2010 Vellfire Radio

[Matt132]

Hi, 

 

I've just purchased a 2010 2.4 Vellfire tonight and I'm wondering about the radio. It only gets Radio 2. I want to replace it with a unit that will pick up local station as well as the other normal ones and would like the reversing camera, Bluetooth for phone calls, steering controls and sat nav in UK to work. Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks!

 

P.s. this is the 1st import car I've owned 

[Rojie]

8 hours ago, Matt132 said:

Hi, 

 

I've just purchased a 2010 2.4 Vellfire tonight and I'm wondering about the radio. It only gets Radio 2. I want to replace it with a unit that will pick up local station as well as the other normal ones and would like the reversing camera, Bluetooth for phone calls, steering controls and sat nav in UK to work. Any advice would be appreciated.  Thanks!

 

P.s. this is the 1st import car I've owned 

 

Hello Matthew,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

A popular topic this !

You ought to get several recommendations.

 

Try searching in the search box on your home page for radio replacement or similar.

 

Ben Hau, in Birmingham, seems to be the go to guy.

[Matt132]

23 hours ago, Rojie said:

 

Hello Matthew,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

A popular topic this !

You ought to get several recommendations.

 

Try searching in the search box on your home page for radio replacement or similar.

 

Ben Hau, in Birmingham, seems to be the go to guy.

Hi Rojie,

 

Thanks for the welcome and info on Ben Hau. I've seen him mentioned a few times when browsing through the forum. How do I get his contact details? I've seen his YouTube channel but don't think I can contact through that. 

 

I've just watched a video of him supply and install a 11" unit exactly what we want.

 

Cheers

 

Matt

[Rojie]

11 minutes ago, Matt132 said:

Hi Rojie,

 

Thanks for the welcome and info on Ben Hau. I've seen him mentioned a few times when browsing through the forum. How do I get his contact details? I've seen his YouTube channel but don't think I can contact through that. 

 

I've just watched a video of him supply and install a 11" unit exactly what we want.

 

Cheers

 

Matt

 

Hi Matt,

 

Ben only does this work part time; he already has a full time job.

 

He is difficult to contact, and rather busy

 

His mobile number is on this site somewhere.
I'll have quick look, but can't spend ages on it.

 

Try and contact him through YouTube or ebay. 

I'll try and find his 'monica' for ebay and this forum.

 

Hopefully, one of the many members that have used him will add his mobile to this post; or send it to you via a PM.

[Rojie]

beanbean280r on eBay.

 

Cannot find his 'name' on the forum, sorry.

[Matt132]

5 minutes ago, Rojie said:

beanbean280r on eBay.

 

Cannot find his 'name' on the forum, sorry.

Thanks. Will have a look late when I'm home. Cheers

[Cookie crew]

Hi,

 

We have a 2009 Alphard with the same radio set up. To be honest we have an Elgrand and we undertook a radio replacement on reflection not the best move.

 

my advice is keep what you have as it all works and everything is connected so no major change or possible problems.

 

 We bought a FM transmitter from Halfords for £40. You pick a FM channel that has nothing on easy in our cars, connect it to the radio, then connect it to your phone via bluetooth. You now have every channel you will need plus all your music and you can make and receive calls all on the same device. much cheaper than any other system plus your sat nav voice controls will work through it also.

 

Use google translate to work your way around the controls just took a little time, you learn a lot.

 

hope this is of use to you.

 

 

[Lisa Beaney]

I have the same radio and also considered changing it…. But I was told I would lose the front and side cameras and a number of the speakers - it would cost about £1k 

 

or…. I could keep the front camera for about £2k….

 

what I’ve ended up doing is connecting my phone via Bluetooth and use that to stream music and/or radio from apps on the phone through the Vellfire speakers. I also use my phone with Google maps for sat nav.

 

This leaves me with the full theatre sound that I can use with the built in dvd player or, if I want to use Netflix I use my iPad to view it and connect it via Bluetooth for sound.

 

 

[Rojie]

I agree with both Rob and Lisa.

 

There are many other ways to provide 'entertainment' without replacing the head unit.

 

I am connected to the OEM Bluetooth for phone, which I never use.

The CD and DVD player both work fine, although resolution could be better. The CDs are recorded to HDD, which is very useful.

Without fitting an override, DVDs cannot be watched on the move; listening is OK, so I have a PC running off my leisure battery.

The PC could run HD TV too, if I needed it to.

 

Sat Nav ? My wife's department; hand held mobile works great.

[dave1221]

On 8/21/2023 at 3:16 PM, Cookie crew said:

We bought a FM transmitter from Halfords for £40. You pick a FM channel that has nothing on easy in our cars, connect it to the radio, then connect it to your phone via bluetooth. You now have every channel you will need plus all your music and you can make and receive calls all on the same device. much cheaper than any other system plus your sat nav voice controls will work through it also.

 

Going along with this theme, I am considering getting something like this for my Alphard:

 

 

Essentially it also works as an FM transmitter so you can tune in your Toyota stereo to the same frequency and use it for Carplay and Androind Auto.

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by dave1221

[Cookie crew]

Hi Dave,

 

well I have taken the plunge and ordered one of these systems. I will keep you informed on how I get in with it. 

[dave1221]

4 minutes ago, Cookie crew said:

Hi Dave,

 

well I have taken the plunge and ordered one of these systems. I will keep you informed on how I get in with it. 

I hope it's a good system, any feedback would be much appreciated. I think by the sounds of it any solution which allows you to keep the standard head unit seems is a good thing 😊

[Cookie crew]

Hi Dave,

 

I have grown to like the standard head system. The HDD is great, still trying to workout how to remove old CDs from it otherwise a great car. It will get an LPG conversion done mid this month. Just like our Elgrand. At £0.62/ltr mad not to. And in France they have it everywhere plus to get a clean air cert from the Government because you run on LPG which means you can go anywhere any city and no charge or restrictions. 

[dave1221]

1 hour ago, Cookie crew said:

Hi Dave,

 

I have grown to like the standard head system. The HDD is great, still trying to workout how to remove old CDs from it otherwise a great car. It will get an LPG conversion done mid this month. Just like our Elgrand. At £0.62/ltr mad not to. And in France they have it everywhere plus to get a clean air cert from the Government because you run on LPG which means you 

That's something I'll definitely bear in mind, we love our euro trips and are definitely looking to take our Alphard around Europe next year 😎

[Rojie]

13 hours ago, Cookie crew said:

Hi Dave,

 

I have grown to like the standard head system. The HDD is great, still trying to workout how to remove old CDs from it otherwise a great car. It will get an LPG conversion done mid this month. Just like our Elgrand. At £0.62/ltr mad not to. And in France they have it everywhere plus to get a clean air cert from the Government because you run on LPG which means you can go anywhere any city and no charge or restrictions. 

 

Removing CDs from the HDD unit is covered by eightseaters.blog.com (or an address very similar).

It certainly covers the Gen 1 units, but perhaps not the Gen2 that you have.

[Quimbasher]

to remove CDs its far right button on bottom row, then touch screen the eject buttom for cd. then button to close the screen up again.   

 

to flip down rear monitor, press 2nd button from right on bottom row. then on that screen, press the top middle icon to open an close it. google translate on camera mode is helpful to guide through the menus etc.

[Cookie crew]

Hi Harry,

 

I bought a seventour P10 it is great and the video it 4k with front and rear camera.

 

the only issue that I need to sort out is how to remove old CD's that have been recorded onto the HDD system, I just can not work it out.

 

does any one have any idea how to do this.

 

thanks in advance

 

Cookie crew

[Snowy]

Hi I have just collected a 2010 vellfire and wondered if I can use the phono in sockets at the back of the centre console to connect my phone for music

[Rojie]

57 minutes ago, Snowy said:

Hi I have just collected a 2010 vellfire and wondered if I can use the phono in sockets at the back of the centre console to connect my phone for music

 

Hello Glen,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

Does your phone output RCA level signals, or are you asking if you need an adaptor ?

[Cavegod]

Id fit one for you, where are you based?