New Member And New Owner

[Alex4dana]

Hi all, i have spent some time reading a lot of recent posts and have already found out quite a lot of info. We have just bought a 2007 rav4.3 xtr which has only done 32,500 miles from my local garage (not a stealership) but one that I clean cars for as I have my own mobile valeting business, take a look at www.mirrorfinish.info if you wish. We used to have a Honda 2.2 diesel and was a member of the civic forum so know how good these forums are for owners and hope that we can share information and I can learn more about our rav. We needed to change the Honda as we want to pull a caravan when we eventually buy one prob late next year so decided to buy the car first. Anyway, I have only owned the rav for 3 days and already done some mods like putting on new chrome side bars, and purchased from Toyota some door mouldings as there are no dents on the car as yet and want to try and keep it that way and one of those front A bumber thingy's (sorry, can't remember the proper name)! I need your help in locating the wheel arches that can be added as I can't seem to find any for sale unless I go direct to Toyota. I'm not worried about the cost of painting them as I have a friend who owns his own body shop so I'm sure he will look after me. I have added some pics of how the rav looked when I got it and how it looks so far, I look forward to hearing from you guys on what you think and if there is anything we should know, do or look out for on the rav. just one other thing, has anyone got a wiring diagram for the central locking as i need to know what colour wires do what. the reason is i have a friend who makes a clever little box for the honda that sits behind the drivers side door card and splices into the central locking. this then enables you to fold and un fold the mirrors when you lock and unlock the car, a very clever idea as i find one i forget to fold them on the button when i get out, also i then cant see traffic very easily when triying to exit the car and you can then look at the car and see if you have remembered to lock the car as the mirrors will be folded in, the Toyota and Honda have the same set up with using the button. if we can sort this my mate sells these boxes for £25, well worth it i had it on my Honda for 2 years, cheers guys.

[Paulus17]

Hi Alex and welcome to the Rav club

The Rav is looking good with the new features.

[flyboyprowler]

Welcome Alex, and welcome to the mad house. No doubt, it sounds like you will get addicted to your car, like the rest of us, and wish you and yours Seasons Greetings, and many years of happy ownership.

[paulmel]

Hi Alex4dana,

Would be very interested in one of those little boxes myself if they are easy enough to connect and it didn't involve dismantling my Rav too much !

[silly sausage]

Hi, That's a very nice looking Rav, you're in the right business for keeping decuma grey clean ! WE have a decuma Yaris and it drives me bonkers keeping it spotless.

[Davrav]

Welcome to the club Alex. Cracking looking RAV

This should tell you what you need to know without the need to spend £25:

http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=130999

I've not actually carried out this mod as I have to park outside and the mirrors freeze up. Don't want to accidentally damage the motors on a frosty morning. There may well be an overload cut out already in the circuit though. Haven't had time to check. Maybe SCHM can confirm ?..............

[three5]

Welcome to the club Alex. Cracking looking RAV

This should tell you what you need to know without the need to spend £25:

http://www.toyotaown...howtopic=130999

I've not actually carried out this mod as I have to park outside and the mirrors freeze up. Don't want to accidentally damage the motors on a frosty morning. There may well be an overload cut out already in the circuit though. Haven't had time to check. Maybe SCHM can confirm ?..............

Hi Dav,

this little box seems to work in a slightly different, and arguably more useful, way as locking the door retracts the mirrors rather than shutting down the engine. Having reached a "certain age", being able to see from a distance if I have locked the doors ( because the mirrors are folded ) sounds like a brilliant idea. Can see your point about freezing up though. Maybe needs a manual cut out switch for use in very cold weather?

[Alex4dana]

Thanks for the welcomes guys. I had the folding mirrors on the Honda and lots of others on the Honda civic forum also and no one reported any problems in the freezing weather, that's not to say that they will never stop working in the really cold weather only I have not heard any problems, I would have thought that if they did freeze then it would blow the fuse just like if you did not have this box on and was totally standard. I just need to know what colour wires do what on the central locking as Toyota at present are not being helpful in providing this info, although I'm waiting to talk to another parts guy in a different Toyota dealership who says he may be able to get this for me via a mechanic as they all use computers to look up stuff instead of books etc for the newer cars.

[+Steve]

welcome to the Toyota Owners Club!