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Course Motorsports Phone Mount Install/Review

TCOTUE

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2018 Sport DCSB Auto
Blazing Blue Pearl
Just wanted to take some time to review this product for the 3rd Gen Tacoma. I’m sure at some point in our lives, we’ve all had some type of phone mount. Whether it be the suction cup windshield mount type, or dmm style ones. In my instance, I don’t plan on installing any other accessories at this time. Having a vent style mount, basically wedged itself onto the air vent. I loved it at first, then over time, it began to slip causing my phone to fall. I got frustrated, started looking for other options. I arrived at the Course Motorsport one. After seeing how it attached, me personally I was sold. Ordered this bad boy up. Ordered on Friday, received today (a day earlier than expected. Below is my initial package impressions, plus install pics.

Package as arrived.
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Upon opening with package contents.
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Now for the install. It’s very easy, I installed mine in 5 minutes.

Grab with fingers behind the right side of faceplate panel. Then once right side clips come free, work around the panel taking care to not break any clips.
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Next you will find 4 10mm bolts that hold the radio in. I removed both drivers side bolts, I loosened the passenger side bolts enough to be able slip the mount in between the radio and dash. I opted for hand tools, only because ultimately my 1/4” drive 10mm was MIA 😂
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I reinstalled the 2 drivers side bolts and wrenched them down, also tightening the 2 passenger side ones.

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I kinda jumped the gun, but install the ball mount onto the metal mount stud with the supplied Allen key.

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Now it’s time to reinstall the radio bezel trim. It just pops back in with clips. Making sure they are all seated.

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Now time to install the magnetic mount on to the ball mount socket. Unthread the nut on the back, place it over the ball mount. Thread the magnetic mount onto the nut.

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Now it’s installed. Let’s move onto the phone case. The case I had (included with my vent clip one, would not work.). The magnets were in weird places, and too thick to properly hold, even after adding the included steel plates provided by Course Motorsports (the phone case material hindered this from working). I opted to install a plate onto my Otterrbox case. After cleaning with the supplied alcohol wipe, I peeled the 3M, and affixed the provided plate to my Otterbox.

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Overall, package was shipped in a timely manner, everything arrived intact and undamaged. I will update after a few weeks. But overall impressions are fantastic. Fit and finish is great!

Those looking for a simple mount, that doesn’t require drilling into a $40k truck, look no further! Hope this helps someone!
 
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This is actually cool- Is that a magsafe mount or just a regular magnet?

EDIT: Scratch that- I see that it wasnt the mag safe. However, I just ordered a mag safe version for myself! Thanks for the referral.
 
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Does your phone have wireless charging? One thing I found out was anytime you place a plate between the phone and case, it can heat up crazy hot if not lined up correctly. Then it always lumped up underneath. One thing I found was the OhSnap grip. Pretty low profile.


I do like the magnetic attachment.
 
Does your phone have wireless charging? One thing I found out was anytime you place a plate between the phone and case, it can heat up crazy hot if not lined up correctly. Then it always lumped up underneath. One thing I found was the OhSnap grip. Pretty low profile.


I do like the magnetic attachment.
It does, but I don’t use it. I just charge with the lightning cable, fast charger. I was unaware of any issues with wireless charging, but I’ll note it!
 
Would like to update after my drive to work. I love how low profile it is.

With that being said, I think my phone is too big. Or I did not get plate centered. My phone fell off the mount this morning (n)

I will try the larger plate later tonight, and report back.
 
That's the magnet. The plate might have to be on the outside of the case for a solid connection. Weight of the phone + weak connection will cause that. I've seen it happen to cases that had the magnet built into the case itself call. Don't think the large plate will help because the contact area of the magnet is still the same. Would need a stronger magnet.

The OhSnap ring I have on mine has a thin circle plate. But they have a bunch of magnets spread out on the grip itself.
I've been searching for a solution for years without adding bulk to the phone or case. Haven't found a good one. If I have, it was a corny case.
I wonder if this can be attached to a ball mount.


If I could get this mounted on a 20mm ball, it's game over. It's stronk.

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That's the magnet. The plate might have to be on the outside of the case for a solid connection. Weight of the phone + weak connection will cause that. I've seen it happen to cases that had the magnet built into the case itself call. Don't think the large plate will help because the contact area of the magnet is still the same. Would need a stronger magnet.

The OhSnap ring I have on mine has a thin circle plate. But they have a bunch of magnets spread out on the grip itself.
I've been searching for a solution for years without adding bulk to the phone or case. Haven't found a good one. If I have, it was a corny case.
I wonder if this can be attached to a ball mount.


If I could get this mounted on a 20mm ball, it's game over. It's stronk.

snapstand2LoweRes_1024x1024_1913cd0a-fae1-42a6-9408-b0c044b05606_530x.jpg

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The otterbox I have is a spare, I may temp attach the square magnet to the back when I get home. It's pretty thin. Good looking out. I'll have to check that link out when I get home. The Gov't doesn't like that link 😲
 
From what I read on their site, the standard magnet mount from Course doesn't work well with cases over 2.3mm thickness. Maybe yours is too thick? Hoping I don't have the same problem with mine, but since its magsafe i think i'm good. I'll report back.
 
From what I read on their site, the standard magnet mount from Course doesn't work well with cases over 2.3mm thickness. Maybe yours is too thick? Hoping I don't have the same problem with mine, but since its magsafe i think i'm good. I'll report back.
Yeah my otterbox is magsafe, but this 12PRO Max is massive. Makes me miss my X. I didn't read about the case thickness, but other case had woven fibers on the back.
 
Yeah my otterbox is magsafe, but this 12PRO Max is massive. Makes me miss my X. I didn't read about the case thickness, but other case had woven fibers on the back.

Ahh ok, it doesn't look like your mount is the mag safe magnet. Or is it? I think that might solve your problems. I have the 12 pro max too.. Crossing my fingers!
 
Ahh ok, it doesn't look like your mount is the mag safe magnet. Or is it? I think that might solve your problems. I have the 12 pro max too.. Crossing my fingers!
My mount wasn't, but I really didn't need the charging capability. Guess I'll look into buying the magsafe mount too. I tried to tag Course Motorsports in this post, but I can't for some reason...
 
The otterbox I have is a spare, I may temp attach the square magnet to the back when I get home. It's pretty thin. Good looking out. I'll have to check that link out when I get home. The Gov't doesn't like that link 😲
Same here. The State doesn't like it either.
 
My mount wasn't, but I really didn't need the charging capability. Guess I'll look into buying the magsafe mount too. I tried to tag Course Motorsports in this post, but I can't for some reason...

I'll let you know how mine works once I get it!
 
UPDATE!!

moved the steel plate to the outside of my otterbox. Plate is black, case is black. Doesn’t bother me currently.

Phone held amazingly on my drive to the house. Took actual effort to remove it from the magnetic mount. Not centered, just testing it. I’ll honestly probably throw on the small round mount to the case.
 
I'll let you know how mine works once I get it!

Did you get your MagSafe wireless charger installed from CM? Im thinking of ordering the same one for my iPhone 12 and am curious on the magnet strength, positioning of the phone, etc.
 
Did you get your MagSafe wireless charger installed from CM? Im thinking of ordering the same one for my iPhone 12 and am curious on the magnet strength, positioning of the phone, etc.

I did receive it! I haven't installed it yet though, I've been pretty busy with work and my truck isn't my DD. However, I tested the magnet and it seemed to hold pretty well. I attached it to my case (magsafe case) and held it by the magnet and wiggled it around a ton. I did get it to fall off but it took a significant amount of force and I have a heavy 12 Pro Max. I think it'll do pretty well in the truck unless I'm wheeling really hard!
 
I did receive it! I haven't installed it yet though, I've been pretty busy with work and my truck isn't my DD. However, I tested the magnet and it seemed to hold pretty well. I attached it to my case (magsafe case) and held it by the magnet and wiggled it around a ton. I did get it to fall off but it took a significant amount of force and I have a heavy 12 Pro Max. I think it'll do pretty well in the truck unless I'm wheeling really hard!
This is good to know, I may spring for the upgrade. I just hate having wires everywhere.
 
I did receive it! I haven't installed it yet though, I've been pretty busy with work and my truck isn't my DD. However, I tested the magnet and it seemed to hold pretty well. I attached it to my case (magsafe case) and held it by the magnet and wiggled it around a ton. I did get it to fall off but it took a significant amount of force and I have a heavy 12 Pro Max. I think it'll do pretty well in the truck unless I'm wheeling really hard!
Thanks for the update. I currently use a wireless charging cradle attached to a suction cup on the dash. It works ok, but its an eye sore. If the sun hits it for too long in the summer, it comes loose and I have to reapply the suction. I really like the look of the CM setup, but Im worried about the positioning and the strength of the magnet (especially for $90).
 
This is good to know, I may spring for the upgrade. I just hate having wires everywhere.
If you are concerned about wires, I ran mine from the cig lighter, down the passenger side foot area and up into the radio compartment. I then just routed it out of the top dash almost behind my suction cup mount to hide it. It works really well.
 
If you are concerned about wires, I ran mine from the cig lighter, down the passenger side foot area and up into the radio compartment. I then just routed it out of the top dash almost behind my suction cup mount to hide it. It works really well.
That was my plan, I'll probably run it up through the vent
 
That was my plan, I'll probably run it up through the vent
Since I already have the wire going to behind the radio, can I run it through the vent from there? Is there any concern about the wire getting hot during winter when the heater is running for 20-30 mins?
 
Since I already have the wire going to behind the radio, can I run it through the vent from there? Is there any concern about the wire getting hot during winter when the heater is running for 20-30 mins?
I'm honestly not sure, never really gave that any thought.
 
Since I already have the wire going to behind the radio, can I run it through the vent from there? Is there any concern about the wire getting hot during winter when the heater is running for 20-30 mins?
You can do that. You can also file a notch above the trim where the flat spot is. I can post a picture if you're interested. Ran a couple wires through the top there. Out of the way, completely safe. No risk to the charging cable. Heat blowing onto the charger pad itself would concern me more.
 
You can do that. You can also file a notch above the trim where the flat spot is. I can post a picture if you're interested. Ran a couple wires through the top there. Out of the way, completely safe. No risk to the charging cable. Heat blowing onto the charger pad itself would concern me more.
I'd be interested to see how you ran stuff. Seriously debating on grabbing the Magsafe pad, once you have some feedback.
 
Let me start with I'm no expert and I don't know how much you are into wiring. Just explaining it in a simple way so others that aren't too familiar can follow. I'm just super picky. Some say it's OCD. I have a few chargers behind the console. I know I put 2 behind there. One is tapped off of the existing 12v outlet. I replaced the factory one with one of these so I wouldn't have to deal with the a charger. Even the slim low profile flush mounted ones bothered me. There is a connector attached to the factory outlet. I think I removed the connectors from inside the connector to plug onto the new one. You could also just cut it and throw on female spade connectors. Also found there are piggy back connectors.
Gs60EIs.jpg

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I went with NOCO stuff since it seems like good quality and didn't have some crazy name like XiangPowChikkun.
I ran the extension from the fuse panel underneath the steering wheel with an add-a-fuse to something that shut off when the ignition was off. The other was daisy chained off the outlet.
I used these. Just cut off the plug and clamps.
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I got 2 of the 12v outlet chargers. The QC 3.0 type. One with USB-C for my phone. Matching charging cables. Anker for chargers and Uni for cables. The mount I have had slots. Don't know if it was intentional, but that's what I filed off and ran the wires up. I ran them behind and on top of the head unit. Just guide it or hold it in the cutout you made then they stick out up top. I can post the actual picture when I get out. There should be a picture of it somewhere on the forums. Here's a quick diagram. Sorry for the quality. Best I could do with what I have. :)

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Let me start with I'm no expert and I don't know how much you are into wiring. Just explaining it in a simple way so others that aren't too familiar can follow. I'm just super picky. Some say it's OCD. I have a few chargers behind the console. I know I put 2 behind there. One is tapped off of the existing 12v outlet. I replaced the factory one with one of these so I wouldn't have to deal with the a charger. Even the slim low profile flush mounted ones bothered me. There is a connector attached to the factory outlet. I think I removed the connectors from inside the connector to plug onto the new one. You could also just cut it and throw on female spade connectors. Also found there are piggy back connectors.
Gs60EIs.jpg



I went with NOCO stuff since it seems like good quality and didn't have some crazy name like XiangPowChikkun.
I ran the extension from the fuse panel underneath the steering wheel with an add-a-fuse to something that shut off when the ignition was off. The other was daisy chained off the outlet.
I used these. Just cut off the plug and clamps.



I got 2 of the 12v outlet chargers. The QC 3.0 type. One with USB-C for my phone. Matching charging cables. Anker for chargers and Uni for cables. The mount I have had slots. Don't know if it was intentional, but that's what I filed off and ran the wires up. I ran them behind and on top of the head unit. Just guide it or hold it in the cutout you made then they stick out up top. I can post the actual picture when I get out. There should be a picture of it somewhere on the forums. Here's a quick diagram. Sorry for the quality. Best I could do with what I have. :)
I've been wanting to do the same, as the pad is worthless. That one you posted looks like a great option. Guess I'll have to dig around the forums and find someone who's installed one. I like to read those ahead of time so I have some kind of idea of what I'm doing. Let me know how you like that plug.

EDIT: You could almost mount that new "cig" lighter plug in the glove box to keep the cables short. I have an '18, so I have another cig lighter plug in my center console. I may end up replacing with the one you posted, then find a long cable to run up to my phone mount. Would honestly probably be cheaper to run it this way.
 
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I've been wanting to do the same, as the pad is worthless. That one you posted looks like a great option. Guess I'll have to dig around the forums and find someone who's installed one. I like to read those ahead of time so I have some kind of idea of what I'm doing. Let me know how you like that plug.

EDIT: You could almost mount that new "cig" lighter plug in the glove box to keep the cables short. I have an '18, so I have another cig lighter plug in my center console. I may end up replacing with the one you posted, then find a long cable to run up to my phone mount. Would honestly probably be cheaper to run it this way.
The center console one is either data only or super slow charging. I'd leave that one unless you get the conversion cables. Then you're extending the existing ones. It seemed like a headache.
 
The center console one is either data only or super slow charging. I'd leave that one unless you get the conversion cables. Then you're extending the existing ones. It seemed like a headache.
My center console has a cig lighter socket, my lower dash also has a cig lighter socket. I'll probably just replace the lower dash socket for now. Really just wanted fast charging easily accessible. I don't use the USB port in the lower console, I just bluetooth everything.
 
Do any of you lose radio reception when you plug your phone in to charge? I noticed it happened in my Honda Fit and it does it in my Taco too. I've tried both the USB plug (which is almost useless to charge) and I currently use a cig plug adapter. Both trash my reception with the phone plugged in.
 
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