Mikeyboy

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The rear speakers are on a separate plug to the front, which is also the power connector. It obviously wasn't plugged in.

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I have 2 Klugers, and they are not wired the same. Climate control is very different to airconditioning and has extra sensors, and also 3 condensors and fans and more as there are three zones. I would love to have climate control in the KX-R as I think the system in the Grande is fantastic, regardless of what other people say. Maybe they are doing something wrong or they have a fault. The system in the Kluger works as well, or better than any other car I have had.

I would only want them as they look better than the plastic insert, even if they are never turned on. Also, I think we only have a need for them in Perth once every 3-4 years. I don't know about elsewhere.

I have done it plenty of times, so it definitely works. I use CD-R, so it is possible CD-RW don't work. Don't use DVDs as they don't work. If you just copy the files as data and close the disk, there is no reason it won't work as it worked for me.

It can be fitted, as the connections, and size, are almost identical to the Kenwood DDX-8032BT I fitted to my KX-R. The only differences are the Pioneer has a speed pulse connection and a different SWI is used for Pioneer. Whoever fits it will need to fit a 6V supply for the reversing camera, otherwise you will need to use the supply from the MFD and you will get a blank screen when in reverse. Also, make sure they fit the microphone in the same position as the Grande, in the roof in front of the light switch, as it is completely hidden and works perfectly. The Pioneer system has definitely come down in price; $2373 with Ipod adapter. It is only a little over $100 more than my system now, where there was a much larger price difference when I got mine. I still didn't want the Pioneer as it didn't have a USB connection and that is what I prefer. The Ipod connection is just for the kids. Even with the camera connections, it should only take an installer a maximum of 3 hours to fit and I dont think they charge that much; maybe $50 per hour. If they don't know how to disasemble the Kluger panels and don't know which wires to use for the steering wheel buttons and camera connections, it could take a very long time.

It's not a job for the inexperienced. It took me around 5 minutes to change the LEDs and clean and inspect the joints, but I have around 25 years experience in this field and the proper equipment. I could see the possibility of damaging the circuit board if you didn't know what you are doing. There is also the possibility of using the wrong LEDs. Don't try it unless you understand what you are doing.

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Thanks Mikey! It's always valuable to hear from people with first hand experience. With the wheel slips when you put your foot down, does it happen most of the time or only occasionally? How much different in cost between 17'" & 19" wheels are we talking about? If I put my foot down anywhere below 60km/h in the dry, it will spin. If you are gentle, it's OK. If you can't be bothered being gentle, you can use the snow button which reduces power; I stil get wheel spin, but not as much. 17" wheels have more choices in the size the Kluger needs and 17" tyres are generally cheaper for the same tyres than 19". I would say that you will be able to save around $100 per tyre, so $500 per set.

There is a big advantage having AWD as opposed to FWD in the Kluger. Even in the dry, I need to be gentle taking off in my FWD KX-R, otherwise a lot of noise and smoke will be the result. In my AWD Grande, I can use as much power as I want. Ultimately, the FWD KX-R is much quicker, but you need to control it. In the wet the TC actually works better. 200kW is a lot for a FWD vehicle. I would also think that if you are going anywhere near snow, or wet mountain roads, there would be only the choice of AWD. The moon roof may be nice to have, but the roof is lower and the conversation mirror obstructs rear view. There are also plenty of better aftermarket overhead DVD players than the Toyota unit. If you are looking at this from a price perspective, you are better off with 17" wheels over the 19" wheels when it is time to change tyres.

There are definitely speakers in the rear doors, even if they do sound horrible. After adjusting the fader, you should have heard them.

I've used it quite a lot with my Samsung D900 with no complaints. Maybe there's volume setting in the phone you can adjust to increase volume? I was told by more than 1 car stereo store that Parrot bluetooth units were the only ones they had found that worked properly with most phones. That was one of the reasons I upgraded the KX-R stereo to a Kenwood unit; Kenwood uses a Parrot bluetooth module. I have found that everything works perfectly with my Kenwood unit with the 3 different phones I have, SonyEricsson, Motorola and Nokia. That includes SMS, phonebook synchronisation(does it every time you connect, automatically) and call lists. In the Grande, all things work properly with the Sony, but not everything with the others. I was also able to mount the microphone in the same location as the Grande and it is as clear as when not using bluetooth. Some Pioneer head units also use Parrot, so between the 2 brands you have a lot of choices that are better than upgrading to the KX-S head unit.

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255/55 should be fine, but you would want to replace the spare with the same size; you don't want to have a different diametre tyre on 1 corner of the car. I assume you have rotated the tyres, including the spare, to get 50000 km out of your originals. Sure have. Every 10K full rotation, including spare! Mind you, I'm doing consistent freeway driving. Gosford to Sydney return, every day of the wk. I'm going to put the yoko tyres on tomorrow. 255/55 Are they the Advan ST? How much? Also, according to the Kluger manual, rotation should be done every 5000km for AWD and every 10000km for FWD. I am doing both of mine, AWD and FWD, every 5000km and rotating the spare as well.

255/55 should be fine, but you would want to replace the spare with the same size; you don't want to have a different diametre tyre on 1 corner of the car. I assume you have rotated the tyres, including the spare, to get 50000 km out of your originals.

Any double DIN can be installed if you get the side adapter plates from Toyota; they were less than $5. Double DIN will look better and there are plenty with USB,Ipod, bluetooth, etc. It just depends how much you want to pay.

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The PAC-AUDIO SWI-JACK works with the Kenwood DPX-MP3110 head unit, wired connection not infrared, the same as it did with my Kenwood DDX-8032BT. It works fine but there is a small delay between pushing the steering wheel button and the volume or track changing, less than half a second. You can get them from Car Audio Wharehouse for around $140. I didn't get it there as I did the install over Christmas and they were closed, but I still didn't pay $250. Also, the DPX-M3110 is only $276. For $395 you can get the DPX-M5110U which has a USB port on the front. I think that would be a better option. Better still is the Pioneer FH-P80BT for $599 wich also has bluetooth. That 1 needs a SWI-PS. If you are going to change the head unit, you may as well make it worthwhile, especially if you are paying for the install. If you do the install yourself, you can always add features as you go.

Was this supposed to be a joke? You do realise the extra 2" is the wheel diameter and has nothing to do with the tread? I think that too many people put a disproportionate amount of emphasis on the price and life of tyres and not enough on grip. It doesn't matter what driving aids you have(ESP,ABS,etc.), if the tyres don't have sufficient grip, you can't turn, stop, etc. I have always bought the best tyres I could afford for every car I have had for the last 25 years, and for my wifes cars for as long as I have known her. The OEM 19" tyres on the Kluger aren't bad, but I will buy better when they need replacing. The OEM 17" tyres are not good at all and I may not wait until they are worn until I get something better. I will change them when we start getting some rain. The difference in quality of the tyres you buy can literally be the difference between life and death for you and your families.