Mikeyboy

Kluger/Highlander isn't sold in Europe, so I don't know what your service adviser was talking about.

204kW

Might be best to leave the factory display as is and connect the reverse camera to a new head unit when I eventually get one. That would be the best option I reckon.. Even with the new head unit it was necesary to disconnect wires from the display. On KX-R and KX-S, the reverse wire is connected to the Multi Function Display. When you select reverse, or connect 12V to pin2, the MFD outputs 6V to the camera and displays the check surroundings message as well as the camera image. Therefore, to connect the camera to a new head unit, you need to disconnect the reverse signal, the camera supply and the camera output from the MFD and install a 6V supply for the camera. If you have the 6V connected to the camera all the time, not just when in reverse, it is possible to display the image on the head unit at any time as well as when in reverse. As far as the electrical schematics show, this reverse signal wire only connects to the MFD, or in a Grande to the navigation system. It should be possible to install a switch to supply 12V to pin2 on the MFD at any time. To be safe, I would do it with a diode in series with the signal from the reverse switch in case it is connected elsewhere. The same can probably be done on the Grande.

I think the dealer technicians are smoking pot at work judging by the trend evident in this thread. What preasure do you set your tyres at every week Mikeyboy? 38psi on the Grande (Bridgstones). 36psi on the KX-R (Dunlops). I only check the spare every month or 2, or if I'm going on a long trip. I just wind it down near the ground, I don't take it out.

That's pretty pathetic delivery serivice I got then. you'd think dealerships would just have deflater devices set to the right preasure and it would be the first thing they do when they prepare to deliver a new car. It got it's 1,000km check up today. The service guy also seemed pretty surprised. He recommended 36-40psi for that car. They all come inflated between 42-50 from factory. At Pre-Delivery they must all be adjusted to recomended pressure. But,like in any job,some technician had a bad day................. Or maybe 3 bad days. All 3 of my Klugers came with high pressures. I set my pressures with a gauge every week on all my cars, so it wasn't a big problem. I also tell Toyota not to set my pressures when I have service as they would never be able to check them cold as I do.

Thanks for the info. That is great I was waiting for something like this (e.g. actual accurate readings not those ones that just signal when the tyre in punctured only) for a while. I wonder how does it affect tires - e.g. is it fitted to existing ones, what happens when I replace one tyre (or all of them), does iy affect normal service by people like tyrepower, etc. Btw, how are these sensors inside the tires powered (don't like to change tyres because of a flat battery in a sensor) It would be great if you would kindly clarify that. Thanks I have seen Kluger TPMS today. Display gets mounted on mid console,between shifter and snow/hill descent button. Sensors/valves replace egzisting valves.......any tyre shop can do it and dont affect any tyre change/repair/service. Sensors batteries last longer then normal tyres do. Is it for the 5 tyres? I thought I had seen somewhere on a US site that the pressures were displayed on the multi-function display; it could have been a different car. That would be more useful as the display really is underutilsed.

A few questions. Where did they put the sub box without cutting off access to part of the car? In my KX-R 5 seater, there are plenty of options because or the space where the third row should go, but in my Grande, any position seems inconvenient. Can you post a picture? I also couldn't find a Focal 6" sub. Was it a different size? I couldn't find any Focal 6x9 with a separate mid/tweeter. What did you use in the front doors? I am thinking of Clarion because I can get a split speaker in 6x9 and 6.5. I can also get the same in MB Quart or Rockford Fosgate but I didn't want to spend that much. Is there pre-outs for the amplifiers on the Grande head unit? I havent looked at the back of it. There is obviously a aux in on the Grande unit, as you have connected the DVD to the head unit. Others on this forum have been trying to do that for some time. Maybe you can share some information. My head unit plays DVDs with proper surround, but I can only see it if I accidentaly connect the park brake input to ground.

I' waiting for the price on black ones. They should go better with the KX-R. Also, in the US, they have cross bars that fit into the slots on the inside of the rails instead of the racks that clamp around the rails here. They look more streamlined and would mean there's no reason to take them off when not in use.

Lift the wipers up and wipe them down, and also the window just above them. I have found that when they are not used for a while, small leaves or peices of dirt can collect under them.

On the Toyotanation.com site, someone had already found the following. CASTLE HILL TOYOTA http://www.chtoyota.com.au/mainparts.htm 011-61-2-8831-8831 They seem good, as they are willing to ship overseas; I havent seen any others that will do this. I am thinking of trying them to get me a set of black roof rails and cross bars from the US Highlander. After spending a couple of months in the US last year, and seeing a lot of Highlanders, I think you should be trying to order the spare wheel cover that is standard here in Australia. It looks much better than seeing the inside of the spare from behind.

This is the join on the Kluger. It looks neater than the Aurion.

One thing I forgot to mention that is a disadvantage in the Grande navigation. There is no current speed display. The last long trip I did in the Grande, I took the portable unit along so that I could check my speed, as everyone with a Kluger knows the speedo is ridiculously optamistic, and set the cruise correctly.

I had a look at the speakers in the Kluger today and I am sure that a huge improvement in the sound could be made by replacing them. The rear speakers are 6 inch full range. The front speakers are 6x9 inch full range. The dash speakers are 2 inch mid range. I was expecting a little better. All of the speakers will need adaptors made as they are not a standard type of mount. Has anyone changed their speakers yet?

Unfortunately judging by the Alpine Owner's Manual the unit still requires a window mount and the features are pretty limited and basic when compared to other portable units in the same price range ($849RRP). Being able to connect the navigation system through the head unit is nice though, but for the total price a dedicated in dash unit would probably be marginally more. If you wanted the same look and didn't need the portability you could hide the alpine under the dash somewhere as it will operate through the touch screen of the head unit. I don't know what features the Alpine nav had, but it goes inside the head unit, behind the screen. The window mount is for using it in other cars without the Alpine head unit.

I have used all the options of satnav mentioned above and they all have some advantage over each other. In my KX-R, I had a portable unit. I had originally bought this for use in hire cars outside of Perth, but ended up using it at home as well, for the bluetooth and correct speedo reading mainly. In the KX-R, I now have a Kenwood dvd player with bluetooth and plug-in integrated satnav. I also have a Grande. The advantages of each system are: 1. Grande. Easiest to use because of the separate buttons and knobs; you don't need to go through menus to get what you want. It also has the biggest display and is integrated into the dash much better than anything aftermarket. Phone and navigation mutes the stereo. 2. Kenwood. The system has much better sound than the Grande and more features. It uses Garmin navigation, so it has all the features on the Garmin portable units but with a bigger screen. Phone and navigation mutes the stereo. 3. Portable. Cheaper. The disadvantages of each system are: 1. Grande. Expensive to update maps. Map features disabled by Toyota. Expensive adaptor needed for Ipod and not available, I think, for USB. 2. Kenwood. Expensive to buy. Double DIN, so needs adaptors to fit Toyota hole. 3. Small screen. Too far away when mounted on windscreen of Kluger; fine on my last car. Thief magnet. Does not look integrated. Does not mute stereo for phone or navigation. The 2 systems offered by Toyota for non-Grande Klugers are not worth mentioning. Also, Alpine are now selling their portable navigation unit in Australia which slots into some of their head units. This would give you the advantage of an in dash unit and a portable unit. Nothing looks as well integrated or will be as easy to operate as the Grande system.

There were a number of reasons I chose the DDX8032BT over the DNX7320. The advantages of the DNX7320: 1. Cheaper. 2. Easier to install - Bluetooth could go anywhere when using DNX7320. Navigation had to be installed in a position so that you could access the SD card if necesary when using the DDX8032BT. 3. Matt black finish matches the Kluger interior better; the DDX8032BT has a gloss black finish. The advantages of the DDX8032BT: 1. Navigation is a separate component; I heard that there have been problems with service on the Garmin navigation component as Kenwood and Garmin say it is the other companies problem. If there is a problem with the Garmin navigation, I still have the head unit while it is being serviced. There should also be more room inside for cooling. 2. The DDX8032BT has 2 USB ports; 1 for IPOD sound and video (with the adaptor) and 1 for USB memory or 2 for USB memory. The DNX7320 has only 1 USB port which can be used for IPOD sound and video (with the adaptor)or USB memory. So, if you use an IPOD, you can't use the USB port. 3. In the US, the DDX8032BT is sold as part of the Excelon range, which is supposed to be their higher end systems. In the US, these systems also have a 2 year warranty, so they may have more faith in their reliability or it's just a marketing ploy. 4. The DDX8032BT sound is able to be customised to suit the car and the speakers. It is possible to set the type of speakers, the crossover frequencies to each set of speakers, the distance of each speaker to the listening position and the level of each speaker. There is also a 13 band equaliser for each set of speakers. You can also select your listening position, front right, front left, front both and front and rear so that it sounds good for everyone in the car. 5. The DDX8032BT has 5.1 surround. I thought that this would be a bit of overkill, but it sounds so good now that I am thinking of installing a subwoofer and a centre speaker. I had a window mounted sat-nav which was fine until I got the Kluger. When mounted on the window of the Kluger it was either too far away or too high. Why would you want to use the camera from the Gen II Kluger on the Gen I Kluger? If you don't want the external switch control and you dont mind a slightly smaller screen, the Pioneer AVIC-F900BT, $1690, was a cheaper option than the DNX7320 and looks nicer. It also uses Parrot Bluetooth, like the Kenwood units. It was my second choice after the DDX8032BT. Thanks - that was one hell of a comprehensive reply. I had a look at the Pioneer - aparently there is quite a significant problem with it booting up - in that it can take about 1min before you can play music or do anything, which leads me to my next question. What sort of boot up time does the kenwood have? and how long before a reversing image comes up? One of the reasons I am looking for this type of unit is to also install a reversing camera, but I don't see the point if one has to wait 30sec - 1min for the screen to come up so you can back out of the driveway (missus gets a bit impatient) Thanks again Mikey I had also read about the long boot-up time of the Pioneer. When I asked the question at a car audio shop where they had one hooked up, they couldn't figure out how to shut it off to show me. Right. Different things take different times to turn on with the Kenwood. Radio - couple of seconds Rear view camera - about 1 second less than the original multifunction display, but still longer than the Grande CD - don't know, or care USB - about 45s Navigation - about 20s

I just checked. It is.

This is normal. You are activating HAC, Hill-start Assist Control. This feature locks the brakes on until you start moving using the accellerator or for 2 seconds, whichever comes first. It is to enable you to start moving when on a hill without rolling backwards or forwards. Of course, it is an automatic, so you could just use both feet.

I used to use armorall back 20 years ago. These days I use Autoglym vinyl and rubber care. It smells better than most of the others and you can control how much gloss you end up with. It also stops the white marks you seem to get in the Kluger when you touch the dash and door trims.

Some of the reasons I didn't even consider the $3740 Toyota navigation system. Do you have audio problems in the Grande? I think the problem for the LOWER MODELS also the Hilux is the Microphone is in the radio eg low in the dash not like the Grande's up in the roof! I have a Grande and a KX-R. The Grande is good and so is the KX-R now that I have a new stereo/stanav.

If you go to the Toyota Australia web site and use the Build and price your Toyota feature, you can get the price of most options. I found that if you quote that price at the dealer spare parts counter, they will match or better that price. The original price they give you is much higher.

Some of the reasons I didn't even consider the $3740 Toyota navigation system.

If you use a vinyl protectant on your dash and a reflector on your windscreen when parked in the sun, you shouldn't need a dash mat. I thought dash mats were only really for when your dash is already cracked and you want to hide it. It's a bit like seat covers. You're protecting the car for the next owner and you never get to enjoy it yourself.

There were a number of reasons I chose the DDX8032BT over the DNX7320. The advantages of the DNX7320: 1. Cheaper. 2. Easier to install - Bluetooth could go anywhere when using DNX7320. Navigation had to be installed in a position so that you could access the SD card if necesary when using the DDX8032BT. 3. Matt black finish matches the Kluger interior better; the DDX8032BT has a gloss black finish. The advantages of the DDX8032BT: 1. Navigation is a separate component; I heard that there have been problems with service on the Garmin navigation component as Kenwood and Garmin say it is the other companies problem. If there is a problem with the Garmin navigation, I still have the head unit while it is being serviced. There should also be more room inside for cooling. 2. The DDX8032BT has 2 USB ports; 1 for IPOD sound and video (with the adaptor) and 1 for USB memory or 2 for USB memory. The DNX7320 has only 1 USB port which can be used for IPOD sound and video (with the adaptor)or USB memory. So, if you use an IPOD, you can't use the USB port. 3. In the US, the DDX8032BT is sold as part of the Excelon range, which is supposed to be their higher end systems. In the US, these systems also have a 2 year warranty, so they may have more faith in their reliability or it's just a marketing ploy. 4. The DDX8032BT sound is able to be customised to suit the car and the speakers. It is possible to set the type of speakers, the crossover frequencies to each set of speakers, the distance of each speaker to the listening position and the level of each speaker. There is also a 13 band equaliser for each set of speakers. You can also select your listening position, front right, front left, front both and front and rear so that it sounds good for everyone in the car. 5. The DDX8032BT has 5.1 surround. I thought that this would be a bit of overkill, but it sounds so good now that I am thinking of installing a subwoofer and a centre speaker. I had a window mounted sat-nav which was fine until I got the Kluger. When mounted on the window of the Kluger it was either too far away or too high. Why would you want to use the camera from the Gen II Kluger on the Gen I Kluger? If you don't want the external switch control and you dont mind a slightly smaller screen, the Pioneer AVIC-F900BT, $1690, was a cheaper option than the DNX7320 and looks nicer. It also uses Parrot Bluetooth, like the Kenwood units. It was my second choice after the DDX8032BT.

I went for a slightly different look. I think it suited my stereo better. Note: In the photo,the reds and some of the blues look a bit pale. They aren't though, it's just hard to get a decent photo.