It is very important to follow these steps closely to correctly set up your audio and CarPlay with your Lexus Hamilton Upgrade Kit. We are adding brand new functionality to older technology (first pioneered for the Land Cruiser in 2007). These steps may not be intuitive, so familiarity is key.
For our Upgrade Kit line of products, the Toyota Land Cruiser functions more like a Lexus Upgrade Kit than the other Toyota cars, so we include it in this article. This is because the Land Cruiser has a screen separate from the factory radio, whereas the standard Toyotas (4Runner, Rav4, etc.) have a screen combined into the factory radio.
First, please note the following:
Method #1) Use Factory Bluetooth: For 2014-2021 Lexus GX Hamilton Upgrade Kit, 2016-2021 Toyota Land Cruiser Hamilton Upgrade Kit, 2012-2015 Toyota Land Cruiser Hamilton Upgrade Kit, 2013-2015 Lexus GS Hamilton Upgrade Kit, 2013-2015 Lexus LS, 2016-2019 Lexus LS, 2012-2015 Lexus LX570, 2016-2021 Lexus LX570 Hamilton Upgrade Kit, 2014-2020 Lexus CT Hamilton Upgrade Kit
Please watch the below video fully:
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For the cars listed in Method 1, it is best to use the factory Bluetooth. All cars that use Method 1 can also use Method 2 if you prefer to use AUX mode instead of factory Bluetooth.
Properly Enabling Factory BT (Method 1):
After installing the Hamilton Upgrade Kit, power on the vehicle and long-hold the voice speech button to make the Hamilton Upgrade Kit operating system appear. From the Hamilton operating system, touch "Settings" > "System" > Locate the setting "Use Car's BT Channel" > Turn it on and the device will reboot. You must turn on this setting to use Factory BT properly, as turning that setting on tells the Hamilton upgrade kit to expect your phone to play audio and route calls via the factory BT.
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Long-hold the voice speech button to switch back to your factory Lexus/Toyota operating system. Pair your phone as a bluetooth device for phone calls and audio to your factory radio.
If you have never paired your phone before to your factory Lexus/Toyota radio, on the factory radio go to "Setup" > "Bluetooth" > "Add Device" > Follow prompts on your Lexus/Toyota screen to add your iPhone to your factory radio.
Connecting Wireless CarPlay (Method 1):
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To pair CarPlay, open your iPhone "Settings App" > Select "Bluetooth" > Scroll to the bottom and locate the device starting with Hamilton e.g. "Hamilton-1234" > Select it > A pairing code will appear on your phone > Click "Pair" > Your phone will prompt you to allow Apps & Contacts > Click "Allow" > Your phone will prompt you to use CarPlay > Click "Connect to CarPlay."
Routing Audio Correctly to Factory Bluetooth (Method 1):
Your phone is now paired to both CarPlay and your original Lexus/Toyota factory Bluetooth. When you get in the car, your phone will automatically connect to both CarPlay (via the Hamilton Upgrade Kit) and your Lexus/Toyota factory Bluetooth (to stream music/make phone calls).
Set your car radio mode to "Bluetooth" mode. Available modes are: Bluetooth, XM, AM, FM, Sirius XM, AUX. You can toggle radio modes by using the "mode button" on the steering wheel or switching back to the factory Lexus/Toyota OS and selecting the "Bluetooth" audio mode.
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On your iPhone, you can swipe down from the top right to enter control center > Tap the "AirPlay/Audio Output Icon" in the top right of your music widget > Make sure the phone is routing audio to "CARMULTIMEDIA-PLAYER." This is the name of your factory Lexus/Toyota Bluetooth network.
DO NOT FORGET THIS CRITICAL STEP FOR METHOD 1:
Once again, you must make sure the setting "Use Car's BT Channel" described in the video and step 2 is enabled in order to properly use the car's factory Bluetooth channel. Otherwise your audio will be disrupted when the phone receives an incoming call.
Method #2) AUX MODE: For 2007-2008 Toyota Land Cruiser Hamilton Upgrade Kit, 2009-2011 Toyota Land Cruiser Hamilton Upgrade Kit, 2007-2009 Lexus LS, 2010-2012 Lexus LS
We recommend fully watching this video. It covers CarPlay pairing and two critical steps: (1) Setting your factory radio to AUX mode, and (2) Deleting your factory pairing records.
Video shows a 2010-2013 GX but applies to all Lexus Upgrade Kits. Specific pairing videos for other models are available at hamiltonmotorcompany.com/pages/manuals.
Setting Factory Head Unit to AUX Mode (Critical Step to Play Audio for Method 2)
After pairing CarPlay, set your factory radio to AUX mode. The Hamilton Upgrade Kit streams audio via the Hamilton network, not factory Bluetooth.
Long-hold the voice-speech button on the steering wheel for 3 seconds to switch between Hamilton OS and factory Lexus OS.
Select "Audio" on your Lexus Home Screen > Choose "AUX" from the Source List.
Pro Tip: You can toggle audio modes using the "Mode" button on the steering wheel. Usually, AUX mode is retained even after the car is turned off.
Erasing Factory Bluetooth Pair Records (Only for Method 2)
Prevent the factory Bluetooth from interfering with the Hamilton network:
Long-hold the voice-speech button for 3 seconds to switch to factory Lexus OS.
On Lexus OS: Home Screen > Setup > Bluetooth or Audio > Bluetooth Audio Settings > Remove your device. Turn off Bluetooth if possible.
On iPhone: Settings > Bluetooth > Find your Lexus device (e.g., "CARMULTIMEDIA") > Click (i) > Select "Forget This Device".
Pairing Wireless CarPlay (Method 2)
Open iPhone Settings > Bluetooth > Look for the new Hamilton BT network (e.g., "Hamilton-1234").
Tap the network. Ignore the pairing code and click "Pair". Allow access to Contacts and Favorites. Click "Connect" when prompted for CarPlay.
Wait a few seconds for wireless CarPlay to appear.
Ensure your factory radio is set to AUX mode.
FOR BOTH METHODS: How to Correctly Disconnect CarPlay:
CarPlay uses Bluetooth to initiate, then switches to WiFi automatically.
To disconnect: Swipe down from the top-right to access Control Center, tap WiFi to disconnect CarPlay, then turn off Bluetooth to prevent auto-reconnect.
Note: You never need to manually connect WiFi; CarPlay takes over automatically.