Swapping HVAC controls and stereo from non-US to US market '03+

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therealdutch

therealdutch

10 Year
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so from another thread that got off track about remote controls for the stereo, the discussion got into the inability to add an aftermarket stereo/navi when the OEM one does eventually die due to the fact that the controls for the HVAC are run through it. this isn't an exercise on adding an aftermarket stereo, but rather the ability to relocate the HVAC controls to be fully independent of the Navi unit. i found a few photos of non-US spec setup (i have no clue what market this is from, so some assistance would be helpful in that regard), so i am sure that there is a possibility of doing it.

i was wondering if anyone has tried to tackle this sort of swap?

(*yes, i did search. i know about the guy who tried to raise money to do some sort of 1-off deal, and i believe it's pretty simple for the '98-'02 models)

6990.webp


Double din dash.webp
 
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it appears this is a LHD vehicle, and what it looks to me like is the HVAC controls AND display are located where the US market vehicles have a tape deck.
 
They are few and far between but there are some US-Spec 03+ out there without the in dash navigation. I cant speak to it first hand but from what I have read it requires fully pulling the dash and completely rewiring everything.
 
therealdutch said:
i found this one on ebay for an 03. looking at the Q & A on the listing, it appears it may work.

A/c Heater Control Toyota Landcruiser 100 Series 2003
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i looked into this as well. I found out that you would need the upper bezel that surrounds the radio. That isn't totally out of the question. The hard part is re-pinning, or re-wiring the trucks harness. I'm fairly certain that it is not plug and play - as much as we wish it were. @RobRed has done extensive research, for lack of a better term, on both the pre 03 and +03 models.

It's been done on the Pre 03 - but it was far from simple. The guy ended up finding a non-nav unit and was able to obtain the PINS/harness plugs from the donor vehicle and CAREFULLY retro-fitted them onto his harness using a wiring diagram.

Also, you could undertake all of the wiring/obtaining the parts issues and it may work wonderfully - trust me...if you do - and it can be replicated - you would be a hero to most +03 owners...myself included.

have you compared the part #'s and PIN layout in your vehicle to the one in the ebay add. The seller took great photos for that purpose

Because you may get it all plugged up and find that the fan barely blows or something like that due to going from the climate control USA system to the nonclimate controlled aussie system you linked. Its pretty finicky back there - I unplugged my cassette deck and the climate controls disappeared from the MFD screen.....

I am confident that someday/somehow - we will be able to get manual HVAC controls though..Not sure how.

disclaimer - I am in NO way knowledgable or an expert in this. I would even let someone try it on my vehicle...I just don't have the confidence that I won't jack it up terribly bad
 
i'd honestly prefer the setup like in the pictures i linked, i just also saw the manual dials on that ebay post while looking. the bezel that surrounds the radio is easy to source as i've seen plenty while looking for the heater controls or searching for LC stereos.
 
i'll probably just keep an eye out for salvaged vehicles being parted out and find a working navi to stash in the garage.
 
therealdutch said:
(*yes, i did search. i know about the guy who tried to raise money to do some sort of 1-off deal, and i believe it's pretty simple for the '98-'02 models)

View attachment 1242167

View attachment 1242186
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So that guy (me) was developing the concept of an adaptor harness to make a swap plug-n-play... different than doing a one off conversion.

- You can swap the factory wire harness that runs the length of the dash to the firewall for a non-nav truck and get the swap done.
- You can repin your existing harness at the HVAC / Radio opening to do it (Redjet / 2001-2). Al the wires needed are in the dash for you. You'll need a donor for the proper harness ends or you can order then from Toyota (PN listed in the FSM)

After you get all the wiring squared way you need some parts. The 2003+ in the USA will need the electronic HVAC controller pictured above. Plus associated parts. Expect costs to exceed $1000 and maybe closer to 2k all in.
 
I've seen on the Alpine audio website that they have aftermarket head units with HVAC controls for certain cars. Not seen anything t0yota tho'. I suppose they are for cars that use the CAN-bus for HVAC-controls.

That "Eyebrow panel up top": I think you don't need it. It has a fuel milage meter/computer, a clock and an outoor temp readout. So, unless it does some processing of signals going to other units, it's easy to manage without.

fwiw: The pinout for the HU and amp plugs are slightly different between EU & US.
 
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After you get all the wiring squared way you need some parts. The 2003+ in the USA will need the electronic HVAC controller pictured above. Plus associated parts. Expect costs to exceed $1000 and maybe closer to 2k all in.
Click to expand...

You could get a lot of goodies for close to 2k, but @therealdutch I agree it would be great to swap out the built in Nav and have some options.
 
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