Builds 2001 LX470 everyday/4WD build/use (on the cheap)

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The radio I bought came with a reverse camera - I'm just having issues finding the reverse signal at the shifter.

I was focusing on Reverse, but I found Park, not Park, Drive, and Neutral, I think - and the shifter light wires. Surprises me there isn't a reverse signal at the shifter itself. Probably uses a 2 wire switch in the trans itself, which is pretty common (especially on manual Toyotas and transfercases)
which radio did you buy?
 
Pioneer AVH 200EX. Had what I wanted - DVD/CD, bluetooth, phone connectivity, rearview, and touchscreen.

On Amazon there were 2 options - one wasn't available (out of stock) and the other had a choice of reverse cameras for $30 more, in stock, and Prime.

I tend to lean towards Pioneer, I've had good luck with them. In terms of aftermarket radio brands I've had:
Panasonic- Probably the best overall for usability and quality, but they seem to be out of the game - mind you, that deck was bought 18 years ago

Pioneer - They work well and priced well, part of this may be because they have so much OE support that they're able to reduce the component prices for aftermarket, I don't know. I can tell you I had a Rockford Fosgate P3 10" sub (best they made) in my IS300 with a capable amp and the amp killed the sub. About 1/2 the price I bought a Pioneer Premier "competition" 10" sub and not only did it have no problems, it sounded better.

Clarion - in the 90s they sort of took the cake for "quality", especially for sound. However it's like they try to cram in every option of a high end home stereo and have zero consistency in their design - the end result is for most, they learn the basics of the deck they have in their car and leave it as is. If they "upgrade" to another, it's completely different.

Kenwood - not sure about them. They tend to be a rival of Pioneer, but for me - their button and menu options are just annoying. I recently purchased a base bluetooth/mechless for our old 87 Suburban and I hated it. Getting Bluetooth to work on my wife's iphone took about 10 tries, failed, and when we gave up & drove away, out of nowhere it connected and worked. The volume buttons and seek were tiny, and I HAD to look away from the road to use it. I've had some Kenwood amps in the past and they've done ok...


As far as amps go for a Sub I prefer either old Phoenix Gold, or an off brand with good reviews, and is rated both with rms power ratings, and is 1 ohm stable. For instance, stay away from any amp (like Sony) that blasts 1100W on the outside in some flashy manner. It's probably a 200w amp that can't handle even 2ohms best suited for some component speakers.

Other brands I've had include some super cheap junk - SSL I threw into our 88 Corolla Alltrac - it was just garbage, sounded bad and Blietooth failed after a short period of use. Boss - their speakers seem to be OK (in fact that's what I put into the 93 cruiser, the suburban, and what I bought for the rear doors of this LX) but their head units lack. I had a higher quality Boss CD player (no frills otherwise) that lasted only a year in an old boat - it never got wet it was well protected, it just failed. Pyle - haven't had even the slightest bit of luck with them. They're fun to find at a garage sale and send way too much power through for fun, that's about it.

For Subwoofers - if you're going to go there, do some research in what type of music you listen to, what amp will run it, and space restructions - which includes box type. The same sub in a bandpass box may be "louder" than 2 of that same sub in a sealed box, but the latter will sound much better and have a tighter response (in fact I did just that with JL10W3D6s long ago). I know a lot of people love RF, but they're junk IMHO. Never owned a Kicker - the squares intrigue me, but at that price just go JL. I was really impressed with that Pioneer Premier (running through a Hifonics class D 1Ohm stable - that is the best amp I've used personally for sub use).

These are all based on my opinions and own situations, others may be different.
 
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Little update (things have been busy with the new GSD puppy)...

The clear corner lamps for a cruiser (from eBay, about $45 shipped with bulb and holders) arrived as well. They seem to be a pretty good replica - and I'm planning to make a 4" mini adapter harness using the old bulb holders and some wire so, for now, I don't have to cut the stock harness.

View attachment 1679791

Are you enjoying those clear corner lamps? They go in pretty easy? You got a link to the ones you bought?
 
Are you enjoying those clear corner lamps? They go in pretty easy? You got a link to the ones you bought?

I'll post when I'm done. I spent too much time yesterday trying to fuss over how to "convert" from the 194 to the 1156A connectors. What I came up with is super simple, works at least on the drivers side so far.

As far as fit - it's tough to say. Part of the problem is I think the front of my LX has been hit or at least had pieces removed - there are missing bolts and things aren't quite aligned as expected (though, there aren't any signs of bent metal/damage) - for instance, the trim under/around the headlights is supposed to have a bolt or connection to the fender under the fender light, and it was empty, with a slight variance in how they aligned.

They fit with/in the headlight very well, and tightly, the fender I was slightly less pleased with - they fit almost too tight almost like they don't "sink back" quite far enough- but - they're inexpensive and look good.
 
I'll post when I'm done. I spent too much time yesterday trying to fuss over how to "convert" from the 194 to the 1156A connectors. What I came up with is super simple, works at least on the drivers side so far.

As far as fit - it's tough to say. Part of the problem is I think the front of my LX has been hit or at least had pieces removed - there are missing bolts and things aren't quite aligned as expected (though, there aren't any signs of bent metal/damage) - for instance, the trim under/around the headlights is supposed to have a bolt or connection to the fender under the fender light, and it was empty, with a slight variance in how they aligned.

They fit with/in the headlight very well, and tightly, the fender I was slightly less pleased with - they fit almost too tight almost like they don't "sink back" quite far enough- but - they're inexpensive and look good.
Interesting. Good to know. I still may pull the trigger. 1 of mine has the "clip" at the bottom of the side lens broken, so it protrudes out half an inch. I can't stand it lol. But for $50, if they fit decently, I may as well switch to clear. So I am waiting to see/hear about your results.
 
I hadn't pulled the passenger side out of the box yet - it's nuclear why they are so cheap. The passenger side wasn't made as well and either wasn't glued or formed properly.

It fit and it looks fine at several feet, but close up its obviously not nearly OE quality.

For the connectors - this is what I did and worked for me. It isn't anything amazing, and definitely getting the proper LC connector, cutting and soldering/shrink tubing is a better way.

I tried soldering to either end - and neither would take it. Even on the LX 168 if I pre-heatrd the copper then tried, it wouldn't take. In my fussing I noticed the 168 bulb socket wasn't actually that far off from the 1156 connector. This is the method I got to work.

All mods were done to the LX bulb socket/connector. You will need 4 smaller zip ties (still usable after), dyke, and a screwdriver.

Bend one side of each tab inwards (to close the gap). I used a small flathead.

Trim the bulb end level with the side openings. I used dykes.

Clip the ends of the zip ties, around 1/2 or so. Slide those (4 total for both sides, 2 per connector, 1 per contact) clipped ends behind the contact that was bent towards the other. The zip tie is basically a shim to keep the "bent" side in place without. Slide the now modified side into the connector end of the LC/1156 socket.

Test. Rotate the connector back and forth to make sure the bulb stays on. If not, or it flickers, trim the top more or check the contacts. If the bulb stays lit, make sure you hold them tight together with pressure tape them - making sure to catch edges on both connectors to ensure they stay together.

Install. Ghetto? Yup, but works.

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The 2nd version of the 3D printed stereo surround is pretty close, but thinner than needed - I'll try to get a photo of that later, and he'll be printing a thicker one later. You know jobs and stuff get in the way.

We played with the in headrest dvd player - it *seems* the issue is related to the DVD player itself. Shouldn't be a big deal if we can get the new HU connected for DVD's or if the rca video cable I bought for the raspberry pi works (we have an rpi our son plays NES/SNES games on).

Got the rear speakers installed. Saying 4" is the right size isn't quite right, but I don't think 5.25" would fit in the factory plastic "box". I haven't really listened to them much, but going to guess some "bass" is lost due to the free-air nature with air able to easily move on each side of the woofer. Either way, they were $20 replacements and better than what was there.

In looking at how these are setup it got me to thinking - there are a lot of discussions regarding the factory speakers being 2ohm However, each 'corner' has more than 1 speaker - and has anyone looked to determine if the woofer/tweeter are actually being run in series to bump up to 4ohm at the amp? Not that it applies to me as I removed the amp, just food for thought. Also on that note, if the amp is rated at 2ohm and you wire in 4ohm speakers, all you'll be doing is cutting the power output - the amp can handle that just fine without issue.

I also believe the amp that came in mine was rebuilt at some point - it has a QR code sticker on it which I'm pretty sure didn't exist in 2001. Might be putting it up for sale as I have zero use/interest in it.

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I hadn't pulled the passenger side out of the box yet - it's nuclear why they are so cheap. The passenger side wasn't made as well and either wasn't glued or formed properly.

It fit and it looks fine at several feet, but close up its obviously not nearly OE quality.

For the connectors - this is what I did and worked for me. It isn't anything amazing, and definitely getting the proper LC connector, cutting and soldering/shrink tubing is a better way.

I tried soldering to either end - and neither would take it. Even on the LX 168 if I pre-heatrd the copper then tried, it wouldn't take. In my fussing I noticed the 168 bulb socket wasn't actually that far off from the 1156 connector. This is the method I got to work.

All mods were done to the LX bulb socket/connector. You will need 4 smaller zip ties (still usable after), dyke, and a screwdriver.

Bend one side of each tab inwards (to close the gap). I used a small flathead.

Trim the bulb end level with the side openings. I used dykes.

Clip the ends of the zip ties, around 1/2 or so. Slide those (4 total for both sides, 2 per connector, 1 per contact) clipped ends behind the contact that was bent towards the other. The zip tie is basically a shim to keep the "bent" side in place without. Slide the now modified side into the connector end of the LC/1156 socket.

Test. Rotate the connector back and forth to make sure the bulb stays on. If not, or it flickers, trim the top more or check the contacts. If the bulb stays lit, make sure you hold them tight together with pressure tape them - making sure to catch edges on both connectors to ensure they stay together.

Install. Ghetto? Yup, but works.
]
I'm about to do the same with depo clear units I got from some russian through ebay. Do you think you could have used these two harnesses connected to convert bulb bases?
https://smile.amazon.com/Adapters-R...D=41HToQTuBDL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

https://smile.amazon.com/Socket-Bra...D=41LTQCB7DaL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail
 
No. The first harness looks like it mocks an 1156 base (1156A is the same, only Amber) with 2 wires coming out. If this was an adapter that was put in place of a 194 or 168 then you could wire that to the socket for the 1156.

The Landcruiser uses an 1156 larger bulb (or at least that's what I got) and the LX uses a 168 smaller bulb (or 194, depending on the package you use - they're essentially the same bulb, wattage, size, etc).

The 2nd harness I have no idea if they would fit to the housing.

IMHO if you want an 1157 (3 wire, like a brake/turn bulb) - just keep the 1156 and run a relay for the turn signal. This allows a 2 wire bulb to be on as a parking light and flash when used as a blinker.

If it didn't come with any (mine did) - then I would suggest taking them to a parts store and seeing if they have something that fits to your satisfaction.
 
No. The first harness looks like it mocks an 1156 base (1156A is the same, only Amber) with 2 wires coming out. If this was an adapter that was put in place of a 194 or 168 then you could wire that to the socket for the 1156.

The Landcruiser uses an 1156 larger bulb (or at least that's what I got) and the LX uses a 168 smaller bulb (or 194, depending on the package you use - they're essentially the same bulb, wattage, size, etc).

The 2nd harness I have no idea if they would fit to the housing.

IMHO if you want an 1157 (3 wire, like a brake/turn bulb) - just keep the 1156 and run a relay for the turn signal. This allows a 2 wire bulb to be on as a parking light and flash when used as a blinker.

If it didn't come with any (mine did) - then I would suggest taking them to a parts store and seeing if they have something that fits to your satisfaction.
Sorry. I got my bulb numbers mixed up. I may try a 168 male adapter to the a 1156 female that would plug into the depo corner lights. See any issue with that plan?
https://smile.amazon.com/HITSAN-Ada...d=1524248461&sr=1-1&keywords=168+male+adapter
to
https://smile.amazon.com/TOMALL-Soc...41Uji%2BdrlSL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail
 
Yes on the first, don't know on the 2nd.

So... an 1156 and 1157 bulbs have common sockets - yes. How do I put this as an analogy..... At your house you have different light bulb types - you can have standard screw in, candelabra with the smaller screw in (etc). Let just pretend we're talking about a standard light bulb for your house - the bulbs are mostly the same, and what makes them common is the screw in base of the bulb. The socket you have to screw it in to has to accept the base - but not all fixtures are the same.

Car bulbs are the same. An 1156 will work in any 1156 socket, but a socket 'housing' that fits into a Landcruiser that accepts an 1156 won't fit into the housing of an 1986 MR2 rear turn signal which also uses an 1156 socket.

What I'm trying to say is that I don't know if the whole socket will fit the housings you ordered.
 
Ok, back to me. Hahaha.

Got a little bit done today. Wired a relay for the capacitive touch/relay system, wired in the front USB to it, and rewired the headrest screen system into it. Still apart needing cleaning up of the mess that a previous installer made of the headrest receiver, along with needing to install the parking brake bypass.

Photos are of:
Where the capacitive touch switch was installed with #1 'on' for the USB/voltmeter along with how those look installed in the dash.

The current (version 2) 3D printed radio surround, still needs a little work, but close.

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A little more buttoning up. Got the bypass installed, ran video from HU to the headrest controller, got the capacitive 6 button switch mounted and cleaned up some wiring. Wiring isn't perfect, but it's a lot better!

Still needs a good deep cleaning...

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Had a semi-warm day, was surprisingly warm in the 100. Had it tinted. We could have done it, but... We can't get quality film and we have a guy who is really good and gives us a deal.

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Vehicle projects as of late have been geared towards trying to fix/modify the 350 in the FJ40 and pulling/prepping the 4.3L from an Astro van for the FJ40.

We have a newborn (5/15/18) and we have a 4 1/2 year old (part time) - we've been wanting to go camping but the reality is that our newborn would probably not work well.... We like to be out camping, but we aren't exactly the 'roughing' it type.

We decided (oddly, same day, without talking to each other first came to the same conclusion) that we wanted to pick up a tent trailer. Started looking and even reached out to not 1, but 5 different people selling them and nobody responded (at least quickly). We wanted one with A/C because there's a potential family reunion looming next summer and is being planned in hot climates. Much more expensive and hard to find - so thought we would get one without A/C and add it.

Long story short - talking with my Aunt/Uncle and their experience (they've had several trailers/high top conversions).... and they end up offering their 27' 1991 Sprinter by Mallard travel trailer... plus an extra roof top A/C.

The past week the LX got a little love. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos.... If desired, I can get some.

Installed:
Napa "Brake Force" brake controller (in the ash tray location)
7 way RV plug (which also has 4 and 5 way flat in the same connector)
2 relays under the hood added - one for the brake controller, and one for the Aux (12V) to the 7-pin
1 relay near the tail lights (for reverse to the 7-pin)


I also ran the wiring for the reverse camera. I didn't have a lot of time to fuss with it, but the wiring isn't in to the tail gate yet. I'm not overly pleased with the camera connector and trying to figure out how to snake a solid 1" long 'tube' connector into the tailgate. So that wiring is lying in wait at this point.


I have also ordered a set of Air-Lift suspension bags for the rear.


Towing was mostly fine, it's pretty tall and weighs in the 4500lb range (supposedly, per NADA). I found there was a big difference in how it towed with ETC PWR on vs off (much better 'On' - it seemed the transmission was doing less work and the engine was more than happy to take it). I used a BT adapter / Torque on my phone to watch the trans temps. Entire trip was with the trans O/D off (aside from a couple random attempts at freeway speed and testing trans temps).

Temps in the area were 88-93 with maybe a little traffic. Trans temps were by far the hottest when I was in line for the ferry (was backed up 2 1/2 miles) - which was the worst type of stop/go traffic. The trans reached, I believe, 183*. Once on the freeway it actually seemed to lower the temps the faster I drove. I kept it under 70, but the original plan was to keep it 50-60mph.

In the 50-60mph range trans temps were in the low 170s. In the 60-65mph range trans temps were in the low 160's, sometimes even in the upper 150s.

I can only surmise it's due to increased engine RPM (water flow through coolant) and additional cooling of trans fluid.


Air Lift bags were ordered because the AHC was registering as "L" most of the trip. I thought I had damaged the system, but after some reading it seems to be normal if you don't have spacers/springs/bags to help assist the rear.

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So that trailer went to another family member as we have just crazy projects around here, and redoing a roof on a 27' travel trailer (roof was toast. water damage in at least 3 spots).

I already had the air lift 1000 on order, so this weekend it went in.

In the last post I talked about adding a proper 7 way trailer plug. When I first installed it I hated how low it is (will probably change it some day), but right now it has become a great spot to also put the valves for the air bags.

Also found out, on one pad on the rear, I was metal to metal. Awesome that there was no noise from a squealer to tell me ahead of time..... so new rotors and pads went in the rear. I'm annoyed that the tears had a bit of variance between wear patterns (same side with metal to metal - the other pad was probably 20%) - which normally means a dragging caliper, but had zero issues resetting the caliper and new pads/rotors aren't dragging at all.

The ebrake has always been not so great, I installed the new rotors with a slight bit of drag on the shoes - I think the cables need to be adjusted pretty badly. Also assuming previous owners (or their mechanics) tried to adjust the shoes instead of the cables as the shoes have a lot of wear.

So I'll adjust those, soon, even though I don't use the ebrake much.

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Posted in the Lseat thread, but we got the new covers installed (didn't have time to do ourselves) and I cleaned the carpets. The carpets aren't great, still, but are better.

The photo of the dirty water was the 2nd run through cleaning the front carpets. The cleaner was practically pulling up straight coffee. There had to have been at least 5-10 cups of coffee spilled in this rig.

Pulling the driver seat was a pain. Previous owner (or an installer) was a jerk for the aftermarket headrest monitors... there's a controller under the passenger seat - no big deal. There's connectors for the drivers side as well. Started to pull the seat and there were no connectors under the driver seat. I expected that an expensive set like these would have a simple connector for easy seat removal.

Turns out there was but the extension connections were placed in the center console for absolutely no reason. Fixed that.

Photos are of before and after.

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Wow...how did you manage to tow that trailer? What was the weight?

We are looking to buy one but won’t go over 3500lbs.
 
Wow...how did you manage to tow that trailer? What was the weight?

We are looking to buy one but won’t go over 3500lbs.

It was under 5000 lbs, supposedly, with very good trailer brakes. Towing it was only sketchy because it just towered over the LX. Towed quite well, but we sold it and picked up a (large) tent trailer.
 

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