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How To Update Toyota Entune System

While some other automakers are charging a few hundred dollars for an update that might bring you nothing useful, such as a new street on the other end of the country where you will never get, Toyota offers free updates for the Entune system. Here is how to do it properly.
Toyota Entune System 11 photos
Photo: Toyota
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Not all Toyotas are made equal, and you might already know that. But still, many of them came from the factory almost a decade ago with the Entune infotainment system. It was available on several vehicles, such as the Camry, Avalon, Corolla, and Prius, to name a few.

While this wasn't standard for all trim levels, you should know if your vehicle has one. It might come with or without a navigation system, so just because it doesn't get you from A to B doesn't mean that you don't have an Entune installed in your car.

First, you have to get a USB flash drive formatted around. Just make sure it's at least a 16 GB unit. You also need a computer and an Internet connection. In addition, make sure you have a parking lot where you can keep your car turned on and running for at least 10 minutes.

In some states, it's forbidden to keep your engine idling on the driveway, so make sure you find a proper spot where you can do that. And that spot has to be well-vented so you won't pass out due to exhaust gases.

Toyota firmware update
Photo: Toyota
Access your computer armed with some patience and the USB flash drive. Hopefully, your computer has a USB slot. Then go online to toyota.com/firmware-updates. There, from the drop-down menu "Select A Vehicle," you may either enter your model and production year, or you can enter the VIN to search for the corresponding update.

After you find your vehicle on the list, a new page will open where you can download the update. Press download, and on the new page, tick the "I Accept the Vehicle Software End User License Agreement" box.

The download will start, and you'll find it on your computer in "Downloads" or another folder if you choose to save it somewhere else. Since it's an archive, you need to unpack it, and you'll get a file named swdi.iso or a similar name with a .iso extension. Copy that on your USB flash drive.

Now, go to your car and make sure you have enough gas in the tank. Start the engine and plug the USB flash drive into the car's multimedia infotainment unit. Next, wait for the Entune system to start and press the "APPS" button. Depending on the vehicle, this might be on the top right side of the navi screen.

Toyota firmware update
Photo: Toyota
Wait for the menu to change and press once again. A new pop-up window will be shown on display, asking if you want to upgrade from the current version to a newer one.

Of course, press "Yes" and wait. The car will tell you to keep the engine running and that it shouldn't be interrupted while the update is installed. If you fail to do that, you might get some corrupted files, and the system might not work as expected afterward.

Unfortunately, you can't listen to the sound system while the process is running. So you may use your phone and read the latest drive test we made with the Toyota bZ4X electric vehicle. That one doesn't need such a USB-based update since it's an over-the-air (OTA) procedure.

There are eight packages to be installed. At first, the update will fix the system (package number 2) and System Data. Then, it will clean the System Apps and install the newer ones. Then, package number seven will get you the "Speech" function. Finally, the AVC-LAN will be upgraded so everything will work flawlessly. After this step is completed, you'll be prompted to take the USB out of the slot.

By now, you might already finish the reading with other drive tests as well. If not, you should know that you can already turn on your car's stereo and start browsing for new features brought by your update. If you don't find anything new, don't panic. Somewhere in the back, the software was updated, and even if it doesn't look like something had changed, it did.

Toyota OTA Update
Photo: Toyota USA
If your car has a newer infotainment system and the OTA updates are activated, it can automatically receive the necessary software to perform as well as possible. It will check once a week if there are any new upgrades for your car's infotainment unit and then will proceed. If it didn't, you must start the "software update" manually from the settings button on the left lower corner of the screen. Sometimes, after an update, the system will require a restart.

We hope you find this information useful for you and your car so you can enjoy all the latest features of your car's infotainment unit.


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