My New Toyota Yaris Cdx 02

August 13, 2009

Hello everyone,

I have just bought myself a Toyota Yaris 2002 CDX, it's a very strange and slightly funny silver/green colour BUT I can live with that as it's only done 25,000 miles and I got a good deal.

Anyways. . . . . . . . .

There are a number of How To topics on how to install aftermarket head units, they seem very imformative BUT I am a plonker who has never installed anything by myself, I even have trouble with IKEA furniture (bought a computer desk and when finished had 8 screws left over, it wobbles significantly). I'm not sure someone like me should be aloud anywhere near something like a car stereo. Anyone think I should leave it to the experts?

I know there are clips that hold in part of the dash. I have this feeling that I will yank it off, break or bend the clips and never get it back on.

Also in regard to getting a head unit that dosen't fit in my coin slot (always uncomfortable i'm sure), I'm not sure I want to be whittiling away at the surrounding plastic, would it be possible to remove the old coin slot and head unit and just take it to Halfords or where ever and measure the head units before they go in the slot?

Finally could someone definently confirm that the MPG trip computer, temp, time and date feature will not be affected by the instillation of a new head unit.

Oh one more quicky, I have a CD player in Yaris. It is just a CD slot with some large buttons below it, looks very basic. Sometimes looks can be decieving, is the factory fitted stereo all that bad? and could I buy some Speakers for the rear parcel shelf and conect them to the factory stereo. If so, would this meen only having two of the standared Speakers in the front rather than the four?

I am thinking that perhaps I could disconnect the door Speakers and connect some parcel rack speakers instead, thus have some good quality speakers in the rear and standared ones in the front. But then I don't know if you can adjust balance and such or lower/raise the volume of the front or rear speakers. I always like my rear speakers louder than my front. Other thing to consider is if the factory standared radio can support a set of reasonable quality speakers.

Please advise, I know many of you have fitted and installed speakers and head units. What is the best, easiest and cheapest option? or should I just go to my local car audio store and get em to hook me up, might pay through the nose, but least then I won't blow myself, the car or something up.

Thanks all :)

P.S - I had a Yaris (ECHO) in Australia. I had a CD player installed. The guy that fitted the stereo could not get it in the hole for some reason, so he took the coin slot out and the old unit (a tape deck) and turned that whole section upside down. It was very confusing and the cd player had a flip down face but because of this upside down buisness the stupid front of the CD player wouldn't open on it's own so you had to wack the surrounding plastic (Chinese karati chop style) untill the face dropped open. Pain in the BUTT!! HACK JOB, it cost me $100 and he was a friend of a friend. I can't be dealing with situations like that again!

August 14, 2009

Well, I got my little Yaris and the radio suits me fine. I have decided not to tinker with it just yet.

My dash illumination seems a little odd. The left side of my ventilation controls is dimmer than my right side. Do I have a blown bulb?

Also, Is it possible to buy illuminated power window switches, currently my driver side window switch illuminates and says 'AUTO' Passenger side does not. I would like my passenger electric window switch to illuminate. My mums Corolla window switches all illuminated, drivers said auto and the others all had a little green light on the end of the switches. These turned on and off if you pressed the passenger power window lock button and were illuminated when the button was on unlock and all the windows were active.

Could I put corolla window switches in my Yaris? I only need one passenger side window switch.