Thread: Android touch screen upgrade L320 RRS

Hey all, I dont know if anyone has installed an Android car stereo in a RRS L320 but thought i would give you the run down on my experience

I have a 2008 RRS 3.8l V8 with the Harmon Kardon stereo audio pack, its nothing too fancy and even with the standard subwoofer its not that great a stereo and the satnav/touch screen is too small and the maps havent been updated since it was made (to expensive to buy from Land Rover)
Original Stereo.jpg

After much soul searching i purchased an android "Tesla style" android head unit
They were selling on Ebay for around $1500 au but i managed to get it cheaper on Aliexpress (knowing full well it could be a problem)
Its designed for the L320 and says it fits perfectly without having to modify the dash, it only comes in gloss black so i have also purchased stick on covers for the outer two air vents so it matches in

When it finally arrived there is no instruction manual but a link to a video (which was all in Chinese) supposedly explaining how to install it
The video was crap to be blunt

It says seamless install without any modifications but if you have the original touchscreen/SatNav equipped then you will need to remove the mounting bar to install the stereo as it sits quite deep in the dash
Mounting Bar.jpg

I had to purchase an additional connection unit so it would be compatible with the Harmon Kardon amplifier (it uses a fibre optic to RCA convertor) but everything does actually plug in quite easily although it is a bit on the messy side

Messy Wiring.jpg

The actual unit is a bit of a struggle to mount back into the dash, it has the two air vents as part of the whole unit but you need to have the vents themselves held in place while you manoeuvre the whole unit into the dash, this can be quite difficult as they fall out easily if its not inserted with precision. that said once its actually home it does fit in quite nicely although the corners of the air vents are not quite flush

Android Stereo.jpg

The standard home page is very basic and the pastel colours make me gag so i have installed the CarwebGuru app which allows you to customise almost every aspect of the home page as well as use your own apps for GPS and music player, all the buttons on the unit work as well as the steering wheel button (which you can customise if you wish)

Its a much nicer look with the Carwebguru app and you can add logos and even an interactive model of your car which looks like you are driving through a tunnel when you drive the car
CarWebGuru.jpg



Additionally i have also installed a new subwoofer by disconnecting the wiring in the roof space of the boot and installing an amp under the boot floor with a 12 inch boxed subwoofer, had to run the power lead through the drivers side through a rubber gromet in the firewall then run the lead under the carpet edging to the boot.
Subwoofer.jpg

I have also installed a rear camera using the same wiring path, the camera mounts in one of the licence plate lights and i have to admin it looks like it was made to be there, i was actually pleasantly surprised when it not only worked simply by plugging it in but also worked when i put the car in reverse and it also shows the steering tracking out of the box.
Installed a front camera too seeing i was on a roll....it proved a bit more difficult and probably not as professional looking as the rear camera but it does work.

I did have one major problem however which took some creative thinking to solve (unless someone else has a better idea)
When inserting the key the unit powers itself up but i get no sound, i have to take the key all the way out (effectively turning it off) then put the key back and only then does the amplifier turn on and i get sound
After playing with the remote turn on and permanent power leads for the amp it seems that the only way for it to work was to start it up then power it down then turn back on again, nothing i tried could get it to work any other way
My "good friends' from aliexpress were effectively useless as expected but i knew that going in and seeing it saved me around 500 dollars i could live with it


Using an NE555 adjustable timer switch relay i was able to set the timer to turn the remote power amp lead off after 3 seconds then utilising another on turn it back on after 6 seconds

Adjustable timer switch relay NE555.jpg

This way by inserting the key it turns the amp off and on again and i get sound without having to take the key out every time i start the car


Overall i am happy with the unit although i was hopeful it would have been a simple install, the sound is actually amazing and i have had to turn the subwoofer all the way down (who would have thought you could have too much bass) With the Carwebguru app it can be customised to whatever i want and you can bypass the original home screen (which cant be changed otherwise)
I am still a bit annoyed about having to wait for 10 seconds before i start the car otherwise i get no sound but i suppose i can live with it. If anyone knows a better way to get the amp working I'm all ears

android updates are not really possible, unless the manufacturer releases an update or you can work out what chip device it is and see if someone has made a custom firmware (more of a phone thing though) XDA Forums is the place for everything in that regard.