wiring/hardware setups.

I'd definitely check out crutchfield.com if you haven't already. They have a great part picker when you enter all your data and choose the setup you have. That way you can see what is required to go aftermarket and retain all controls.

If you are wanting to go the stock unit route I believe it's a bit more convoluted, again due to the JBL setup. The 2020/2021 JBL head units are not plug and play compatible with pre-2020 JBL trucks, so you have to purchase the head unit, the newer JBL amp, and harnesses. Can be done but not as straight forward. I just converted my 2019 to a 2021 head unit BUT I didn't have JBL so I just needed the head unit and one harness.

 

That is super helpful, thanks so much!

 

@Livinsofree - here is what I did:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/jbl-entune-2-0-to-entune-3-0-transplant.755012/#post-27242434

 

I am glad my 2021 Sport does not have the JBL system in it. It has car play of which I do not use or see any use for it.

 

Thank you!

 

I can't recommend the stock Carplay implementation. I have it in my 2021 and was really excited. It's sub-par; The connection rate is roughly 40% for me. Toyota blames Apple, Apple blames JBL, it's a mess and no one is going to fix it.

 

I couldn't deal with the stock radio any longer (JBL). Even the Bluetooth music connection was spotty. Often times, it would connect to my phone and I could start and stop the music on the Tacoma head unit, but the sound would only come out of my iPhone speakers. I would have to restart the truck to remedy the issue.

I also tried the Beat-Sonic CarPlay adapter. It "worked" ok. It created a lot of weird bugs that would pop up at random. Also, the audio from my phone playing through CarPlay adapter sounded like garbage. There was a popping noise. Beat-Sonic even sent me a new unit to try to remedy the issue. Still sounded like garbage. Also, receiving phone calls through the CarPlay adapter was also an adventure. You had to answer the phone, then immediately switch the source from the CarPlay back to the Bluetooth connection. It was a pain.

Just replace the head unit and be done with it. I replaced my head unit with the JVC KW-Z1000W. It made the stock JBL speakers sound 100% better. Best upgrade I have made. Toyota makes a great truck, but their tech is buggy and about 5 years behind everyone else.

 

Did you have to replace the amplifier like other folks said? Thanks for the response

 

No. There are wiring harnesses that are made specifically for the JBL Tacoma that makes it all connect seamlessly. Just hook the wiring harnesses up correctly and plug it in, and you are good to go. I installed mine myself and I am by no means a professional car anything. It took me longer than it probably should have, but I was intentional and cautious at every step so I didn't have to pull anything back out. "Measure twice, cut once."

 

I saved up and bought the stinger heigh10 with the Tacoma install kit. It is expensive but it is worth every penny. I added a front camera as well. I absolutely hated the stock headunit. Never used it. I installed the stinger myself. Just watched a few videos and follow the step for step. I now have my Taco exactly the way I have been imagining. I bought her right before I retired and call her my forever truck. Plan on keeping her for over 10 years. Cool thing about the install kit is it’s all plug and play. If I needed to switch back the headunit. It would take me 10 min at most.

 

As a builder, I hear ya! Thanks for that info, sounds like the route for me. Could you possibly send me the links to what I need? I’m not much of a car anything guy either..

 

Honestly, Crutchfield does a great job making sure you have everything you need if you want to install the unit yourself. I didn't buy my head unit from them, but I did get all the wiring harnesses and the Maestro (keep your steering wheel controls, among other things) unit from Crutchfield.

 

I've been looking at the Stinger HEIGH10 for my 2020 taco. The usb/appleplay has stopped working on my stock unit, it's slow, and overall it just kinda sucks. That $1500 price tag tho...