Builds Back in a GX470 (Ferg's vehicle ADD continues)

[theferg]

Still got a few weeks before the other parts will arrive

Man! My supplier *finally* got all my parts in after having to re-order the damn top cover 4 times due to price increases. I would order it, then after 4 days they would tell me the price had changed and I needed to re-order. The way they do stuff is kinda funny, but oh well, I finally figured out the secret on it and got it ordered. Should all be here some time next week. Should be a nice Christmas present to myself... heh

 

[theferg]

Oh yeah! Just got the package dropped off.

 

[theferg]

Finished installing the Prado 120 field monitor (and new side trim). Was really not a terribly complicated install. I could do it again in prob under 2 hours, even less with something better than a razor blade to cut the dash.

The only real issue with these in a GX470 (besides cutting the dash) is that they are [currently] stuck in Celsius temperature, and if you have a ML sound system with middle dash speaker, the field monitor cannot fit with the stock speaker and it must either be removed or replaced with something smaller/thinner.

I am still messing with mine to see if I can get it to switch to F degrees, but I also wonder if not, if there is a version that is available from another area where they would use F degrees and had the Prado 120 available with the field monitor. Seems there is really only a few countries that *might* fit this description....

Some stuff I have already gotten to switch from kms to miles and m to ft. I'll keep messing though and post up more details.

View this thread, starting on Post #35 for more detail on my Field Monitor swap: Prado 120 Gauge Cluster Swap Into GX?

A better shot of the Field Monitor display:

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

Looks awesome!
Is it the speaker that doesn't fit or the speaker grill?

 

[theferg]

Looks awesome!
Is it the speaker that doesn't fit or the speaker grill?

Actual speaker itself has to be removed. The back of the field monitor bumps into the speaker magnet and cannot fit all the way in. the speaker grill is ok cause the top cover can overlap on top of the edge of the speaker grill. I'll get better/more pics when possible.

 

[Vlad]

I don't use the center speaker and I have a cracking upper portion of my faceplate so this could work

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

Very cool mod!

It's now on my list.

Maybe there's a smaller speaker that could swap in so you could have both. Either way, I'd sacrifice the speaker for the mod.

 

[theferg]

-non-nav conversion (or maybe the tesla style conversion....)

Well, guess I'll be moving this one up higher on the list...

This actually first happened on my wifes 2005 LX470. I troubleshot it for a few hours...traded discs around, burned a new DL DVD, took the optical drive apart and disconnected the ribbon cables and let it sit etc etc. Only thing I didnt do is the aligator clip battery drain. But anyway, since it was in the wife's LX and my GX has the same gen toyota nav system, and these are super dated anyway, and I had it on my list to do on the GX and the LX, and the GX is WAY cheaper/easier to convert and/or the Tesla screen is WAY better than the Canavie and such available for the LX... I swapped the optical drives between them. The LX is good to go now. But the GX is behaving intermittently. Sometimes it reads the disc and I get the maps, sometimes I get these screens indicating it can't read the disc. Could really be just dirty inside on the optical lens I think, but its a good excuse to just go for the swap.

I'm pretty set on the full non-nav conversion, but not 100%. Seems the cost is about a wash when you find the non-nav HVAC control used. I also really like the idea of having the HVAC stuff totally separate from the head unit. And then once thats separate, the possibilities are very numerous for head units. I figure I'll be going cheap 9" Android unit.

Unless somebody wants to convince me the Tesla style units are far superior in some way I am unaware of.....?

 

[moab cj5]

I'll be following your install as I would love to ditch the nav in mine.

 

[theferg]

Well, going non-nav conversion route. I found a correct** month/year non-navi heater/ac control for my 06/05 GX on car-part and ordered it up. It was a bit more coin than I really wanted to pay (cause I'm a cheap bastard on used stuff) but, oh well. Also ordered up a 9" "MicroNavi" or whatever this one is actually called... It comes recommended by a few guys on the GXOR Facebook group so I went with it. I got the 8 Core 2G 32GB with can-bus.

US $187.2 22% OFF|9 inch Android 8.1 Octa 8 Core 2G RAM ROM32G Car DVD Player for Toyota Prado 120 for Lexus GX470 Car Radio GPS Navigation BT map-in Car Multimedia Player from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

**Note a lot of wrecking yards list the heat/ac control as interchangeable across all years of the GX, but this is NOT true. There are several components which make up the whole control unit so the part numbers listed here are for the “Amplifier Assy, Air Conditioner” which is clearly identifiable by a Toyota part number sticker located on the left male connector on the rear of the unit. There is a bit of unknown with the switch-over months on which one you *actually* have, but I think going by this would be the best bet if your GX has a mfg month on one end of the switchovers.

88650-60770 (11/2002 - 10/2004) (folks have also seen an 88650-60B50 for these years as well)
88650-60771 (11/2004 - 07/2005)
88650-60772 (08/2005 - 12/2005)
88650-60773 (01/2006 - 07/2009)

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

Are you thinking the conversation will cost less than the Tesla style unit?

 

[theferg]

Are you thinking the conversation will cost less than the Tesla style unit?

Not really by much, if any. Close to the same pricing really. Unless you find a really cheap hvac controller--which can be done if you're patient. but the difference will prob be only $100-200 max I'd guess, and that would still depend on which head-unit you went with. I personally don't really find the Tesla screens as...appealing. They seem a bit over-board to me. Just my opinion. That and the fact that the screen would still control pieces of the hvac (or even all of it depending which one you go with) was not really how I want my setup.

 

[ArBrnSnpr]

I totally agree.

I like the OEM reliability of the factory HVAC controls and the screen seems a bit less in your face with the double din units.
The search for the right control panel and the wiring is what's putting me off from the conversation.

 

[theferg]

I totally agree.

I like the OEM reliability of the factory HVAC controls and the screen seems a bit less in your face with the double din units.
The search for the right control panel and the wiring is what's putting me off from the conversation.

I am not looking forward to the wiring... I kinda hate messing with wiring, but I will eventually do it.

What is your production month/year on yours? There's quite a few on car-part.com right now, though there was only 2 listed for the 88650-60771 (11/2004 - 07/2005) and one of the places I could never get a line through, so I just bought the other one (it was $50 more than the other place.)

 

[theferg]

Got the HVAC control unit dropped off by the UPS man earlier today. Went out and connected it up to test it out real quick and see how it goes. My GX470 is 06/05 MFG month/year and I picked up the 88650-60771.

Everything seemed to function 100% including cycling AC compressor. Seems to be good to go!

Waiting now on the head unit from China and a few trim pieces to arrive from UAE. I'm going with a black Prado bezel on mine (and hoping black buttons eventually also) and eventually black out a lot of the interior.

 

[theferg]

Progress. Just about to start pulling out and re-routing/extending the connectors and wiring for the non-nav HVAC.

 

[Rock Taco]

I finally ordered one of these 9" displays for mine today.

 

[theferg]

Buttoned back up. But not quite finished still. Theres some instructions on how to wire in the HVAC button illumination cause it doesnt work after just extending the wires. It requires adding in a new pin into the harness, and then tapping into power somewhere (like cig lighter) and then grounding another pin. But adding the new pin didn't exactly work out for me too well... struggled getting the right size and getting the pins pulled from their old connectors. So said screw it and I'll just go back in and do that at another time when i have some real de-pinning tools. Need a super damn small one.

Anyway, done-ish and it works. Re-routing and extending those cables is a bitch if you ask me. I'm not a huge fan of messing with wiring though. I would have gladly paid for plug-n-play harness if somebody was making one. Anyway, so also, even though I did the recommended "turn the old Nav version up to 45+ volume before disconnecting", the thing seems a bit on the quiet side at full blast compared to how I rocked my old setup. When i go back in for the illumination, I'll hook the nav back up and turn the volume all the way up and see if that helps.

Ignore the mess on the passenger floor... haha. Hadn't finished cleaning up all the tools and stuff.