New owner

[Munky]

After lurking on this site for several years I decided to jump into the LR world and picked up a 2011 lr4 replacing a 2008 Tahoe z71. I have loved the LR disco series forever and have always been scared to make the leap. I found a 1 owner with all documented maintenance, bought a 5 year bumper to bumper warranty, and feel good.

I had originally wanted - 2012 due to the user interface, but couldn't say no to this 11 with lux, all weather mats and cross bars(everything I would end up buying.

So I have a few questions for the experts:
1. What do you do about iPhone 6 connectivity? Can media be streamed somehow(Pandora etc)?

2.my cross bars did not come with a key- do I need to go to Land Rover for this or can a lock smith make one?

3. I have stock running boards which I am not a big fan of- are these easy to remove?

Thanks for any info.

 

[cperez]

So I have a few questions for the experts:
1. What do you do about iPhone 6 connectivity? Can media be streamed somehow(Pandora etc)?

Welcome to full-fledged LR ownership, Munky.

I will address this one question since it was one of my first "mods" to my 2011 when I got it (also pre-owned) a couple of years ago.

You can of course physically jack into the sound system via AUX. You can also use the proprietary (and pricey) 30-pin interface cable along with a Lightning adapter for your iPhone 6. Neither of these options satisfied me.

I went with a Kinivo BTC450 device to provide an alternative to the limited Bluetooth features provided by LR. I use it for HF phone calls and BT streaming of music (via any app including Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, etc), turn-by-turn nav, and podcasts from my iPhone 6. It is stable and reliable and for around $30 one of the most budget-friendly upgrades I've made. Search for the device name in this forum and you'll find a couple of threads I've contributed to with mini-reviews.

There are other aftermarket BT options out there but after looking at them I decided on the Kinivo and have not looked back. I mounted the black multi-function button close to my ignition button and volume knob and it blends right into the dash and gives great ergonomics. Let me know if you have any other questions about the Kinivo. Again, welcome aboard!

 

[umbertob]

Cross bars are not standard equipment, so yours could either be a Land Rover genuine accessory or aftermarket. Are there any identifications on them?

It's very easy to remove the running boards, with 10 and 13 mm sockets to unscrew a couple dozen bolts, and some screwdrivers to pry things open. You will need to temporarily remove the bottom sills trim first, and will have the cutouts of the brackets holding up the board visible in the plastic trim after removal, but these cutouts are barely visible, and only with the door(s) open. You can "reverse engineer" the installation by downloading the instructions manual for the side steps (available on Topix.)

https://topix.landrover.jlrext.com/topix/content/document/view?id=114121&groupId=1660

 

[andyboy]

If your cross bars are OEM then you can get replacement keys from THULE for a few bucks. There should be a number on the lock. Just type in the number here: http://www.thule.com/en-us/us/support/spare-parts-keys