When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Carpuride Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Installation (2005 Acura TL Base)
I. Introduction
Since posting a few pictures on social media, many people have been reaching out to me and requesting that I detail my Carpuride W701 installation. Firstly, I’d like to thank everyone for their patience. I spent a few months simply enjoying this unit before placing my 2005 Acura TL into storage last week. I also experienced a few hiccups along the way that I needed to sort out before documenting this process.
Please keep in mind that this thread is more or less a way for me to document my personal journey and is not necessarily a full write-up. However, I will be sharing all of the knowledge that I obtained throughout this process in addition to providing more than enough pictures so that anyone can tackle this project themselves. Before diving in, here are a few teasers:
II. Backstory: Nexus 7 Journey
To start, you must know that I spent years (you read that right, I said years), experimenting with my Nexus 7 retrofit. Despite countless tablet configurations, each method that I endeavored failed to meet my expectations. I could write a novel detailing all of my frustrations, but essentially the final straw that broke the camel’s back was a lack of reliability. Each of the micro solder connections that I needed to function properly continued to break throughout everyday use. This ultimately led to my decision to scrap the project completely. Below are a few pictures that outline my final setup before throwing all of these parts into a storage box.
III. New Life: Portable CarPlay Units
Shortly after I made the decision to abort my Nexus 7 retrofit, I came across a Facebook marketplace advertisement for a portable Apple CarPlay/Android Auto unit. At the time, I didn’t know much about these tablets, but I began researching and quickly discovered that most units offered two of my most desired features from my Nexus 7 project.
1) Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
2) Reverse Camera
IV. Deciding on Portable CarPlay Unit
The main reason these units exist is to incorporate Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, but I saw a drastic difference in price, ranging anywhere from $79 - $349. As I researched further, I became overwhelmed and realized that there are a lot of subtle differences. Being the detail-oriented accountant that I am, I prepared an Excel sheet that summarized the key features of each unit to help me make my decision Below is a screen shot of that file. *If you’d like a copy of the file, please message me and I’d be happy to share it with you.
A. General Options
2. Flat Screen
Because my intention was to install a unit where the OEM navigation screen was previously mounted, I wanted to find a unit that was assembled with a flat screen and didn’t have an external plastic lip on the front face.
Carpuride: The face of the W701 is one smooth plastic piece. This allowed me to mount the unit flush against the back of the navigation bezel, which was heavily modified during my Nexus 7 installation. Pictures will be provided later.
3. Plain Bezel
I wanted a unit that did not have any external lettering, such as the words “Mic” or a company logo sandwiched between the capacitive touch screen components. This would help retain the OEM look that I was striving for.
Carpuride: Originally, this was the biggest downfall of Carpuride. Their units come assembled with a “Carpuride” logo embedded in between the capacitive touch screen glass and sensor. A lot of other manufactures follow this approach given they use the same Chinese manufacturing company for their internal components. This reason alone is what held me up the longest with making my final decision.
However, I contacted their customer service team and they were so kind. They allowed me to customize my order and made me two units with no “Carpuride” logo. Because I had to order these custom units directly from Carpuride (and not Amazon), which led to a lead time of several weeks as opposed to a few days.
4. Quality Touch Screen
Having a high-quality capacitive touch screen was extremely important to me. As you can imagine, I found that not all screens are created equal and some are much more difficult to use.
Carpuride: Out of all the units I tested, Carpuride had the best functioning capacitive touch screen. While it didn’t have the absolute best resolution (it was second best to Philosin), it was by far the most responsive.
5. Input Location
Some of the more expensive units are assembled with PCB boards mounted in such a way that the input locations are offset from the edge of the unit. In order to get any of these 7.0” units to fit into the factory navigation bezel, this feature was critical. Otherwise, having cables stick out on the side would make the unit too wide, prohibiting it from fitting altogether.
Carpuride: Regardless of size, it is my understanding that all of their units come equipped with this offset feature. For users who plan to mount these units externally, maybe on the dashboard or windshield, this feature is great for cable management and hiding unsightly cords.
6. Custom Boot Logo
I found that some units offered the ability to update the startup screen with a custom boot logo.
Carpuride: All users have to do is email Carpuride’s sales department with an image they’d like to use. The sales team will then create a custom background .bin file, which can be uploaded to the unit via a USB flash drive. The email that is provided includes all of the necessary instructions required to make this process extremely easy.
During my testing phase, I created very precise backgrounds In GIMP, using the exact resolution settings (1024 x 600). I dabbled with a few different options, but ultimately settled with choice #3.
8. Processing Speed & Reliability
As I tested various units, I found that most of the cheaper units took a long time to boot and even longer to connect to my phone.
Carpuride: In terms of boot speed + phone connection speed, Carpuride took the victory. Some units booted faster, but took much longer to wirelessly connect to my iPhone. Others booted very slow, but connected to my iPhone quickly once the unit was on.
In the five months that I have been using my Carpuride unit, I can only recall one time that the device froze an had to be restarted. Otherwise, it has proven to be extremely reliable in both 90+ degree summer heat and 20- degree winter chills.
7. Price
As I stated previously, the price range varies anywhere from $79 - $349. This wasn’t’ a huge factor for me as my focus was 100% on quality.
Carpuride: This company offers so many discounts and coupon codes if you watch their website and/or social media. Originally, I purchased my customized W701 units (with backup camera) for $209.99 in May 2023. In August 2023, I purchased the W701 (Pro) for only $162.00/unit (No backup camera).
9. Customer Service
Quality customer service is extremely important to me and I communicated with a few different companies. Most of them were based out of China and were fairly responsive.
Carpuride: I have probably 30+ emails back and forth with Carpuride and it never takes more than 1-2 business days to receive a response. Capuride’s customer service is unmatched. I’d recommend them to anyone!
Last edited by wusty23jd; Dec 22, 2023 at 01:40 PM.
1. Wireless Connectivity
Being able to connect my iPhone without a lightning cable was imperative. Some units only allow users to connect their phones through the built-in USB port.
Carpuride: The W701 model comes equipped with wireless connectivity and pulls up Apple CarPlay immediately once the connection is verified.
2. AV In (2.5mm)
AV in is simply just a 2.5mm jack that allows the unit to receive a composite RCA signal from a backup camera. Most units have this feature.
Carpuride: They offer the ability to purchase the unit with or without a backup camera. The non-backup camera units still have this input feature. The only difference is that buyers simply won’t receive the necessary cords nor Capuride’s own backup camera. However, one can still be installed and used without any issues.
3. External Microphone (3.5mm)
Every unit that I researched came equipped with a built-in microphone to receive voice commands, which makes sense give the goal of these units is to have a “hands free” experience.” There is often a small hole on the front face of the unit, which makes it easier to retrieve sound waves. However, most units do not offer an external microphone input option.
Because I planned to install my unit within the factory navigation bezel, I wanted to keep utilizing my external microphone, which I installed nearly 8 years ago during my iSimple installation.
Carpuride: No additional information to share.
4. USB
Every unit comes equipped with a USB input option. However, units with wireless capabilities allow the USB port to remain free so that a flash drive can be installed if desired.
Carpuride: No additional information to share.
5. Steering Wheel Controller (SWC)
Because these units are not meant to replace a factory radios, OEM steering wheel controls will not work unless the dual-Bluetooth feature is used to pair the device (more on that later). At the time of this post, only one brand offers an external steering wheel controller. Any guess who that is? Yeah, it’s Carpuride.
Carpuride: Shortly after I made my original decision to purchase the Carpuride W701, Carpuride started advertising units with an optional steering wheel controller.
First, I emailed Capuride’s customer service department to inquiry if the SWCs would be compatible with my units. The team requested that I provide the product information and software version. While it was determined that my unit wasn’t ultimately compatible, the team proceeded to email me the appropriate software upgrade file to root via USB. Like I said, their customer service is absolutely outstanding!
Second, while the SWCs weren’t offered as a standalone product to purchase on their website, the Carpuride team made an exception and allowed me to purchase a few separately. They provided me with their PayPal information and within a few weeks, I received a controller. More to come on that near the end of this thread...
C. Output Options
1. Auxiliary (3.5mm)
Most units come equipped with a 3.5mm auxiliary output jack. This output option offers the best audio quality and is the option I desired. My goal was to connect this unit to the iSimple device that I already had in my vehicle and route the cable behind my center console.
Carpuride: This option produces the best sound quality.
2. FM transmitter
Most units offer the FM transmitter feature. While this is a nice feature for many (due to the lack of cords) the audio quality is always staticky. There wasn’t much difference in the quality between each unit.
Carpuride: This option is functional but has static, just like a normal radio station.
3. Built-in Speaker with On/Off Capabilities
Most units come equipped with a built-in speaker, but not every unit contains the option to turn it on/off. If a user plans to connect the unit to a vehicle’s audio interface, it makes sense that turning off the cheap built-in speaker would be a desired feature.
Carpuride: Having the ability to turn the built-in speaker on/off allowed me to troubleshoot some of the audio problems that I experienced.
4. Dual-Bluetooth
Each unit that comes equipped with wireless capabilities has the ability to receive a Bluetooth signal. However, not all units have the ability to remit a Bluetooth signal to be received by a vehicle’s audio system. This feature is referred to as “dual-Bluetooth.”
During my research in the spring of 2023, dual-Bluetooth capabilities were not offered on any product. However, this feature started to be offered later in the summer. Like I said, these units are still quite new, so I expect a lot of new technology to be added over the next few years.
Dual-Bluetooth is a nice feature for a few reasons. Firstly, for anyone who likes cord management, a Bluetooth connection eliminates the need for an ugly auxiliary cord. Secondly, Bluetooth connections often display audio information on the OEM radio screen and/or sub display (track, artist, album, etc.). Thirdly, and probably most importantly, it allows users to maintain their steering wheel controls.
At the time of this post, I believe 1 or two brands offer dual-Bluetooth options.
Carpuride: Unfortunately, my experience was terrible. For whatever reason, the audio signal being remitted from these devices is extremely janky and slowed down by 50% speed. Additionally, while the steering wheel features “worked”, every time I hit the skip button, the unit would continue skipping through songs at a rapid speed until I manually touched the PLAY button on the screen to get the unit to stop.
I think this feature is still quite new, so hopefully the bugs work themselves out over time. Additionally, this feature is only available in the Pro models.
Last edited by wusty23jd; Dec 22, 2023 at 01:48 PM.
D. Screen Protector Options
I like to take care of my possessions, so finding a unit that offered some sort of protection was important.
Unfortunately, I didn’t find a singular brand that offered their own screen protector for purchase. However, I did find a few companies that manufactured and sold a “Carpuride” W701 screen protector. Keep in mind that most of these 7.0” units are built by Chinese manufactures and come with the exact same screen shape, so I figured these protectors would work even if I decided to go with another brand.
1.Boxwave (Trash!)
My first purchase was the Boxwave ClearTouch Anti-Glare Screen Protector (i.e. matte):
Although not advertised on their Amazon advertisement, these protectors contain a microphone hole cutout. Unfortunately, the hole location was not correct, so I contacted Boxwave through Amazon’s customer service and shared some pictures of the screen protector. Boxwave offered to correct the hole cutout or refund my money. I told them that I had planned to use an external microphone, so I asked if they could simply send me screen protectors with no hole cutout. They agreed to do so and I received new screen protectors at no cost.
Supposedly, their advertised “glueless” adhesives system allows users to re-use their ClearTouch screen protectors. However, I couldn’t even get these screen protectors to stick to my unit initially. I contacted customer service again and didn’t really receive any tips, but rather they told me that they would refund my money.
*As an aside, my assumption is that ScreenShield may have updated their products since originally posting the BROTECT screen protectors on their website. I actually received the Optic+ Anti-Glare product. If you refer to the below hyperlink, you will see all of their Carpuride options and understand what I mean.
As advertised, ScreenShield’s screen protectors are originally manufactured with a microphone hole cutout. Unfortunately, when I received my products, the hole was just a bit off center. Similar to how I navigated with Boxwave, I emailed ScreeShield’s support team to see if a correction could be made. I was connected with an individual named George and I asked if he could make me new screen protectors without a microphone hole. George got back to me within a day, notifying me he’d provide me with free replacements. You can’t beat that level of care!
As you will see in the below images. The overall fit of the screen protector is very good. It covers much better than Boxwave screen protectors and without the microphone hole cutout, you can hardly tell it’s there!
*Images below were simply a test fit. I did not install the screen protectors yet
When the time came for installation, I was shocked at how easy the it was. Using the application cloth and plastic card that ScreenShield provided, I was able to install my screen protectors without any bubbles on the very first try! When the Capuride unit is installed in my car, you can’t even tell there is a screen protector on there. This satisfied my desire to have a true OEM look.
While I like the functionality of matte screen protectors (reduction glare and zero fingerprints) the resolution of the Carpuride unit was a bit reduced/grainy. This is one of the tradeoffs you get when you purchase matte screen protectors, so I emailed George and thought I’d give the clear version a try.
Therefore, my third purchase was the ScreenShield BROTECT AirGlass Screen Protector:
Product received:
Optic+ Nano Glass Screen Protector
Similar to my other applications, this went without a hiccup. If you’re looking for any sort of screen protector, check out their website and tell them I sent you.
Now that you know the reasons why I chose my Carpuride W701 unit, I will take you through my installation method. My installation required a great deal of time, resources, and patience. I know that I went quite above and beyond what Is practical, but for me, it was 100% worth the effort to maintain my OEM look.
Below is a picture that outlines my current and future layout plans:
Base model TLs do not come equipped with a sub-display for HVAC and Radio controls. This feature was only available for navigation models. Therefore, in order for a third party tablet to be installed, I had to either:
1) relocate my OEM radio and HVAC screens – Do not get me started on this I had so many trials and errors during my Nexus 7 retrofit.
2) install an OEM navigation system so that I could use the navigation sub display screen.
I went with option 2.
I won’t detail this process given the complexity of what needs to be done and there are separate threads on it already. However, please note that I was only able to finish this conversion with the help of the famous Martin Pan, who makes custom navigation wiring harnesses.
After communicating with him for nearly 8 months, he told me that he no longer wishes to provide this service, so I will respect his wishes and not share his contact information. If you’re savvy enough, you can probably find his information online.
Rather than simply using the cigarette power adapter that came with my Carpuride unit, I decided to hardwire the unit to my interior fuse panel with a timer delay. This makes the assembly completely hidden and also allows for a 3 second delay while the vehicles engine turns over. Heavy draws of power during the ignition process can cause unnecessary wear and tear on tablets, so a timer delay seemed like an obvious choice.
The first mounting method that I attempted was that I sandwiched the Carpuride unit in between the OEM avigation board and the back face of the navigation plastic bezel.
In order for the Carpuride unit to sit flush, the navigation bezel had to be modified significantly. I had to Dremel off all of the little tabs and intrusions with lots of test fitting. Fortunately for me, I had already completed this process in 2019 when I started my Nexus 7 retrofit.
Additionally, the OEM navigation boards have to be re-mounted. This is because the OEM screen is removed and the screen’s bracket has mounting holes. Re-mounting the PCB boards required some careful repurposing of some fasteners and silicone washers that I made out of vacuum caps.
After completed both of these steps, it came time to mount the tablet. Below are a few images of my first attempt:
As you can see, the Carpuride unit was much thicker than the OEM screen, so it didn’t fit hardly all. Therefore, more modifications were required to make the unit thinner
1.Unit Disassembled
I accomplished this by removing all of the backing screws and gently prying the unit open with tablet plastic pry tools.I also had to unscrew the PCB boards that were attached to the back cover.
2. Bluetooth Receiver Relocated
I had to peel up the antenna, which was stuck with adhesive and relocate it to a more functional location.
3. FM Transmitter Relocated
The antenna’s cable was a very thin piece of copper wiring, which was glued to the back cover. I had I had to scrape off the glue.
I broke the wiring during the process, so I ended up soldering a new wire to the antenna instead at FMANT connection on the PCB board.
4. LED Indicator Light Removed
I unsoldered the light and cut off the black housing. This removed some of the height.
5. Capacitor Relocated
I had to unsolder the 90-degree elbow leads from the capacitor and extend it out 180 degrees to make the unit thinner.
6. Covering Fake Power Button Hole
As I stated previously, many of these companies use the same Chinese manufacturers for their internal components. With the back cover removed, light could be seen through a hole in the plastic, where I assume a power button can be installed. As such, I covered this with a small piece of furniture pad foam. Even with the foam, the hole could still be seen.
7. Cutting
I also had to cut the extra solder leads from the OEM navigation board. As I sated, this unit is thick, so every mm counted.
Here is the final result before installing the OEM navigation board on top.
Below are a few pictures that depict how the entire unit looked assembled before going into my TL.
While it looks good in pictures, the OEM navigation board and Carpuride were under a lot of stress. They were pushed together extremely tight and it actually showed pressure spots on the screen. This ultimately led to my biggest issue.
After only a few drives, my Carpuride unit stopped working and I saw smoke coming from my dash. My HVAC controls stopped working, my radio went out, and so did most of my interior lights. Fortunately, I was pulling into my driveway when this occurred so I was able to quickly turn off my Car. I began smelling burning rubber and disassembled my dash quickly. After about 20 minutes, I was able to identify that the source of my issues was coming from behind the Carpuride unit.
That little black box on the back of the Carpuride PCB board was scorching hot. It got hot enough that it burned my OEM navigation board and melted several electrical components.
When I re-installed my old navigation screen, nothing was working so I purchased a replacement navigation board. When I received the new board, the system was working, but it was quite sporadic and the screen was now green. If I moved some wiring harnesses around, I could sometimes get the screen to turn back to normal. However, it wasn’t consistent, so now I had to diagnose which wire came lose (a whole separate problem.
Long story short, I actually found an issue with two of the wires form Martin Pan’s navigation harness. The pins were broken, so I had to fix them, which I accomplished with a new radio harness from a Type-S radio that I pulled from the junk yard.
Wohoo! the navigation screen was back to normal!
Last edited by wusty23jd; Dec 22, 2023 at 02:56 PM.
After discovering that the Carpuride unit was too thick and could not be installed with the OEM navigation board, I decided that the only logical option would be to install the Carpuride unit by itself, giving it more room to vent properly.
I forgot to take pictures of this step, but I essentially centered/ the unit inside the navigation bezel by cutting and sticking furniture pads along the edge of the bezel. Then I drilled four holes in the back of the OEM metal casing, so that I could install 4 bolts with vacuum caps. I also cut out a section on the backside of the metal casing so that the cords could feed through more easily.
I installed a Carpuride unit in my wife’s 2007 Acura RDX as well. Below are a few images of that setup, which is the same process that I described above:
Last edited by wusty23jd; Dec 22, 2023 at 02:56 PM.
Now, in order for this method to be successful, I had to find a new way to install the OEM navigation board. The solution that I came up with was to make custom extension cables and re-route the navigation board to my glove box.
Using lots of spare cables and PCB connectors that I gathered from the salvage yard, I did exactly that. Now I have the option to plug in that OEM navigation screen when needed for any sort of troubleshooting.
Last edited by wusty23jd; Dec 22, 2023 at 02:55 PM.
When I was modifying my TL for my nexus 7 project, I installed a reverse camera. However, I will be replacing this with the camera that I documented in my layout.
I have a tiny rust bubble forming on the lip of my trunk lid, so this setup is temporary. When I purchase a new trunk lid, I will be installing a 2007-08 license plate trim that comes equipped with the OEM cutout for a reverse camera. I have a few spares in storage. I just haven’t gotten around to installing them.
I mentioned earlier that I wanted to use my external iSimple microphone. For several years, I had that microphone clipped to my sun visor. However, moving forward with the goal of maintaining a 100% OEM look, I decided to purchase a different microphone that fits the same shape and contour of the OEM microphone in the map light bezel. I spliced and added a JST connector to both ends for an easier installation.
Because the Carpuride unit is mounted behind my dashboard, I don’t have the access to the unit’s power button. Therefore, I wanted to add an external button in case I needed to restart the unit or if I wanted to turn it off while driving. To accomplish this, I decided to route some wiring from the cigarette power adapter to a toggle button in the lower cubby compartments.
During this step, I decided to add two more buttons:
First toggle Button: On/off power button for Carpuride
Second Toggle Button: Reset button fir iSimple device
Third Toggle Button: Unused for now
While the lower cubbies were apart, I also decided to re-route my iSimple Aux and USB cords. I implemented this setup in my wife’s 2007 Acura RDX quite some time ago and it gives it a nice OEM look.
You may notice that I had to install a water bottle cap to be used as a washer. The nut that holds the aux/usb port in place kept hitting the cubby because it was so tall.
My future plan is to hardwire the Carpuride SWC and remap my HandsFreeLink buttons.Below are a few pictures of tests that I performed when I opened up the controller and tested the step down converter.
To clarify, I'd like to share the following hyperlink, which should be used if anyone would like to order a custom W701 screen protector (i.e. without microphone hole) from ScreenShield:
I apologize for all of the updates, but I told you this company is growing quickly! As of today, Carpuride is now offering the W701 in an Android 12 format! There is no way that I won't be buying this.
Now there are now 3 models to choose from, all of which can be bough with or without a backup camera:
not sure if this is covered in your write up @wusty23jd ...
but if you purchase the unit without a backup camera but have an existing nav unit and oem camera,
is the original back up camera able to be used with the unit?
I know that you can install an aftermarket camera with the OEM navigation system, but I've never seen someone use the OEM camera on an aftermarket system.
Because the screen resolution of the screen is 1080p, I wanted an HD camera so I didn't even pursue the option of using the OEM camera. The camera that is currently installed is temporary until I get an 07-08 license plate bezel. Then, I will be using this:
Thanks for the kind words. It was a fun process. I just wish I didn’t spend so much time messing with a slow and outdated Nexus 7.
Me buying a Nexus 7 5 years ago and an extra nav trim just sitting around collecting dust... i think i need to just come to terms that it's never going to happen and i should cut my losses
I know that you can install an aftermarket camera with the OEM navigation system, but I've never seen someone use the OEM camera on an aftermarket system.
Because the screen resolution of the screen is 1080p, I wanted an HD camera so I didn't even pursue the option of using the OEM camera. .1
I wouldn't even bother with this... The OEM camera is the OEM nav screen is .. why bother upgrading the computer if you are still using a subpar camera.
Me buying a Nexus 7 5 years ago and an extra nav trim just sitting around collecting dust... i think i need to just come to terms that it's never going to happen and i should cut my losses
I was in a similar position. I think I first started rooting my Nexus 7 in the Fall of 2019. I even located two brand new Nexus 7 tablets online and bought them ensure I had the "fastest" ones. It only took 4.5 years of frustration to come to my senses.
Looks nice. I am guessing after all that, the climate controls work fine.
btw, Question: Since you seem like you may have experience, I measured the OEM Speaker resistance on the connector at the factory Amp location, with the amp disconnected.. And I measured 200k ohm. My multimter is auto adjusting.. And I confirmed that I measured it correctly by repeating the same process on my Sub box.. and my sub box is accurate at 2.3 ohms. And my meter read it perfectly. So, why do the OEM speakers measure at 200k? At the amp connector?? I can only think of Wire resistance in there too.. It there that much WIRE Resistance?? Have you ever tried this??
I may try again tomorrow.. And use a different connection method.
Last edited by Chad05TL; Mar 13, 2024 at 08:45 PM.
Is the OEM navigation board mounted a specific way in the glove box or is just loose in there? Do you think the custom cables for the board are something that can be done by a local electrician shop?
The screen is not mounted to anything. The screen and wiring harnesses are snug enough inside the give box to keep it from rattling around, especially because the interior is carpeted.
you could try and find a local shop to do this, but it might be a bit of a niche market.
i was planning to go down this route but wirhout the oem screen. my concern is when you replace/disconect the battery how do you input code without the oem screen. does the carpuride screen takes over all the buttons adn allows inputting the information on the screen or that's still done through your oem nav screen you still have connected.
Mine is 2011 rdx base with nav screen. not sure if this proess will work for mine. but definetly interested.
looks very complicated and challenging but willing to go down the path as i really don't like the screen popping out on dashboard or on top of the oem. doesn't feel like its part of the car.besides all the wires hanging out. looks very challengin but then where's the fun and satisfaction otherwise.
i was planning to go down this route but wirhout the oem screen. my concern is when you replace/disconect the battery how do you input code without the oem screen. does the carpuride screen takes over all the buttons adn allows inputting the information on the screen or that's still done through your oem nav screen you still have connected.
Mine is 2011 rdx base with nav screen. not sure if this proess will work for mine. but definetly interested.
looks very complicated and challenging but willing to go down the path as i really don't like the screen popping out on dashboard or on top of the oem. doesn't feel like its part of the car.besides all the wires hanging out. looks very challengin but then where's the fun and satisfaction otherwise.
I'll respond to your inquiries on the RDX thread that you commented on.
Originally Posted by finrodfelegund
hey does this carpuride nav only work through bluetooth, or does it have its own nav system and gps installed
The Carpuride unit's audio can be transmitted to an OeM radio through Bluetooth or auxiliary cord. The Carpuride unit does not have its own navigation system installed nor a GPS tracker. The Carpuride unit (and other similar devices) are essentially a simple Linux OS that enables Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to mirror your phone to the device.
As an update, I finally got my steering wheel controls to work with the Carpuride unit. I remapped/repurposed the HFL buttons on my steering wheel. I will post pictures when I get more time. Stay tuned!
I'll respond to your inquiries on the RDX thread that you commented on.
The Carpuride unit's audio can be transmitted to an OeM radio through Bluetooth or auxiliary cord. The Carpuride unit does not have its own navigation system installed nor a GPS tracker. The Carpuride unit (and other similar devices) are essentially a simple Linux OS that enables Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to mirror your phone to the device.
ohhhh that makes sense. so just last night i found out if i download a town on google maps i can navigate there from anywhere in airplane mode, and it saves that for a year, so could i use the carpurides 32 gigs of storage for that?
No, I highly doubt that would work with the Carpuride Pro models. The Google Maps application has to be opened from your phone. The Carpuride Pro unit simply mirrors your phone onto a separate display. It can’t run Google Maps by itself.
If you upgrade to the Carpuride “Plus” model, those units run on an Android OS and you can download applications from the Play Store. That might work better for your needs. However, I don’t believe the Carpuride Plus unit has a GPS chip, so you might have to experiment with a GPS USB add-on of some kind.
Unfortunately, I don't have any experience in this area. I think you're making this too complicated. If you have an active and working smart phone, you should just use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for navigation.
i think i need to just come to terms that it's never going to happen and i should cut my losses 
I wouldn't even bother with this... The OEM camera is 
the OEM nav screen is 
