A client from San Jose recently dropped into California Car Sounds and Tint to inquire about upgrading the radio in his Toyota Highlander. The client owned an Android phone and wanted a radio that included Android Auto so that he could communicate safely while in the vehicle. At the same time, his wife used an iPhone and wanted Apple CarPlay. After inspecting the vehicle and demonstrating a few options in our showroom, we came up with a plan to integrate an Alpine iLX-F309 multimedia receiver into their vehicle.
Toyota Highlander Radio Upgrade Project
The Alpine iLX-F309, also known as the Halo 9, is a tablet-style digital media receiver that features a 9-inch touchscreen that is positioned in front of the radio body. This design mimics the radio installations in new Mazda, Mercedes-Benz and BMW vehicles and allows for a much larger screen than would normally be possible if we were constricted to the standard radio mounting location.
The iLX-F309 features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to allow the client and his wife to use the voice recognition features of their phones to perform functions while driving. They can send text messages, make phone calls, choose the entertainment options they want or get turn-by-turn navigation instructions from Apple Maps, Google Maps or Waze.
Aftermarket Radio Integration Components
After our installation team removed the factory radio from the dash of the Highlander, they mounted the chassis of the Alpine radio to the factory brackets and installed an iDatalink Maestro RR radio replacement and integration module into the vehicle. The Maestro RR provides connectivity with the radio control buttons on the steering wheel and the factory backup camera. The CAN bus connectivity allows the Alpine radio to display vehicle information like tire pressure, battery voltage and real-time vehicle information like speed, engine rpm, fuel pressure and more.
We finished off the radio chassis installation with a Metra dash kit that fills the space around the new radio chassis and blends seamlessly into the adjacent air vents. Finally, the technician installed the screen to the front of the Alpine radio chassis and adjusted the angle and spacing so that it looks great and is easy to operate from the driver’s seat.
Visit Campbell’s Car Audio Experts Today!
Once the radio installation was complete, we tested the functionality of the new system and brought the client to the vehicle to demonstrate how to use the new smartphone integration features of the Halo 9 radio. If you are in the Campbell area and are interested in upgrading the technology in your vehicle, drop by California Car Sounds and Tint and speak with one of our product specialists. You can also reach us by e-mail to schedule a personal consultation.
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