Phoned and explained what you put. He laughed as that seems to be it, the new box should bypass the existing one, which he didn't do (minimal instructions in the box didn't make this obvious).

I'll drop the car in on Wednesday morning for him to redo it, so fingers crossed that's all it is. Cheers again and I'll update either way later in the week 🙂 

Like this (shows different module, but wiring is the same).

Click image to enlarge

You're awesome 👍🏻

20 minutes for him to swap the cable around so it plugs directly in, and tidy it back up, it's now working perfectly.

Only connected my phone, played music, and tried the navigation on a quick 10 minute journey, but it seems like a fantastic bit of kit.

I've owned the Freelander for 6½ years and had been debating replacing it for something else, but I couldn't decide what as I love the size and capabilities of it. So this media upgrade - despite the screen not being the biggest, or having the highest resolution - definitely helps modernise it a touch!

Will explore more of the settings/use it more in the next week or so.

Thanks again for the pointer in the right direction 🙂 

Glad you got it sorted.

Definitely feels like a worthwhile upgrade, especially as JLR are no longer updating maps (or anything else) for the Freelander.

christopher wrote:

Will explore more of the settings/use it more in the next week or so.

For the most part, it's fantastic.

My experience is with a Google Pixel 7 (Android Auto).

If I plug the device in with a cable, it connects and works 100% of the time.

Using wireless (Bluetooth) and it's occasionally intermittent, although it works >9 times out of 10.

It's definitely the box, as the phone connects to the car perfectly every time (it uses the car's Bluetooth connection for the music/audio).

My only minor annoyance, and it's genuinely minor, is that if I walk up to the car and unlock it, perhaps to grab something out of the boot without actually getting in/starting it etc. Because there's power to the box, my phone tries to connect and therefore starts playing music (Spotify) from the phone speaker, because I've got it set to autoconnect. Lock the car and walk away, and your phone continues playing music.

That's being super picky, and really the only negative I can say. I'd definitely recommend it. Having Spotify and Waze on the middle screen is awesome 👍🏻 

Many thanks for your feedback. In fact I’ve pulled the trigger on the one on Aliexpress from CARABC. At just over a hundred quid plus VAT it’s a quarter of the price you’d pay from a UK based supplier of what is, I am sure, the same thing.

These devices that interpose themselves into the car's system always seem to have some inevitable quirks - the system I fitted to my Disco Sport has its idiosyncrasies as did the Xtrons one I fitted to my FL2 a couple of years ago. But on balance, well worth it.

Thanks again

Mine is the CARABC model from AliExpress. Fyi I got stung with import duty... despite paying VAT/TAX on the time of sale. AliExpress said they'd refund me but never did. 

Hmmm … interesting! Thanks for the warning.

Well, the unit I ordered from CARABC last Sunday arrived today, Saturday, just six days later. That’s really quite impressive. And no import taxes or charges. 👍 I hope the installation goes as smoothly as the purchase and delivery. I’ll report back in due course.

That's great news! Mine took a bit over two weeks (but it's okay; they provided a £1 voucher for use on my next purchase as a way of saying sorry for missing the 5-day delivery 🙄).

Fingers crossed for an easy install 🤞 

Thanks! I found this video of a CARABC install and it doesn’t look too bad - ?si=j7vRSVHdATGRwzRT - no worse than my Xtrons install in my FL2 a couple of years ago. 🤞

For many years, I hesitated to retrofit CarPlay into my Freelander. I was worried that Chinese devices would be poorly designed, unstable, or prone to freeze. However, based on your recommendations, I decided to order the CARABC unit.

A Surprisingly Well-Thought-Out Device
I’m amazed at how well this device is designed. Probably everything works perfectly: the reverse camera, parking sensors, steering wheel volume controls—just like before.
I’ve temporarily installed the CARABC unit in the passenger glovebox. The cables are long enough, so if there’s an issue or a software upgrade, I’ll have easy access. I also plan to add a front-facing camera later on, so I’ll order a few cameras from Amazon to compare image quality directly.
I’m not entirely sure if the image quality of the original rear camera has changed, but if it has, I can’t describe the difference. I also belive that switching time between navi<>rear camera<>navi is slighty longer than with factory set. I will see if device will be stable in the next months.

Improved Wireless Audio Quality
Thanks to CarPlay audio transmission by WiFi, the quality of music streamed from my smartphone has significantly improved compared to factory Bluetooth. The built-in software equalizer is excellent—much better than the original Land Rover one—and comes with some fantastic presets.

The Mystery of the Missing Central Speaker
To my surprise, my Meridian 380W system didn’t have a central speaker—just an empty slot. I checked the documentation, and it turns out it’s not supposed to have one. Interestingly, there’s already a cable harness running there, which made me briefly wonder if a previous workshop had removed it and forgotten to reinstall it.

Soundproofing Potential Behind the Console
There’s a lot of empty space behind the central console. Next time, I plan to add sound-absorbing materials like 3M Thinsulate SM600L or Dynamat Dynacore, while ensuring proper air circulation for the navigation system. It’s just too tempting not to do this.

Keeping the Original Screen – A Pleasant Surprise
Before placing the order, I was concerned about whether I was making the right decision by not replacing the entire navi screen. I wanted to keep the original Land Rover menu intact. I had always assumed that the Land Rover’s factory screen had poor touch sensitivity, which explained its sluggish response. However, after installing the CARABC unit, I discovered that the screen is actually very responsive. It turns out that the Land Rover navigation system itself is incredibly slow and unresponsive to touch gestures, but the screen is not such bad.

My Go-To for Reassembly: Tessa Tape 51608
Whenever I diasseble anything in my car for any reason, I always reassemble it using Tessa 51608 fabric tape. I apply it wherever plastic parts touch each other. I did the same this time and must say the central console insulation exceeded my expectations. Now pressing strongly my knee against the console doesn’t cause any creaks.
One of the cables included with the CARABC unit wasn’t insulated, so I wrapped it in Tessa tape as well. I also use it to wrap electrical connectors for the navigation system. I highly recommend this tape — it’s the cheapest thing in the world to significantly improve a car. MY2011 TD4 S Manual
MY2014 Si4 HSE Auto
MY2017 C63S Coupe

Well, my daughter and I took about an hour and a quarter this afternoon to fit the CARABC kit. It really was very straightforward (although having fitted an Xtrons one in my own FL2 and an Integrated Automotive one in my Disco Sport I’d a fair idea how to go about it.). The YouTube video I linked to above was very helpful and I particularly like the idea of fitting the box under the fusebox cover rather than trying to squeeze it in behind the head unit.

We set it up to use Bluetooth audio but I’ll investigate using WiFi as suggested by pporocki above. Having said that, my Disco Sport uses Bluetooth as the alternative of going through the unit by WiFi meant using the AUX input with poorer sound quality. And as I recall, the Xtrons unit in my FL2 didn’t offer the Bluetooth option.

But overall, a terrific piece of kit for the money.

P.S. Steering wheel volume and track skip controls work perfectly. 👍