Stereo Query - Weird Wiring Set-Up

[zoom jones]

Hi All,

Long time, no post.

The CD changer in our Rav (2000 4.2 VX) has never worked. The only diagnosis I did was realising no power was going to the changer when we first but the car.

Recently though, my wife bought an X-Carlink so we could listen to MP3's from a USB/SD card. So I set about removing the stereo. Only to find that the CD changer cable wasn't connected at all to the heat unit which would explain why there was no power going to the changer!

However, there was a connector going into to the changer socket on the head unit with 2 feeds going out of it and connecting to one of the other connectors/socket on the head unit (see pic below to illustrate).

On removing this erroneous cable and plugging in the CD changing nothing on the head unit worked apart from the temp read out. No radio etc. The only way I could get the radio working again was to replace this erroneous connector back in the CD changer socket on the head unit.

Fortunately I have a Corolla so I whipped the stereo out of that to try in the Rav and when all connected up propertly all was fine. The radio and even the CD changer etc whirred into life.

So definitely something wrong with the head unit in the Rav. I've found one on eBay and seen the £97 repair service etc but does anyone have any idea what the problem could be and how easy it could be to fix?

Thanks (at least when I put the stereo back in the corolla I plugged in the X-car link - works brill, so I'm happy but the wife isn't so much..)

[anchorman]

shcm is your man for this.

[Garry.L]

So definitely something wrong with the head unit in the Rav. I've found one on ebay and seen the £97 repair service

Some freinds of our's had the head unit fail on their 4-2, we had a Lexus is200 several years ago and the CD changer failed on that, we've also just got a Lexus RX300 and every now and again the CD player sticks requiring a re-set.... clearly Audio is not a Toyota strong point

I've also seen the evilbay ad's for the Toyota/Lexus repair service but they want £200 for our RX fix, so I'd be interested in knowing what the fault is with these units....

[zoom jones]

So definitely something wrong with the head unit in the Rav. I've found one on ebay and seen the £97 repair service

Some freinds of our's had the head unit fail on their 4-2, we had a Lexus is200 several years ago and the CD changer failed on that, we've also just got a Lexus RX300 and every now and again the CD player sticks requiring a re-set.... clearly Audio is not a Toyota strong point

I've also seen the evilbay ad's for the Toyota/Lexus repair service but they want £200 for our RX fix, so I'd be interested in knowing what the fault is with these units....

I would too. I can't work out why running the connections for the TX- and TX+ on the CD changer socket to what I believe are speaker sockets makes the radio and tape work and when not connected nothing works on the unit only the outside temp. Something has obviously failed on the inside but what and it looks pretty easy to get into the unit but it would just be nice to know what I'd be looking for and how I could fix it.

I'm watching this item on eBay 180517953574 although its on with a buy it now it seems it would sort me out but still I'm a bit loathed to pay £87 for a standard manufacturer unit in a 10 year old. Maybe I'm asking too much!?

[shcm]

shcm is your man for this.

shcm has spent a significant part of the day driving back from the far north. (Well, in the interests of bio-diversity you have to give the wee midge beasty a feed on some good strong English blood now and again They'd never survive on the wussy native stuff! OK, incoming..........).

I would too. I can't work out why running the connections for the TX- and TX+ on the CD changer socket to what I believe are speaker sockets makes the radio and tape work and when not connected nothing works on the unit only the outside temp. Something has obviously failed on the inside but what and it looks pretty easy to get into the unit but it would just be nice to know what I'd be looking for and how I could fix it.

This comes up now and again. No, I don't think there is anything wrong with the head unit. If I remember correctly, the speaker connections are on the lower sockets next to the cd changer socket.

Anyway, all the units/components making up toyota audio/video system communicate with one another on a bus (TX+/TX-) or network (call it what you like). For some strange reason, some headunits have multiple units/components in one box (for example tuner + tape player), that communicate with one another via an external link - i.e. the one you removed. (You would think the link could be made internally in the head unit!). The unit will not work without this link. (I have an old toyota headunit on my workbench to play with, that behaves exactly like this). To get the X-Carlink working, I would bet that connecting all 3 TX+ bus unit connections together and all 3 TX- unit connections together would do it. i.e. you need to put the X-Carlink connector into the CD changer socket and splice in the TX+/TX- connections to the top socket. This certainly works for my bench unit connected to other players/adapters. Let me know if you need more clarification.

Off Topic: (Probably aimed at the the likes of Bothy, Dave.m, Big Kev) - What is it with the A80 Around Cumbernauld? Come though there maybe once or twice a year for many years and every time they seem to be re-modelling it! I thought it was finished at one stage? Will it ever be?

[bothwell_buyer]

shcm is your man for this.

shcm has spent a significant part of the day driving back from the far north. (Well, in the interests of bio-diversity you have to give the wee midge beasty a feed on some good strong English blood now and again They'd never survive on the wussy native stuff! OK, incoming..........).

I would too. I can't work out why running the connections for the TX- and TX+ on the CD changer socket to what I believe are speaker sockets makes the radio and tape work and when not connected nothing works on the unit only the outside temp. Something has obviously failed on the inside but what and it looks pretty easy to get into the unit but it would just be nice to know what I'd be looking for and how I could fix it.

This comes up now and again. No, I don't think there is anything wrong with the head unit. If I remember correctly, the speaker connections are on the lower sockets next to the cd changer socket.

Anyway, all the units/components making up toyota audio/video system communicate with one another on a bus (TX+/TX-) or network (call it what you like). For some strange reason, some headunits have multiple units/components in one box (for example tuner + tape player), that communicate with one another via an external link - i.e. the one you removed. (You would think the link could be made internally in the head unit!). The unit will not work without this link. (I have an old toyota headunit on my workbench to play with, that behaves exactly like this). To get the X-Carlink working, I would bet that connecting all 3 TX+ bus unit connections together and all 3 TX- unit connections together would do it. i.e. you need to put the X-Carlink connector into the CD changer socket and splice in the TX+/TX- connections to the top socket. This certainly works for my bench unit connected to other players/adapters. Let me know if you need more clarification.

Off Topic: (Probably aimed at the the likes of Bothy, Dave.m, Big Kev) - What is it with the A80 Around Cumbernauld? Come though there maybe once or twice a year for many years and every time they seem to be re-modelling it! I thought it was finished at one stage? Will it ever be?

dearest shcm ( a form of endearment and nothing more... as if!)

The A80 is a "work in progress" which keeps 13% of civil servants occupied, and a large number of contractors. Thankfully, the project does not have any quantity surveyors, otherwise it could last until 2355 (the year). However it is blessed with redundant staff from various council departments, seconded onto the project to help plan out the procedures. however, they have had to attend 4 years of training courses then a company called sojusto Freemans have taken the civil service for a ride... like a slow boat to China. The planned existing work to the A80 will likely be open around 2011, dependant on funding restrictions. Simply put, you just avoid it.

You mention one stage - it is in fact a multi-stage operation which once almost complete will be torn up to allow connection to a re-modelled M8. Forth Rail bridge comes to mind, but they only paint it.

Unfortunately I believe I will be too old to ever take advantage of a completed M74/M73/A80/M8 cohesive road network. Cos a friend of mine, being a consultant relies on income from the quangos for his very existance....road planning.

And coming back to the 'head' problem.... torch the car. Insurance comapnies only take notice if yer house is numbered 13 or a number higher than 60 from what i read.

And then onto the main topic - midgies.... rumour has it that the severe winter never killed them off at all and that they will be back (in fact they are already back) with a vengeance. I believe this new breed is of English descent, bred from the spilt booze of English football fans when they beat Isle of Man National Football Squad back in April. Apparently the midge is a descendant of King Henry VIIIs pet parrot.

[bothwell_buyer]

I should have added that I have no crib against parrots, nor King Henrys pet fetish. The Isle of man is a great place, but the Scout Leader who was taking me there on a visit was arrested before I ever saw it. Thats back in the time of hovercraft trials from Wallasey to Isle of Man.

Don't worry about the weird wiring set up of stereos of RAVs - its been like that since 1994. The early cassette / radio players were the UKs first attempt at recycling cassette tapes - every tape you put in came out shredded.

[shcm]

dearest shcm ( a form of endearment and nothing more... as if!)

I'm not dear. I'm quite good value for money actually. (and I don't have antlers).

Thanks for clearing up the A80 debacle. It makes perfect sense now. Here was me thinking that having heard of cloverleaf junctions, they were trying to go one better and produce a road network (or at least a collection of cones) in the shape of a thistle.

Ah, maybe all those cones are left behind in the night by aliens (English contractors?), a bit like crop circles are.

[dave.m]

dearest shcm ( a form of endearment and nothing more... as if!)

I'm not dear. I'm quite good value for money actually. (and I don't have antlers).

Thanks for clearing up the A80 debacle. It makes perfect sense now. Here was me thinking that having heard of cloverleaf junctions, they were trying to go one better and produce a road network (or at least a collection of cones) in the shape of a thistle.

Ah, maybe all those cones are left behind in the night by aliens (English contractors?), a bit like crop circles are.

Seem to remember hearing that some of the contractors went bust on that project, which was already a problematic due to nearby properties

and trying to put a motorway through the viaduct (Castlecarey Arches).Anyway too much interference for Toyota stereos in that area (sneaks

back on topic )

[bothwell_buyer]

what topic?