How I Added BlueTooth and Wireless Charging to My Land Cruiser 100 Series
I recently purchased a 2002 Toyota Land Cruiser, which is a truck I’ve lusted after since I went “dune bashing” in one when I was in Dubai many years ago. It’s a 100 Series, which — in my opinion, at least — is the ideal combination of the 80 Series’ off road prowess and the luxury of the 200 Series. It lacks the solid front axle that made the previous generations so durable in rough conditions, but it has a number of luxury amenities that make it more comfortable.
One of those Land Cruiser 100 Series amenities is a touch screen option, which my truck has. The touch screen is used for the navigation system, the stereo, and the climate control. Obviously, considering the truck is 16 years old, the navigation and stereo are woefully out of date. There is no auxiliary input, and definitely no BlueTooth. The ideal solution would have been to simply replace it with a modern head unit, but that wasn’t practical because of the climate control.
The only way to adjust the climate control is using the touch screen, so removing that wasn’t an option. It is technically possible to switch the entire assembly out with a unit from another Land Cruiser that didn’t have the navigation option, but the parts are expensive and it would require splicing dozens of wires. Plus, I like to keep the interior of my vehicles as stock as possible.
The solution I ended up settling on was to use one of those cassette tape-to-aux adapters connected to a BlueTooth audio module from DROK. Originally, I attempted to tap directly into the input for the CD changer so the audio quality would be higher, but I was unable to find a suitable connection point. Pinouts for this stereo are practically nonexistent, so I had to settle on using the adapter.
Inside of the center console is a small storage tray, so I decided to replace that with a tray I designed to hold the BlueTooth module and a wireless charger. The wireless charger is an inexpensive model I found on Amazon for something like $11, but which works nicely with my Samsung Galaxy S9. Both the BlueTooth module and wireless charger are powered by 5V micro USB cables, so I was able to use a cheap dual-port USB car charger.
The tray I designed uses a combination of a laser cut acrylic frame and 3D printed parts. The acrylic frame has a cutout that the wireless charger fits through, and a 3D printed bracket holds it in place from underneath. On top is a 3D printed cradle for my phone, so it won’t rattle around when I’m driving (particularly off road). I used a bright yellow PLA from Hatchbox so that it’d be easy to see in the dark center console, even at night.
I just used regular old double-sided tape to hold the BlueTooth module to the bottom of the acrylic frame, which works fine since the board is so small and light. Finally, I 3D printed a small coin bowl that can be lifted out when needed. Everything fits snugly inside of the center console where the original tray resided, and the setup doesn’t require any modifications to the vehicle whatsoever.
I was a little skeptical about how well the DROK BlueTooth module would work, but it’s actually surprisingly good. As soon as it turns on it enters pairing mode, and any device can connect to it immediately without a pass code. It also remembers the last device it connected to, so it automatically pairs with my phone as soon as I start up the truck. It takes just a few seconds to pair after I turn the key.
The wireless charger also works pretty well, though it’s not exactly speedy. I’m new to wireless charging though, and it seems to be roughly the same as the other two wireless chargers I’ve tried. At the end of the day, it’s a functional solution that I’m happy with. I get to charge my phone and listen to music without any cables, and the interior of my Land Cruiser remains unmodified — just how I like it.
