New Owner - Xt-R 2007 2.2 D4D

November 9, 2012

Hi All,

First post as a new Rav4 owner living on the Isle Of Wight :D

A couple of things I've noticed that I'm hoping there is some kind of mod for ...

1) Radio only switching on when key is in ACC position, I'd like to be able to leave the kids in the car with the radio on but WITHOUT the keys for obvious reasons ... is this possible whilst retaining the auto on/off with the ignition?

2) Window switches, rather difficult to see when it's dark! are there any modded switches around to stop the fumbling??

Other than that, well pleased with the car and looking foward to many years of trouble free motoring..

Thanks in advance,

Stu

November 10, 2012

Welcome to the club Stu.

Both of those issues have been raised several times and I'm afraid there is no listed cure for either. On a lot of brands you can press and hold the on button but not on the RAVs.

November 11, 2012

If you remove the Radio is it not possible to join the red and yellow feeds together. One supplies the permanent feed for storing info in the radio when switched off. The other is the Acc switched supply.

November 11, 2012

If you remove the Radio is it not possible to join the red and yellow feeds together.

I'm sure you probably didn't quite mean it as it reads.

The acc switched supply should be viewed as an "enable" signal. The fused (7.5A) "acc supply" into the radio is also used as an "enable" signal for a fair few other things (they are all connected to it), so you may end up enabling those as well, if you connected the two wires together. They are things like air con ECU, clock, power window ECUs etc. You may well end up with quite a large quiescent current drain from the Battery with the vehicle in it's "parked" state and maybe, with enough time, a flat Battery. I also suspect, that with this arrangement, pressing in the fag lighter, with the vehicle "off", would blow the ACC fuse (7.5A) (It would back feed through the fuse to the fag lighter), then nothing would work (well, it would, you'd just have blown the fuse, but you'd still be supplying everything from the permanent feed).

I suspect you really mean cut the ACC supply wire to the radio and jump the permanent feed across to it. Yes, would work, but again, I suspect the radio current draw is higher in that state than when the ACC input is low, even when you've switched it "off" with the front button.....and you'd have to remember to switch it "off" always too.

I suspect most of the operating current for the radio is supplied via the permanent feed. So, what about a "always on" switch across from the perament feed to the acc input for the times when you want to keep it on? plus a diode in series with the acc wire, so the radio still works normally with ignition on and the diode blocks back feeding to the rest of the systems, when the "always on" switch is used. You'd have to remember to turn the switch off, for min current draw, with the vehicle "off".

November 12, 2012

Hi All,
First post as a new Rav4 owner living on the Isle Of Wight :D
A couple of things I've noticed that I'm hoping there is some kind of mod for ...
1) Radio only switching on when key is in ACC position, I'd like to be able to leave the kids in the car with the radio on but WITHOUT the keys for obvious reasons ... is this possible whilst retaining the auto on/off with the ignition?
2) Window switches, rather difficult to see when it's dark! are there any modded switches around to stop the fumbling??
Other than that, well pleased with the car and looking foward to many years of trouble free motoring..
Thanks in advance,
Stu

Hi Stu,

SNAP! Same car mate, you should enjoy!

Re 1) surely if the kids are over 5yo, they've got their phones to play with!

Re 2) once you get used to the car you shouldn't need to look for the window switches, you'll just reach out and they'll be there!

Dave

PS Nice to find someone actually lives further South than me! You may get some "darn sowf" type language on here from the Northern contingent.

November 12, 2012

Thanks All.

I've seen a couple of posts elsewhere that others have placed small LED's into the "finger wells" of the window switches which is a possibilty I guess. There is also another suggestion that a German forum site has details of someone installing a bulb beneath the switches to give a low glow. Obviously this does not illuminate the switch itself just the gap bewteen the switch and surround which is also a possibility too. I might see if I can obtain a set of switches from a scrappy and work offline so to speak to see the effects of both before doing it for real. Simplicity itself, my wife has suggested using a strip of glow in the dark tape on them - don't you hate it when they come up with a simple solution !

Re. the radio, interesting thoughts there shcm - has anyone tried this do you know? - don't want to fry my radio having only just got it!

Hiya DjRav, yes the kids have their phones of course but do like the radio also, and yes I'll get used to the switch locations in time, just seems a little odd that the master 'Auto' is lit whereas the other have been left - ho hum. Not easy eing further South than Hampshire but yes I've done it - recently relocated from Buckinghamshire and loving it. Island roads are not too clever though - hence the Rav !! :yahoo: