[achonda]

Hey Everyone,

Recently, someone over at CR-V Owners Club posted a firmware update containing the Carplay beta, and numerous 2015-16 CR-V owners have flashed it successfully. I'm wondering if it is possible to flash this to our headunits. While they are not the same vehicle, I am hoping Honda did not go out on a limb and change the firmware/OS for a specific vehicle of the same model year (I'm referring to 2014-2015 civics with the new displayaudio headunit), and was wondering if anyone here has the balls to try and flash it. I do not have the balls, hence why I am asking if a bigger man or woman can step up and try it. I've added the links for both the thread and actual firmware update in this post.

Carplay Beta Firmware
crvownersclub thread
NOTE From reading crvownersclub, this may only work for non-nav headunits (I have one with nav)
If someone is willing to try and flash it, make sure you follow the instructions found on the crvownersclub thread, and report back your findings if possible. I would suggest only owners of 2014-2015 civics with EX, EX-L and SI trims try it.

After looking at the update file in a hex editor, looks like it is Windows CE. I wish I had a map update file to compare to, but I don't unfortunately.

DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any damage/issues caused by attempting this! Proceed at your own risk!

P.S. I've attached the dump of signatures to this post.I've removed all the zlib's as they were just taking up space.

Thanks,
achonda

 

[achonda]

I've dumped all the signatures and confirmed that it is in fact Windows CE. If anyone has an old maps update (not trying to use it for a map update, but to compare it to this update), that would be awesome. The one in the "pink" maps update thread no longer has working links

 

[onfire4g05]

I'd be interested. I have a 2014 EX, without navi.

 

[onfire4g05]

I do know our Civics run Windows CE.

Have you checked to see if the update will even run? It's supposed to show the current firmware version and version in the update and then ask if you want to flash it.

If you haven't, I'm thinking of checking to see if it'd even work... but, as you said, I'm not about to actually flash it.

 

[onfire4g05]

So, I wasn't able to get the update to popup. I'm technically inclined, so I don't think I missed anything (update is named correctly, FAT32, used the update USB port under dash and tried the normal port, etc).

Edit: so, right after posting this I remembered there's also a USB in the center console. I tried that one and got the "USB Problem" error, which people were getting on the navi CR-V versions.

 

[achonda]

So, I wasn't able to get the update to popup. I'm technically inclined, so I don't think I missed anything (update is named correctly, FAT32, used the update USB port under dash and tried the normal port, etc).

Edit: so, right after posting this I remembered there's also a USB in the center console. I tried that one and got the "USB Problem" error, which people were getting on the navi CR-V versions.

Yeah I figured that would happen, good to know it officially. Im going to work on getting the firmware update extracted and see what I can find

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

 

[onfire4g05]

Let me know if there's anything I can do to help. I couldn't figure out how it was encoded, since it didn't look to be compressed. I thought about getting a hex editor and changing the model info at the top of the update to see if it'd read, but decided against it.

What would be nice is if we would be able to get the version currently installed somehow so we could compare.

If I were going to install a new head unit, I'd look more into taking it apart and all to hopefully find something useful, since I haven't really seen anyone do that.

So many questions, but over the three years I've owned the car, no one seems to care about it but a select few of us haha.

Finally, I see you're on a Pixel... as am I. This firmware wouldn't even work with Android, and I am in an Apple less (by choice) family. I do know the 2014 Civic was demoed running AA, and the first Honda's to support it, so there has to be a demo firmware of that floating around Honda somewhere like the CarPlay one was.

 

[kobius]

After seeing the "USB Problem" error in both USB ports (the one inside the dash in the passenger side didn't work), so i've decided to force the update just to see what happens, so these are my results:

Car:
-Honda Civic 2014 EX (No Navigation)

USB Thumbdrive Conditions:
-Format: FAT32 with Default Allocation Size
-Size: 16GB
-Files: Only the SwUpdate.mef file

First, i've pressed the buttons POWER, HOME and EJECT and i got a new screen with two options, then i've selected the second one; after that i pressed for a few seconds the MENU button and i got this screen:

I've selected the option: "Version detail information" and i got this screen:

Then, i pressed the "Loading" button and got the following screen:

In this screen there are three buttons: "MAP UPDATE" (pretty obvious), "System uCOM Program" (i can imagine that this to update the software that controls the head unit communications like GPS, Bluetooth, Enable or not the WiFi, etc. And the most important one is: "DA/DA+ Application program", after pressing that button, the head unit rebooted as you can see in the next picture:

After this, i got this last screen, which is a code; i'd like to assume that this is an error code.

From there i got no further screens, so i had to reboot the head unit; everything is working with no bricks.

If there is anything I can do to help just let me know.

 

[onfire4g05]

Not really sure what that does, but it doesn't force the update. I tried it (accidentally) when I was fooling around and got the same thing, it doesn't seem to read the USB.

That said, a little gutsy to try to force the update since it could brick your HU. 😅

If you really want to brick it (I would try this, personally, unless I were planning on replacing the HU), I'm wondering if you could just use a hex editor and edit the model information located at the top of the update file. Again, just an idea that would be to highly likely result in a brick.

 

[kobius]

Not really sure what that does, but it doesn't force the update. I tried it (accidentally) when I was fooling around and got the same thing, it doesn't seem to read the USB.

That said, a little gutsy to try to force the update since it could brick your HU. 😅

If you really want to brick it (I would try this, personally, unless I were planning on replacing the HU), I'm wondering if you could just use a hex editor and edit the model information located at the top of the update file. Again, just an idea that would be to highly likely result in a brick.

I've opened the file in a notepad, maybe changing the value of the field "ForceUpdateFlag" from 0 to 1 and the head unit name as a hardware should be enough, however i've seen more insteresting things inside the file.

Not all the characters can be seen properly due to the encoding or line break type. But, i'm thinking that we need more than a hex editor, because it looks like to some code ripping is needed because of the hardware that CRV has and not the Civic like the compass and etc, because the head unit will be searching for the "missing hardware", also, it must be properly signed after the modification using some MS tools.

 

[fear24]

its not that others don't care....i think it's that they've grown use to the system we have (i have '14 EX, non-nav). i would just like to have the presets on the bottom of the screen like the '15 models do. that has to be a software update but three honda dealers in my area wouldn't even try for me. honda link never worked correctly. apple phones would work sometimes if you used the factory hdmi adaptor. so much for android users (like myself). so, i just gave up on the system altogether. it plays music. pandora works, bluetooth audio works. so, we just live with it and moved on.

wish you all the best of luck.

 

[jn2k108]

Hmm. Interesting. I’d like to see how this pan out if we can clone the factory head unit settings and then try this update with an editor


Sent from my iPhone X while on the toilet.

 

[Johan0600]

Guys I too saw the CRV software update and I managed to get it to work on my 2016 HR-V. Also the radio from the CR-V is plug and play with our radios. So I went ahead bought me a radio from a 2015 CRV, bought the A/M radio face plate for my HR-V and got the software from some guy on ebay that sold it to me for $50 and plugged it in and did the update.

 

[hmrobinson09]

Guys I too saw the CRV software update and I managed to get it to work on my 2016 HR-V. Also the radio from the CR-V is plug and play with our radios. So I went ahead bought me a radio from a 2015 CRV, bought the A/M radio face plate for my HR-V and got the software from some guy on ebay that sold it to me for $50 and plugged it in and did the update.

Who was the seller in eBay?

 

[Johan0600]

As you can see the back of the head units and plugs are literally the same. I looked at the wiring diagram and their the same. Also the photo of the radio was my old radio which is the same as the civic. What software are you guys running. You can check by clicking on the home button and going to info than click the menu button and click system info and it should say the software. Please let me know to see if it's compatible with the software update. I got a guy that works at honda and was the one who sent me the update usb with the software

 

[Johan0600]

2015 HONDA CRV-EX APPLE CARPLAY ADAPTER | eBay

This device will add Apple CarPlay capability to your existing factory radio. There is no better option for these vehicles.

www.ebay.com

 

[Johan0600]

What software are you currently running?

 

[Johan0600]

Who was the seller in eBay?

2015 HONDA CRV-EX APPLE CARPLAY ADAPTER | eBay

This device will add Apple CarPlay capability to your existing factory radio. There is no better option for these vehicles.

www.ebay.com

 

[Johan0600]

I've sent you the link.

 

[Johan0600]

I still have the usb he sent me. What software are you currently running. I can send you the usb if you like, I just want everyone who has our radios to get the software because Honda really fcked us when apple carplay came out.