So the stock head unit is pretty average in the SR/SR5 2005-2011 Hilux. As such I was looking for a replacement. The stock unit works well as a tuner and at least has AUX input but that's about it.
I wanted something with a screen so I could hookup reversing camera, plus I wanted ipod control onscreen with bluetooth for phone. Navigation is not necessary because I prefer to use external GPS.
I looked at those 'cheap' chinese units on ebay, which claim to offer everything, but they are a bit dodgy. Some people swear by them, others state that they fail not long after install, plus they are laggy. They also vary wildly in price. In the end I decided to give them a miss.
Next I looked at more traditional brands, pioneer, sony etc. But most of their head units seem to be still stuck in 2005. The few double din models that exist rarely have everything I needed, and the one or two models that did were crazy prices, $1500-$2500 etc. So I had to pass those up too, I can't justify spending so much on a head unit when my phone can do everything better for 1/5th the cost.
So I ended up searching for a factory replacement, on ebay I found a factory head unit from a 2013 corolla. I couldn't find any decent reviews, all of the car reviews I read brushed over the head unit. But it seemed to have everything I need. These units are fairly common because they are the stock unit in most corollas and rav4's too I think. They are getting replaced because the owner wants navigation in the one unit, so they end up paying $2000 to get almost the exact same head unit, just with an extra board for GPS.
This is the one I got:
PZQ60-00524
It's manufactured by Fujitsu for Toyota.
I paid $180 from memory, and there are more out there for similar prices (personally I wouldn't pay more than $300). That is a great price for a head unit with touch screen, ipod, bluetooth etc. Plus it is factory toyota so everything fits nicely.
The only thing I needed was an adapter for the harness which adapts the older toyota wiring (90's and 00's) to the new harness (201X's). The part is PZQ60-00151 they are about $20 from toyota. It also has an adapter for the aerial too.
I'll post a short guide below of what I did in case anyone else wants to do this upgrade.
First remove the old head unit. There are multiple guides to removing the dash plate, essentially turn the AC dials to the left all the way, then pull them straight off. There is one screw behind the middle dial.
Then it just pulls off. Be careful with the vents, they are just clipped on and if they fall off can be a bit of a pain to align the vents again.
Then there are 4 screws holding the head unit in. Be careful not to drop them when you pull them out. The head unit will now come out, undo the harness connection and unplug the aerial. Take the brackets off the old head unit because these will bolt onto the new one.
Out with the old
Here you can see the harness adapters which are essential unless you enjoy making life hard for yourself
Here is another look at the harness adapters:
In with the new (test fit to make sure everything works, it is just sitting in the gap for the test).
Now is a good time to also do your reversing camera (if you want one) before you put in the new head unit.
The camera I got was off this seller on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/181200011821 ... 1423.l2649
It came with an adapter for the head unit connection, but check with the seller first. It's just a cheap chinese camera but it works well. The mount wasn't brilliant but I made it work and apparently it's waterproof.
They did have some instructions in the form of a PDF but they were about as clear as mud. They also sent about three harness connections which were totally unnecessary for me, but the kit has to cover multiple models etc so it was a bit confusing.
Basically you only need to wire up two wires for the reversing camera. One to give it power, and one to tell it when to turn on.
Connect the red wire from the camera to the grey wire in the loom adapter. This is for ACC power from memory.
(ignore terrible solder skills)
The only other splice you have to do is for the signal for the camera to turn on when the car is put into reverse. This is the red and white wire going into the fuse box below the steering wheel. Run the green wire from the head unit to the fuse box. Splice into the wire however you like. I generally use an automatic wire stripper, then twist and solder the wires, then coat them in hot glue then wrap in electrical tape. The hot glue is maybe overkill but it's just what I do.
Now it's time to run the cable for the camera to the back. Despite not requiring any soldering etc, it still took me longer than the actual wiring.
There are multiple ways to run cables to the back, I think there is a hole beneath the passenger seat but stuff pulling that out. I ran mine down from the head unit, under the steering column, then down the drivers side run, then the drivers side passenger run, behind the passenger seat are two grommets, take your pick.
Apparently the last owner has been through some river crossings or something, nfi how this shit got in there
From there I ran it along the top of the chassis rail, using the extra long zip ties and plastic conduit supplied. I also wrapped the entire length of conduit in electrical tape to help waterproof it even more. I use Nitto brand electrical tape because it's the best in my experience.
Once it's at the back connect the camera and bolt it on. I'm not sure if my kit came with bolts for the camera and I lost them because I couldn't find them. I had some small bolts anyway. Mine sits just like in the picture on ebay, above the license plate.
Just make sure you test everything before you secure it all in place.
I also used this opportunity to install some rear speakers. You are lucky if you own an SR before 2011? because the wires are already there and connected to the cars head unit harness. I got Kenwood 6.5 inch speakers, not realizing I would need an adapter. You can buy them online fairly cheaply but I hate waiting for stuff so I traced the pattern onto plywood and made the mounts myself. I used silicone to help reduce vibrations. It looks like shit but it works well, and the door trim hides everything anyway:
Just make sure the window can still move all the way down, and also that your wiring won't get caught on the mechanism.
This took me about an afternoon then a few hours the next day. I could do it quicker but I'm on holiday so wasn't rushing. I enjoy working on my car.. it's relaxing!
All done!
It's an awesome upgrade over the old stock head unit. The ipod control works well, plus it charges the ipod too so that frees up the 12v for my phone. The tuner works well, bluetooth is fantastic really clear. The reversing camera is great, although one small issue, around midday the sun glares hard on the screen, making it a bit hard to see. It really needs a little hood like the clock has to shade the screen, obviously this dash wasn't designed with a touch screen in mind. It's a minor gripe.
One other slight problem is that I like to drive with my lights on during the day, it's much safer. But when you turn the lights on, the head unit dims the screen automatically, making it almost impossible to see during the day. I'm thinking of putting some LED running lights under the headlights that run when the ignition is ON to avoid this.
It has voice controls but honestly I couldn't get them to work very well and it seems pretty unnecessary anyway. Apparently it can play .avi files from USB but I haven't tried that yet.
Reversing camera has helped a ton, makes it easier to line up trailers too, and of course much safer to avoid children/pets.
The sound from the head unit is great, I'm not an audio enthusiast, but the sound is better than the old stock unit, particularly because I now have 4 speakers, but this unit seems to put out more power.
So that's it, $180 for the head unit, and $140 for the reversing camera, and a bit of work (free) and it's done.
I also made a video up to show what it's like using the menus etc. I think I cover a few points I made in this post too.
If you have any questions let me know,
Short video review of the headunit.
https://vimeo.com/83216802
