Kayhan Android/Apple Carplay +Nav+ digital radio.

[dassaur]

does it live up to the marketing?

Can you be more specific and I'll answer as I can.

 

[tommy_z]

Are they? Last time I looked their images they used were exactly the same.

No, different units.
One big difference is that the Kayhan uses a single box that they have sourced somewhere by themselves.

As dassaur says, the Import Road / Envyous Customs one is a Video Interface IU10S box, as well as a Netplay box (so there's 2). Not sure how Kayhan got theirs to work, especially with the Series 2s without modification but I now note that their website has no Series 2 listed and the Series 1 is berefit of descriptive photos so... what happened?

has anyone here bought the import road unit, i remember these from a while back but i don't remember if anyone purchased one.

does it live up to the marketing?

Any feedback or comments on their units?

So I have the Import Road version on my daily Series 2 Calais and it's an excellent unit. No complaints and it's been used now for over 7 months. It's smooth and comes up well on the MyLink screen. Haven't had any connectivity issues and the added bonus is that the ones now come with wireless Android Auto as opposed to first gen ones which was wireless Carplay and wired Auto (so it's good to have both as wireless to future-proof and give yourself some options).

There are some quirks that are limitations of any Carplay type system that you'll add to the VF due to design unfortunately (these will probably not be an issue with an integrated unit like the Alpine i902). The Import Road one gives you the ability to switch between the Carplay/Auto unit and the factory MyLink by tapping the left corner of the screen. It brings up the Carplay or Auto screen automatically if your phone is connected. Mine is set to Bluetooth wireless connection so it's automatically connected as soon as I start the car.

Sound output from the Import Road unit is via the AUX (hence the need to spend additional $$ to get your MyLink unit to have AUX sound enabled on the Series 2). This is where for me, the quirks take place:
1. Ever since discovering Waze for crowd-sourced reporting and camera locations, along with how crap the MyLink maps are, I have now been using Waze religiously for all my driving. So having Carplay is a godsend as I can have Waze displayed on the screen. But for sound to play, you need to switch your audio on your phone manually from MyLink to the Import Road box instead. Unfortunately for iPhones (dunno about Android - others may tell) the MyLink hogs the Bluetooth permanently at number 1 on an iPhone. So by default, everything goes through MyLink.
2. Generally when you play music or your making calls, this isn't an issue. The box and MyLink are mimicking each other on the screen so the sound is no issue, but any Maps sounds do not come through on MyLink. You can even select on Waze or Google Maps to play sounds from the phone instead of bluetooth audio, but still nothing comes out.
3. Now by switching your audio manually on the iPhone to Carplay, Waze and Google Maps sounds work (like speed camera warnings). Great. But say when you want to play music or a phone call comes in, MyLink takes precedence again and I'm back to Square 1 (I can't toggle my phone manually whilst driving).
4. So I've decided delete MyLink from my iPhone's bluetooth list altogether and now it is permanently paired to Carplay bluetooth (and MyLink audio is always set to AUX) and all sounds work fine from there. Until I figure I can drive without sound notifications from Waze or Google Maps or want the return of the factory look. It comes down to personal preference but unfortunately there's no way of having the best of both worlds with any kit.
5. Rear camera comes on as normal when selecting Reverse, and so does sensor sounds, but I lose the radar image if I have Carplay/Auto on.

The wireless is also less battery-draining on the Carplay box versus the MyLink, and audio quality I find is better too.

In terms of installation, it's not difficult and you get a brochure. It's quite straightforward and plugs right into the DOC connector. Some additional soldering needed as I used the DOC to power my dashcam but it's not too hard. There is some squeezing to do with the wiring behind the MyLink unit and stowing the boxes but with some patience, it can be done without spending too much time.

I integrated the USB port from the Carplay/Auto box into my centre console box where the factory USB is, to keep it as neat as possible. But this is down to personal preference.

I'm not affiliated in any way with Envyous Customs or Import Road but can just say purely that I am a happy customer using the product and it has given me a satisfactory solution which was to have Apple Carplay working in the car.

I noticed that some kits only ‘mirror’ the phone screen and don’t implement the touchscreen inputs from the car’s screen. Does their kit do the full CapPlay functionality including the touchscreen?

Also, does it use the inbuilt microphone for phone calls (or does it need an extra microphone)?

1. There is some setting that I've seen others do to mirror the phone screen but it looks crap... it's design is to have the full Carplay and Android Auto functionality and it does this well.
2. No you need to wire the microphone yourself. I have wired the microphone supplied with the kit up to the left "microphone outlet" in the centre roof console on the opposite side of the driver's microphone so that it is hidden and looks as factory as possible (I hate the idea of having a microphone stuck in front of a steering wheel). Wasn't hard but you can make life easier by sticking in front of the steering wheel of course.

 

[vs355x]

tommy_z - thanks for such a detailed run down.
A couple of question on the import road kit

Can you have the fm radio going, whilst having carplay (waze app) open on the screen? This is probably how i would use mine the majority of the time.
I understand what you say about the blueooth setup, so as you have done - i would just get rid of mylink from the iphone bluetooth.

No radar on camera - i assume you mean the guidelines?

 

[dassaur]

tommy_z - thanks for such a detailed run down.
A couple of question on the import road kit

Can you have the fm radio going, whilst having carplay (waze app) open on the screen? This is probably how i would use mine the majority of the time.
I understand what you say about the blueooth setup, so as you have done - i would just get rid of mylink from the iphone bluetooth.

No radar on camera - i assume you mean the guidelines?

Yes you can have radio and waze
I am not sure what your reference to radar on camera is, but when you stick the gear in reverse normal mylink takes over.

I am sure @tommy_z will share his own points too

 

[tommy_z]

tommy_z - thanks for such a detailed run down.
A couple of question on the import road kit

Can you have the fm radio going, whilst having carplay (waze app) open on the screen? This is probably how i would use mine the majority of the time.
I understand what you say about the blueooth setup, so as you have done - i would just get rid of mylink from the iphone bluetooth.

No radar on camera - i assume you mean the guidelines?

So you can have the FM or AM Radio going while Waze is on however to have both carplay working you must have the Bluetooth connected to MyLink.
The method I have, I have essentially forgone the radio because I have my setting on AUX only. I can switch to FM radio and still play Waze but if a phone call comes in, I’ll never realise it because it was playing on AUX, not radio. That’s okay with me because I don’t really listen to the radio, rather having my own playlist on my iPhone. If I need to, I can tune into the radio via Apple Music.
So if I feel comfortable enough to remove sound notifications from Waze, then I’ll switch back to both having Bluetooth on both MyLink and Carplay, and that way no matter what I select, Carplay or MyLink, all audio except Maps apps will work. Does that make sense?
It is confusing and takes some time to get used to!!

Sorry - RADAR = guidelines. You lose guidelines if you’re set on the Carplay module. Guidelines is part of the MyLink.

Reverse camera takes precedence on any reverse gear select.

 

[vs355x]

Im probably getting a bit lost here
Guidelines - not a big deal to me, but just to clarify - when you go into reverse, and the camera comes up - is that essentially through the carplay ?
I just thought the camera would have still been a mylink thing.

FM/Waze - tommy_z, so - if right off the bat, i delete mylink from my iphone bluetooth. Will everything work normally through carplay?
Phone calls, waze notifications, parking sensors.
My ideal scenario is FM playing, with waze on the screen. I understand, i can probably just use the triple j app from the phone into carplay as an alternate.

Appreciate both dassaur and tommy_z handing out the info - these are the sorts of things that have stopped me buying one as yet, as i simply couldnt get actual answers - the above is hopefully enough to put it over the line

 

[tommy_z]

Im probably getting a bit lost here
Guidelines - not a big deal to me, but just to clarify - when you go into reverse, and the camera comes up - is that essentially through the carplay ?
I just thought the camera would have still been a mylink thing.

FM/Waze - tommy_z, so - if right off the bat, i delete mylink from my iphone bluetooth. Will everything work normally through carplay?
Phone calls, waze notifications, parking sensors.
My ideal scenario is FM playing, with waze on the screen. I understand, i can probably just use the triple j app from the phone into carplay as an alternate.

Appreciate both dassaur and tommy_z handing out the info - these are the sorts of things that have stopped me buying one as yet, as i simply couldnt get actual answers - the above is hopefully enough to put it over the line

So I think what I’m doing is maybe confusing readers as I have a very nitpicky way of operating it. Sorry. But let me try:
1. Camera and parking sensor guidelines are different. Camera comes up when gear is selected in reverse. That comes up regardless of what’s on your screen. No issues.
The parking sensor guidelines is part of the MyLink system only and if you have carplay on instead of MyLink, you won’t see the parking sensors on the screen BUT you definitely will hear them!

2. Unless you want Waze or Google Maps to give you sound notifications, then keep the Bluetooth linked to MyLink!!! Linking Bluetooth both to carplay and MyLink gives you everything perfectly on either screen options, bar sound notifications on your Maps.
If You want Waze and FM playing concurrently - have it paired to the MyLink concurrently and all you’re missing is just sound notifications on Maps. But if you’re not fussed with that, then no matter.

If you choose to go down my route of only having a Bluetooth to carplay and not MyLink, then you essentially must play the radio from your phone (ie. Apple Music app), and your display must permanently be on the carplay screen along with your car sound setting permanent on AUX. That’s because I’ve forced all sound from my phone to be played via AUX.
So I won’t hear phone calls anymore if I have my sound playing the car’s FM Radio, because my sound is FM as opposed to AUX, yet my phone is only wirelessly linked carplay.
However as I said, I’m a bit strange with this option because I wanted Waze sound notifications and wasn’t fussed with radio. As long as you’re fine with reading the screen for Waze and not getting sounds from it like ‘red light camera ahead’, then keep Bluetooth linked to MyLink as well as carplay.

 

[dassaur]

if right off the bat, i delete mylink from my iphone bluetooth. Will everything work normally through carplay?
Phone calls, waze notifications, parking sensors.

I realised this never got a reply, at least not from me but tommy_z was kind enough to detail his preferred method of operation.

The answer to your question is yes.

 

[Jekt]

Trying to figure out the pros and cons of these kits but the info is so comically poor on all of their websites. I have a VF 1.

Is the Import Road kit the same as the NaviPlus? For the Navi you have to pay an extra $80 to interface with the steering wheel buttons. Does the Kayhan and Import Road kits have this included for song skips and answer/hang up?

Is the auto dimming issue that kenrobix mentioned in this thread for the Kayhan also a problem for the Import Roads kit or does the brightness function properly at night?

I contacted Walkinshaw to explain the upgrade over the current $800 Kayhan to their badged $1200 variant and no response lol.

 

[[paradox]]

by all accounts ive read the import road kit is the better/best option.

and given you have a S1 its just a matter of plugging it in. (S2 requires aux)