Hoovie

Installing Dashmount Cradle on RAV4.3 Difficulty - Easy Time - 15 minutes. Tools - Trim Removal Tool; Philips P1 Screwdriver Introduction Secure mounting of portable devices such as Sat-Nav units, 'Safety Camera' detectors, etc are important to avoid loose gadgets potentially flying around the cabin. The windscreen sucker fitments can work well, but they have a tendency to vibrate due to the flexible goose-neck these holders often have, and a solid bracket usually work best. The Dashmount is one of the two most popular brackets (The Brodit being the other). This guide shows how to install the Dashmount. Procedure Remove the right hand radio trim with a trim removal tool or similar device (I used an 'L' shaped bracket with insulation tape on the end to prevent scratches I also slid two plastic cards between the dash and the trim piece and put the trim tool between the two to make absolutely sure of no scratching. The Dashmount for the RAV4.3 secures into place with the single philips screw (circled in red below) Simply remove the screw, position the Dashmount bracket and refit the screw The trim piece is then refitted by simply pushing back into place. It is a snug fit already, and with the bracket in place, a firm push will be needed to get the trim back in place, but it WILL go back neatly. And that completes the installation of the Dashmount Bracket. Additional Info You can now fit an appropriate cradle to the bracket to allow your device to be held securely. The mobile device I wanted to use is an HTC Sensation phone, which I wanted in good view to use the CamerAware application for warning of 'safety' cameras. I had been using one of the goose-neck windscreen holders while I was looking for a bracket and this suffered the usual problem of shaking, which I find very annoying personally when glancing at the screen. I simply unclipped the phone cradle from the holder and secured it to the new Dashmount bracket with two ty-wraps (I have found using ty-wraps for this 100% reliable for this task for the last few cars and cradles highly recommend this method) (Black ty-wraps would be virtually invisible and I'll be swapping from the clear to the black soon as I can find them!) Total Cost: Dashmount was £9.49 including shipping; HTC Phone Cradle was part of a £18 set of accessories (including the gooseneck holder, 5 x cases, leads, charger and 2 x batteries!)

Difficulty - Medium Time - About an hour Tools - ideally a trim tool (but I actually used a modified bracket from a Billy Bookcase with tape to protect the car trim!), 10mm socket and suitable driver, Introduction This procedure will first cover the Physical Installation of the Product; and the second part will cover its use. Physical Installation This part will follow the fitting of the genuine Toyota interface, P/N PZ473-00267, which was purchased from Lindop Bros Toyota for use with a 2011 RAV4 SR fitted with the B9017 Sat-Nav/CD/HDD Head Unit Different Head Units may need different adapters, and may have differing installation routines, so check with your supplier before purchase. The Head Unit removal is the same on the latest RAV4.3.5 as in the first RAV4.3 so this post can also be referred to. This is the method I used to remove the side trims .... The 'trim tool' was put between the credit cards to protect the car plastics. The kit comes with a cable from Head Unit to Controller; The Controller; Cable from Controller to USB/Aux Socket; and USB Socket. Other parts include some Ty-wraps and double-sided sticky pads. The kit comes with a separate socket that incorporates both a USB Socket and an AUX (3.5mm) headphone type socket. It maybe assumed that you would take out the existing AUX socket from the centre console and drop this one in its place. However, I did not do this for 2 reasons: 1) I prefer to have the iPod and its cable out the way, so intended to keep it in the Storage Compartment under the centre armrest 2) Even though the USB Socket has a AUX socket, the flying lead from it does not actually connect to anything I could find (the cable that goes into the existing AUX is not the same connection, and no compatible cable was supplied with the kit), so I thought it wiser to keep the existing AUX socket in place in case I wanted to use it Very handily, there is already a place in the Storage Compartment for the USB Socket. This has a standard blanking plug that just needs pushing out and the socket put in its place. Simply liftout the piece of 'cloth' and you will see the slight indentation which allows you to grip the mounting plate and pull out. It is quite a firm fit, but comes out quite easily. You will probably want to pull off the 12V Aux Power lead into the socket to make it easier to work. The 2nd picture above on the right shows the blanking plate removed ready to accept the USB socket. The 1st picture shows a iPod socket already in place (actually a different socket from a different kit that I had tried to fit a few days earlier!) It is fairly obvious how it looks, but here is a clearer picture of the socket fitted from front and from the rear..... Once in place, the iPod or the USB just connects like on a PC of course For the iPod, I use one of the retractable leads that has a minimal USB plug to avoid gettng knocked, and for the USB, the very dinky little USB Memory Sticks are perfect for this kind of installation (the one you can just see plugged in is a 16GB stick) The length of the leads in the kit means that if you fit the USB socket in the Storage Compartment, the Controller will need to be somewhere along the centre console area. I don't have any pictures, but I fitted mine behind the removable front piece of trim on the passenger side. With that trim back in place, the controller unit is very secure and protected against knocks. To get the lead from the Head Unit to the controller, it is simply a matter of dropping the lead on the left side and allowing it to feed its way down. In a similar way the cable from the USB Socket to the Controller I just tucked behind the trim (I guess you could remove the trim and ty-wrap along the way, but I don't see the need myself). The cable to the head unit plugs into the CD Changer socket (ringed below) Once the connections have been tested, then the Head Unit can be bolted back in place and the side trims refitted but just pushing back in place. The next post will cover how the kit actually works with the Toyota B9017 Head Unit

There are basically two stages to having a reversing/backup camera working on a car. 1) The Camera itself - choices tend to be surface mount type, mounted on a bracket, or flush-mounted, in the same way as Reversing Sensors are installed 2) The Display showing the camera image - some top Audio HUs (Head Units) had the ability to accept a reversing camera; An alternative way is to fit a small dedicated monitor to display the image. This post describes how to install a flush-mounted camera on a RAV4.2 and connection to a Full Screen Audio unit with reverse camera connection feature. The chosen location for the reversing camera is in the number plate light housing, in a very similar place to where one of the reversing sensors would be fitted. In order to gain access to this area, it is necessary to remove the rear door trim and free the plastic plate light housing - the Toyota Reversing Sensor installation guide has all the required info to do this Physical Connection of Camera To put some photos to accompany the diagram..... The red circles show the position of the 3 clips and 2 screws that must be removed to free the plastic trim. Use a flat-bladed screwdriver to pull the centre of the clip which can then be pulled out. Remove the number plate and the two screws that secure the trim onto the metal skin of the Door. On my RAV4, the same screws that held the number plate in place secured the trim - yours may be the same or the screws could be under the number plate. The Blue circle is the position chosen for the camera as it is fairly central within the limitations of the spare wheel mounting This is a closeup of the clip for better viewing. I drilled a 20mm hole in the trim for the backup camera - the pic below shows the hole and the size of the camera that will be fitted. Access to the rear of the trim is needed to be able to route the cable through and also to fit the collar and securing ring to the camera. WARNING: Being a round camera, it is not necessarily obvious which way is up - and in the case of my camera, there was no indication at all, so before re-securing any trim, test the camera output and adjust as required. The rear door inside trim is only secured by trim poppers and just pulls off without the need to any tools. The picture below shows the naked door The routing used for the added wires can be identified by the location of the blue ty-wraps. The suggested best route for the camera cable is through a spare hole on the lower-right of the pic - see the picture below: This picture shows the wiring that is needed added. In the case of the camera fitted here, the Yellow RCA connection is the video signal; the black wire goes to an earth connection and the red wire goes via a bullet plug that gets connected into the reverse light signal so it is powered only when reverse is selected. There is, on this particular camera, a little jumper (the white square block by the RCA connection) that switches between standard view and mirror image. This is something you may need to chose here, or there may be a similar setting on the display monitor. Note that I have added a rubber grommet on this cable entry hole - this is something that it is important to add to avoid risk of cable chaffing against the bare metal. This is the appearence of the fully fitted Reversing Camera Connecting the Camera to the Display Monitor The Toyota reversing sensor installation guide explains how to route the cable from the rear door into the rear light cluster area and if that is followed as detailed - Picture 8 on page 8, and especially in picture 32 and 33 on page 11, this will get the required power to the Camera. What is then neccessary is to get the Video signal to the front of the vehicle for the monitor. In my case, the monitor switches automatically to the reversing camera when a "REVERSE" wire is connected to +12V, and it was easiest to run a wire from the same place the camera picked up its power from to the front at the same time as running the video signal cable. To run this cable, by removing the plastic covers by the door entrys (see picture 7, page 8 and do the same for the front door) and then run the cables to the front of the vehicle and re-secure the covers. Depending on the monitoring method you have, you will then be able to continue the cable run discreetly to the display. In my particular installation, I ran the cables to the radio area, ty-wrapping the cable securely to appropriate places along the route and connected the video signal into the V-In/Rev Cam signal and the wire from the camera power to the REVERSE wire of the unit. I set the display to show the mirror image, as on the conventional setting, cars and objects on the left of the vehicle appear to the right on the display and it is all rather odd like that This is the screens display when reverse is engaged: (Please note, you may not want small children or those of a nervous dispostion look ) And when reverse is not engaged, far more attractive views are possible .....

Difficulty - Medium Time – 45 Minutes Tools - 12mm Sockets, PZ2 Pozidrive Screwdriver, Flat blade Screwdriver, Pliers, Trim removal tool or thin blade (scraper, etc) wrapped with tape to protect, Protective blanket (to rest bumper on) Frequency – As required. Introduction To access a number of components, it is necessary to remove the bumper. This is a description of how that can be done on a RAV 4.2 2003-2006 Model (Round Fog light version). The RAV4.2 2000-2003 Model (Square Fog lights) looks to be identical but I cannot guarantee that. Procedure This diagram shows the various components of the front assembly – the items that must be removed are numbered 1,2 & 3 1. The Grill must be removed first. The screws circled in Red hold the grill in place and are removed with the PZ2 driver. The grill is also secured by three clips that are accessible – just – by moving the top of the grill forward. These are plastic clips are separated by a sharp pull forwards if you are feeling brave or the clips can be persuaded to come out by careful pressure of the securing lugs to release. NOTE: be VERY careful how any tools are used when working near the rad – the fins of the rad are easily damaged by knife blades, screwdriver tips, etc. so make sure no tools slip and hit it. 2. Once the Grill is removed, the "Front End Panel" must be removed. This is taken off by removing the two screws circled in Green in the picture in 1. above; the four plastic clips visible once the grill is off (position is shown circled in green below); And then another bit of bravery is required…The End Panel is kept in place at each end by two plastic fittings – the holes for these fittings are circled in red above. These just pull off, but require firm persuasion to come out. Again take great care with any tools as you are separating painted metal parts and do not want any tools to slip, so this is where a trim removal tool could help. 3. Once the end panel is removed, the Front Bumper itself can be removed. This is done by removing the 7 hex screws (using a mix of spanner and screwdriver) in the positions circled below in green. The 2 areas circled in red keep the bumper in position via a simple tongue and groove style clip and no tools are needed there. Before the screws are removed, it is best to position the blanket or cloth underneath for the bumper to rest on to avoid any scratches. 4. There is not a lot of free play on the cabling to the foglights, so it is best to unplug those as the bumper is freed so they are not strained supporting the bumper in mid air. When the car is in this disassembled mode, work such as replacing horns, washer bottle, fitting nudge bars, etc can be carried out. Reassembly is in the exact reverse order, taking care to ensure the bumper is aligned correctly on the clips that are shown within the red circles and the screws that go into the front wing areas before fully tightening the screws underneath.

I got a full tank of fuel when I picked up my last RAV (but I did make it a condition of the sale as I drove over 300 miles to get it and said I needed the fuel to get home again )

Alls well that ends well by the sound of it. Nice early Christmas pessie for your RAV

Don't assume it is a central fault necessarily. I don't know for sure, but the door switches are likely to be quite exposed to the elements inside the pillar? I know it is not a RAV4, but I have a VW T4 of a similar vintage to your RAV and I had exactly the same issue - PLUS ... the lights-on buzzer didn't work either (these are usually operated by the door switch). On my T4, I took out the switches and cleaned up the slight corrosion with one of the brushes you get with a Dremel (you could use a bit of abrasive paper or even an nail emery board) and voila! lights working on both door openings again and headlight buzzer working. This may have helped, or may be be irrelevant to the RAV, but thought I'd throw it in as a consideration ;)

I expected a lot worse outcome then that, I cannot deny, having heard plenty of general insurance horror stories, so I was totally impressed with the service AND the speed of settlement. I was with AXA and would fully recommend them based on this experience.

I am now a fan of GAP having benefited from it significantly when my car was nicked earlier this year. However ... I don't think this would be all doom and gloom if he does not have it. When my car was stolen - a July 2011 SR 150 which I'd owned for 19 months - , my insurance company offered me a settlement figure (£19k+) that would actually have got me back in an identical RAV or possibly a little newer or less miles (and that is ignoring GAP). the GAP settlement on top would have actually got me in a brand new 2013 RAV4.4 if I so wanted, so while GAP would be good in that situation, no GAP is not end of the world I would hope.

A new car is always nice to have, but cannot fault your logic there Charlie. I wonder if January/February would be a good time to change? Xmas just been so money is tighter to spend on new cars, but the winter is still very present, so demand for 4x4s a few years older is strong? As an aside, I have a 2013 car with all the goodies, and a 2000 VW with Power Steering and that's about it, but I enjoy driving the VW just as much for some weird reason :)

That is a good point. Plenty of people around pretending to represent companies they don't really.

And Hoovie appreciates the answer given :) (must admit I was surprised at the provider of said response, but only as I thought he would have been too young to know )

Never really got the hang of negotiating buying and selling cars TBH :( usually end up paying the sticker price pretty much! My last car was an ex-demo and I did manage to get £750 off the price and it did feel like I was drawing blood out the salesman, but I think most likely probably overpaid about £2k in hindsight! Doing a bit of maths to see what the profit dealer would end up on a Part-Ex ..... I believe dealers have to pay VAT on the difference between what they buy a car in for and what they sell it for. So if a typical car is bought for £7k and sold for £9.5k, the dealer loses £500 straight off to the tax man, so profit is down from £2.5k to £2k. I guess the dealer would expect to have to service the vehicle, MOT it, Valet it, etc - maybe £300 average at a random guess (I charged Dealers around £200 to fix wheels on cars they got in on Part-ex and many cars in the £10k range would need - and get - wheels sorted) Then add in Warranty for a year - maybe £100 cost to dealer? So a £2.5k apparent profit would drop to £1,600, without considering they will probably take an offer on the car? Maybe take £9k? In which case profit drops from £1600 to £1200 (£100 less VAT liability). So call the expected profit on 7k Px £1,200? Seems a reasonable profit to me. Extrapolating logic to Charlie's T180 ..... Offering only £6k - profit goes up to £2,000 (£800 dealer, £200 VAT Man), no Valeting needed, no wheel fixing needed, etc - just a basic check over and oil change - call it £100 to be generous, so saving further £200 - profit is now £2,200 on a £6k part-ex which seems a little greedy on the dealers part I would say?

Maybe you would have got a quicker answer if you had posted it in the General Forum...........But you will never know ;)Top man Raistlin :)........You deserve more stars ;) Oh, I think if I posted it in there, I would have received AN answer. One. Ein. Uno. Un. You don't get a DISCUSSION when then is a single response, so I posted in the place where I knew I would get answerS ;) I would suggest a little test where I post the same question in GD and see what response I get, but TBH I don't trust that a few PMs won't go out asking select members to go down the dusty road and post a reply :D

I fitted mine similar to Gust (I think it was his post that I copied basically - little reminder to anyone who does same ... The roof console is VERY firmly attached! I used a claw hammer to pull it down :) )